What type of sights do you use on your AR

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My last AR build, this was a Colt upper with a fixed carrying handle. This set up allows the best possible iron sights and a flat top scope mount. I have several like this done by J.D. Jones. The handle was chopped and the scope mount added. With a half inch riser it works great with a QD scope or it will co-witness with a red dot.

coltscopemount.jpg

Now you can buy an upper set up the same way from Rock River...

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To answer Jims question, I am at the perimeter next to the unmanned gate of a 330 home development. Mid price to high, in Vero Beach, I have a 1 story latest code, concrete, "lots of windows". I am 50 ft from the berm, which leads to a road "used mainly for owners using the back gate". They refuse to put up cameras and or lights, I am installing my own, I have an alarm and dog, but we just had 3 kids arrested for shooting right across from that road, last week,100 yards from my home, and then a rifle shot inside the community, "which no one will talk about. "the guy who caught him is an undercover who lives here, They won't say what agency, as I am not supposed to even know. But I am surrounded by wooded land on all 4 sides of the development. And at night you can't see a thing out in back when I take out my dog, "i always carry, but that's neither here nor there". My problem is that there is not one room without windows, it looks great, but a tactical nightmare. We are lit up like a pumpkin at night. We shut all the shutters, but it's just to easy to pull over hop out and in 50 feet your inside the development. Nothing but shrubs 2 ft. high to stop anyone. That's why I need the perfect combination of sights and maybe a surefire, to light up a possible group. The builder refuses to change the gate setup, and they are broken off every week, someone hacksawed off the pole that comes down a few weeks ago. We take over the HOA in a few months. But it's the same old story, everyone wants better security, but nobody wants to pay for it. We used to have security patrols, but the builder/HOA, disbanded them, his excuse was his attorney suggested he could have litigation brought against him if someone got hurt or worse.
At my request the Sherriff sent a seargent to the last HOA meeting, and the owners were shocked at the statistics, she recomended cameras and a patrol, . We take over in a few months, but I can't worry weather these people who don't even use the alarms that came with the house, are going to spring for an extra $30.00 per month to put a gaurd and cameras up. Thus the rifle, plus I wanted one anyway. I think Tac Light and Dot, will do the trick as they tarvel in groups, and everyone has a gun up here.The gas station down the road has a pistol out in plain view, I told him bad idea, he tells me it's just a decoy, even worse idea. They know you have 2 guns now. I always felt that cameras were the best deterant, and a gun of course.
 
I have three different set ups

1. 16" carbine - Eotech XPS2-0, for zombies. 1:9 nato, CQB to 300 yards.

2. 18" rifle - 1-3x Weaver, for 3 gun. 1:8 nato, CQB to 300 yards

3. 20" rifle HBAR - A2 front/A2 removable carry handle, for SRS matches. 1:8 wylde, 100 to 300 yards

55gr only. I like any good quality 55gr with a FPS of 3200 +/- 100.

I sight all of them in for 50/200 improved battle sight zero.
 
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There's a sea of choices for the sighting system of an AR. It really depends on how far you intend to shoot it. There's no one size fits all solution. Iron sights are reliable and inexpensive. An unmagnified dot sight like an Aimpoint or an EOtech or others is going to benefit you with better accuracy at longer ranges but you have to keep it fed with batteries. A scoped rifle gets you even more range, but will probably cost more by the time you buy the scope and mount. By the time you get there, there are other questions, like "How accuracte is my rifle?"
 
My only AR is my Colt 6940 that I picked up a couple of days ago. It has a Matech rear BUIS and Colt's folding front sight. It seems like it's going to work just fine for the time being. Maybe not right this minute, but I plan on eventually ordering a Primary Arms M4 red dot to sit on top the full length rail for plinking.
 
An unmagnified dot sight like an Aimpoint or an EOtech or others is going to benefit you with better accuracy at longer ranges but you have to keep it fed with batteries.
Click to expand...

One battery every three years with constant use is a pretty light diet as in the case of the Aimpoint.

Trijicon makes some non-magnified optics that use tritium and/or fiber optics so never need a battery. Tritium does eventually wear out though but i believe the half life is 10 years.
 
Giving the housing deveopment horror story, I would lean towards an Aimpoint for home defense, serious practice for same, and plinking. Then an ordinary scope of suitable power for longer range "target shooting" and varmints.

The all around sight is about as unsatisfactory as the all around rifle the gunzines used to search for.
 
Makes sense, I now have to start pricing and comparing different models you guys mentioned. Everyone wants to be protected but they really don't want to contribute either time or money, until there is a high profile incident. Then they wil be screaming for someone to blame. I just never figured out how people could be so penny wise a dollar foolish. Neither of my neighboors on either side or accross from me use their monitered alarm, and they drive 2 and 3 new cars dodge R&T hemi challenger, new trucks, and the lousy 12 bucks a month is too much. It remins me of the gym business when I had to chase guys for the 29.95 per month when they were driving M3 BMW's and new 550's. It just always puzzled me.And when people say "Iknow". tht's the kicker. It's like when a guy is loading the wrong ammo in his mag, and you make them aware of it and they say Oh I know, No you don't know or you wouldn't be doing it.I would rather ask if I'm not sure than go plodding ahead. Most of the guys in here are similar.The way I see it, your going to look a lot dumber when that gun blows up in your hand than admitting you didn't know something,and were smart enough to ask people who know more than you do_One more question, does that handgaurd remover come in as being something useful, or just a tool that you really don't need, By the way Wallmart in Vero has AR's now in stock, couldn't make out the brand for $869, she said they sold 2 or 4 this week, also cans of ammo 62 grain in a green ammo tin for $140, I think it looked like half a case, she didn't know.
 
http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/news/elderly-man-raped-socorro/nFT9K/

There is meanness; anyone who does not know it can happen anyplace, at anytime, to anyone, maybe will be lucky, maybe not?

Look at the cheap red dot thread, there are many dots that do not cost $400 and have been working for members here for a while now. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=608749

I use the Aimpoint and the Eotech but I also use other cheaper red dots. Presently my stable is approx 50/50 with scopes and red dots. I only keep the 7.62x39 non ARs in irons only...oops wrong...one AR in that caliber has the Eotech...sorry.... The only reason I would suggest a red dot in your situation is due to the possibility of a low light encounter and the ranges you mentioned in your post. I use mine for popping pigs and out to 100 yards ( prefer 50 yards or less ) depending on dot size the dots work just fine. Are the dots as accurate as a scope uhhhhh no, but they are plenty accurate for most things IMO.....squirrels and dots, not so much IMO, although the Sparc on an AR .22 upper is pretty good due to dot size..Anticipated fields of fire will dictate what will work best for you. Nothing works best for all situations and sometimes an educated guess is all we have. Good luck on whatever you decide.
 
I have three set up different ways

1-Stag/RRA/Adams Arms Mid-length w/ Trijicon 3.5X35 for CQB to 300 and Troy BUIS

2-RRA/LaRue with a Leupold 2.5-8X36 for CQB out past 500 also with Troy BUIS

3-S&W M&P-15 with a fixed front and A2 style rear and an Aimpoint PRO for CQB out to 300
 
Gym - While not necessary by any means, if you remove handguards alot a tool is really nice. Fast and easy. I bought one a couple of years ago and like many things, had I known what I was missing I would have bought a couple of decades ago.
 
Front--YHM flip-up on the railed gas block(the Magpul will melt if used there)--Middle--Aimpoint H1 in DD fixed mount--lower 1/3 co-witness---Rear--Magpul Gen II flip-up.

If you mess with AR's enough--you'll need all the tools--torque wrench--punch set---snap ring pliers---barrel wrench--upper rec vice block--handguard tool----would be a good start.
 
I've got a new Stag Arms model 3 which is their "optics ready" platform. I dressed it up with an EOTech 552 and some really nice troy flip up tritium night sights. I got troy's Di-optic aperature rear sight which utilizes a diamond shaped peep hole in stead of the tradition round hole. It really does help center the front post because it gives you a vertical and horizontal axis to align the sights. All in all i've found it to be a great combo for plinking/target practice. Haven't had to use them for HD (hope i never do either)
PHP:
but they should be fine for that as well.
 
I currently run a EOTech EXPS3-2:
http://www.opticsplanet.net/eotech-exps3-extreme-xps-red-dot-sight-with-side-button-qd-lever.html
With a EOTech G23:
http://www.opticsplanet.net/eotech-gen-3-magnifier-with-flip-to-side-mount-g23-fts.html
This is an extremely versatile setup. It is great for CQB and I can easily reach out to 400 meters if necessary.
While in the Army I was issued a TA31F:
http://www.opticsplanet.net/trijicon-ta31f-acog-4x32-scope-red-chevron-reticle-ta51-mount.html
This is one of my all time favorite optics. It was great when I had to reach out and touch someone and the BAC made it great for CQB. The TA31RCO is also a great optic. I wish I would have had the lanyard and flip caps on my ACOG while I was on active duty.
http://www.opticsplanet.net/trijicon-acog-4x32-army-rifle-combat-optic-for-the-m150-w-ta51-mount-ta31rco-m150cp-w.html

Chase B.
 
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