Just wondering about how much you can reduce the flash and what not for night firing, any ideas?

Thanks!

Here's a comparison at night of a few: Comparison.

AAC blackout or Smith Vortex

I tried out 3-4 different ones on my night time pig hunting rig and ended up with the smith vortex.  Doesn't obstruct or blind my vision when using a scope.

Id use a Vortex, IIRC it flat the best when it comes to reducing flash at night(or was a few years back)

Id also add tritium sights to the AR, you can buy a set of replacements for the rear aperature and front sight post

rear Tritium sights are all but useless on an AR. just say'n.

Awesome, thanks peoples.

+1

A can is the best way to go if that suits your purposes.

I've been considering a set of tritium site replacements for my AR and I am curious as to why you feel this way?  I should also add you are not the first to have noted these sentiments but I have never actually heard a reason.  I do not have an optic on this particular gun and only have irons.










 

My dad has them on one of his AR's. The front works well, but the rear dots are way to small and way to close to your eye to be usable.
They appear to be small fuzzy dots when your aiming down the sights. I would say buy the front tritium sight, but dont waste your money on the rear.

The standard A2 works pritty well to

Smith Vortex & Black Out work even better.

Found the Smith Vortex for $40.99 from midwayusa.com with 20% off coupon code 171510, coupon only good until July 31st

https://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=711620

Item Total:$50.99
Discounts:- $10.00
Postage, Handling & Insurance:$4.27

Grand Total:$45.26

You don't like the green fuzzies?

the rear sights are so close to your eye that they are very fuzzy. not anything like a handgun. the front sight works ok along with the standard rear sight, but unless you have a light to illuminate your target it really serves no purpose either. just my opinion though, but our dept. got a few sets to try and no one liked them. $$ could be well spent on other items.

no sir!

Might also consider picking your ammo that has a low flash signature.  Longer barrels will also burn the powder better/efficently (hence short barrels have a larger flash signature)


CD

I'd also add a white light to the list of must haves for a low-light defensive carbine. If it's too dark to see your sights without tritium then it's also too dark for proper target identification.

As far as flash hiders go, I've had great luck with the Smith Vortex, and I run several of them on my training and defensive ARs

ETA: Years ago I purchased a set of tritium sights for one of my ARs. I agree that the rears were far too close to my eye to be of any benefit. I ended up ditching the sights, installed a white light, and then took a low-light carbine class to figure out what the hell I was doing

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I do lots of night hog hunting with ARs.  I use an aimpoint, and a tlr-1 for light.

One setup has a standard type A2 hider, it does ok.  The best I have is the smith vortex. I t keeps the flash out of the optics when I unload on a herd of hogs.  The next problem is a small amount of smoke from each cartridge x maybe a dozen rounds fired = a bunch of smoke and the light just illuminates it and blocks follow up shots on the last few hogs running away.

I switched to Black Hills' 55 grn SP and all has been well.

When it's cold out, the cloud from firing gets even worse, as the temp differences produces condensation.

 

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Plus night vision.

As said before....the rear tritium insert is almost uselesss, but I liked having the front insert. I prefer my aimpoint over either tho!

I would recommend an AAC Blackout that's a mount for either an M4-2000 if you want a really great can, or an M4-1000 that's a great can with a good pricepoint. Shooting coyotes at night I prefer my M4-2000 on as short a barrel as I can (14.5, but soon to be 12.5)....at night I'm not shooting for distance afterall and most shots are within 75 yards.

Um, besides a suppressor?

I have to disagree with you on that.I use my front and rear Trijicon Night Sights on my AR.Actually I have 2 AR's set up this way and they work great on both guns.The night sights seem to work good for me. I can hit what I can see at night. I also have night vision goggles and an IR laser sight too. I pretty much own the night in my neighborhood

I've never had tritium sights on my ARs until recently and it's outstanding.  I'm out in the boonies and I'm always checking our acreage with my AR which has a 700 lumen light which let's me see around 200 yards to ID things.  I keep a green laser zeroed at 100 yards, and my microdot at 25/300.  The laser and red dot give me a good range finding platform so I can be more accurate out at night.  I have always had a standard A2 muzzle device and using the ammo I use (BVAC or HuntingShack rmfr'd), it was pretty bright and there was no reliable hope for decent follow up shots adjusting from that flash.  Now I have a 14.5" carbine with a pinned YHM Phantom 5c2 ($20) and the problem is solved.  Granted, the phantom is not as good as that AAC Blackout, and nearly as good as the smith vortex, it's fine for my use...not that I have a choice, it's pinned/welded.  :)

Anyway, the tritiums is why I replied.  Without my light or laser, the rear fuzzies and solid front sights are perfect.  With clear skies full of stars and no moon, after several minutes of adjustment, I could roam anywhere on my property and feel confident to hit something with those tritiums..and likely be more accurate because I can line up the rear and front.  I don't know why anyone would want only a front and presumably rely on their cheek placement for good alignment.  The rear tritiums being fuzzy is actually better than being sharp with all green tips...otherwise, I'd do a yellow out front and green rear or vice versa.  I have a rear magplu MBUS and putting my trijicon rear sight on it was perfect.. and switching between the big and little aperatures works..of coruse there's no tritium in the small one, which is fine.

Sorry no pic of the sights at night.


This is a great demo also showing non-supressed, then A2 birdcaged, then Phantom 5C2 from brownells, includes slo-mo and FA firing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7s3YZ5H8B8

Also, for the OP, this comparison is much better than the one above as it deals with 16" barrels and the FHs mentioned, the AAC blackout and the Smith Vortex both in naked eye and then with night vision.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM5ih_c_4yo

And a lesser quality, but thorough representation of the YHM Phantom 5C2, which in my humble opinion supresses more flash for the buck, and looks the coolest of them all (and probably is a better strike surface than others).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoR6Etbl1XY&feature=fvw

You can't remove a "pinned/welded" flash hider? My Bushmaster 14.5" flash hider is pinned/welded I think.

That's the point of it being pinned.



 

well dam, guess ill go buy that DPMS upper ive been looking at

I've got a set of Trijicons on my K.I.S.S. rifle. But after having them, I really don't see much use. In a battle field where anyone in front the line would be the enemy, maybe. But in this life, a light is much more useful. I can light up/blind who ever is in front of me and distinguish if they are a threat. The light will also allow use of my sights.
I use a TLR on 2 of my rifles. A G2 on one and a 200 lumen light on another.
A can is definetly the best flash kill but a Blackout does a great job also.

It doesn't mean it CAN'T be removed, it means it can't be removed EASILY, you may have to drill out a welded pin or chop/thread/recrown the barrel....but nothing is absolutely final.

Hands down a suppressor, with NV!  I personally like AimPoint's with my NV, and a 3X mag on my NV.  ACR w/PVS-14 and AimPoint CompM3

blackout

TA31 ACOG
ATS-100 or PEQ-2
PVS-14
Vortex, Blackout, or FSC 556

Outstanding night fighting rifle right there.

Those, and a suppressor are the best bets.  If you can't do a suppressor, I would suggest Smith Vortex.  I have them on all my duty/practice rifles...

How effective are suppressors?  Obviously not the right subforum, but since we're on the subject...

they are teh best flashsupressor out there

The sound reduction part is nice as well.........don't expect hollywood quiet, the bullet is still supersonic, i'd say its more like a HV .22 being shot 25-100 yards away depending on surrounding landmarks/buildings.

Love my M4-2000 and wouldn't trade it for anything.

AAC blackout or Smith Vortex...

Or a Suppressor.

Every time I ask ANYTHING about suppressors, everyone points me to the M4-2000.  How much does it run you after the $200 to the Banners of All Thing Fun and Exciting?