Great AR15 mods around $50

- Magpul BAD ~$30
- Spikes NiB trigger set ~$59
- Magpul or Ergo grip ~$22
- BCM Mod3 charging handle (if you're scoped) ~$45

Magpul rubber mag loops.
I put them on every mag I own.

http://store.magpul.com/product/MAG001/13

Much easier to juggle mags or hang 2 spares on fingers ready to reload.
Makes fishing mags out of a pouch about 10 times easier which was the original intent.
Protects the empty mag when you drop them on hard ground.
And they protect my trucks paint when I shoot on it using it for a rest.

Maglulu loader!
Most excellent for fast loading or unloading mags.
http://www.maglula.com/product/m-16-ar-15-lula-5-56-223/

rc

Ill second the Mag Lula, although they arent my first choice for unloading the mags.

The BAD levers are cool too, as long as they work with your gun. I have 4 AR's, and they only work reliably on my S&W.

2 point sling
IO cover for the Aimpoint T1/H1 Micro
Butler Creek scope caps
ALG Defense QMS trigger
2 boxes of ammo & 2 Magpul mags

Pmags
Ammo

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

The BCM Gunfighter charging handles are a great improvement in that price range.
Some like furniture changes. I'd be happy with a milspec forend, but something that takes some of the slop out of a standard carbine stock is better for my uses.

For magazines, I'm coming to appreciate the Lancer L5 AVM magazines. Nothing wrong with PMags, but I like the steel lips of the Lancers.

The lancer mags are nice! I also really like the B.A.D. Lever, I'm also happy with the Badger Ordinance latch.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/71...latch-ar-15-lr-308-matte?cm_vc=ProductFinding

MistWolf said:

ALG Defense QMS trigger

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Either that ALG trigger or for $15 more, the ACT one. It's well worth the little extra.

http://algdefense.com/alg-combat-trigger-act.html

I've had em since like September. They feed just like the magpul mags, it's just kind of nice having steel lips.

I have the Magpul BAD levers. I like them, its just that my Armalites and Colt dont. More often than not, the bolts close on an empty mag with the levers on the guns.

The S&W doesnt seem to mind it, although it too will close on an empty mag on occasion.

KNS non-rotating pins. Cheap insurance and they shaved off about 1/2 a pound of trigger pull on my 300 BLK build

A "for training/demo only" BCM Gunfighter charging handle. Got one for $25 straight from BCM a couple of weeks ago. I've looked it over numerous times and I can't find the "imperfection" they claim it has. I also like that it has no text or logos on top, only on the bottom (which you can't see anyway)

HexHead said:

Either that ALG trigger or for $15 more, the ACT one. It's well worth the little extra

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I agree. I was just keeping it under $50

I'm really not that impressed with the ALG trigger. Yeah, it makes the rifle go off, but I don't think it's any better really than a good stock trigger. I've felt a lot of stock triggers that are actually better than the ALG.
If I was going to put a trigger in an AR, I'd just save up and make it a real improvement.

YMMV.

The ALG is always a good standard trigger. It's pull isn't as good as a full on G trigger, but buying other standard AR triggers is a crap shoot. One might break at 6 lbs, the next at 9. Usually, they are all gritty. The ALG is made with better quality control so you can bet that each and every ALG you get will break about 6 lbs and will be smoother than other standard AR triggers. Pull isn't as good as a full on G trigger, but it's not supposed to be. Grease them up before installing and they'll even be better. Spending $45 for an ALG QMS is better than rolling the dice on a $20 standard AR trigger from "Brand X"

Agreed on the QMS. I prefer the SSA but there is (and should be) a big difference between a $50 trigger and a $180 trigger. Some places are even packing the QMS with the rest of a LPK and it's an outright steal.

Other good $50 or less investments to the AR itself would be a VCAS sling, BAD ambi selector, any magpul furniture, the MFT minimalist stock, Larue index clips and also Larue hand stops.

Rusty Luck said:

handy affordable modification

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A $3 tube of RTV silicone to make a gasket around the charging handle/receiver interface.

http://www.03designgroup.com/technotes/do-it-yourself-gas-buster-charging-handle

I did the silicone seal on a couple of my AR's I mount a suppressor on, and it works to a point. Never had an issue with any of them without a suppressor mounted.

Something like this has worked better though, and its free ........

I haven't shot anything suppressed so I can't comment on that, but I've found that a good charging handle in a mil-spec upper seems to work fine for diverting gas away from your face. The newer BCM Gunfighter charging handles are contoured a little higher around the rear of the receiver and kind of dished out, I think to help with that. But honestly, I don't recall ever having much of a problem with the old BCM Gunfighter CH either.

Only time I had a problem with it was with a stock charging handle on an old Olympic A1 carbine... and QC wasn't so high on that thing to start with. Not saying others haven't experienced it though, and it is disconcerting to get puff of gas in the face.

I'd also say that if your rifle doesn't come with sights and you'd like some, I like the Daniel Defense A1 style rear. It can work as a stand alone until you decide what you want with optics. One criticism of the M-16A2 is that it had a target sight when it should have had a battle sight. The DD A1 sight is exactly that. Zero the rifle and forget it - it's not going to get knocked out of zero without some help. It's a little over $50... maybe $65 on sale.

The best $50 you can spend on an AR is for a VCAS sling.

50 cent trigger job. Or you can buy the utg super slim 13" rail for about $92 after coupon code, sell your existing hanguard parts for about $32 and be into a pretty nice rail for $60.

ALG ACT ~$65

Ergo grip ~$26

WMD NiB Charging Handle ~ $30

Larue Tactical index clips ~$30

Yes, the BAD lever is a great add on.