The Rifle Setup Advice I Wish I Had 15 Years Ago (With Mark Smith)

0:00 Intro
0:28 Suppressed Or Not?
0:45 Muzzle Devices
3:06 Barrel Length
4:12 Barrel Material
5:59 Mark's Barrel
6:47 Gas System
7:37 Rail System
9:15 Receivers
9:59 Lights + Switches
11:29 Bipod Placement
11:48 Foregrips
14:01 Controls
14:24 BAD Levers
14:52 Safety Selectors
15:40 Charging Handles
16:11 Buffer Tubes
16:25 Butt Stocks
18:09 Slings
19:21 Mag Flare
19:36 Optics
20:33 Magnifiers
23:58 Optic Height + Optic Risers

Most AR-15 setup advice online is either recycled, brand-driven, or flat-out wrong.

In this video, we sit down with Mark Smith, owner of JBS Training Group and a USPSA Grandmaster, to break down what actually matters when setting up a rifle — based on 15 years of shooting, testing, and competing at the highest levels.

Instead of chasing trends, Mark explains how poor rifle setup quietly limits shooters long before they ever realize it. From muzzle devices and barrel length to rail rigidity, optics mounting, and control placement, this conversation focuses on performance, consistency, and precision not internet myths.

You’ll learn:

Why most muzzle devices don’t help as much as you think
How compensators can hurt precision and control
Why barrel length and velocity matter more than trends suggest
How rail flex causes point-of-impact shift (and why most shooters miss this)
What makes a true “do-all” rifle actually work
Why consistency and shooter connection matter more than accessories
How optic height, magnifiers, and mounting choices affect real-world shooting

Mark shares what he’s learned through 15 years of trial, error, and high-level competition and why many shooters never reach their potential simply because they’re fighting their rifle.

If you’re planning to build or buy an AR-15 — or you want to stop wasting money on parts that don’t deliver — this is the advice Mark wishes he had when he started.

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with top-level shooters, instructors, and competitors.

👍 Like the video if this helped you rethink your rifle setup.

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