I’ve pulled a john kerry(flip-flopped) on this issue a couple of times.
It finally came down to the fact that my natural eye position through my aimpoint puts the top of the ring of the rear sight directly in line between my eye and the dot.
I can slightly adjust and see the dot and get rounds on target, but it’s simply annoying as shit when I “forget” to adjust and bring the gun up only to find the dot partially obscured.
That being the case, I find fixed rear BUIS’ to clutter my field of view and therefore like flip ups.
Insofar as front sights, I have never had an issue with front sights and in my thinking, since they are closer to the end of the gun and therefore more likely to be bumped around, knocked into things, and damaged. Front sights should (my opinion only) be fixed. As in fixed to the barrel so that any POI shift caused by heat or flexing of the barrel can be at least partially alleviated by the front sight moving with it.
And all that being said, my next build will be me finally trying out what all the cool kids are doing these days with the FF 16 inch barrels, the 12 inch ff handguards, and a flip up front sight attached to the handguard.
Why? Just because I want to see how it works. Who knows, maybe the cool kids are onto something and i’m just being old fashioned.
Just for reference a pic taken with fixed front, flip rear, absolute co~witness.
(imagine the center dot on the tip of the front sight)
Rear apeture doesn’t interfere with the actual eyeball view, but is really difficult to take a photo through.
Fixed for me. For different reasons. I probably have a slight astigmatism in my right eye, so looking through or by the irons helps the red dot not blur.
I have and use both flip up and fixed BUIS. I’ve grown accustomed to fixed. Even with the flip ups, they’re always up anyway, hence the instant “Back Up” feature is always present and readily available. I use them that way for classes and for range sessions, so I’m very comfortable with them up.
With a RDS, we talk about having a fixed front and rear so they’re there if you need them because maybe you forgot you turned the RDS off, the battery died (not as likely with the Aimponts) or it was broken. My thought, and what I’ve only experienced in training not the real world so take it for what it’s worth, is that if my RDS was down for some reason, I’ll either have time to flip them up or if I really need them now the threat would be close enough that I could shoot through the tube or just use the front sight while the rear is still folded down. I could be way off here, but in drills we’ve done, it’s easily worked at 15 yards and in.
I actually like a fixed front sight, whether it’s rail mounted or FSB, but currently all of mine are folding. The set ups I’m currently using the most are the mk18 RIS II with KAC folding front (which I just got last week) URX IIs with their integrated front and SCARs with their folding sights. The problem for me with the SCAR is the hood over the front sight. This is a little bit distracting compared to the standard AR front. Hopefully there will be a replacement front some day, until then I’m leaving those down.
I believe I’m going to replace the rail on my sr15 with a 12" RIS II and run a fixed DD. I used to run a fixed front with a folding rear. When I went to the SR15’s, I ran those at first with the front sight folded up. One of them bumped the ground and needed about 15 clicks to zero…and we’re not talking about too hard of a hit. Then, a couple months ago, it happened again and I noticed the front sight’s button sticking and when I took it apart, the pivot pin was broken. KAC is very good about it and Tim sent out a new one, but it caused me to run them folded down. This and a few other things lead me to want the DD RIS II as a replacement and I’ll probably go with the fixed DD front and keep the KAC rear for now or maybe a DD fixed rear.
In the short time I’ve had the mk18 upper, I realized how much I like running the irons in the up position. It currently has a Matech rear and a KAC folding front. Both are thin and low profile and in a lower 1/3rd with the T1, I really like it. I may switch the Matech that came with it to a KAC micro 300 if I decide to run it up most of the time.
Im with you 99%. personally, the fixed rear has never gotten in my way and would go that route with a standard fsb and lower 1/3 co-witness optic if it were a duty weapon.
My current go to is a cool kid config with a lower 1/3 micro t-1. It’s really spoiling me so far, although i still feel it’s less than ideal, theoretically thinking, in terms of the optic going down while engaging.
I love my LaRue fixed rear sight. I find that with 1X optics, it is far better to have the back up readily useable in case of failure. I only use flip ups with magnified optics.
I’ve tried all of the different setups and right now I’m running fixed FSB and fixed rear (right now a Larue). I haven’t had an issue with the sight picture being cluttered or distracting.
While the idea of front and rear flip ups is appealing and I do like the sight picture of just the RDS I’m too hard on my gear to rely on them. I could fuck up a hockey puck and ive broken or damaged many name brand flip up sights. The fixed sights are more robust and hold up to my abusive nature and maintain zero.
Have to agree with my colleague SwatCop. I have been FSB with LaRue fixed rear for some time now. Just makes common sense on a duty weapon to have all your tools ready and available.
I’m trying the exact same setup, and I’m going to try running an EOTech between them in an absolute co-witness and see how that goes. I really, really like having things that I know are going to hold up (EOTech notwithstanding).
I don’t find it distracting to process all of that information in the same sight picture, and, frankly, the EOTech seems to overcome the other information (front and rear).
It seems superfluous to have the EOTech on an expensive QD mount. I think I can get that thing off the rail just as fast with the thumbscrew if it goes down.
Question: If you’re not in an absolute co-witness, wouldn’t you have to change your head-eye position to achieve the exact same point of impact at the same distance?
If not, I’m having trouble seeing why not. Maybe someone can explain.
Ive ran full cirlce on this issue, starting with FSB and carry handle, and working my way through till im back to FSB and fixed rear. It doesnt matter what gas system im using, I want a FSB. My choice for rear sights has fallen to DD 1.5s. With my RDS’s, I go only lower 1/3rd, having once been an advocate of only absolute.
Prefer fixed front all the time. flipup rear if using an absolute cowitness, fixed rear with lower 1/3 optic mount.
I would like to try an absolute cowitness T-1 mount as using the lower 1/3 with a fixed rear means you just barely catch the irons through the tube. assume I’d used a folding rear in that case as well.
I’m not completely sure this is the answer your’e looking for but here goes;
If your’e running a RDS set in a mount for a lower 1/3 co-witness you will have to slightly lower your head to get on the iron sights. This is nothing new or different as the sights remain at their standard height. What is new and IMO better, is that the lower 1/3 system gives a heads up position when using the RDS, increasing situational awarness. Hope this helps.
Can anyone tell me how robust a DD rail mounted fixed front is compared to a FSB? I’m probably replacing the URX with a DD on my SR15 but really want to go fixed on it.
I run fixed front and rear w/ my aimpoint mounted for lower 1/3 cowitness and this setup works great for me. I do not find I give up anything in terms of peripheral vision and it’s simple and durable while allowing fast transition to irons.
been both ways - now using DD fixed rear behind T-1 at 1/3 co-witness. folding on PRO with absolute co-witness.
I believe fixed front sight is the way to go unless you have some precluding reason not to. magnified optics are one reason but I’m not 100% on that. some folks get by with a FSP out in front of a 1-4 just fine.
for a hobby gun with a scope, a folding Troy front does look good though…
personally, the fixed rear has never gotten in my way and would go that route with a standard fsb and lower 1/3 co-witness optic if it were a duty weapon.