What's the best way to mount a scope on a flat top AR-15 that will line my eye up with the centerline of the scope? Here's a picture of roughly what my AR wil look like (no front sight).

http://www.olyarms.com/images/pcr16.jpg

I don't care anything about seeing sights through the scope mount or anything. I just want a sturdy mount the correct height to hold my 1" tube scope. The scope choice itself is still up in the air, but I'm considering putting my 4-12x44AO scope on it and that thing has a pretty large objective bell. If the scope needed to be mounted lower than that objective bell would allow (doubt this will be a problem from what I've heard) then I have another scope I could use on there until I buy the scope that will stay on the gun.

I'm a big fan of Burris Signature series rings, and I'd love to use some of the Signature Zee rings on that flat top rail if you guys think they'd work. Quick release with good return to zero is a good thing, too. I'm thinking about sharing duty between a scope and a red dot on this gun, and maybe even throwing some sights on it later.

ArmaLite's mount is ideal

Hmm... Are you talking about the $89 plus shipping mount? I somehow doubt that's the best value in a scope mount.

You have many choices ahead of you. Many will work, but only some will work very well. Two members, who have probably tried a number of the choices you are now faced with, instantly agreed on a suggestion, and I would agree with them and third their suggestion. But in the end, it is only a suggestion.

Ok. Let me say this another way then. What does that mount do that a set of QD high rings from a company like Leupold or Talley won't do?

I have my scope mounted with Leupold QRW quick release rings. They are very stable, great quality and I paid $30.00 for them new.

What height QRW rings did you use?

I'm trying to go as light as I can with this AR and that Armalite mount seems to have a lot more metal in it than a couple Leupold QRW rings would have, not to mention that the QRW rings are known for excellent ability to return to zero, and I like the levers instead of the thumb screws. I'm not saying that I don't appreciate the suggestion of the Armalite mount. It just seems to be a lot more than I need for this task.

Fly-Fly,
What height QRW rings did you use and where did you get them for $30, if you don't mind telling me?

Hey guys, if I decide to go with a riser/rings solution instead of just rings, what's wrong with this one (other than the fact that it doesn't move the scope forward)?

http://store.yahoo.com/cdnn/arflattopris.html

Ugh.. just noticed that CDNN charges $10 for shipping, even on something small like this.

Sorry, but more times than not......you get what you pay for.

If you want repeatability and ruggedness( take abuse), you are going to have to pay a little bit.  I'd say the Armalite mount is the least expensive solution, ARMS rings and a SWAN sleeve being the more expensive.

I have the Armalite mount, and it is excellent and it is worth the money (in my opinion and my experience).  It has been returning to zero consistently now for 4 years.

Those Leupold QRW rings do not have a good reputation actually (check out any of the various sniper boards, those rings come up all the time when new people are getting into shooting and see the outrageous costs of some of the mounts available and then see these cheap quick release rings, and since it says Leupold, hell, they must be good,,,right?).  Again, you get what you pay for.

And as far as weight goes, I seriously doubt that you would even notice the real weight difference of the entire rifle using the Amalite mount over those Leupold rings.

After many years of buying and then selling off stuff for my weapons, I've learned it is not a good idea to cheap out on the mounts.  The expenisve ones are expensive for a reason.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

My vote goes to the Armalite mount. I got mine several months ago and love it.

Troy. Thanks for the information in your posting about the Armalite scope mount for a flat top. The information was very timely for me. I ordered the mount and received it. Rock solid mount. Very impresive. Maybe you should get a referral fee from Armalite. [:)]  

You asked for the "BEST" - the Armalite mount [i]IS[/i] the [b]Best[/b].  I think its very cost effective especially when you consider its far stronger, it WILL return to zero (not all those cheapies can say the same), and the rings are true (again you won't be able to say that with the cheaper mounts or rings - then again if you're going to use a $40 scope it really doesn't matter).

    Be sure to consider eye relief as well as height - the Picatinny rail on a flat-top may not let you mount the scope far enough forward for a comfortable position, especially in prone. I use an extended riser (1/2" high) made by Accuracy Speaks (available direct or from Brownell's) combined with standard-height rings.  There's now a similar one available from Compass Lake Engineering.  This gives me an extra 4" of rail and lets me mount a Leupold 6.5-20x50 LRT (a rather long scope) and gives me the option for an extra 15' of built-in elevation for long range work. I'm using Wiegand Combat rings (available from Brownell's) - they were inexpensive and work well, even though they don't have the macho look many seem to like.

Hey anybody, what is the range price for the mount troy mentioned, and where to suggest picking one up?  I will be needing one eventually.  thanks

rhatland,

I got mine from Quantico Arms (www.quanticoarms.com). They have them for 75 bones... the best deal I could find anywhere. The service was excellent and my mount arrived quickly.

-Gil

The ArmaLite catalog shows an AR10T with a full-size scope mounted in a pair of Weaver see-thru extended rings. Page 57.
The ocular lens is even with the charging handle.
That's gotta be about the least expensive way to get clearance fore and aft plus vertically.
It's light, too.

The ArmaLite mount shown on both the AR15 and AR10 looks the same.
Even with fewer notches on the AR15, there seems to be room enough to have adequate clearance for eye relief because the scope is still well forward.
The Weaver solution may work for now.
I seem to remember an old Olympic Arms catalog that showed the Weaver see-thru ring solution on a flat-top.
It even had 'plastic wood' furniture in BROWN, IIRC.
Anyway, there's something to think about for a low-cost and quick and dirty scope mount for the AR15.

I have been looking for a scope mount as well with a similar situation as Jason.  I actually ordered my bushmaster with their 5" rail extension.  This rail extension is at the same level as their 1/2 scope risers (the risers that come stock on varminters).  I did this so I could use these QRW rings on a Bushnell elite 4200 6-24.  Now i'm getting a vibe that this, too, is a bad idea.  I would not classify QRW rings as "cheap" in terms of rings, but that's irrelevent, if they don't work, they don't work.

I saw a picture of (pretty close, the bausch and lomb predecessor) my scope mounted with this armalite mount and it's a reasonably tight squeeze.  I, too, have a red dot mount that I would like to interchange with.(not to mention BIUS).  Now I just don't know what to do.  I would definitely like to make the scope "easily" changeable.  

Will this Armalite mount work for me??  Is this the BEST choice for the money.  Will it put my Bushnell too high that I will lose long range accuracy as I'm planning on doing some varmint hunting and long range target??  Are these Armalites "easily" removable and installable in the field??

I guess I'm kind of in the same boat as Jason so figured I would ask.

Thanks
Gundraw

Troy,

Yes I believe what you said, I appreciate your input on a variety of threads and posts I either write or watch, you seem very knowledgable about ar-15's at that.  But you said nothing about mounting something like this on a Varminter with a 17.9! inch long scope??

So it boils down to a couple questions.

1. Will it let me mount a scope THAT LONG far enough forward??  Or will I need more forward room than that??

2. Will the height of the scope(yes, I know the same as iron sights) be suitable for long range shooting

3.  Are they easily removable by hand??  I've had poor luck with many thumb screws, but these could be different, Are they??

These are the main points, that is what I was looking for answers for.

Gundraw

I have a Bushmaster Varminter, it came with the BMAS mini-risers already installed. I bought the Leupold low QRW rings from Midway USA (as I recall) I mounted a Bausch & Lomb 6-24x40AO with a 30mm tube and the bell of the scope sits about 3/8" above the handguard, keep in mind this is with the scope rings mounted on the mini-risers.

The installation looks something like this:
http://www.gunblast.com/Bushmaster_Varminter.htm

Excellent... that was my biggest worry, that the mount would place the scope too high and make it unreliable as a long range scope.  But if it places it as close as you'd want, that's perfect.  I always strive to make sure ALL my scopes are absolutely as close (to a point) as possible.  Like you said, basic trig will tell you it has definite advantages.

Thanks, I think I will give this mount a try, if it won't work with my scope.  Thanks Troy, appreciate the expertise once again.

Gundraw

ARMS #22 RINGS

[img]http://members.cox.net/daphotoguy/DPMS3.JPG[/img]