AR-15 Wall Mount Installation: Studs, Anchors and Spacing
Share
Mount an AR-15 wall mount into a wall stud whenever the mounting holes allow it, and use drywall anchors only when no stud lines up and the anchors are rated well beyond the weight of the mount plus a fully accessorized rifle. Before the drill comes out, verify the rifle is unloaded and the chamber is clear, pick an adult-only room where the rifle cannot be seen from a window, and decide where the muzzle will point. Then locate the studs, level the mount, space rifles so optics and magazines do not touch, add magazine mounts beside the rifle and check the fasteners on a schedule.
Step one: clear the rifle before anything else
Every step in this guide starts with an empty rifle. Remove the magazine. Pull the charging handle and lock the bolt to the rear. Look into the chamber, then feel it with a finger to confirm there is no round present. Check the magazine well again. Put all ammunition and every loaded magazine in a different room for the duration of the job, because you will handle the rifle repeatedly to test the fit.
The four rules of firearm safety do not pause because the rifle is being used as a template. Treat it as loaded, keep the muzzle pointed somewhere safe while you hold it against the wall, keep your finger off the trigger, and know what is on the other side of that wall. The NRA publishes the rules in full.
Choose the room and the wall
An AR wall mount is a bracket that holds a rifle against a wall so it is displayed and reachable without a safe. The AR Wall Mount is described by the store as mounting on most wall surfaces, intended for a safe room, garage or storage area. Those three locations share one trait: they are adult-only spaces that can be closed off.
- Out of sight from windows and exterior doors. Stand outside at night with the room lights on and look in. If the rifle is visible from the street or a neighbor's yard, choose another wall.
- Adult-only room. A wall mount is open storage. With children, teenagers or regular guests in the house, it belongs inside a room that locks, or the rifle belongs in a safe. Our comparison of AR-15 wall mounts and gun safes works through that decision, and the fatherhood and readiness article covers storage by the age of the children in the home.
- Muzzle direction. On a horizontal mount the muzzle points along the wall. Face it toward an exterior wall or an unoccupied corner, never toward a bedroom, a living space or a wall shared with a neighbor. On a vertical mount the muzzle points at the ceiling or the floor, so think about what is above or below that spot.
Avoid walls that sweat. An exterior garage wall in a cold climate can hold condensation for weeks, and the rifle will show it first.
Locate the studs
Wall studs are the vertical framing members behind the drywall, spaced at a regular interval in most homes. A stud finder is the fastest way to find them. Run it horizontally across the wall at the height you plan to mount, mark both edges of the stud with painter's tape, then mark the center. Check above and below to confirm the stud runs straight, and find the next stud over so you know the pattern.
If the finder gives inconsistent readings, tap the wall and listen for the solid sound, or drive a small finish nail in a spot the mount will cover. Do not trust an outlet box as a stud marker without confirming; the stud can be on either side of the box.
Before drilling, think about what lives inside walls: wiring to outlets and switches on the same wall, water lines behind kitchens and bathrooms. If you are not sure, drill a small pilot hole first.
Studs or drywall anchors
Into a stud is the default. A screw driven into solid wood carries the load without depending on the drywall at all, and it stays tight through years of the rifle being lifted off and set back down.
Drywall anchors are acceptable when three things are true at once. No stud lines up with the mount's holes and you cannot shift the mount to reach one. The anchors are rated well above the combined weight of the mount and the rifle with everything on it, since a rifle with an optic, a light, a sling and a loaded magazine weighs noticeably more than a bare one, and the load on a mount repeats every time the rifle is pulled. And the anchors are the heavy-duty type, toggle or self-drilling metal, rather than plastic expansion plugs. A plain wood screw in drywall alone is never acceptable for a rifle.
On brick, block or concrete, use masonry anchors sized for the screw. On a paneled or plywood wall, confirm the panel is thick enough to hold the screw before you skip the stud. This guide keeps the hardware generic on purpose: check what ships with your specific mount, and buy screws or anchors suited to your wall if the included hardware does not match it.
Height, spacing and leveling
Height
Mount the rifle high enough that it is out of reach of small children, but low enough that the tallest adult in the house can lift it off without a stool. For most people that puts the rifle roughly between chest and eye level. If the rifle wears an optic, leave headroom above it so the optic clears the mount on the way off.
Spacing between rifles
If you are hanging more than one rifle, for example with the X2 AR Wall Mount pair, measure the widest point of each rifle with its accessories attached: the optic, a light, a magazine inserted. Space the mounts so nothing on one rifle touches anything on the next, then add a hand's width so you can grab either one without knocking the other. Stack them vertically only if the lower rifle's optic clears the upper rifle when either one is lifted straight off.
Leveling
Hold the mount against the wall, set a level across it, and mark the holes through the mount with a pencil. A mount that sits a few degrees off looks wrong from across the room and can let the rifle creep toward the low side each time it is set down. A strip of painter's tape at the marked height gives you a clean line and keeps the drywall paper from tearing when you drill.
Drill pilot holes smaller than the screw, drive the screws until the mount is tight against the wall without crushing it, then hang the empty rifle and lift it off several times. If the mount moves at all, tighten or relocate it.
Mag mounts beside the rifle
A wall mag mount is a bracket that holds rifle magazines upright and separated. The T-REX Wall Mag Mount 2-pack is made of heavy-duty ABS plastic, and each mount holds up to four loaded PMAGs, which puts eight magazines within reach of the rifle. Place the mag mounts on the side of the rifle away from the muzzle, at a height where reaching for a magazine does not sweep your hand or the magazine across the optic. Follow the same stud-or-anchor logic as the rifle mount, and leave enough clearance that a magazine lifts straight out without tilting into the rifle. The AR-15 wall mounts collection has both pieces, and our guide to organizing magazines covers what goes on the wall and what stays in the safe.
Check the fasteners on a schedule
Mounts loosen slowly, and nobody notices until the rifle sits crooked. Every few months, and whenever the rifle comes down for cleaning, put a hand on the mount and try to move it. Retighten any screw that turns. Look at the drywall around anchors for cracking or a widening hole, which means the anchor is working loose and needs a larger or different type. Confirm the rifle still seats fully in the mount. Two minutes on a schedule beats finding out the hard way.
Quick answer
Should an AR wall mount go into a stud? Yes, whenever the holes allow. A stud carries the repeated load of lifting the rifle without depending on the drywall.
When are drywall anchors acceptable? When no stud lines up, the anchors are heavy-duty and rated well beyond the weight of the mount and a fully accessorized rifle, and you accept a more frequent check. Never plain screws in drywall alone.
How high should the rifle sit? Out of a child's reach and roughly between chest and eye level for the adult who will use it, with headroom to clear the optic when lifting it off.
How far apart should two rifles be? Wide enough that optics, lights and inserted magazines cannot touch, plus a hand's width so you can grab one without hitting the other.
Where should the muzzle point? Along the wall toward an exterior wall or an empty corner, never toward a living space, a bedroom or a wall shared with a neighbor.
Firearm storage and carry laws vary by state, county and municipality. Nothing in this article is legal advice. Verify current local regulations before storing or displaying a firearm, and always follow the four rules of firearm safety.