"Never" Upgrade Your Gun: 3 Reasons Why HD

CAUTION: Hyperbole Ahead! Raise your hand if you don’t love buying add-ons for your AR-15… just as I thought, not very many of you out there. As I stand here and make the case AGAINST upgrading your gun, let me first tell you that I totally get it. I understand the love for red-dot sights, fiber-optic night sights, lasers, tactical lights, bi-pods, ergonomic grips, vertical fore-grips, hand stops, free-float rails, match triggers and all the rest - I mean it, I understand. It’s in our nature to tailor our environment, and our belongings to our tastes, but when it comes to our guns is there really a need. Precision bolt-action rifles are clearly an exception, since quality optics, rings, mounts etc. do indeed help the shooter achieve and maintain long-range accuracy over time. But in regard to virtually all handguns, semi-auto rifles, and shotguns, here are three reasons to NEVER put upgrades on your gun. #1 They Won’t Make You Shoot Better. It’s true, a nice red-dot sight may help you get on target faster, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Ergonomic upgrades can make your gun more comfortable and fun to shoot, which is also a good thing. Night sights will arguably help you get a better sight picture in low light, which sounds pretty awesome. However, none of those upgrades will help you become a better shooter. I, myself have spent my time and money “setting up” certain guns to my liking, but only after I learned proficiency with them in their stock configuration. There are no magic upgrades for your gun that will make you a fundamentally better shooter. Until you master the fundamentals - sight alignment, sight picture & trigger control - those add-ons can only help you fail faster, more comfortably, and in the dark. #2 They’re Too Expensive. You can easily drop $1,000 on a quality AR-15, while $550 will get you a good semi-auto handgun, and $350 can land you a solid pump-action Shotgun. When you add on the cost of optics, lasers, trigger jobs, stock upgrades, tactical shell carriers and more, you can easily double your initial investment before firing a single shot. Your money is far better spent on ammo, training, and trips to the range. You can always upgrade your gun in the future, and once you’ve learned some proficiency with it... I’m all for it! However, your gun will come with adequate sights, a usable trigger and a decent ergonomic interface, so why mess with it? Square away your fundamental skills by putting some rounds downrange, and then as budget allows, upgrade your gun. #3 They Can Be a Crutch. You might be a crack-shot with your custom trigger job, fiber-optic sights and match-grade barrel, but can you get on target with your friend’s gun if yours is unavailable? The fundamental skills previously mentioned are crucial for making hits, regardless of the weapon in hand. If you ever really need your gun, but have to settle for someone else’s, mastery of those fundamentals will be all the more important. Loads of co