Author Topic: AR Front Sight Removal -- Wanna mount a scope  (Read 9286 times)

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Offline jd?

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AR Front Sight Removal -- Wanna mount a scope
« on: March 01, 2015, 10:33:14 AM »
My  buddy wants to try a scope on his AR, and it looks like the front sight needs to go.  I see that this involves the gas block/gas tube, etc. -- Is it a real **** to do?  What do we need.  I've got the scope and mounts, but don't know about the gas block and hand guard involvement.  jd
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Offline jd?

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Re: AR Front Sight Removal -- Wanna mount a scope
« Reply #2 on: March 01, 2015, 03:08:11 PM »
Thanks Marcus, much better than the you-tube vid I previously watched.  Looks like we'd better pick up a gas block before we get carried away.  I don't even own one of these new fangled AR contraptions, and I worry that messing with this one of Dave's will make me want to.   :))  He's got two of em, and I've just got him started reloading for them.  Told him he oughta scope one so that he can appreciate mobetta long range accuracy with his new reloads and old eyes.  jd
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Offline 1mlt

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Re: AR Front Sight Removal -- Wanna mount a scope
« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2015, 04:11:44 PM »
Here's what I did for my AR's, YMMV. My BUIS are pop-up style. My scope is on a QD rail. With the scope on the BUIS are down. They don't interfere with the scope LOS. Unhook the scope, pop-up the BUIS and you have irons. Best of both worlds. You can even have Eotec, red-dot, red or green laser sight, night vision, etc., all on QD mounts for quick changes.

Marcus
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Re: AR Front Sight Removal -- Wanna mount a scope
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2015, 04:30:06 PM »
Why does the A2 block/post have to go?

I have mounted a scope very low on my A3 upper and the post does not interfere with the sight looking through the scope.  Perhaps its looking just over top of the post?  Hmm
      
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Offline 1mlt

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Re: AR Front Sight Removal -- Wanna mount a scope
« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2015, 04:53:48 PM »
Why does the A2 block/post have to go?

I have mounted a scope very low on my A3 upper and the post does not interfere with the sight looking through the scope.  Perhaps its looking just over top of the post?  Hmm

Mine didn't interfere if using the stock forward grips. However, I don't like the standard AR forward grip setup. So, I swapped them out for longer aftermarket railed grips and the front site(s) had to go. Needed a low profile block on a couple of them because of the rail length. On some of them, I put "same height" blocks so all the rails would line up and used the proper length rails. The longer front rails also give you a longer sight length.

Marcus
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Re: AR Front Sight Removal -- Wanna mount a scope
« Reply #6 on: March 01, 2015, 07:09:42 PM »
Quote
My  buddy wants to try a scope on his AR, and it looks like the front sight needs to go

Maybe I missed something, but it didn't sound like he was going hog-wild with freefloat HG etc.  Sounded like tbis is a simple scope mounting operation and they are concerned with the A2 post/block and it interfering with sight through the scope.

JD....  what platform is the upper?  A1, A2, or A3?
      
1776 will commence again if you try to take our firearms... It doesn't matter how many Lenins you get out on the street begging for them to be taken.

Offline Greatguns

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Re: AR Front Sight Removal -- Wanna mount a scope
« Reply #7 on: March 01, 2015, 08:22:35 PM »
My AR is an A# upper receiver with an A2 front gas block/sight set up. I am using an A2 butt stock and my scope is mounted onto a 3/4" riser. The center of the scope is in line with the front sight post, but you don't even see it when you look through the scope whether at 3x or 9x. It is a non-issue.
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Offline jd?

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Re: AR Front Sight Removal -- Wanna mount a scope
« Reply #8 on: March 01, 2015, 10:00:12 PM »
Hey guys, I'm just back from Dave's house.  First let me say that you've got me lookin about the same way your dog would if you were trying to teach him how to play the bag pipes.  All these acronyms and A1, A2 stuff is kickin my ass. I don't know what a BUIS is ???

Travis, you are correct in that we just want to do a simple scope mount, at least to begin with.  Dave has 2 ARs, one being a DPMS with removable handle, the other a Colt with non-removable handle.  Neither have been altered in any way. 

We went on E Bay and purchased for the DPMS a base/rail, that is about 5.5" long. (14 notch I think)  It gives 1/2" rise, and I think medium height rings will give about proper height for good face fit.  The front sight will definitely be up in the scope view, but if as you say it's invisible -- no prob. 

For the Colt, he got a mount that attachés with a single knob/screw to the handle, with the hole provided in the center of the handle.  That would put the scope a little higher, and the front sight would probably not be as much in the field of view. 

I've got plenty of different standard rings to try of the three different heights, and these bases he bought are very cheap -- errrr, inexpensive.  (hope they're not complete garbage).

I'm thinking he's gonna want to eventually get a different hand guard/fore grip on the DPMS, and we need to know what kind of gas block replacement to get in any case.  For now do ya think we'll be able to shoot with the scope and front sight intact? 

Oh and pardon me for being so stupid about these things.  This dialog should help me lose the puzzled dog look.   thankyou1  jd
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Offline Greatguns

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Re: AR Front Sight Removal -- Wanna mount a scope
« Reply #9 on: March 02, 2015, 12:16:38 AM »
Yes, mount the scopes with what you have coming and go shoot. I believe you'll find they work just fine.
My Avatar is a pic of the real "Ghost" SKS in honor of xxxsks(joe). It is a pic of a fully decked out SKS in Capco hunter's kit. This was mine, the only other pic I had ever seen of one was Joe's.

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Re: AR Front Sight Removal -- Wanna mount a scope
« Reply #10 on: March 02, 2015, 02:56:27 AM »
If the dpms has a removable handle then that's a flat-top A3 upper receiver and rings will mount directly to it....  uless you decide to use a quick detach mount with integral rings. I think with 1/2" high rings, the sight will not be compromised by the A2 post/block.

If you go with a high speed low drag handguard, you should get a free floating handguard with barrel nut. You can then install a new gas block of standard height with top rail to enable irons via flip-ups or a rail mounted A2 type you can use with the rear handle/sights.  OR... you can get a (low profile) gas block and still have the ability to mount flip up fron irons via mounting to the top rail on the hg.... IF you get a railed hg.  The low profile gas block route, you can actually get a free float handguard that is longer and will extend OVER amd past the gas block for a very clean look. In this setup the HG length you need depends on the gas system lenth (which I dunno what yours is).  Gas system lengths come in Carbine, Mid-length, and Full-length.

This is the standard A2 front post/block JD



This is a standard height gas block with top rail.. dont pay any attention to the hg ferrule if going free float.




This is a low profile gasblock....  the one you can actually use a longer hg to extend over/past for a clean look if no iron capability is desired.  If you go wil a railed free float hg, you can still mount low profile flip up irons to the rail on the hg rather then on the gasblock.



      
1776 will commence again if you try to take our firearms... It doesn't matter how many Lenins you get out on the street begging for them to be taken.

Offline jd?

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Re: AR Front Sight Removal -- Wanna mount a scope
« Reply #11 on: March 02, 2015, 07:57:09 AM »
Awrite, now I'm learning.  I know which way I'd go.  The tall, short radius iron sight system is a lot of what I've never liked about these rifles.  I like the looks of that little low profile gas block, and -- none of this stuff looks like it costs an arm or a leg. 

Crap, I'm startin to feel the bug nibble at me.  And Dave -- after he saw a couple of my SKS's yesterday, he's hooked.  I did a quick tear down, showing him the simplicity and what-not, and he was dazzled.  Looks like he wants to come into the fold.  jd
I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.  Groucho Marx