QUOTE=jsimmons;135590562]I'm old, so you should take the following with whatever helping of salt is required.
0) It's a rifle, not a prom dress. Who cares what it looks like as long as it shoots straight?
I readily agree that the most important thing with any gun is how it shoots, and the 15-22 has accuracy in spades in my opinion. Still, to borrow your analogy, no one wants to have an ugly, uncomfortable prom dress if there is the option of changing/modifying it to suit tastes/needs better. I think the only purely "mall ninja" cosmetic accessory I might add is a barrel shroud becase I like how they look, though this could be added to the improved function category as I've heard reports the rifle is actually more accurate with the shroud because of improved barrel harmonics with the extra weight.
1) I don't know what kind of stock you currently have, but the stock you select should be selected more for its function than for its looks. My M&P MOE came with all Magpul MOE furniture. While the stock was a six-position collapsible, it was not as tight a fit as I was looking for, so I upgraded to the Magpul CTR stock. It has an additional friction-locking lever that eliminates the rattle. It also has a bushed hole to mount a QD sling swivel in. Very handy, but I don't use it right now. There are many other brands of stocks available, so choose the one that *functions* best for you. Looks truly are secondary (but I find that the more functional the stock, the cooler looking it is).
My gun is the plain vanilla model with standard grip, sights, and carbine stock. Because of it's general lack of comfort, I am looking to replace the factory stock. That it rattles, is generally uncomfortable and lacks in both cheek and shoulder contact points are my main arguments, but the fact is that stock is also homely as a mud fence. I can abide something being ugly if it functions correctly (savage rifles come to mind) or I can see where someone may choose form over function (Cadilac Escalade vs Chevy Blazer/GMC Yukon). I can't work with something that is both ugly and substandard in performance. In my area there is not a great call for "BLACK" guns, so I can't walk into my local shop(s) to compare stocks, grips, sights, etc. as they just don't carry that many options. I am forced to buy online, where I sometimes may have to choose based on limited user reviews or simply based on which item looks the best to me. My choice of an ACS was mainly based on reviews I've seen, my reasoning that it looked to have the better cheek and shoulder areas I was looking for, and the simple fact that it seems much better looking than my factory piece. I must admit that price point also plays a part in my decisions (walmart does NOT over pay their employees).
2) Yes there are stocks available with adjustable cheek risers, but they're at the upper end as far as price goes. You can also find add-on cheek risers, but I don't know how reliable/useful they are. When you find one or two, Google for reviews and see what actual users say. Adding one of these risers will definitely be less expensive than buying a $200+ stock.
Yeah, these stocks are at the upper end of the spectrum and better suited to higher end builds. I admit I'd like to have one, but I realize they are not functional for our guns and they just aren't practical in this price point.
3) You should check our primaryarms.com for red-dot scopes. They have a lot of reasonably priced and well reviewed scopes.
Have been considering it actually. the M3 with co-witness mount seems to be my favorite, but I'm hesitant to spend more for another red dot as it is now purely a cosmetic decision as I already have a perfectly functional Bushnell Trophy dot, and just need a lower riser.
4) Your aim should be to make the rifle more comfortable and reliable to shoot.
I thought that was what I was trying to do... If it also happens to get less ugly, that's just a bonus
5) I honestly don't understand the love of rails in the AR community. it makes the rifle difficult to grip, and people feel compelled to consume every inch of rail with some off-the-wall accessory. If you keep it simple, there's a lot less to go wrong, and the weapon remains light and maneuverable.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, here I agree with you. I have a VFG, and that is really the only rail accessory I might add other than maybe a sling attachment point. I seen the guys with Lasers and lights, bipods, etc. and it does look cool, but I can't justify it for MY uses of THIS gun. were I building a .223 go to war gun (my choice would be 6.8mm anyway) or using my gun for cheap training in place of the centerfire weapon then I would definitely want some additional items.
