Are there any good AND affordable offset iron sights?

[TTv2]

It shouldn't be rocket science to make a set of offset iron sights, but last year I tried a set off Amazon that cost $40 and they wouldn't tighten down on the rail of my AR. I know Magpul makes a set, but they're quite costly and my plan is for these offset sights to be a backup sight to a fixed 5x power scope.

So, I don't feel I should have to buy an expensive pair of iron sights that are only a backup. What offset sights have you guys had good luck with that were not expensive?

 

[TTv2]

I just thought about instead of buying a set of dedicated offset iron sights, I could just buy two offsets rails and use any standard flip up sights instead.

 

[mjsdwash]

I can only suggest UTG. Never used offsets, but they have a decent enough reputation to be sold by respectable retailers. I think they may be Taiwan, or China.

 

[Hookeye]

My idea is to run reg irons and have an rds or reflex clocked.

 

[TTv2]

My idea is to run reg irons and have an rds or reflex clocked.

Nope, no interest in running a non magnified optic on an AR. The irons will be offset.

 

[Chuck R.]

I use Magpuls on my 3Gun rig, yes they are costly, but they work and importantly fold out of the way when not in use, which is about 99.98% of the time.

I've only had a couple engagements in 3 years of matches that required a near-far or far-near transition when I didn't have time to zoom in or out.

 

[mcb]

This is probably a lousy suggesting but I will make it anyway since I have been playing with this setup none-the-less. I picked up (in trade with a forum member) a first gen MkI SeeAll sight (they are on sale for currently for ~$40). I mounted the SeeAll on a piece of 45 degree offset rail coming up off the side of my Square Drop (Keymod) hand-guard so I could use it as an offset back up sight to my fixed 3X optic.




So far I got it sighted in at about 30 ft and it shoots pretty well. The transition from optic to it is reasonably fast and it is reasonably snag free though I have only had it out and about in the woods twice since I mounted it. I am still waiting for a close encounter with an up armored opossum (armadillo) to really try it out for effect.

-ramblin'

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Ive used a set of the Trinity Force BUS on a 45deg offset rail and was very happy with them.

 

[bearcreek]

So, I don't feel I should have to buy an expensive pair of iron sights that are only a backup.

That depends on why you want a backup. If you have a cheap optic on your rifle and it's purely intended as a range toy, not a serious tool, you might do fine with a cheap set of irons (or maybe not, as you've already experienced). If your rifle is a tool that you want to be able to rely on when you really need it, and you have a quality optic on it, quality irons are important, IMO. If the gun experiences enough trauma that a good optic goes down, there's a decent chance that cheap irons would have broke down as well at that point, making the whole thing pointless. If quality irons aren't in the budget right now, but you have a good optic, I'd just run that for now and save your pennies for good irons.

 

[TTv2]

This is probably a lousy suggesting but I will make it anyway since I have been playing with this setup none-the-less. I picked up (in trade with a forum member) a first gen MkI SeeAll sight (they are on sale for currently for ~$40). I mounted the SeeAll on a piece of 45 degree offset rail coming up off the side of my Square Drop (Keymod) hand-guard so I could use it as an offset back up sight to my fixed 3X optic.

View attachment 929958
View attachment 929959

So far I got it sighted in at about 30 ft and it shoots pretty well. The transition from optic to it is reasonably fast and it is reasonably snag free though I have only had it out and about in the woods twice since I mounted it. I am still waiting for a close encounter with an up armored opossum (armadillo) to really try it out for effect.

-ramblin'

I thought about that, but when it's not being used the See All is a bulky sight. At least irons can flip down and are likely a lot more robust.

 

[mcb]

I thought about that, but when it's not being used the See All is a bulky sight. At least irons can flip down and are likely a lot more robust.

I agree it is bulky but that bulk is out on the end of the hand-guard out of my way. I was worried that an offset backup iron back on the receiver would be more prone to snag issues than the SeeAll but that determination is still up in the air. It has proven fairly robust as it has already been dropped once and gets beat on a fair bit as it rides around on the back of the UTV in an inexpensive scabbard.

 

[Chuck R.]

I thought about that, but when it's not being used the See All is a bulky sight. At least irons can flip down and are likely a lot more robust.

It's a major plus for the Magpul Pros, they're slim to begin with and do fold up completely out of the way:

 

[TTv2]

So I just learned that Ruger makes flip up sights and are $20 less than the Magpul. Anyone try the Ruger sights before?

 

[bearcreek]

So I just learned that Ruger makes flip up sights and are $20 less than the Magpul. Anyone try the Ruger sights before?

Got a link? All I found on their website were poly sights that were $5-10ish less than MBUS and metal sights that are made by UTG. Didn't see any offset sights.

 

[TTv2]

Got a link? All I found on their website were poly sights that were $5-10ish less than MBUS and metal sights that are made by UTG. Didn't see any offset sights.

I'm not buying offset sights, I'm going to buy Mlok offset rails and mount standard flip sights to those rails.

https://shopruger.com/Ruger-Rapid-Deploy-Rear-Sight/productinfo/90415/

Also, given that Ameriglo makes a tritium post for the the Magpul front flip sights, I think I'm going to get a Magpul front sight and a Ruger rear sight.

 

[hq]

$9 (including shipping) sights from Aliexpress. Of course they were loose and crappy in every imaginable way, but after sighting them in and hosing them with red Loktite, they've held zero for the better part of a decade now.

Problem solved. Kind of.

 

[mcb]

Well I am back to looking. Finally had a reason to use the sight in moderate earnest and it did not perform as well as I hoped. So I am back to looking for a good off set sight system to supplement my 3X prism for shooting closer than the focal range of the scope.

 

[bearcreek]

Well I am back to looking. Finally had a reason to use the sight in moderate earnest and it did not perform as well as I hoped. So I am back to looking for a good off set sight system to supplement my 3X prism for shooting closer than the focal range of the scope.

You generally get what you pay for with this stuff. There's a good reason that cheap sights are cheap, and it's not because the manufacturer feels charitable.

 

[mcb]

So this is just some cheap knock-off prism scope but those backup sights built onto it are exactly what I am looking for. The offset sight, weather my ill conceived idea to try the See All or any of the two piece back up sights it they make the gun wider and snag-ier than I want. The gun then hangs up on my gun cases and more importantly in the scabbard I carry it in on the UTV and Tractor. The above sights might be a possible solution though I doubt anyone make them for a Vorted Spitefire 3X.

 

[hq]

You generally get what you pay for with this stuff. There's a good reason that cheap sights are cheap, and it's not because the manufacturer feels charitable.

Exactly. Then again, once irons are sighted in there's little that will affect their zero when you glue everything in place. This is especially true when they're there as backups. Bent out of shape, cracked or broken? Have a spare set or two in your backpack for a few bucks each. Much cheaper than spending ten times that on brand name irons that'll be equally out of shape when bumped hard, and you'll have to sight everything in again anyway.

Just my $.02, which incidentally isn't that much less than the cost of pretty durable el-cheapo irons.

 

[DerMerchant]

+1 for the offset magpul pros, got mine on sale for around $70 off primary arms and they work well for a backup to my PA 5x. I just removed the smaller aperture from the rear sight because I need to mount the rear sight on my handguard.