AR-15 discomfort when shooting.

I really do not know what to say. I have fired a M16A2 and an AR10 and I had no issues. Both or of the same basic design as the AR15. Check with someone who is experienced at shooting them. They may notice what is wrong if it is the way you are holding it. If it has an adjustable stock, having it too long or too short might be the cause, now that I think about it. Good luck and stay safe.

Oh and just to be clear so that there is no misunderstanding or confusion. I am no expert. I just have experience with firing those weapons but it is not as extensive as say a competitive shooter or combat veteran like my dad. Could you be more specific? That would help also. Do you feel too scrunched up or like you have to reach way out? Information like that would help the experts help you.

I suppose the first question would be, in what way was it uncomfortable? Was the length of pull incorrect? Did you have difficulty finding and maintaining a cheek weld that properly put the sights naturally in your sight line? Did you feel the center of gravity was located too far forward or rear? Did you have ergonomic issues (such that you could not find a comfortable, supportive position for you off-hand and/or the angle of the pistol grip felt off? Was the recoil impulse uncomfortable in some way (unlikely given your experience with higher calibers, but possible as most production AR pattern rifles are over-gassed for reliability with a wider range of ammo)?

The key feature of the platform is it's modularity. I'm willing to bet that if you spent some time with someone who could combine platform training along with fitting the firearm to you it would rapidly become a favorite, especially in non-standard calibers (such as .300 BLK, as a versatile .30 cal option).

If you are used to traditional pattern rifles, the M4 clones out there may not be for you. The longer length of pull M-16 clones may fit better and feel more familiar on the shoulder. Also, milspec pistol grips kind of suck. There are many good aftermarket options, some even offering interchangeable panels to fine tune the fit to your hand (Magpul makes these, for one manufacturer).

For M4 pattern rifles, I tend to use a modified MP5 stance with the once cool, now made-fun-of support hand thumb over and indexed forward. This means I run it with the stock collapsed more than usual and the center of gravity is both closer to the centerline of my body as well as closer to the body in general.

For M-16 pattern rifles, the same old manual of arms works for me. Not much different than an M1 Garand except the pistol grip. A good sling is the first accessory to buy for the full-sized models, IMO.

Not necessarily. There is a pretty big market for "featureless" stocks for Californians and others who live in a location where pistol grips are considered "evil". So, there are AR-15s without pistol grips, per se, but I won't say it was designed that way and I've only seen a couple of "featureless" stocks that look half-way comfortable.

But in the VAST majority of cases, you are correct. Also, I feel many entry-level carbines are assembled out of parts chosen because of low price, not good ergonomics or balance, so many feel wrong in the dominant hand and sometimes even muzzle heavy.

As the following are both technically AR-15's I like to ask more questions before assuming operator error:



www.tactical-life.com/firearms/zel-custom-magazine-fed-50-bmg-upper-receiver-for-ar-15s/

As far as ergonomics, I don't think many people love the mouse-ear, far-to-the-read charging handle or the bolt latch. It is kind of funky, but if properly configured and fit to you they can be very comfortable, intuitive, and practical.

Wow, thank you for all of the replies.

I often think part of my issue is due to the inline vs drop stock. The later raises the sights up into line with my eye better. Nothing felt off the one time I shot a Thompson SMG so it is not the pistol grip. I think the most likely issue may be the length of pull, I may have somewhat gangly arms.

I should note that I have never shot an AR with an A1 or A2 stock. Only M4 style adjustable ones. Nor have I ever held one with the classic carry handle and iron sights, only optics on a pic-rail. None of the gun stores around me seem to have an A1 pattern rifle in stock.

Here is a pic of me shooting that Thompson from a few years ago.

I held the Thompson and I actually did not like the way it felt. I love the looks but that rifle felt uncomfortable to me.

Try different stocks. When I had one it took me awhile to find the style I liked with the position I liked. I had a lot of issues of specific ones just grinding my shoulder meat, I like the one that's stock on the Saint Victor a lot.

That stock. I didn’t like it either on my XM-177 and used the M1 stock. The guys use to rib me about it. The reason basically was that I could carry a kit in the butt but found the fixed stock more comfortable to me and chose the M1 over the M2 because it was shorter, not by much. When our M-60 failed because a case jammed in the chamber and it was near panic time I pulled out my cleaning rod and rodded the sucker out. No one said sh*t to me after that about my choice.

XM-177 courtesy of Wikipedia