Scope ring advice for AR

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BSA1

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I am asking for advice on what scope rings I need to mount this scope on a AR .223.

The scope is a Simmons 44 MAG. I want to mount it on a AR with the standard picatinny top rail. I want the scope rings be able to attach directly to the gun without using a adapter rail. Quick release feature would be nice but not mandatory. (The scope will be used mainly for determining most accurate loads at long range).

The size of the front scope lens bell means it needs high mount rings. I have started my search with Brownells but I don’t know enough technical information to choose the right rings.

Suggestions please.
 

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  • AR 15 - Anvil Arms Lower - TS .22 LR Upper - Simmons 6.5X20 Scope.JPG
    AR 15 - Anvil Arms Lower - TS .22 LR Upper - Simmons 6.5X20 Scope.JPG
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The handguard on the AR, plus the stock position with the extension tube need a lot higher mount over the receiver than a bolt gun. I prefer one piece mounts - Burris, LaRue, Warne, and Aero. Hard pass on the Nikon and Leupold. If you use rings, you can use 1/2" picatinny risers with medium rings, or extra high rings. High rings in some brands will work to mount, but won't offer enough clearance, and usually not enough optic height for eye position.
 
One piece risers work much better than rings the vast majority of the time on an AR.

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Simmons doesn't list a Tech Support number or email. It may be a long shot to give them a call

How hard did you try to find it? Simmonsoptics.com, then click "contact us" plainly displayed at the upper right:

In Kansas City area 913-752-3400
Phone 800-423-3537

Cantilever mounts allow you to move the optic forward, but they don't actually change the height or clearance under the eyebox. If your eye relief dictates the optic is rearward enough to preclude fitting a folding rear sight, no mount will help you. If your eyebox is too fat to fit a sight under it, only taller rings or mounts (sacrificing cheek weld) will help. Those are optics or iron sight problems, not really the fault of the mount.
 
Yep, you either need an optic that mounts forward of the BUIS (Very short scope, red dot), or an optic on a quick release so you can pop it off and use the BUIS. Nikon had a 1.65x5-36 scope with 5" eye relief that worked. Not a bad little scope, but it's discontinued.
 
How hard did you try to find it? Simmonsoptics.com, then click "contact us" plainly displayed at the upper right:

In Kansas City area 913-752-3400
Phone 800-423-3537

I looked pretty hard. I still don't see a direct phone number or email address for Tech Support.

I will probably call the number on their website and see if it gives me a menu option for Tech Support. I prefer to use email as that lets me print out the information for future use.

Cantilever mounts allow you to move the optic forward, but they don't actually change the height or clearance under the eyebox. If your eye relief dictates the optic is rearward enough to preclude fitting a folding rear sight, no mount will help you. If your eyebox is too fat to fit a sight under it, only taller rings or mounts (sacrificing cheek weld) will help. Those are optics or iron sight problems, not really the fault of the mount.

Their 44 MAG is a large scope making it hard to fit both rings on the receiver and have clearance for the BUIS.

Yep, you either need an optic that mounts forward of the BUIS (Very short scope, red dot), or an optic on a quick release so you can pop it off and use the BUIS. Nikon had a 1.65x5-36 scope with 5" eye relief that worked. Not a bad little scope, but it's discontinued.

I agree that a smaller scope is better. I brought this scope many years ago to mount on my .270. After getting it sits too high for me due to the large front scope bell.

Since the AR needs a riser for optics I want to try this scope on it. It is still in the box in new condition taking up space.
 
Short version - buy a QD AR mount, get folding back up sights, and be merry. It'll all work together.

I will probably call the number on their website and see if it gives me a menu option for Tech Support. I prefer to use email as that lets me print out the information for future use.

Call the number above, option 2 gets you to tech support. The recording before the options lists directs you to the Bushnell website also (bushnell owns Simmons). At the top of the Bushnell.com page, just left of center is "Service & Support." The subsequent page offers the same phone numbers as I posted above, preceded by a link which says, "Contact us" in orange font. Clicking there, you're carried to a page with "by phone," "if you would prefer to write us, send a letter to:," and "Use the form below to send us an email."

So without looking very hard, I googled "Simmons optics." I found the customer support number I copied above. Calling that number, a 25 second call directed me to the Bushnell site, and two clicks later, I had the email form you seek... Bushnell handles all customer service and support issues for Simmons optics.

Looking a little more deeply, meaning I spent about 5min of casual googling while I was listening to babbling on a conference call - I searched "height of Magpul BUIS folded" and found 0.51". I looked at midwayusa.com for the height of the Burris PEPR and found 1" from rail to ring. Also at midway, I noted the Simmons 44mag optics all have 38mm eyebox diameters. For a 1" tube (25.4mm), that's 6.3mm of eyebox hang below the bottom of the tube - aka 0.248". S0, the gap between the bottom of the tube and the rail is 1", the eyebox hangs down ~0.25", and the sight sticks up 0.5" - you should have just under 1/4" of clearance between the magpul BUIS and the eyebox of your Simmons 44mag optic.

The Simmons 44mag scope isn't that big of a scope, in the scheme of things. The eyebox is 4mm smaller diameter than the Bushnell Elite 6500 2.5-16x50mm pictured here, 5 smaller than the NF NXS 5.5-22x56 my wife is running on her coyote AR and the 4-16x44mm Sig Tango4 I'm running on my gas gun match rifle, and 6mm smaller than the Bushnell AR 3-9x (also pictured here). Magpul polymer BUIS fit under ALL of the optics listed above - so using a Simmons 44 Mag optic and a standard AR height ring or mount, you will have no problem getting the folding rear sights to fit beneath the eyebox. You will, however, either need a QD mount, like the QD Burris PEPR pictured on the assembled rifle below, or a means to remove the mount.For example: on that 18" upper below, if I want to remove the optic with a folding rear sight behind it, I'd have to slide the mount clear off of the front of the handguard - not exactly QD - whereas the QD PEPR optic mounted on the complete 22" rifle pops of quickly with two throw levers and a quick tip.

These optics below are set up for hunting with the stock extended - not intended to be fired with my nose on the charging handle. Moving the optic forward with my nose on the handle, I'd have even more room for the back up sights on the rail - but as you can see, there's ample room left behind the mounts to insert the folding rear sight.

BDCD2468-A174-4E8F-99D9-570F4AA706A0_zpswzirk6ig.jpg
 
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