You may have noticed that the United States military does not use skeletonized M16 rifles.
Which means, logically, if the AR15 was standard issue, they wouldn’t use skeletonized AR15 rifles.
Naturally, this could have to do with cost. It is true that skeletonized parts are more expensive than solid steel or aluminum components.
But there is more to this picture than that. In fact, there are some good reasons why you might not want to skeletonize your AR15 which will be explored here.
Consider these before jumping on the bandwagon and swapping out parts with reckless abandon.
Increased Surface Area = Harder to Keep Clean
Probably the biggest issue with skeletonized AR15 parts is that they’re open to the environment, and therefore allow dirt, other particulate matter, and other contaminants to get into your rifle.
These contaminants can be mechanically abrasive, chemically corrosive, and much worse. Keeping them out of the rifle in the first place is better than cleaning the rifle once they get in.
Which brings up the follow-up: cleaning a skeletonized rifle is much harder because there is so much more surface area to deal with.
It takes far longer and is much harder to keep a skeletonized rifle clean, which is a big detractor. It can be done, but it’s more work for you and it also will likely result in a rifle that doesn’t last as long.
Poor Handling
Next is the issue of handling, but this admission must be made with a caveat. There is more than one way to judge the handling of a rifle platform.
Proponents of skeletonized AR15 parts argue it lightens the rifle, which makes it easier to carry and actually improves handling in tight quarters.
That much is arguably true, but for long-range shooters, and in platforms in which stability is hailed as a virtue, shaving weight off the rifle with skeletonized parts is not beneficial.
So really, it all comes down to what you expect to get from a skeletonized rifle, but either way, it’s not going to be unequivocally good.
Performance Issues
Lastly, it’s worth a word that skeletonized AR15 parts have the potential to cause performance issues.
It’s not just that skeletonized parts, or skeletonized rifles, are harder to clean, as detailed above. Skeletonizing the platform will wear out components faster, which can result in issues with feeding, cycling, extraction, and more.
So here’s the crux: the benefits of skeletonization, for some, do not outweigh the detractor of compromised long-term reliability.
It’s Not All Bad News
With all of this being sad, the whole point of this article is not to turn you off of the skeletonized AR15 trend. There really are some selling points to skeletonized parts.
For one, notwithstanding some of the issues mentioned here, skeletonizing a rifle or just some parts will substantially lighten it.
That will make it easier to carry for longer, and less fatiguing, too.
Another is that a skeletonized rifle, specifically a skeletonized handguard (and especially when paired with a fluted barrel) will cool more quickly, resulting in higher accuracy and improved heat dissipation for longer service life.
Plus, there is also the consideration that skeletonizing a rifle is to some akin to personalizing it, which is its own selling point.
Now you just need to know where you can get some.
Where to Get Skeletonized AR15 Parts
In the event you landed here because you’re already on the hunt for skeletonized AR15 parts, get them online at MCS Gearup. They carry a wide range of skeletonized parts, along with assembled uppers, handguards, and other AR parts you can use to customize your build.
