Scope + Iron sights?

[zstephens13]

Is there a way to mount a scope on an AR type rifle with back up iron sights at the same time? Do you have to remove the scope to use the iron sights? If so, will it hold its zero? What's the set up? How do you do it?

Thanks for your help

Z

 

[CoRoMo]

Yes. Use see-thru mounts. The irons would be used by looking through the lower ring.

 

[zstephens13]

Is that awkward or uncomfortable to use the scope? Can you still get a solid cheek weld with the scope being that high? Is an adjustable cheek piece required?

 

[CoRoMo]

You'll definitely lose any cheek weld you might have had from the stock on your AR.
On some rifles, these types of rings are not at all awkward, they just takes some getting used to. But on a collapsible stocked AR without a riser, these are going to be cumbersome IMO.

YMMV

 

[LubeckTech]

Is the rifle in question a flat top or does it have a carry handle?

 

[waterhouse]

If the scope is magnified, you can use a quick detach mount so that it can be quickly taken off and your iron sights can be used.

If the scope isn't magnified, you can co-witness your iron sights with your red dot.

 

[zstephens13]

how does the quick detach thing work? where can i find one?

 

[rcmodel]

Use see-thru mounts.

See-through mounts will not work on an AR-15 flat-top.
Back-up iron sights will be at approximately the same height as the standard AR-15 front sight, or the scope itself.

You can't get your head down low enough on the straight-line AR stock to see through them anyway.

QD rings and mounts are available from about a gazillion different manufactures. Try Larue, A.I.M.S., Warne, Leupold, etc.

All of the AR-15 makers sell them on thier websites too.

Google ar-15 qd scope mounts and you will get 63,400 hits.

rc

 

[zstephens13]

Any experience with these? whats the chance of losing my 200 yard zero?

 

[rcmodel]

The very best of them will return to zero fairly well.

What is your reason to need to switch back & forth?

You might be better served by just going to a low power (1x-4x) variable scope and leave it on there.

At low power settings field of view would be very good.
Low light capability would be way better then iron sights at any power.

Get yourself a BUS (Back-Up iron Sight) and zero it, then take it off and put the scope on and zero it.
In the event of a broken scope, take it off and put the BUS on.
Otherwise, leave the scope alone.

rc

 

[Juice Boxes]

Personally I like Larue QD mounts better, but there is another option...

If you have a standard carry handle companies make fixtures which mount in the carry handle by using the screw hole and allow use of iron sights. For example if you buy an ACOG some of them come with a built in setup to mount on a carry handle and it has a hole bored through it so you can still use irons.

Some Examples:

Tasco:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=27414/Product/AR_15_M16_CARRY_HANDLE_MOUNT

Product description:

Sight tunnel under the rail allows continued use of factory iron sights as backups or for close-range

Smith Enterprise:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=24845/Product/AR_15M16_M4_CARRY_HANDLE_SCOPE_MOUNT

Product description:

while hollow, .335" diameter sight channel offers unobstructed use of standard-issue iron sights without removing mount.

There are many companies making products similar to this out there. The only trade off is that your scope is mounted kinda high, but there's a product for everything:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=8746/Product/AR_15_RAISED_CHEEKPIECE

 

[zstephens13]

i just want to have a pair of back up sights in case my scope fails from weather (i hunt primarily in Alaska) or damage or anything else.