The bag itself is a large Mil-Tec range bag I purchased it from Varusteleka for about $75 USD. It features a carry handle, a duffle bag-style single shoudler strap, and also dual shoulder straps to wear it as a backpack. The external zippers are compatible with locks, although the material is not cut-resistant.

Exterior

A few items are strapped to the outside of the bag.

A small rectangular shooting mat made from 400D PVC-coated polyester. Creates a dry work surface and helps to keep the shooter from getting too wet and muddy while laying on the ground.

My pistol cleaning rod is also strapped to the exterior for easy access. It's used for clearing bore obstructions and cleaning. Only about 8 inches long, I use a Rapid-Rod (not pictured—stored in my rifle's butt stock) for longer barrels.

Permanent marker for marking up targets or any other necessary writing such as placing witness marks on bolts or scope knobs.

A large metal clip. Sometimes used to hang targets, this one hasn't been shot yet!

Front pockets

There are three pockets built into the front of the bag, and a forth one attached with MOLLE webbing.

The MOLLE pouch is intended for my water bottle. It's currently holding a can of Ballistol cleaner/lubricant.

Dangerous things are dangerous, so I try to always keep an IFAK on hand at the range. One of the external pockets is dedicated to that.

The last two pockets are full of personal protective equipment: The central pocket contains my primary eye and ear protection and a pair of gloves. The other one has some spares to share with friends.

Middle pouch

The middle of the bag is a large zippered component with a lot of PALS/MOLLE webbing and two slim padded pockets.

This ammo placard is attached with MOLLE, it has four magazine pouches with hook & loop covers. Easily holds most pistol and rifle magazines, and small 9mm boxes.

A small repair/cleaning bag holds a lot of handy things for keeping a rifle running, including:

• A complete bolt carrier group for spare parts.
• Assorted small tools: Torx wrench for scope mount, Glock front sight wrench, AR sight adjustment tool, various hex wrenches
• Cotton patches, bore snake, brushes, gun oil
• Spare batteries for sights, flashlights, range finder, etc.
• Tape

The last item in this compartment is a Wheeler AR-15 Combo tool. Useful for barrel nuts, muzzle devices, buffer tubes and a few other things. Limited usefulness without an accompanying torque wrench, but better than nothing. Heavy, but slim enough to take up very little space.

Main compartment

My Rifle is not pictured. It fits securely into the padded main compartment held down by two sets of velcro straps.

The compartment features two zippered storage subdivisions, containing:

• Staple gun & staples – for hanging paper targets.
• Spare gun locks – These are poor quality, but better than nothing in a pinch. May be needed for practical and/or legal reasons.
• Magazine loader – To avoid sore thumbs.
• Brass catcher – Can be mounted on the side of a rifle to keep ejected casings contained. Somewhat cumbersome to use, sometimes gets in the way.
• Masking tape – Patch up shot holes on a target.
• Shot timer – Training aid. Electrical tape over speaker somewhat reduces its volume.
• Laser rangefinder – Expensive, but easy-to-use tool for measuring distance and confirming estimates.
• Wind gauge – Measures the wind speed. I rarely use this, but it is light and doesn't take up much space.

Conclusion

This is what has worked for me, for my typical range outings. It's not a guide for anyone else. As always, the gear you choose to carry should be tailored to your specific needs, and what you'll be doing.

This small pouch is one of my IFAKs. It lives on the outside of my backpack, held in place with velcro.

IFAK?

So what is it? An “individual first-aid kit” (IFAK) is a small, dedicated trauma kit meant to be rapidly available to provide life-saving medicine to its wearer. As far as I know, the concept comes from the military, and most IFAKs are built around the types of fatal wounds that soldiers in combat are likely to encounter. However, an IFAK can be focused on any specific type of threat. For example, an IFAK can be designed to deal with possible chainsaw injuries.

What it isn't

Despite the name, an IFAK will generally not contain many general-purpose first aid tools. Instead, it is laser-focused on a small set of life-threatening injuries.

My typical first-aid kits include many items that are usually not in an IFAK, such as:

• Adhesive bandages
• Wound cleaning items (such as an irrigation syringe)
• Wound closure devices
• Tape
• Medicines such as pain killer tablets, digestive aid, and antihistamines
• Materials for splinting or immobilizing a fracture

...and many other things

My Background I am not a medical professional. I've taken a small amount of wilderness first-aid training, but I am not a medical expert or professional. The purpose of this article is to outline my current setup, not to tell anyone else what they should use. I am not qualified for that.

Contents

My kit contains the following items, constrained by my (lack of) skills; my budget; the availability of certain medical supplies; and the limited size of my pouch.

Tourniquet (and Sharpie)

Always applied directly to skin (never on top of clothing), tourniquets are used to stop arterial bleeds on arms and legs. They must be applied very quickly, so make sure to learn (and practice) how to properly stage and apply these things. Practice using them one-handed too.

Note: Make sure to obtain these from a reputable supplier. There have been documented instances of poorly-manufactured tourniquets on the market, which may fail upon use.

Folded Compressed Gauze

A large amount of clean gauze in a small space. Primarily used to pack a deep wound to control bleeding.

Emergency Trauma Dressing

This is a long stretchy bandage that sticks to itself. Can be used alone or along with gauze in order to pack a deep wound.

A Pair of Chest Seals

These are designed to prevent air from flowing into one's chest cavity. They must be applied directly to dry skin. They come in pairs because they may need to be applied to both an entry and an exit wound.

Emergency Blanket

Also called a 'space blanket' or a 'survival blanket', this very thin lightweight blanket is primarily intended for use in hypothermia situations, it can also be used to treat shock.

Non-Latex Gloves and Trauma Shears

Necessary protection is important in many medical emergencies. Also, the ability to quickly remove clothing is critical for many treatments, quality trauma shears make that possible.

Probable Additions

My current kit does not currently contain these items, but I think they could all make very valuable additions at some point.

• Forceps – Very useful for removing debris from a wound.
• Eye Shield – Used to protect a damaged eye.
• Electric Light – Injuries do not always occur in well-list situations, so having a quality light available can be critical.
• Hemostatic Agent – This material has been proven to speed clotting in major wounds. It's available in a powder form, or embedded into gauze.
• Irrigation Syringe – I find these incredibly useful for cleaning wounds in situations where running water isn't available.
• Nasopharyngeal Airway Kit/ Needle Decompression Kit – Very useful lifesaving tools which I haven't yet been trained to use, but hopefully someone around can use them on me if needed.

A note on cost

I have often found the cost of these items to be surprisingly high; it's not difficult to spend more than $100 USD on a kit. Buying individual items can be less expensive than pre-made kits, and they can sometimes be found on sale (but be aware: many of these items also have expiration dates!).

Table of contents

• Types
• Budget
• Cartridge
• Barrel
• Sights
• Controls
• Furniture
• Other parts
• Accessories

Types of AR platform firearms

The most common AR pattern rifles will be chambered for the .223 Remington round (more in the cartridge section below), this is the standard “AR-15”.

Larger ARs also exist, these are often called “AR-308” or “AR-10” and their parts are not always interchangeable with AR-15s.

If constructed with a pistol brace rather than a traditional stock, an AR-style firearm may legally be considered a “pistol”, which allows for a barrel length shorter than 16 inches, without being classified as a short-barrelled rifle (SBR), which are specially regulated in the united states.

Budget

I think a low-end—but functional and accurate—.223 AR can be built for a minimum price of around $500-$600, (for example, something from PSA). An AR-308 will generally cost more, maybe $900-$1100.

A “nice”, but not super fancy AR build will typically land around $1000-$2000. The most expensive builds can cost upwards of $3000-$4000.

For the extra money, one can expect higher-quality parts and more comfortable controls; but be careful—higher cost does not always mean higher quality.

A cheap, but quality, optic can be found new for as low as $200-$300. Very high-end optics cost as much as a car. Factory-built rifles will generally cost more than home-built, but not by a huge amount (for example, the M&P 15 Sport).

Cartridge

A firearm's performance is defined by the cartridge it was built around. The most important decision to make.

The AR platform can be found in a wide variety of cartridges. This article will only mention a few. They can be split into three categories:

• Pistol caliber
• Intermediate caliber
• Full power

Pistol caliber cartridges

Usually these will be heavy (120-200+ grains) bullets traveling at slower velocities (900-1200 feet/second). Rounds such as .9mm, .45 cal

• Least powerful, but still deadly against unarmored targets
• Effective below ~200 meters
• Somewhat quieter than rifle; Subsonic rounds can be effectively suppressed)
• Light weight
• Pistol-caliber ARs are generally (but not always) based on a direct-blowback action, which can result in surprisingly high recoil

Intermediate rifle cartridges

Light bullets (55-90 grain) generally traveling at high velocities (2500-3200 feet/second) .223, 5.56mm, 7.62x39mm and so on

• More powerful than pistol caliber
• Effective against light body armor
• Effective range up to 500 meters
• High velocity (.223/5.56mm) = flatter shooting
• (.22 cal) poor barrier penetration, including light brush
• Very loud (especially from a short barrel)
• Low recoil
• Light weight (including ammo)

Full power rifle cartridges

Classic rifle rounds, very powerful. Heavy bullets (130-200 grain) moving fast (>2500 feet/second). .308, 7.62x51mm, 6.5 Creedmoor

• Substantial recoil
• Heavier (including ammo)
• Effective range up to (and beyond) 1,000 meters
• More expensive
• Very loud
• Short barrel causes significant power loss (and increased noise)

Note on ammo availability: the “NATO calibers” such as 5.56mm, 7.62x51mm, and 9x19mm are some of the most widely available rounds in so-called north america.

Barrel

No single component has a bigger impact on your rifle's performance than its barrel. Often the most expensive single component, due to the precise metallurgy and machining required.

Note: There are important legal implications related to constructing a firearm with a barrel less than 16” inches, make yourself aware of them before doing so.

18-20 inch barrel

A longer, “rifle length” barrel (up to 24” for rounds like 6.5 Creedmoor) will yield the highest possible muzzle velocity from most cartridges.

Carbine length barrel

a 14.5-16 inch barrel performs well, while reducing weight and increasing maneuverability compared to a longer one.

SBR (Short-barrelled rifle) length

AR barrels can easily be found in lengths as short as 7 inches. These compact rifles are easier to handle, even with the extra length of a suppressor. Some cartridges (such as 7.62x51) will lose most of their velocity, and the firearm may produce a vastly increased muzzle blast.

AR barrels will generally have some type of muzzle device attached. This device will protect the barrel crown and provide some additional function. A flash hider is very common and it will reduce the visible flash as you fire. Muzzle brakes are also common, they will reduce some of the weapon's recoil and muzzle rise by using the force of expelled gas. Muzzle brakes will also increase the muzzle blast experienced by the shooter and others in the area.

Sighting system

Scope

Magnified scopes can help identify targets at a larger range, but they won't necessarily improve your accuracy. They also require your eye to be in a specific location, which can be difficult or impossible from some firing positions.

The options and choices involved in selecting a scope are vast, and beyond the scope of this guide. It is not uncommon for an optic to cost much more than the rifle it sits upon.

Red Dot

These sights do not offer any magnification, so they work well even from awkward positions. Very easy to see in low-light situations. Usually very light.

Iron sights

This type of sight has no batteries that will eventually die. Peep-sight style has been proven to be effective. They're usually precision adjustable. Can be rugged and durable. Quality metal ones might be more expensive than you expect, but still less than electronic or glass options

There are many other options here (including popular holographic and prism sights), but they're beyond the scope of this document.

A note on back-up sights

Depending on your use-case, it might be valuable to have a secondary sighting system installed. Maybe for close-range use, or in case the primary optic is rendered inoperable.

Controls

Trigger, safety selector, magazine release, bolt catch, charging handle

There are infinite options here (color, throw angle, texture, size, length/shape, ...), but it's mostly down to personal preference. Everything can be made ambidextrous (at a cost), but some systems work better than others (and some require permanent modifications to the receiver).

Triggers in particular offer many, many options. The most basic option is called “Mil Spec” and is usable, but heavy. There are many higher-end triggers available, they can be very expensive.

Caveat: Forward assists can't be ambi, but many people (myself included) would argue that you rifle is better off without an FA anyway.

Furniture

Handguard, Grip, Butt stock, Foregrip/handstop These items have a large impact on the weight of your finished firearm, as well as its ergonomics. Handguard mounting systems have generally standardized on M-LOK, but you may also see Picatinny or KeyMod around. Materials also vary: handguards are often aluminum, but they can be carbon or even steel. Grips come in many different sizes, multiple angles, some have internal storage, and some trigger guards can flip out of the way to accommodate gloves. Butt stocks can be adjustable or fixed, small or large, some have adjustable comb height. Foregrips are completely optional (except when building a pistol, where they are forbidden), and can be just about any size you want.

Other parts

Magazines, parts kits, buffer, Bolt-Carrier Group (BCG) These parts are generally not interesting. As with anything, price and quality will vary. P-Mags are pretty much the standard magazine.

Accessories

Get a sling. Beyond that, it depends what you'll be using the rifle for. Common accessories may include a bipod, flashlight, or a silencer, but there are many other options.