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There are a few things that every citizen soldier should have as accessories to their primary rifle.
Some of these things are best kept at home, but most should be attached to the rifle or carried with your second or third
line. I will explain these things and describe options.
 A- Magazines and Ammo: These are the most important accessories
for a rifle, period. (A cleaning kit would be next, then sling, then spare parts kit.) I’ve discussed it elsewhere,
but how much to have? I like to think in terms of “basic load,” how much can you realistically and comfortable
carry? For me that is five mags- one in the gun and 4 in a chest rig. So five mags would be minimum, and lets
say enough ammo to fill them twice. Then double that for emergencies- get your first mags tested then put them back
and test some more, keep one basic load of ammo in the go-bag and another in an ammo can. Then you add on spare mags,
tested and put away (I figure anything over 3x your basic load is fluff) and as much ammo as you can afford. But don’t
skimp on practice.
B- Slings: Every long arm should have a sling. The sling
allows you to perform two-handed tasks in the field without setting down your weapon. Personally I prefer the two-point
“IDF” sling for my carbines. This is an assault type sling that allows your weapon to fall very close to
the patrol carry (when it is adjusted correctly.) There are other types of slings to consider, each has its own advantages
and disadvantages. The traditional sling allows you to shoot in a sling-supported position, but it does nor allow for
an easy ready carry. Single point slings attach near the stock of the weapon and allow the weapon to hang perpendicular
to the ground. Three point slings are a more complicated and hold the weapon in a better ready position. I do
not like single or three point slings because both can block access to my chest rig, also single points tend to angle the
barrel precariously close to my male equipment, and three point slings can be a pain to get on when you are half asleep and
in the dark.
C- Big Cleaning Kit: This is a large bag or box that has all
of the things you need to do deep and complete cleaning of your rifle. Large bottles of oil, solvent, the big rods and
brushes for all of your guns, etc. I also keep a good supply of cotton swabs (Qtips) and pipe cleaners as well as various
patch sizes because I really cant stand a dirty weapon. It can be kept at home or in your range bag.
Small Cleaning Kit: This should be with your second or third line gear. It should include
the minimum supplies to keep your weapon “field clean” and oiled. In mine I have a small bottle of oil,
a small silicon cloth and a string with a bore brush that can be pulled though the barrel. There is a company called
Otis that makes a very good minimal cleaning kit.
D- Spare Parts Kit:
Every person that envisions themselves every having to fight with a particular gun should have a kit that includes all of
the user replaceable parts. There are quite a few of these on the AR platform, not nearly so many on an AK. For
an AR I wouldn’t have less than a spare extractor w/spring, firing pin and retaining pins and bolt cam pin. For
an AK I would keep a spare trigger group. I keep these as well as spare optic batteries in the pistol grip of my rifle.
Some butt stocks allow for this much storage. I also keep a complete bolt carrier group and more spare parts in my large
cleaning kit/range bag. This may seem extreme, but if parts ever become impossible to get, I want my rifle to run for
a long, long time. Of course the best spare parts kit is another complete rifle.
E- Broken Shell Extractor: This is a nifty little device that fits the face of your bolt and will pull
out a casing if the bottom rips off. I’ve never had to use it but I know it would be a pain without it.
I keep it with the spare parts kit.
F- Optics: Arguably (and I agree) once
you put an optic on a rifle it becomes part of the rifle and not an accessory per se. But, this is a good place to discuss
them. Not to long ago, optics on a combat rifle was considered a no-no. However, the advent of durable non-magnified
red dot type sites (EOTech and Aimpoint being the most common) as well as low powered, illuminated magnified optics (ACOG
being the standout) have changed this. What I end up seeing at the range is a motley collection of sights, with variable
hunting types in the 3-9 power range being the most common. Optics that do not allow for rapid close in shooting (such
as a hunting 3-9) have no place on a combat rifle. And any optic you have should be “combat rugged.”
This excludes all of the lower end stuff. Also, if you have an optic of any type, back up iron sights are a must.
And, if your optic is battery powered spare batteries should be in your spare parts kit.
G- White Light: If you ever intend to use your rifle as a home defense weapon you should have a capable white
light attached. This can range anywhere in price from $80=$600 complete. I find that at the low end, a small LED
weapon light such as the surefire G2L will suffice for most people. Realize that this light is for use in clearing a
structure, not for identifying targets at range!
Other Stuff: There are
plenty of other things you can hang off of a rifle, especially an AR15. Some of it has use, but much of it does not.
My suggestion is that you start off shooting your rifle with the bare minimum of stuff and try out other things like bipods
and fore grips as you see fit, then test them in practical shooting situations (not on the benchrest.) If they don’t
make a marked improvement on the comfort or performance of your rifle, or if they get in the way, take them off. The
more stuff you have attached to a rifle, the more tired your arms will get, the harder your weapon becomes to handle, and
the more stuff there is to go wrong.
Of Note: I’m a big fan
of books about past combat experiences. In books on Vietnam I have seen two weapons modifications done by people who
really seem to know what they are doing. First, I have seen a lot of pictures of Special Forces recon types with a full
length cleaning rod taped down the length of their rifle. This would be very handy for clearing a failure to extract
during contact. I have also seen a lot of pictures of Australian SAS types with a battle dressing taped to their weapon.
While I don’t have those things done to my weapon while it’s sitting around the house or at the range, I think
they are very good ideas if you can do them without changing the handling characteristics of your weapon.
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