Hi,

Just got my first ever AR-15 (S&W Sport II) and I have two questions:

1) It has a fixed A2 style front post. Is the Red Dot style sight the only one I can use without taking off the fixed post (I want to keep my iron sights) ? While shooting it for the first time at 50 yds I could barely see the 2" diameter bullseye (the diffraction caused by the rear peep sight didn't help either). At 100 yds I'd probably only see the whole target without magnification. So, should I go for a red dot (was suggested TSR-25) and add a magnifier later, or is there a way to mount a 3-9x type scope on it while keeping the front post, without jumping through major hoops ? Does a red dot sight make it any easier to see the target ?

2) There are some finish scuffs on the upper receiver from the bolt catch forward towards the barrel. Basically the cylindrical part of the upper receiver right above the bolt catch is marred and it goes toward the front of the gun, while the receiver to the back of it is well finished. While inspecting the rifle at my FFL I thought it was oil / some kind of residue, but after cleaning and generous rubbing with CLP I now think it's surface scuffing. The gun was bought at an online store and came in a factory box with all of the stuff in, and every other part of the rifle looks intact, so I tend to think the damage happened at the factory. Anyway, it's a cosmetic issue and probably isn't worth an aggravation of a warranty trip to S&W, so I was thinking of getting some Aluminum Black and just touching it up; the question is, can I use that stuff on an already oxidized part ? Or is it just for clear / uncoated aluminum ? Also, am I better off getting a flat tip pen, or the stuff in the bottle ?

BTW, I absolutely loved shooting this gun. I fired AKs many times and never quite cared for the feel of it.

Hi Wanderling,
Welcome to the boards may all your interactions be good ones. When you mount a scope on it you won't see the front sight tower or post you'll see right past it. The scratch is just a little character lots of guns come with small nicks and dings. If it's deep, covering it with aluma-black is in order. Follow the instructions and you'll forget all about it. Happy and safe shooting to you. -CB

There's a good chance with the 3-9, even at 3 you won't see the front sight. I have a 4-12 and literally can't see the front sight, a ghost of it, etc, on setting 4. Your call on whether you go with a variable scope or red dot w/ a magnifier. Keep in mind that a 3-9 might make you hunger for a 4-12, 6-24, etc. Also keep in mind the length requirement for a full size scope (they vary greatly), rear sight, etc. Here's my 20" government with a scope having an overall length of 13.6" w/o caps. Many variable scope can be 3-4" shorter. Also weight may be a factor The style of mounts will be another factor. These are both on cantilever mounts with 2" offsets (forward reach).. Just do some research.




Here's the same 20" with a scope having an overall length of 9.7" less caps. Mounted a little more forward.

You need to decide what purpose/type of shooting you intend for this rifle in order to choose an optic/mount for it.

For example, if you want a long range plinker to shoot from a sitting bench rest, you would be well served with a DMR setup like the poster above me.  Get a more accurate barrel, magnified scope, free floated handguard, match ammo, etc.

If you want a general purpose/defense gun to carry and shoot off hand, then keep the sport as light as possible and use a small optic - RDS like the Bushnell with a high mount.  Get a sling and a good white light for it and start training.  Also, avoid huge scopes and bipods that will weigh it down and add little real benefit.

If you want a "do it all" type setup, check out the RECCE thread for ideas.

Primarily a range toy - I have a G17 with a mounted light for HD. However, I want it to be useful for short range shooting should the need arise.

I did put a scope "stolen" off of my kids' .22 rifle on it. Couldn't properly mount it since I don't have a riser, but at 3x the front post does disappear. There's a little loss of clarity but not much.

So, looks like a scope is the way to go. A RDS is cool and all but I will be primarily shooting this rifle at 50-100 yds, so I do need a scope. Just need to figure out what to buy.

For a range toy/potential HD gun, you could go with a compact Prismatic scope with integral mount in 3X or 4X - which are budget copies of the venerable ACOG (Trijicon's Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight).
Primary Arms has a few budget options.
Example

The fixed front sight will not be an issue with a magnified optic. At worst it'll look like a slight shadow in the bottom 1/4 of the image. Unless you fixate on it, probably never even really notice it.

With a red dot type optic, there are generally choices of "absolute co-witness" and "lower 1/3 co-witness" in the mounting system. What that means - absolute co-witness will put the red dot right on top of the front sight post itself. Some like this for various reasons, one of which is a confirmation of the dot zero. Others find it distracting.

A lower 1/3 puts the front sight post some distance down in the field of view, with the dot itself being up and in the clear.

Something I have noticed often with AR15 receivers is that the anodized surfaces oftentimes will scrub off plastic from foam packaging materials. This leaves what looks like white or light colored scuff marks, but are actually just plastic residue stuck into the surface texture of the anodizing. Oil does nothing, as the plastic resists the oil.

Best I found to remove it was using dawn dish soap and an old toothbrush and just scrub it a bit. Be advised then that your bare anodizing will probably look like, well, bare, rough, chalky anodizing, so if you want it to look pretty, put something on it. If you want to make it look pretty, instead of oil, I'd suggest just putting a very light coat of non-abrasive car wax on it. This kind of consumer complaint is the reason why some manufacturers eschew the milspec anodized finish and use some kind of color coating instead.

I have had what appeared to be some really bad scratches on receivers come off with heavy scrubbing with a plastic brush and clp.
Toothbrush may be a little too soft.
I bought one of the blem BCM stripped uppers and it had a silver colored scratch about 3 inches long down the left side.
Clp and a few scrubbing sessions with a plastic brush and it was pretty much gone.
I used the brush from this set..........

Harbor Freight Brushes

Great set for $2
I use the stainless brushes for cleaning AK gas pistons and the brass brushes for removing heavy carbon from non chromed surfaces on ARs and AKs.

Thanks to all !

Scope - yep, not an issue at all. Installed Nikon P223 3-9x40, no problems with front post whatsoever and it just cleared the folding rear sight.

As to the scratch, I bought an Aluminum Black pen, covered that entire area in it, let it dry (looked terrible & blotched but I knew it would), then took fine steel wool pad and some automotive polish and smoothed it, looks perfect now.

http://i.imgur.com/l4zfKho.jpg?1

(how come that my image shows up as a link ?)