Six Easy Rifle Upgrades

If you own a rifle that you haven’t used in a while, you might be pleasantly surprised how much it can be improved with some simple upgrades. A few new components might make the difference between the gun you never use and the one you go to first.

A New Stock

As a custom fiberglass and carbon fiber rifle stock manufacturer, it should come as no surprise that the first component we’d suggest upgrading is the stock. Changing the stock can increase consistency, reduce felt recoil, lower the weight, and provide better ergonomics and all-around rifle performance for your intended purpose.

If you’re considering buying a stock, spend some time thinking about what you want to accomplish with that purchase.

Are you looking to reduce weight, lengthen or shorten length of pull, or add a vertical grip? How would you like to attach a sling or a bipod? What would you like the new stock to look like? The options are almost endless.

The best way to do this is to consider your rifle as it currently sits. What don’t you like about it? Replacing the stock is a great opportunity to make those improvements.

 

If you’re looking for more information to help you choose a stock, or install one, either call AG Composites at (256) 723-8381, or read the following:

• Picking the Right Stock Model
• Carbon Fiber vs. Fiberglass: The Epic Battle Between Carbon Fiber and Fiberglass: Which is Best for Your Rifle Stock?
• Why Spend More Than You Need To? Why spend more on a rifle stock than you need to?
• How to Replace a Factory Rifle Stock

 

Trigger Upgrade

A new trigger is one of the best, easiest, most budget-friendly upgrades a rifle owner can invest in. Quality, aftermarket bolt action triggers typically have much less creep than a factory trigger and allow the user to set the weight of pull.

The brand of your rifle will dictate the aftermarket triggers available for your gun. As always, owners of Remington 700 and 700 clones will have the greatest number of options to choose from, though triggers are also available for other models.

 

In most cases, an aftermarket trigger will increase the consistency of a rifle, largely because there’s less shooter input needed to fire the rifle with a lower weight of pull and less creep.

Some aftermarket trigger brands to look at are TriggerTech and Timney Triggers. Keep in mind that for hunting and certain types of competition, only a sealed trigger should be considered due to dust and dirt in the environment.

A New Riflescope

One of the biggest improvements the firearm industry has witnessed over the past decade has been the progression in magnified optics, particularly the availability tactical-style turret functionality in lightweight packages.

Pairing an old but accurate rifle with a modern, quality optic and well-machined scope rings can bring the performance of the rifle to a point the owner never knew the rifle was capable of. Look at offerings from Vortex, Leupold, Swarovski and Maven, among others, for lightweight scopes with tactical features for longer distance shooting.

On rifles where weight doesn’t matter, Vortex, Kahles, Zero Compromise and other brands offer larger objective models that push the upper limits on what rifle optics are capable of… though that performance may come at a cost that’ll shock some firearm enthusiasts.

When purchasing a new scope, keep in mind that the scope is only as good as its mounting system. In the past, it was good practice to lap old scope rings. Today, quality rings have made that practice obsolete. When a shooter experiences “scope problems”, the issue more often lies in the mounting system than the optic itself. Buy quality rings.

Scope Level

Depending on the intended use of your rifle, having a level mounted on the gun (whether on the scope itself or on the picatinny rail to which the scope is mounted) may be a great deal more important than you realize.

One degree of scope cant (tilt) can shift bullet impact by as much as 9 inches at 1,000 yards. Of course, we’re not suggesting you attempt shooting live game at 1,000 yards, but this illustrates that a canted scope can cause a great deal of error at longer ranges. A level is a critical must-have for competition shooting such as PRS and NRL Hunter matches.

Levelling the crosshairs to the rifle is sound practice, but the important thing when mounting a level is that the device indicates level when the crosshairs are level. It’s all for nothing if the gun is level and the crosshairs are canted. If more explanation on this topic is needed, Google the subject and read forums. It can be a difficult concept to grasp if you haven’t been exposed to it until now.

 

Many optic manufacturers have a selection of scope levels to match their product offerings, but several third-party manufacturers build quality scope levels, too, such as Flatline Ops, MK Machining, etc.

Both rail- and scope-mounted levels work, as long as the level is trued to the scope reticle.

A Quality Bipod

Knowing if your scope reticle is level provides little advantage if you don’t have a way to build a level rest in the field or on a competition stage. When shooting more than just a few hundred yards, a bipod without the ability to cant is nearly useless.

 

The bipod that’s best for you will be dictated by your budget, your tolerance for added rifle weight, and the height that you expect to need from the bipod legs. The mounting system (swivel stud, arca, picatinny, etc.) will also be a determining factor.

Harris makes fantastic, budget-friendly bipod models, though they aren’t the lightest bipods available. They are most often used when a swivel stud is the only mounting option. Bear in mind that Harris manufacturer bipods with and without cant options.

B&T Industries manufactures the Atlas Bipod in all its configurations. The Atlas has become an industry standard for solid performance and durability, though its detractors will say it’s heavy, and some shooters may need longer legs.

Backlanz is a brand from New Zealand that’s growing in popularity in the US. They make a variety of bipods with different features, but all are built from carbon fiber and 3D printed titanium, making them extremely lightweight.

The three bipods listed above are far from the only good options. A number of other manufacturers produce extraordinary options, too.

Muzzle Devices

There’s simply no longer any reason to suffer heavy recoil. There are more muzzle brake and suppressor options available at varying price points than ever before. Installing a muzzle device can radically change the feel of a rifle and how well you shoot it.

Many new, factory rifles are now being shipped with a threaded muzzle, typically either 5/8-24 or 7/16-28, depending on barrel diameter. Muzzle threading is obviously available on all custom-built rifles, too. Installing a brake or a suppressor takes minutes.

In general terms, there are two styles of muzzle brakes on the market: a radial brake and a ported brake. A radial brake has ports (typically round holes) all round the brake. The advantage here is that the brake does not need to be “timed” by the installer. The downside is that, when fired from a prone position, gas escaping the brake can toss dirt and dust in the shooters face and on the rifle. Speaking tactically, it also creates a greater dust signature.

Ported brakes expel gas to either side of the rifle, but none toward the sky or the ground. The only downside is that ported brakes need to be timed. However, more manufacturers have introduced self-timing brakes, allowing the user to install them properly without shims, crush washers, or fancy machine work.

The self-timing TS Customs Ghost brake, for example, is available in aluminum alloy and titanium in addition to steel. Other quality, self-timing brakes are available from American Precision Arms, Area 419 and many more.

As far as suppressors are concerned, wait times for NFA paperwork are faster than they’ve ever been, typically less than a month. Suppressors are available in stainless steel and titanium. Your budget and tolerance for overall weight should be the determining factors when choosing a suppressor.

Suppressors reduce felt recoil, though not as much as a quality brake. Many shooters would rather reduce the rifle report than reduce recoil to the greatest extent possible. Suppressors also alter the way a rifle recoils, reducing muzzle jump more than rearward travel of the rifle.

You can save your old rifle from becoming obsolete. It might just take a few upgrades!