Redoing old dated AR furniture...or how to add curb appeal.

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Rembrandt

Rembrandt

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Like most things acquired over time, be it your home, car, shag carpet, and the avocado colored kitchen appliances you can pretty much date AR's by looking at the furniture.

It reminded me while watching the Barrett-Jackson auto auctions. Traditional factory restorations are fading away in favor of more modern "resto-mods"......keep the old styling and mate it to a modern chassis.

Thinking that's where I'm headed on some AR's. Those clunky 3" diameter two piece forearms have got to go. As well as the quad rails that resemble an oversized cheese grater, not comfortable....not comfortable at all.

Then there's the color options and anodizing, carbon fiber, compact optics, M-Lok, Key-mod, and improved materials. I don't need more safes full of dated hardware, it's time to freshen up what I have with some new furniture.

AR10-10.jpg IMG_1453.JPG
 
doubleh said:
Excuse me but furniture just sounds weird when talking about a rifle. Furniture belongs in a house.

OK, I'm old and cranky but it still sounds weird. o_O
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I used to think the same thing, and if you're talking about an m1 Garand, or k98 or Remington 700, it's a stock, not "furniture". But with ARs or AKs it's just easier to say (or type) furniture than "buttstock, hand guard and grip"
At least it "furniture" and not "decor":D
 
Starts out about $180, and I'm sure there's shipping and whatnot, so figure $200 and up. The set pictured above is at least $300
 
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Rembrandt said:
Like most things acquired over time, be it your home, car, shag carpet, and the avocado colored kitchen appliances you can pretty much date AR's by looking at the furniture.

It reminded me while watching the Barrett-Jackson auto auctions. Traditional factory restorations are fading away in favor of more modern "resto-mods"......keep the old styling and mate it to a modern chassis.

Thinking that's where I'm headed on some AR's. Those clunky 3" diameter two piece forearms have got to go. As well as the quad rails that resemble an oversized cheese grater, not comfortable....not comfortable at all.

Then there's the color options and anodizing, carbon fiber, compact optics, M-Lok, Key-mod, and improved materials. I don't need more safes full of dated hardware, it's time to freshen up what I have with some new furniture.

View attachment 832042 View attachment 832043
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I’m not sure if you’re asking a question or simply saying you’re going to make updates. Or asking what to get.

As you know The nice thing about ARs is all that’s available. The bad is there is SO MUCH available. The good is you can easily change something you don’t like. The bad is it’s so easy to keep changing.

Adult Legos is a great description.

I say get some new furniture, and a box for the old. Get some zip lock bags and tape and use them to keep the old parts all together. The only question I see is do you keep the old parts or sell them. Personally, I’d put them in the box at least until I knew I liked the updates better.

In any case, please post an update and keep us informed on what you do. Before and after pics would be nice!
 
Hokie_PhD said:
I’m not sure if you’re asking a question or simply saying you’re going to make updates. Or asking what to get.
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Some of all that....recognition that they're dated, wanting to make updates, and what have other done or recommend.

bersaguy, I like the wood, it looks great on traditional handle style uppers. Not sure how it would look on a flat top.

I like some of the bronze colored AR's I've seen coming from Daniel Defense and others.

Recently did an "out of the box futuristic version" which went to the far extremes, all shiney with no finish.


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bersaguy said:
I used to think the same thing, and if you're talking about an m1 Garand, or k98 or Remington 700, it's a stock, not "furniture". But with ARs or AKs it's just easier to say (or type) furniture than "buttstock, hand guard and grip"
At least it "furniture" and not "decor":D
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Very old term, not a new one. "Small accessories or fittings for a particular use or piece of equipment" is as old a definition as the tables-and-chairs definition. Not specific to firearms, but not as much used for machine tools, etc.

Furniture is an uncounted (no such thing as "furnitures") term that for firearms originally referring to all the not-core bits of the gun. In the matchlock/wheel-lock/flintlock era, it generally meant all the stuff not integral to the barrel. So, the trigger was furniture way back when.

Stock is another term for some cases of furniture.

In modern firearms, the mechanics of the gun is many pieces, but is still usually easy to define, and the furniture is the added (and easily removed/replaced) bits that allow it to interface with the human.
 
shoobe01 said:
Very old term, not a new one. "Small accessories or fittings for a particular use or piece of equipment" is as old a definition as the tables-and-chairs definition. Not specific to firearms, but not as much used for machine tools, etc.

Furniture is an uncounted (no such thing as "furnitures") term that for firearms originally referring to all the not-core bits of the gun. In the matchlock/wheel-lock/flintlock era, it generally meant all the stuff not integral to the barrel. So, the trigger was furniture way back when.

Stock is another term for some cases of furniture.

In modern firearms, the mechanics of the gun is many pieces, but is still usually easy to define, and the furniture is the added (and easily removed/replaced) bits that allow it to interface with the human.
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Well, thanks for all that.

It still sounds weird though. :D
 
bersaguy said:
I used to think the same thing, and if you're talking about an m1 Garand, or k98 or Remington 700, it's a stock, not "furniture". But with ARs or AKs it's just easier to say (or type) furniture than "buttstock, hand guard and grip"
At least it "furniture" and not "decor":D
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No. All the aftermarket clutter is definitely "decor". Or maybe "fashion" would be a better word. AR-15s are turning into Barbie dolls that you play dress up with. When is the last time you heard someone say that a M1 Garand or a K98 looked dated? If your gun looks dated, put a picture of Miley Cyrus on it and you will be trendy for at least another year or two.
 
Bill Raby said:
No. All the aftermarket clutter is definitely "decor". Or maybe "fashion" would be a better word. AR-15s are turning into Barbie dolls that you play dress up with. When is the last time you heard someone say that a M1 Garand or a K98 looked dated? If your gun looks dated, put a picture of Miley Cyrus on it and you will be trendy for at least another year or two.
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Could it be that the AR a 50+ year old platform. Other than the 1911 I can’t think of another one that’s been used so long and keeps on evolving.

Think about the changes since the late 1950s/early 1960 when the AR was developed. Cars have changed many times. Clothing a zillion. Music many. Even the style of our homes has changed many times.

So while the stocks, handguards, accessories and other furniture have changed, it’s actually amazing that the basic lower, upper, and functioning parts are basically the same. And even that can be argued as these even can be had in custom and decorative parts.
 
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