Side mounted sights on AR-15 ???
I saw the below photo on the Sabre Defense website. Can someone please explain the reasoning behind mounting iron sights at a 45 to 75 degree angle?
My guess is that it allow quick transition between the Backup Iron Sights and the main EOTech holographic sight if the EOTech glass cracks up or something. Compared to a quick release mount for the EOTech, this seems like a poor solution. Firstly it would require a fair amount of practice to shoot accuracy in that position and secondly who wants sights sticking out the side, just waiting to snag on something (if you sights are going to be flipping down, reaching to flip them up surely would not take much longer than releasing a quick mount EOTech).
Am I wrong? [edit: I am]
UPDATE: ExurbanKevin and Tony explained in the comments that it is a 3-gun competition rig. In a competition some targets may be require to be hit with iron sights so this allows super quick transition.
3-Gun competition. Look at the handguard: That’s a 3-gunner rig for certain
I know some people run their IPSC etc. competition rifles with a magnifying optic on top and a non-magnifying optic for close range targets at an angle (usually more like 45 degrees than 75, though). As far as I’ve heard, the same technique has been also applied in “the real world”, too. The idea is that rather than suffer the reduction in speed from the magnifying optic, simply tilt the gun a bit and press on. Works pretty well if you’ve trained enough to use the system, too.
First time I’ve ever seen iron sights used in that manner though. Wouldn’t it be more sensible to set up a (semi-) co-witnessing setup if the only optic on the rifle is a non-magnifying one?
ExurbanKevin, how does that benefit the shooter in 3-gun?
Tony, actually looking at the photo again I think it may be less than a 75 degree angle.
Thanks for explaining it to me guys, that makes sense.
If you’re running in Open or Tactical, you can have one or more (if Open) optics on your rifle. (http://www.3gunrules.com/documents/multi-gun-rules/uspsa-rules/2008_USPSA_Rifle.pdf). Competitors in those divisions either go with a low-power variable scope (something in the 1x-4x range) and switch powers back and forth depending on the range or they go with a rig similar to that setup. It’s surprisingly fast to transition from iron sights to the EoTech and back with that rig: all it takes is a slight tilt of the gun versus having to reach up and sling your scope over from one power to the next.
Faster to deal with targets inside 25 yards with the aux iron sight set-up than a magnifying optic. Also addresses the issue of offset distance on an AR between the optic height and the bore line.
First pioneered by JP Rifles for with their Short-Range Tactical Sight (http://www.jprifles.com/1.6.4.php) for 3-gun competition and now widely used with police and even military…I’ve seen some operators’ rifles set up with the JP rig and they swear by it for urban CQB, where distances can run from contact to 250 yards.
It’s surprisingly easy to get used to. I have a set-up with Leupold optics and the JP sight…
Michael B
Also for shooting over a wall in Fallujah or something you don’t have to be as high up to still get a bead on the target.
Michael, thanks for the comment.
This video link shows a better set-up.. Scope on top for long range.. Compact Dot Sight at 45 degrees for close range.. http://www.jprifles.com/v/v_d.php?v=ctr-02
What confused you Steve was the EOtech. Most set up have a magnifying optic and compact red dot (dr optic) or iron sight.
For those people that want this kind of system but has a standard 1913 rail instead of the tube handguard. You can buy an angle mount. YHM and other manufactures offer them.
http://yankeehillmachine.com/store/rails.html
jdun1911, thanks for the link, that makes sense. Yes, I have seen many with the dr optic mounted.
Jerry Jerry Miculek has his rifle like this for 3 gun
On Guntalk.tv the website Champion shot Jerry Miculek discusses how he sets up his AR-15 for competition.
To watch the video go to: http://guntalk.tv/gtv/library.php?category=2&video_id=undefined&cache=Mon%20Jan%205%2009%3A14%3A33%20MST%202009
then click on “Rifle” on the lefthand column
then click on “AR-15″ on the left hand column
then look for the video on the top right hand column.
It is free. It is entitled,
“How a Champion Sets up His AR-15″ featuring Jerry Miculek
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x95/instructor86/aag.jpg
Side mounted EOTech in Afghanistan, complementing a top mounted ACOG.
Yo, Homey! That’s gangsta!
Not even new!
http://www.myconfinedspace.com/2007/05/25/birdman-weapons-systems-homeboy-nyte-sytes/
Cheers, CJ Poltroon