[Cesiumsponge]

Today I got to break in and sight in my AR rifle. I used a 50m (well, yards at this range) improved battlesight zero.

The gun shot excellently with no jammomatic action or problems. Using some 55 grain Remington UMC FMJs at ~61F, 89% humidity, 30.13" pressure, I managed to shoot a 5-round group at 50 yards which I think was reasonable. It was a 1.6" group with one wild round. Without the wild round, it was .7" between centers of the two furtherst rounds which I don't think is too shabby for someone who has very little rifle experience (mostly handgun and shotgun prior to this). These were high-contrast black and white sight-in targets I printed up. I had some Hoppes neon stuff after I ran out of the high-contrast stuff and the red reticle blended in with the neon orange and I shot 6.45" groups at 100yrds and 2.9" at 50 yards :barf: I need to print more of those black targets.

I got my EOtech sighted in and then went to adjust my irons to fit it (the contrast was bad today with the overcast so I decided to try zeroing the optic before I did the open sights). I have a set of folding YHM's on a rail system and A3 flattop. The rail was installed properly and aligned to the A3 rail 100%. I know this because the Samson MFRS-R system I used requires removal of the delta ring so the rail systems' rail runs all the way flush with the A3 rail and can easily be aligned with a long clamp (like the carrying handle that comes with A3 flattops).

Anyhow, when I flipped up the irons with the zeroed EOTech reticle, I noticed the reticle was quite a bit right of the sight picture on the irons. To make them line up, I had to adjust the rear peephole about 3/4 ways to the left so it looks completely off and the markings on the peephole and rear sight body are off alignment by about 1/16". Is this normal? :uhoh:

I can't think of anything that is out of alignment. The freefloating rail system was measured and the barrel sits dead center of it. It just looks weird and makes mefeel ill thinking about it being off that much, but I don't know if this is normal at all or not. Anyone have experience?

I never got a chance to shoot with the iron sights to see if this was the case since it was about 30 minutes past the closing time on the range and I decided to go before I was booted off. It also brings up another concern on free-floating rail systems. If the rail bends, then using rail-mounted iron sights would become inaccurate as its no longer pointed where the barrel is and I don't see how this outweighs the harmonic mumble jumble used to argue pro free-float. Wouldn't non-free floating barrels or barrel-mounted sights be most accurate? Maybe I should consider getting a flip-down gas block style front sight :cuss:

*edit

I think I might have a plausible potential answer. Could it be that I don't have a proper repeatable cheekweld? In that the cheekweld I had for zeroing the EOTech isn't the same one that is required to get a proper sight picture using iron sights, which is one I should be sticking with? I notice if I shift my view around a bit, the EOtech reticle will move around but the iron sight's sight picture requires the same cheekweld regardless. Maybe I'm grasping at straws and I've stayed up too late (had to give the AR a good scrubdown)

[Bartholomew Roberts]

This is a common problem with ARs and usually has one of two causes:

1) Front sight base is canted
2) Barrel nut has been overtorqued

You can usually spot the cant to a front sight base by just inspecting it visually, particularly if you use the carry handle channel as a reference. A good whack with a rubber mallet can sometimes set that straight with no additional work. Is your front sight base taper pinned or does it use set-screws?

In either case, it doesn't practically affect anything on the rifle and I wouldn't worry about it much unless it just bugs you.

[BigG]

This is a common problem with ARs and usually has one of two causes:


I would say "NO NAME" ARs or "homade" ARs. :D

[Harry Tuttle]

Benchmarking a rifle before adding all the high speed low drag kit
makes Gale McMillan smile from his remote FL/THR log on.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=143500

A front sight on a Freefloated AR15 rail would move with rail mounted sling tension. This might be OK for back up iron sights.

[bytor94]

"I would say "NO NAME" ARs or "homade" ARs"

I have seen brand new in the box Colt's and FN's come in with canted FSB's, a bore drilled off centerline of the barrel, and new barrels that fail headspacing. :banghead: Plus too many others to list in the life left to me. :)

Every manufacturer will have a Q.C. miss at some point.

[BigG]

I didn't know we could buy an FN clone. Where do I sign up?

[Cesiumsponge]

The front sight is rail mounted, not pinned on the barrel. Considering it wasn't a frankenAR and all-Bushmaster, I can't blame it on a DIY AR. I can't blame it on sling tension since there is no sling attached :neener: I had a bipod and several blocks at the bench to get it steady as possible and the only bending I can think of that can be caused by that is vertical movement.

I had a friend that had a Bushmaster M4 A3 that he took to the range for the first time that day too and it was shooting a bit to the right and down out-of-the-box with the rear peephole centered (not sure if Bushmaster zeros sights when they fire some factory rounds through a completed rifle).

I'm going to print out more of these targets (the neon ones I had left are ugh) and head back for more range time to see if I can narrow down the cause. If I get the irons to shoot properly without having the rear way left, and it's still off center in respect to the zeroed scope, then my cheekweld isn't repeatable and sucks.

Considering I felt the shot groupings with the 1st target type I used were reasonable and it was my first outing with an AR, I'm stretching for something to complain about. I'm satisfied with everything else, it was a blast :D

[Harry Tuttle]

doesn't look like a Bushmaster to me anymore:
http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=25632

[bytor94]

BigG;

Sorry I wasn't clear on this, but the FN's I was referring to are brand new Mil issue. :o

I am kind of in a unique position in that I work as a direct support small arms repair tech and also as an aircraft weapons systems repairer, and can attest that even OOTB stuff comes in FUBARed on occasion. Some of it is manufacturers defects, some is mishandling up the supply chain.

Yes I too would like some FN Clones, maybe with "da switch" if they ever repeal the NFA. :D

[Cesiumsponge]

doesn't look like a Bushmaster to me anymore

Not looking like a Bushmaster now? Does it look like a Mega, Armalite, Colt…what?

I've been putting this off and I don't mean to sound insulting, but Harry Tuttle... do you have a problem? It seems to me you have something against people (or me personally ) because I probably didn't chose the same route you would have chosen?

Did I at any given point say I was going for a "high speed low drag kit" mall ninja appeal? It appears you make such assumptions and very quick to point the finger. Are we now playing the customization nazi card because someone chose to personally customize his or her firearm to their particular likings with their own money that happens to clash with yours? I made posts regarding my newly acquired AR because it took a while to save for it, I was excited, and that I needed some help regarding some areas. Now I am being scrutinized because I slapped on some ugly green stuff and tried a beauty photo op?

Do I have to go through and justify my decisions to you because you’re the final say in what goes and what doesn’t? Okay, lets give it a shot!

I used OD Green furniture because I wanted something different than a standard black rifles I see everywhere. It has nothing to do with "blending into the brush" or whatever wild scenarios you might have thought I chose that color for.

A rail system? Flexibility over stock hand guards. It affords me the real estate for installing an ergonomically and easily quick detachable bipod at the range if I wanted to shoot accurately at rest at the range for zeroing and calibrating. Unlike the seasoned veterans who can shoot 1MOA with open sights while doing jumping jacks, I don't claim to be an expert marksman. I've admitted that and need every ounce of help I can get; a bipod helps me greatly and I will take full advantage of that.

Why a full length rail system and not a carbine rail system? More room, longer sight radius similar to the full sized M16A2. It also weighs more and feels more stable and absorbs recoil better than a lighter rifle. Imagine that…someone who wants more mass for better stability because he doesn’t intend to carry a rifle all day nor intends to clear buildings with it. It affords me room for an easily attachable flashlight as a home defense rifle that I don't need to bring to the range. It gives me the room for a vertical grip because it feels much better and more stable on my body geometry.

Folding iron sights? I want an iron sight that'd be out of the way of the electronic optics when I used it. I came to this decision when I handled a friend’s Olympic Arms A3 AR with a red dot optical sight with the stock front sight block. I didn’t shoot it but I didn't like having to stare at iron sights in the optic’s viewing window; I found it distracting and decided the folding ones would be more convenient.

EOTech? Good optic, good reviews, highly acclaimed by a friend who served in the 75th Ranger Regiment (this is as "tactical" any of my decisions have been thusfar). Besides the recommendation, it has a very long battery life (1000+ hrs), uses easily obtainable AA batteries, comparable to the Aimpoint, Hakko, Kobra, and other 1x red dots/reticles but I like the reticle on the EOTech best. Sorry, but I couldn't find any other red dot-style sights out there that are designed as very rugged, has 1000+ hrs of battery life, used cheap AA's, and had a similar reticle pattern. Most of the buying decisions were based off practicality.

Magpul MIAD customizable grip? I can swap out inserts to get the optimum size and profile to fit my particular hand. The integrated beavertail prevents the webbing between my finger and thumb from moving up too far north. The front insert blocks the gap left between the grip and the trigger guard. Rubber Hogue handall sleeve insert? Molded finger grooves help me get a repeatable and comfortable grip. It fits my hand a hell of a lot better than the stock grip.

Sling? Honestly not entirely needed since I don't tote my rifle everywhere but the ergonomics on it beat the stock one it came with which felt flimsy. Whenever the need arises for a sling, I'll have a comfy one there.

I don't think I've once mentioned that I'm after a tactical kill-em-all rig…and that is because that was never the intention. I was never snobby. I never forced my viewpoints down everyone's throat and said "you do it my way or the highway". In fact, I simply asked for some help and suggestions and I get a rude reply like yours that does nothing to further the discussion. You've provided a condescending attitude in looking down on my decisions without knowing my end-goals. I don’t know if you thought it was cute but it comes off as childish and unexpected. For shame.

[hksw]

Since the front sight is not directly mounted to the barrel and only the handguard, I would just chalk it up to manufacturing tolerance (stacking) errors from the various parts between the barrel and sight.

IMO, of course.