Need help with Bushmaster Back Up Iron Sights

[heavyshooter]

Hello all,

I recently purchased a bare bones Bushmaster that did not come with any sights. Attached you will find a photo of the exact model that I have. I am trying to find a set of BUIS that I can simply purchase and install without tampering with the gas block. The gunsmith at Bass Pro Shop told me that no one makes such a sight. Maybe you know better.

So here's my question. Can you recommend a FRONT Back Up Iron Sight that:

1) is high quality (can stand up to the heat of the gas block and recoil of the rifle)
2) is intended to fit over the Bushmaster low profile gas block (see photo)
3) flips down to get out of the way of the optic
4) has spring assisted pop-up (this is a big preference, but not a requirement)
5) works well with typical REAR pop-up BUIS (will it line up well with a Yankee Hill Machine rear BUIS)?

Thanks for your help,
Heavy

 

[Sky]

With out recommending anything let me say I have some that cost over $125 a piece and some that cost less than $50. They all work just fine. Ebay, besides other places, are all good places to look.

The gas block flip sights are usually locked in place by a over-center roller pin or detent not a spring.

 

[Ranger30-06]

I don't know of any front sights that fit over a gas block like that. Without tampering with the gas block I'm pretty sure the only options you have are:

A) Just a scope
B) Switch out the handguard to a quad rail and attach the front sight to the rail.


Other than that Yankee Hill and Troy Industries seem to be the best BUIS.

 

[Ditch-Tiger]

Yankee Hill Machine used to make a flip sight that mounted around a cut down FSB but i don't see it listed on their website anymore.
Does your rifle have an R4 cut barrel? The rifle you bought has been offered with the R4 bbl and M4 stock but also with a pencil bbl and older car stock; the sight I'm talking about will not fit the pencil bbl.
You may want to call Bushmaster as this sight used to be an option on one of their rifles several years back and they might still have some lying around. If not, good luck as I'm sure there's some out there somewhere...

 

[Sky]

http://www.google.com/search?q=gas+...&ei=i1-8TvqJGIXu0gGa7vzgBA&sqi=2&ved=0CFUQrQQ

 

[zstephens13]

Good try, Sky, but the model pictured does not have a 1913 picatinny rail on the gas block.

 

[Sky]

Good try, Sky, but the model pictured does not have a 1913 picatinny rail on the gas block.

Sorry thought it had the rail...eyes suck

 

[Hizzie]

Whatever you buy get quality. The MaTech sights fall apart and the cheaper BUIS, like the ones that come on the 15-22, have poor QC. IF the hole that the windage screw is mated to is not drilled square your Zero will shift when you flip the sight from close to extended range.

Searched Brownells
ARMS #41
Midwest Industries
Precision Refles Inc.
Vltor
Wilson Combat

All have options that would work 4 you with a little kitchen table gunsmithing. Not cheap.

 

[henschman]

The only option I know of, if you want to keep your current gas block, is to buy a new handguard with a top rail that is receiver-height, and put a receiver-height front sight out on the end of it. A popular setup is to get a handguard that is longer than your current handguards, so it covers up the low-profile gas block (in fact that is what low profile gas blocks were invented for). This gives you more handguard to grab up front, and gets you longer sight radius with your backup sights. I'm talkin about something like this: