Every year at SHOT Show, we are buried with AR-15s and accessories for them. Here are the first three upgrades that could make your AR better.
KCI’s Polycarbonate AR Mag with Steel Feed Lips
Three things make the AR PC Mag from KCI better than polymer mags. First, it’s not polymer: It’s made of translucent polycarbonate that is less brittle and stronger than polymer. Plus it lets you see how many rounds are left at a glance.
Second, it’s got a high-power spring that pushes the follower up with about 10% more force than a standard spring. The 17-7 stainless steel spring also has a longer life.
Third, and probably most striking, the PC Mag has steel feed lips embedded under the polycarbonate shell. Steel feed lips reinforce the polymer in the highest-wearing area of the magazine. Unlike other mags with steel feed lips, these are inside of the mag so the steel won’t fall off over time.
KCI’s new AR PC Mags launched during SHOT and are now available. MSRP $21.95
Hyperion Munitions PTC
Hyperion’s PTC (precise trigger control) makes a stock mil-spec trigger into a tight shooter that feels more like a drop-in trigger than the sloppy original you got with your lower build kit. It replaces the trigger guard and the grip screw.
The new grip screw presses on the inside of the trigger and removes the take-up before the trigger breaks, which also makes it feel tighter. The new trigger guard has a set screw that stops the trigger from continuing backward after it breaks, which makes the press feel much more intentional.
Both the initial press and the trigger reset are improved with Hyperion’s PTC. It doesn’t change the weight of pull required to break the trigger, but it does make it feel more crisp. You get most of the effect of a high-end drop-in trigger for only $49.99, and it’s available now.
T6 Firearms G.O.A.T. Series
Ok, this one is not an accessory, but it’s an impressive upgrade to the standard AR platform. The G.O.A.T. ARs from T6 come with a tune-able compensated barrel system, and the resulting weapons remain remarkably lightweight and the barrel remains 16″ long.
Rather than threading the end of a 16″ barrel and adding a compensator, T6 ported the end of the barrel itself and then threaded it. Then, they’ve stacked ported baffles over the barrel which can be twisted in various directions to direct the gasses coming out from the barrel ports.
After shooting it, it’s the flattest-shooting AR platform I’ve used — both in 5.56 and .308.
The T6 Firearms’ G.O.A.T. series comes in .223 Wylde (under 6 lbs), 7.62 x 39mm (6 lbs 4oz), and .308 (7 lbs 10oz). They are available now, starting at about $1,500.
There will be plenty more AR accessories to report on during SHOT, and we’ll keep you updated on the most impressive things we see.