ak rear sites

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fromtheplaines

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I have a ak under folder. I wanted to get a new site on it. I was thinking of a Krebs ghost ring. But red dot sites seem to be a interesting idea. The main thing I am interested is reliability and getting on the target quickly. Wanted to get some thoughts
 
I really like Ghost ring sights.


Have liked them on my shotguns, and now i have a set installed on my sks. Can shoot a 4 inch group off a rest at 100 yards in the brutal cold of Alaska. Cant get much better than that for me :)
 
Ha. I saw the thread title and thought to myself, I should recommend a Kreb's ghost ring sight.

A GRS is about as fast-on-target as you'll get with an iron sight. A red dot is probably faster, but also much more expensive, less durable (even the best RDS is going to be less durable than an iron sight), and more unsightly atop an AK. Of course, if you've got money to burn, are careful, and don't care about classic aesthetics, a quality RDS is a great choice. Allow me to recommend the Aimpoint T1.
 
There may be slight benefits in a ring sight that simply replaces the standard notch leaf of the standard AK rear sight, but the benefits really aren't anything like those of a real aperture or "ghost ring" sight.

An aperture sight works by being VERY close to your eye. So close you don't really see it. As long as your view is within it, you just put the front sight on the target.

The standard forward notch sights and these ring sight work differently in that you have to deliberately align the front and rear sight, focus on each. The ring confers NO benefits of a real aperture or ghost ring sighting system.

I came up with some simple sketches a while back which aren't bad, but actually still exaggerate the very small difference between the forward notch and forward ring quite a bit

Standard AK sights, notch and post:
Open.jpg

Notch replaced with ring:
Mojo.jpg

Actual ghost ring or aperture:
Aperture.jpg
 
With the aks dust cover rattaling around when are shooting affect an apature sight? Thanks for all of the feedback so far
 
With the aks dust cover rattaling around when are shooting affect an apature sight? Thanks for all of the feedback so far
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Ok, I'm not 100% sure what you're asking.

If you replace the rear sight leaf with a rear sight leaf with a ring instead of a notch, no the dust cover doesn't affect it at all. It is still mounted to the solid rear sight base which is in front of the dust cover.

If you were to try to bolt an aperture rear sight to the dust cover itself somehow, (and versions of that do exist), yes it can be an issue as the fit of the dust cover to the receiver isn't very precise. (I don't know how much practical accuracy you'd really lose though. Just never seen that tested out. It certainly would work for man-sized targets out to 200 yds, I'm sure.)

If you're buying one of the really GOOD rear sight replacement systems (like the Texas Weapons Systems "dogleg" setup) then no, they take the dust cover movement out of the picture.
 
As Sam has articulated excellently, the ghost rings that sit where the standard rear sight sits do very little for you. They don't help in speed, because you have to actually find the front sight inside of the ring. The ring just doesn't focus out like a proper ghost ring. They slow me down, and I noticed no benefit in accuracy... just a slower sight picture and limited view of the target.

AK sights as they come are my preference. If the notch is too narrow, widen it. Jim Fuller has mentioned that rounding off the corners and widening the notch helped him get a quicker sight picture. For me, give me any standard AK sights, put an Aimpoint in between, and I'm content. YMMV of course.

15949637242_a78a10c59a_c.png
 
For me, give me any standard AK sights, put an Aimpoint in between, and I'm content.
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Ill second that, and on a Ulitimak as shown.
 
That aim point is sweet but I couldn't afford one. That Texas weapons system seems interesting. The current sites are ok. But I figured something like a gs would be an improvement
 
The TWS system is good. It's holding up well for a lot of folks. A rear peep mounted to it would give the desired ghost ring effect, since it's actually working as it's supposed to.

If you are interested in a red dot, then an Ultimak ($90-$95) and Bushnell TRS-25 or PA Micro (both around $70-$80) would work just fine, and would cost less than the TWS, which is $140, plus $40 for the rear sight.
 
Would you need any special mounting for the reddots I thought I heard something that the heat if the gun can mess with them. I also saw tech sights has any one used them?
 
As far as mounting to the Ultimak, you don't need anything. You will get about a lower-1/3 cowitness with the factory Bushnell or PA mounts. The heat could be a factor, but a lot of people use them on the Ultimak without issue. Check around on YouTube for some reviews and whatnot. As long as you aren't mag dumping, I can't imagine normal shooting will kill one. If you are going to be taking a class or gaming with it, I might would start saving for a used Aimpoint Micro so you don't have to worry much about the heat killing it in the middle of a stage/drill. As for TechSights, I know*there are a few good reviews for it as well out there, but I've never tried them myself.

EDIT - I wouldn't trust the Blackthorn. Nothing really to lock up with, so you will almost certainly get a wandering zero and it'll never be sturdy enough to hold an optic.
 
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