If you found your way to RailScales’ shop because of your interest in high-quality and carefully crafted rail covers, you probably know your way around an AR-15 pretty well. However, if you are still doing research on whether or not the AR 15 is the right rifle for you — as either your first firearm or simply as an addition to a pre-existing collection — we want to help you to do your due diligence and figure out whether the AR-15 is the right firearm for you before you make your purchase. Let’s start with the most basic of basics about AR 15s and build from there; we at RailScales want to help you make an informed decision about your potential purchase.
“AR” Doesn’t Mean Assault Rifle
While it’s easy to see why this mistake was originally made, the first thing you should know about the AR-15 is that this common assumption is wrong; we understand how easy it is to make that intuitive leap, but the “AR” of AR-15 does not stand for “assault rifle”. It actually stands for ArmaLite Rifle, the company that originally developed the gun. Furthermore, because the AR 15 is only semi-automatic, it cannot even technically be classified as an assault rifle. An assault rifle, by classification, is fully-automatic (i.e. a machine gun).
Form and Function
The AR 15 was initially developed to be a lighter-weight answer to assault rifles — in particular, the U.S. Army was interested in something that fired smaller caliber ammunition, to allow soldiers to carry more rounds, and something with more accuracy than larger assault rifles of the time. The AR-15 (M16 in U.S. Army classification) offered a much lighter option than the M14, so soldiers could carry more ammunition, and the .223 caliber rounds could be fired with enough power to puncture a standard helmet at 500 yards. The smaller size and minimal kickback make this a female-friendly gun as well as combat-friendly.
Customizability
For many AR-15 owners, the biggest benefit of this firearm style is how customizable it is. The modular design means you can swap out upper and lower receivers in a matter of seconds. The lower receiver is the actual firearm portion, so you can purchase a set of different length upper receivers to interchange between barrel lengths easily - you can even swap out upper receivers to handle different caliber rounds. Only the lower receiver component is serialized, so every other custom AR parts you wish to add to your build can be purchased easily online or at a local store.
Use Your Rails
Because the AR-15 is so easily customizable, you can alter and add to your rails until you get your rifle just how you want it. The modular structure of most rails means you can easily attach lights, scopes, and any other AR 15 rail accessories you wish without worrying about compatibility. Our AR-15 rail grip options absolutely fit the bill there.
Our RailScales are lightweight but provide heavy-duty protection from overly heated rails and a textured finish that allow you to more easily grip the rails on the fore-end of your AR-15.
Protect your Hands Without Adding Bulk to Your AR-15
If you crave additional control, our Karve handstops and other vertical foregrips give you bidirectional control with a small footprint and minimal weight.
Once you’ve finished researching and have made your AR-15 purchase, shop RailScales. Our AR-15 RailScales rail grips work with nearly any AR rail system, including Keymod and MLOK. Contact us now if you have more questions about how our rail scales work or shop today!
Meta: The AR-15 is one of the most versatile and easily customizable firearms on the market. If you are curious to know a bit more about the history of the AR-15 before your big purchase or are curious about why you should rely on RailScales’ accessories, read more about it here!