A great feature of our Classic Firearms Blog and Videos is that we try to serve all of our friends, and we recognize that some of our newer friends and followers may also be new to various types of weapons systems, or perhaps some of our long time followers are ready to take that leap into another platform. The most obvious one for me, and the first one that comes to my mind, is the AR-15. The AR-15 is the most popular rifle in America, so don't be shy about asking questions about it. Shoot, after this article, some of you may be able to teach me a thing or two as well. That's what being a part of a firearm community is all about, recognizing the different skill levels of others and kindly offering guidance. So here we go! Want some visual examples? Check out Clint's awesome Youtube video on how to shoot an AR-15.

THE AR-15 RIFLE

I'm gonna try to describe an AR-15 in a nutshell, because we have a lot to get to and I want to keep your attention. My apologies in advance to the editors :). (Deep breath) The AR in AR-15 does not stand for assault rifle, nor is it an assault rifle. Why? Because an assault rifle is a fully automatic machine gun that has been banned from civilian ownership since 1934. This misunderstood rifle is a modern sporting rifle that is used for home defense, hunting, competitions, and for those of us who just like to take them to the range because they are hella fun to shoot!. AR-15's are semi-automatic rifles, not unlike other semiautomatic firearms available in America today, and even functioning the same. It's only the boogeyman to those who want to ban it. Although it may physically appear to be a weapon of war, by law, it has internal differences that make it legal to purchase by law-abiding citizens in most states. AR-15's are known to be reliable, rugged, and accurate. AR-15 style rifles are chambered in selections from rifle rounds to pistol calibers, and are no more powerful than their long gun or handgun counterparts. The AR platform is a modular one, which simply means that owners can affix different uppers and lowers. The only reason that they are misunderstood is because of politics, really, that's it. They're not the big scary assault rifles that certain agendas want you to buy into.

The Silver Shadow Gilboa Double Barrel AR-15

HOW TO USE AN AR-15

Alright, there may be a few more adjustments and steps in using an AR-15 over some other firearm, but mechanically, it requires the same basic pull of the trigger and strike of a firing pin to send the bullet down the barrel to hit the target. Chances are high that if you're reading this article, you know the safety rules, but as I said, we have different levels of shooters, that rely on us for accurate and safe information to assure that they get a good start, so a little housekeeping first:
  1. Treat all guns as if they were loaded.
  2. Treat all guns as if they were loaded.
  3. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. Imagine that there is a laser on the muzzle of your firearm and everywhere that the laser goes while in your control could cause injury or damage. It is easy; don't laser anyone!
  4. Keep your finger AWAY from the trigger until you are ready to shoot something.
  5. Know what you are shooting, and what is behind it.
Another safety step is that YOU make sure that the gun is not loaded, even if you trust the person that hands it to you. It is nothing personal, it is protection for you and every other person nearby. So first, clear the gun, in this case, an AR-15.

The Armalite M-15 Tactical Rifle

CLEARING AN AR-15

  • Drop the magazine. You will find the magazine release button near the trigger on the right side of the rifle. You can keep your grip while dropping the magazine, right-handed shooters can use their trigger finger to depress the magazine release button, left-handed shooters can use their thumb.
  • Now that you have taken the ammo supply away from the rifle, you need to check the chamber to make sure a round is not in it. Open the bolt. If you cannot see it, it is because the ejection port cover is closed. Pull the charging handle as far back as it will go. If there is a round in the chamber, it should eject at this point.
  • Lock the bolt back. Even if you visually see a cartridge eject, you still need to look again just to make sure that nothing is there. The bolt catch or bolt release button is located on the left side of the rifle. Press the lower paddle of the button while you are pulling back the charging handle. The charging handle will be loose, so push it back in until it locks into place. Now the bolt will be locked open.-
  • Make sure the safety is on. The safety selector will be located on the left side of the firearm above the pistol grip. There are usually only two options on AR-15's'; safe and semi. The arrow should be pointing to "safe".
  • Now that the bolt is locked open, check and recheck that there is nothing in the chamber.
You can also lock the bolt open by inserting an empty magazine into the rifle. When you pull the charging handle back, the empty magazine will automatically activate the bolt catch and it will lock in an open position.

Radical Firearms RF-15 Rifle

LOADING THE AR-15

Select the magazine that you want to use, dependent on its capacity, then load however many rounds that you want to fire.
  • Make sure that the safety is still on.
  • Pick the rifle up by the grip with your firing hand.
  • Insert the magazine into the magazine well. Make sure that you hear an audible click and then give it a tug to make sure that your magazine is properly seated.
  • When you are confident that the magazine is firmly seated, press the upper paddle on the bolt catch to close the bolt and chamber a round.
  • Remember, don't "laser" anyone or anything that you don't want to cause harm to!
  We could go further with even more steps, but I don't want to confuse you. There are forward assist controls on some rifles that you may have questions about, as well as the differences in loading if you are one of our southpaw friends, different conditions that the rifles may be in when loading, especially if the bolt is closed without a round in the chamber. For the basics we are going over, but for now, always clear the rifle first, it's a failsafe.

Black Rain Ordnance American Flag "Let It Rain" AR-15

FIRING THE AR-15

There are four basic field shooting positions commonly associated with rifles. I say that there are three though!
  • Standing - Standing is the "high" position. This is the fighting position. Standing is the most mobile position. It is the easiest to assume but also the most unstable position.
  • Kneeling - Kneeling is an intermediate position that allows you to take advantage of cover or lower your profile. Kneeling can be double kneed, braced, and speed kneeling.
  • Sitting - Sitting is also an intermediate position. While it is a stable position, it is also very hard to recover and maneuver from. Personally, you will not find me sitting on my blessed assurance on a battlefield or at a target range.
  • Prone - Prone is the lowest position and offers the most stability. While it is difficult for some to get out of this position, I find it very comfortable and easy to recover from.
There are actually guidelines to set the standards for how to correctly fire in these positions, but for me, as long as I am comfortable, the shot is safe and accurate, and I can easily get in and out of the positions, I'm happy.
  • Let's move on to firing the rifle. To get into a good shooting stance, relax and don't lock your knees or your elbows. Stand loose but still, have your feet about shoulder-width apart, bend your knees slightly and try to put your weight forward.
  • Move your firing hand high up on the pistol grip, while keeping your shooting finger straight and away from the trigger.
  • Don't wing it! Make sure that your elbow is pointed at the ground as much as possible. Don't stick your elbow out when firing an AR-15.
  • Raise and mount your stock a little off of your shoulder and closer to your pectoral muscle.
  • Get into a low ready position. With the stock still on your shoulder, point the gun slightly toward the ground and just in front of the target. Keep the low ready position until you are ready to shoot.
  • When you are ready to shoot, bring your AR-15 straight up to eye level.
  • Plant your cheek against the stock of the rifle. Move the rifle to your face. Don't move your face toward the rifle. The goal is not to move your head to one side or another.


ATI M4 Flat Top AR-15

The next step will be sight alignment. I am going to be vague in this step, as we are getting into sights, iron sights, red dots, advanced sights, etc. Whatever you have on your AR-15 as far as sights go, get comfortable with your sights, and learn to align them and place them on target quickly.
  • Once sight picture, sight alignment has been achieved, disengage the safety by moving the selector switch from safe to semi.
  • Move your shooting finger to the trigger.
  • Squeeze the trigger in a fluid motion toward the rear; applying even, steady pressure.
BANG There you go! You have successfully fired your AR-15! In quick session, the bolt will go back, a hot cartridge is ejected, a new round is loaded, and you are ready to fire again. Always keep your rifle in a low ready position until you are ready to engage a target.

SUMMED UP!

Whew, that was a mouthful! Well, that wasn't exactly" How To Use An AR-15 in a nutshell", but it also wasn't as far in-depth as I could go. There are many more in-depth facets that we could talk about, especially in the AR-15 and AR-style platforms. If you are interested, we have an impressive library of videos and articles for you to review anytime. I hope that we helped a new AR owner out! Enjoy your rifle and welcome to the club!