AR-15 Sight Question (Magpul and Yankee Hill M&T)

[DustyVermonter]

I have a DPMS sportical flat top and I recently bought front and rear iron sights for it and was wondering if there was anything questionable about this setup: Magpul rear flip up Mbus (back up sights) and a Yankee Hill M&T flip up front sight.

I'm just not entirely sure that the Magpul rear flip up should be on with the magpul logo facing forward as the instruction booklet suggest's. It seems like it makes more sense to flip it so the magpul logo faces rearward, as I seem to pick up the front sight through the hole in the rear sight more clearly if flipped the opposite way.

It also seems that you could seat the rear sight further backward without obstructing access to the charging handle with the Magpul flipped in the other direction.

I know that this isn't the most highly visually descriptive post, but if anybody could comment on this setup and how it could be improved, I'd appreciate it.

I was a little apprehensive about the rear sights being of a different make and material(plastic) than the front, which is metal.

 

[68wj]

The MagPul sight is meant to be a backup only. You do have it installed correctly. If these are primary sights, I would recommend getting something else for the rear.

 

[DustyVermonter]

Why wouldn't the rear magpul site suffice as a primary, I hate to think I spent $100 on an ineffective set up.

I am somewhat new to the game and guess I had a little too much good faith in the guy that was selling this set at a gun show over the weekend, he said he was a certified colt armorer and that this was the best way to outfit a AR wiÞh iron sites for $100 or less.

He didn't have the Magpul front site, but told me that mix and matching didn't make a difference and that it was a quality setup.

Maybe I shouldn't have been so trusting, although I did have a feeling that I made a bad choice right before I handed him the money and just did it anyway so I guess its on me.

I was just eager to get some kind of aiming equipment on my flat top. I havent had a chance to shoot with these sites on the rifle since I've put them on, so I don't know what to expect.

 

[MrCleanOK]

The setup you have now will work, don't worry about that. It's not what I would consider a "good" setup for primary sights, but it will certainly work. Don't play games with flipping and moving the MBUS. Install it the right away around, in the rearmost picatinny slot available. In case you didn't know, MBUS = Magpul BACK UP Sight.

If you want something more durable, I'd look for a carrying handle, and chop it down to just the sight assembly. That's probably your best bet for getting a durable, primary iron sight.

As a good rule of thumb, don't take information from somebody trying to sell you something when you don't know any better. Especially at a gun show.

[EDIT] Forgot to add, check your front sight setup. There are two heights for railed gas blocks (which it sounds like you have). There is "standard" height, which is lower than the upper receiver rail, and there is "receiver" height, which is on plane with the receiver. If you have a "standard" gas block, you need a special flip-up front sight that is tall enough for it, and I have my doubts that your YHM is one of those tall sights.

 

[68wj]

Why wouldn't the rear magpul site suffice as a primary, I hate to think I spent $100 on an ineffective set up.

They will function fine but will not be as accurate as something designed to be a primary. They are called MBUS's for a reason. They are also not as durable a metal sights when deployed, which is fine considering their purpose is only to be deployed when the optic craps out.

What range do you plan on using them? Close-in won't matter much, but all around use may cause you to wish the sight had an elevation adjustment.

 

[Tirod]

Magpul makes nice inexpensive kit from fiberglass reinforced nylon. They get treated like Glock did it's first years in production, it's not "good enough" for real men to use.

The suggestion about cutting down a carry handle might sound hillbilly, here's the scoop. It's military spec, and if you buy a used one, not only issue, but CHEAP. Mine's in the mail right now, $35 shipped.

How's that for quality at the right price? With most optics being mounted forward, there's plenty of room, considering the mounting screw uses the last notch. It all sits over the charging handle.

You do want to verify if the front sight and gas block are compatible. Unfortunately, the industry came up with short gas blocks before rails became the standard. Now, they are rail height, and the quad rail front BUIS are shorter. It's not right out there in the product description. At a gun show, buyer beware. There's about an 1/4" difference in height, few people could tell just picking one up.

And gun shows are notorious dumping grounds for obsolete parts.