How to mount red-dot on an AR Carbine

[EOD Guy in VA]

I'll be buying an AR-15 Carbine soon and want to mount a red-dot sight on it. However, all of the red-dot sights seem to have a weaver-style mount. I believe ARs have a Picatinny rail on top of the receiver. So, the question is, how do I mate the two? Is there an rail adapter that will convert from Picatinny to weaver?

 

[W.E.G.]

However, all of the red-dot sights seem to have a weaver-style mount.

Not correct. The red-dot sights (EOTECH, Aimpoint, and just about everything else) will fit right on a Picatinny rail.

 

[yesit'sloaded]

I hear hot glue works...

 

[GunTech]

A weaver mount will fit a picatinny rail, but a picatinny mount will NOT fit a weaver rail. Picatinny rails have wider slots.

 

[MassMark]

Though the factory ring on my Trijicon Tripower is adequate, I found the throwlever mounts made by Mark LaRue at LaRue Tactical to be superb. Look at the QD LT-150. I have it on my Troy MCS SOCOM-16 and it's awesome.

Link To LaRue Tactical

 

[phaed]

i'll second LaRue Tactical for quality/functionality. i have a quick detach larue for my eotech on my sig 556.

 

[Zak Smith]

LaRue is the way to mount optics on an AR-15.

 

[Andrewsky]

I don't understand why Aimpoint makes Picatinny rings. Why don't they just make Weavers, and only Weavers?

*Has one Aimpoint, one Aimpoint Picatinny Ring, one Aimpoint Weaver Ring, and one Picatinny base*

 

[MMcfpd]

It depends somewhat on the particular red dot you're using. While I have and like some LaRue mounts, my Aimpoint M4 is just fine with the factory mount. OTOH, the Micro H-1 needs the LaRue mount to be high enough to use with a standard FSB on a flattop.

What red dot are you considering?