AR Sponsor
Posted: 4/24/2008 2:01:02 PM EDT
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I am trying to decide on the final piece of my first build, the iron sights. I will eventually probably add an optic, but it may be 6months to a year. Help me decide between options: 1) removable carry handle with A2 sights - advantage height adjustment and I like the looks of the traditional AR 2) flip up sights - advantage I can use as BUIS when I finally add an optic. Any thoughts? |
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Carry handles are fine, but flip-ups are a lot more flexible in the long run. Might as well go ahead and get one up front, so you don't have to spend the money twice. Here's my standard post on choosing iron sights: Are you going to mount a magnified optic? If so, you need to consider whether the BUIS will fit under the scope and mount combo - some mounts (like the Armalite) are very low, and others (like the M1Sales) are quite high. If it's for a red dot/Eotech style, there's a lot more flexibility. A few things to consider when choosing rear flip-up BUIS, depending on if it's going to be a range gun or a SHTF gun: - Will it be used for precision or long-range shooting? A small aperture is helpful for this. If the use is both close-up and long-range, a dual-aperture sight is useful. - If it's multi-aperture, which one is deployed when it flips? Some flip with the large aperture deployed, others with the small. If you're not in a hurry, this won't matter, but some people care. - If multi-aperture, do the apertures deploy in the same plane? Some deploy with an elevation shift to account for the range differences, others use the same zero for both apertures. - Do you want the windage knob easy to adjust or shielded to prevent accidental adjustments? ARMS are exposed and easy, Troy is shielded. - Does it have elevation adjustments? Some do (like the Wilson Combat), most don't. - How easy is it to deploy or adjust if your hands are muddy or gloved? - Does it latch in the up position, the down position, or both? - How protected is it from damage, both down and deployed? The Matech is one that sticks up with little protection and can easily be tweaked or broken by rough handling when deployed. - How robust is the detent mechanism? The Matech will wear over time and become easier to deploy (and eventually won't lock). For many, this doesn't matter, as their BUIS aren't used often. Figure out which of these are important to you and what capabilities you want, and it will narrow down the choices quite a lot. |
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