Hee, hee, I like how's there's FIVE different lights on that gun.....
Well, as people have said, you just don't like the rifle type, and that's fine and doesn't necessarily need to change. However, it may very well help you to come to appreciate them if your thinking were to come around to understanding the need or want in this or that particular accessory. Or, it may not matter to you.
Particularly, if you're primarily a hunter, and not .mil/ LEO (an 'operator' or wanna-be 'operator'
), then you may come to realize that SOME of these gadgets and the rifle style itself in general are not bad choices for hunting; in fact, they can even come in handy for certain hunting scenarios.
Generally, although I try to keep the rifles as small and light as humanly possible (unless they're a pure range toy), for what it's worth, I have some gadgets on this style of rifle for what I perceive to be GOOD reason, particularly:
1. Replacement (better) grip. The A2 style sucks nards, and an ERGO is infinitely better.
2. "Tac-latch" - small, light, and makes it a lot easy to grab that charging handle and rack it - my only lament here is that they don't make a "DOUBLE tac-latch" where there's big ears on both sides - of course they will *eventually* - I'm always ahead of the curve on these things - but I want one NOW!
3. Optical sight. I'm a big fan of these, and they have their place, for at least 4 reasons: First, a 1x ESD is plain quicker than lining up three planes for fast and furious CQB type shooting. Second, those of us with bad eyes can get a blurred out front or rear and not see the target as well, at ANY range. Third, if shooting at medium or long range, even those with GOOD eyes can benefit from a *magnified* sight, and irons ain't magnified. Finally, the light that an optics gathers can add a good 15-20 minutes to 'shootin time' / 'huntin time' at both ends of the day, at dusk and dawn. Particularly useful for hunting.
4. A 'tactical' sling (1 point, 2 point, etc.). These are good not only for 'operators' on guard duty, but also for hunters, in both having a carry strap for general carry, but also for stalking-hunting where the rifle can always be at the "low-ready" while stalking for hours, without unduly tiring your arms out. Just the other day, I stalked through the woods for almost two hours straight looking for deer with my DPMS and without that 1-point sling, my arms would have been mondo tired (e.g. carrying a standard turnbolt), and I would have had to rest a lot more often.
5. A light of some sort. Obviously this is good for home defense and .mil/police type situations, but again, also potentially for hunting. In some states, it's LEGAL to hunt coyotes and/or piggies with lights.
6. A BUIS for your optical sight (whether co-witnessed or not). Meh, I can take or leave these generally, but overall not a horrible idea if they don't add too much weight. I have a BUIS on only one EBR type. Here's my take on them: I don't do optical sights that take batteries (at least not on 'real' or 'serious' guns). *Co-Witnessed* BUIS's are useful for 1x optics that rely on batteries, so if the batteries go out, you're still in business in a matter of mili-seconds. Since I don't rely on batteries, even for 1x optical sights (fiber optic or standard reticle only), I certainly don't need a co-witnessed BUIS. If you buy a quality optic and it doesn't use batteries, the chances of it going TU are slim to none. BUT, having said that, having a BUIS stored separately (in your pack), just in case you drop your rifle down a steep onto a rock on the optic, to slap on the top rail, is certainly not a terrible idea. But keep them in your pack, not living on the rifle adding weight to what you have to carry and maneuver with your arms. Use a QD mount for the optic, whether 1x or otherwise, and do a quick field swap in the very unlikely event your optical sight goes TU. Another reason I don't like a co-witnessed BUIS is because iron sights are a standardized fixed height, which is too high for my taste -higher than I get my optics, even on an AR15. So they wouldn't co-witness anyway without me raising my optical sight to a place I don't want it to be. Yet another reason I'm not a huge fan of co-witnessed BUIS's is because I AM a fan of magnified optics - usually not dialing down below 2, 1.65, or 1.5, and BUIS's just flat out don't work with anything but a 1 or maybe 1.25 power.
7. Finally, forward grip. I don't really like or want a forward grip on a serious gun *for the sake of having a different grip* for shooting while standing - the standard horizontal handguard is fine for that. But if you're ambush hunting, and holding a rifle in your lap, it can tend to 'slip down' toward the ground over time and it's a pain keeping it in place and trying to keep perfectly still. A forward grip, or at least a significant protrusion of some sort from the bottom of the front of the stock/handguard area, gives your off-hand something to grab onto, to hold the rifle into your body stabily without tiring you out over the long haul.
8. Finally, as to the platform itself in general: Let's face it - a pistol grip for the shooting hand is just flat-out more comfortable and ergo thana "standard" rifle stock grip, such as on a standard turnbolt. Secondly, an AR15 is both *fairly* light and semi-auto, both of which can be useful for hunting and 'operators' alike. Well, they're light FOR a semi-auto, if you don't go in for HBARs and keep your accessories minimal and light. The safety is both quiet and easy to manipulate. Quieter than a Remington 700, for example.
You'll notice that bipod is NOT in the list. Bipods (to me) are little more than toys, as adding a LOT of weight, with very little to no actual benefit. Field expedient rests, such as a tree trunk, tree limb, rock, fallen tree, etc., are not only just as sturdy or even sturdier than a bipod, they are, most importantly, higher up, getting you above the ambient flora / brush / grass. I'd much rather have one of those aluminum adjustable bipod or monopod / walking stick combos, that come up to a max of anywhere from 24" to 60", for actual use from a chair, hillside, or while standing.
Lasers are also not in the list. They are fun toys, but again, I ain't gonna rely on anything using batteries myself - YMMV. It's also hard or impossible to see them in bright light.
Obviously, the size and weight of the gadgets put on needs to be seriously considered. Optical sights can vary widely in weight once you get up to magnified ones. You've just gotta look at the rifle's purpose, versus what it weighs now, versus what's the maximum acceptable weight, versus the need for the gadget in question, versus the various feature-to-weight ratios of the commercial offerings of the gadget type.
(thanks to BenEzra)
..."I'll even go so far as to say that civilian owners have no business putting a flashlight on it."...
anytime one of these threads shows up. Enough.
