I just installed Tech Sights on a Saiga .223 with a 16" barrel. I am getting a diopter sight picture similar to the diopter sight picture on an H&K MP5. Is this the sight picture to be expected from Tech Sights?

Also, I got the flip sights, so elevation is adjusted with the front sight post. It seems that adjusting for elevation might cause the tip of the front sight post to be off-center of the ghost ring. Is that an issue?

Pretty much, it will actually be a combination of AR peep rear and AK circle/half circle up front.

On a proper HK all the adjustments are done at the rear sight so the front post stays centered.  Most people can accommodate the elevation adjustment necessary in the front post without much problem.

As I understand the diopter HK sight idea, the front post does need to be dead center to work correctly. In theory at least, when properly sighted in the front post could fall out and you could still hit with it.

I recently installed Tech-Sights on my SAR-3 and while I ordered the elevation adjustable model, but I replaced that with a standard A2 aperture I had laying around. I really didn't like the adjustable aperture's flat face when the sun was behind me.

Not to hijack, but did you notice much in the way of oil and/or particulates spraying on your glasses while shooting?

Not sure about oil or particles. Did not fire a lot of rounds after installation.

I didn't know Tech Sights were Diopter. I thought the sight picture would only show the front sight post and not the circular part of the front sight that protects the front sight post.

I thought elevation adjustment would be the same procedure as the stock sights. I thought having elevation adjustable at the rear would be redundant and unnecessary. That is why I chose the flip sights with two apperatures instead of the single apperatur version.

Not sure, but it seems elevation is fixed with the flip sights and only fine-tunable with the front sight post. If this is the case, I am not sure I chose the right ones. Maybe the single apperatur sights that have elevation adjustments are better.

I need more about info, and I need to test the ones I have more.

My plan is to put Tech Sights on 3 Saigas, and I want the zero to be the same on each rifle. Since it appears the dual apperatur sights have (fixed) preset zeros, I am wondering if manufacturing differences between the Saigas might cause the zeros to be different?

Also, I am wondering what the preset zero's are typically supposed to be for the dual apperatur sights?

With the dual apperatur sights, it seems adjusting the front sight post does not change the trajectory. It seems it only causes you to move the rifle up or down, but the slant of the rifle remains the same.

With a diopter sight, the front ring/hood should remain centered within the rear aperture. On an HK-type, you'd adjust the rear for elevation; it sounds like with yours you adjust the front post for elevation. Regardless of where you set the front post, the inner and outer "rings" of the front and rear apertures should always stay aligned with one another. That part of your sight picture should never change.

The Tech Sights website say the sights provide a“GI type post and aperture sight picture." It does not mention a Diopter sight picture.

http://www.tech-sights.com/ak.htm

Diopter is just a $1.oo word for aperture, which is a $o.25 word meaning "small hole to look through."  I does sound scientific 'n' all though.  What makes the H&K sight unusual is that it's a drum sight.

Diopter is where there is a circle of light between the rear peep and the hood surrounding the front sight post.

The circle of light appears when the sights are aligned.

If you haven't experienced it, it might be difficult to understand.

http://www.hkpro.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=127:the-diopter-sighting-system&catid=4:special-topics&Itemid=5

From Wikipedia:
The use of round rear and front sighting elements for aiming at round targets, like used in ISSF match shooting, takes advantage of the natural ability of the eye and brain to easily align concentric circles (circles all having a common centre).

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diopter_sight

Apparently the flip sights will standard M16 apperatur s and all the aftermarket apperaturs too. So I think my solution might be to use smaller apperatur so that the hood surrounding the sight post does not appear in the sight picture. This might make acquiring the target slower though.

Another solution might be to change the front sight to sight to one that has straight-sided hood over sight post like on an ar15.

Basically, eliminate the Diopter effect I am currently getting.

I talked to the owner of Tech Sights. He said the sights for the AK do have a diopter effect, but that was not his intention when designing the sights. He said if you want to use them with the diopter effect that you could adjust the elevation with the sight post (with the dual apperatur flip sights) and if the tip of the sight post is close to the center of the hood, then your OK. If not, then he said to covert the sights to single apperatur with the TS220 Elevation Apperatur. Then you can adjust the sight post so that the tip of the post is in the center of the hood. Elevation is then adjusted at the rear sight.

From what I can gather, Tech Sights uses a similar rear sight design for the various rifles they make sights for, Ruger 10/22, Ruger Mini 14, SKS, Marlin, etc. Most of the rifles do not have round sight post hoods, and therefore do not cause a diopter effect.