This should probably what every airsoft player should do when moving from beginner to intermediate or advanced --- how to properly setup his/her rifle in the most comfortable and efficient way that using the rifle is almost like having an extended arm. Haley Strategic Partners (HSP) has a video series on YouTube where Travis and Nate show you how to “trick your stick”. In this case, it is setting up your AR.

Your airsoft AR should be fine to play with out of the box, though many airsoft players would start personalizing their rifles immediately by mounting weapons accessories and doing some upgrades. Whilst these are steps in the right direction, the caveat is that a good number of airsoft players are influenced in their purchase of such accessories and parts based on their looks or as seen in some photos of operators and soldiers who have been made popular in culture such as movies and mass media and may just regret their purchases.

For those who have learned, they will make their purchase decisions based on more practical terms --- ergonomics and convenience/comfort. One pistol grip can be great to hold for one airsoft player and awful for a different player. Thus, there is no actual one-size-fits-all solution in the accessories and also in handling the weapon. A rifle will be effective to use if the shooter is comfortable with it, which means the shooter has found the right balance for all the attachments to the basic rifle.

The HSP series are much helpful in explaining why one should go through the hassle of setting up a rifle and we do encourage that the videos be shared amongst airsoft and real steel shooters. They have covered setting up the buttstock, pistol grip, foregrip, triggers, weapon lights, and optics. A series of six short videos, these should not be a long watch just to do the setup.

Since it’s a weekend and if you have no plans for an airsoft game with friends, why not watch these videos? They’re instructive, easily followed, and should help you improve your understanding of setting up your rifle. Enjoy!