I need help with a long-term plan, and I hope this isn’t too much to ask at one time.
I already have the receivers, barrel, bolt assembly and tele-stock that I want to use. The rifle is an AR-15 type.
The barrel is a 1/7, M-4-profile, 14.5-inch BM with a perm flash hider, standard front sight base, and standard hand guards.
I have a standard flat-top receiver.
I like the tele-stock that I have now and I don’t want to change it.
Here’s the eventual goal: I want a close-in rifle with an EOTech sight (I’m open for suggestions for other no-magnification, or low magnification sights too.), BUIS, and the ability to easily remove and attach the PVS-14 NV device. I might eventually add a VG and lasers and lights, but I’m not warm to that idea right now--I want the rifle to look, and be, as plain as possible with the exception of the optics of course. I want the sight height--I don’t know what to call the height above the barrel that’s the line of sight--to be about where the A2’s line-of-sight is.
Am I crazy to want to replace the standard FSB with a fold-down, BUIS/gas block (I know it’ll have to be two-piece)? I know the FSB I have now will be tough to get off (cut-off), but I have pretty good tool sense and lots of tools. It seems to me that I don’t want the standard sight base to obstruct the field of view. Having a better field of view is the reason for wanting to replace the FSB--is it worth the effort? I’m thinking I want a folding, rear BUIS for the same field-of-view optimization. …Worth it? I’m not hell-bent against the idea of cutting the top off the standard FSB, and then refinishing it, to get some hand guard over/past it.
What hand guard should I get that’ll let me mount the two optics that I want to use with some folding BUIS? I’ll mount the EOTech or whatever I get, and the BUIS, just about immediately, but I won’t have the PVS-14 for a year or two. I don’t want the fanciest hand guard out there, just one that’ll work, and I don’t want to mount any optic/sight on the standard hand guard or anything that’s otherwise a sloppy mount. There’s so damned many hand guard options out there that I’m entirely confused.
I guess the bottom line is that I can afford an EOTech, railed hand guard, and BUIS, but not the PVS-14 yet. But, the hand guard and sights I buy today, I want to be as plain as possible, but readily usable for the adaptation of the PVS-14 without having to re-buy anything.
BTDT kind of feedback and/or criticism would be greatly appreciated--it’s certainly needed.