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Usually, when you buy a brand-new AR-15, it shows up relatively bare bones, with no sight, no accessories at all, and generally about one magazine. Many new AR-15 owners probably wonder what to do next. That’s what I’m going to talk about here. All the self-defense rifles in my collection may have different barrels, cartridges, setups, and operating systems, but they all have something in common. They have the three most important accessories you'll need for any defensive rifle.
What are those things? You’ll need sights because you need to be able to acquire your target. You’ll need a sling so you can keep the rifle on your body, and you’ll need a light so you can positively ID a threat in the dark. I’ll talk more below about each of those accessories and why you need them. Hopefully, that gives you some ideas about how to move forward on your defensive AR-15 setup.
Sight
One of the first things you need to have on any defensive rifle is a sight. You need a way to aim the gun. There are so many options out there for sights now that the choices seem almost unlimited. Some guns might come with iron sights, which are always a good starting point. You can learn quite a bit by training on iron sites first. But these days, you can acquire certain red dot sites for cheaper than a pair of iron sites. So, with all the available options, there's really no reason not to have a sighting system, but it's also 100% a necessity and a requirement. You must be able to properly engage a target with a defensive rifle. You can't shoot a rifle that doesn't have sight. So, the very first thing you need is a way to aim, and your sighting system will make a huge difference in helping you to get rounds on target proficiently. I like the EOTech XPS3-2, as well as more affordable models like the Sig Sauer ROMEO5.
Sling
A sling on your defensive rifle, AR-15 or otherwise, is extremely important. It keeps the firearm to your body, it helps secure it so that it can't be taken from you easily, and it allows you to go hands-free in case you need to open a door, get in a vehicle, or anything else that requires hands. A sling, especially one of good quality, is a good idea. One that I use on my defensive rifles is a Magpul MS1 sling. Magpul makes quality stuff. I trust them when it comes to a lot of their accessories, including furniture. I suggest getting a two-point sling like the MS1 that comes with QD (quick detach) sling swivels, which allow you to remove the sling much easier than if it were looped through the furniture. The only other feature you might need is a QD mount, which you can find easily from Magpul as well as from other brands. Once you have a way to mount your sling, you can be up and running. I look at a rifle sling very similarly to how I look at a holster for a pistol. It's a way to have it on me without having to physically hold it. Then, if I need it, I can access it much more quickly. So, a sling for your defensive AR-15 or rifle is extremely important. Look at getting something of decent quality because you want to make sure it holds up.
Light
The third accessory you need on your defensive rifle is a weapon light. It's extremely important that you get one of these white lights, even if you've heard some of the old internet lore telling you that it makes you a target. Here’s the thing: you and I, we're the good guys, and it's our responsibility to make sure that any threats we engage in a self-defense scenario are actually threats, and a white light allows you to identify a target positively in a darker environment. Positive identification is a necessity when it comes to any self-defense situation involving a rifle. For that reason, a weapon-mounted light is the third most important accessory that you need. The Streamlight ProTac Rail Mount is a very good option, and it's very inexpensive. Of course, some weapon-mounted lights can be extremely expensive, but Streamlight is one of those brands that have built a decent reputation considering their price point. So, though the first two accessories are a higher priority, this is definitely a close third. Don't let people talk you out of using a light because of “making yourself a target.” I think it's more important that you can see the target that you might have to deal with rather than trying not to become one yourself.
There you have it. Sights, slings, and lights. Those are the first three things that I would put on a defensive rifle, and that's exactly the order I would go in in terms of priority.
--Magic Prepper
