http://troyind.com/back-up-iron-sights/folding/front-folding-black-fde
I’m getting ready to purchase a troy folding front sight to replace the standard one that comes on my LMT. I have always used the typical AR style front sight, but I have noticed that some seem to prefer the HK style rounded front sight.
So, who has tried both and feels up to giving a bit of a breakdown on your thoughts vis-a-vie the pros and cons?
Thanks in advance,
It’s personal preference, mostly.
As I understand it, HK diopter sights were originally designed to have a fixed front sight post (elevation adjustment was handled by the rear sight). The theory was that your brain reflexively wants to put the target at the center of the circle, right at the tip of the post.
HK-style AR front sights have an adjustable post, and depending on your rifle and zero, the tip may not be at the center of the circle. Will your brain subconsciously try to put the target at the center, despite the sight post tip not being there? Hard to say… maybe under stress it will.
Even though my rear sight has elevation adjustment, I prefer the dog ears. To me, it makes sense to be familar and train with the style that’s on every front sight base, which the vast majority of M4/ARs have.
I prefer the HK style, I personally find that when running irons in rapid target transition the front hood completely disappears for me with the round rear diopter sight.
I also prefer the HK style. I find that I center the post in the reticle faster and more precisely.
HK Style fan here… have the micros on my 870, regulars on my “precision” AR build, and a pair that are going to the EE soon since I’ve decided to go MBUS on my next build. I feel like they’d be less prone to snag. They look nicer, and as others haven mentioned, seem to give a better sight picture. I always upgrade mine with Mepro tritium front site posts instead of using Troy’s factory tritium insert. I guess it’s just a personal preference.
That’s a serious issue. I have an HK style front on one of my carbines, and I seriously regret it. It’s built into the gas block, so a fix isn’t so easy.
From my personal experience - I highly recommend against the HK front. As soon as your zero isn’t perfectly centered - it becomes a huge headache as your eyes want to line up the circles instead of centering the post.
.
Not to bring up an old thread but I just have a quick question concerning Troy HK-style sights and didn’t want to start a new thread for, what I hope is a simple question.
Is the Troy HK-style rear sight the same as a standard Troy M4 rear sight ?
From what I read, it seems like the true HK-style sights differ from the M4 sights by the HK-style front sight being fixed with a round shapes on the both “sides” of the front sight and the rear sight being windage & elevation adjustable.
I have a Troy rear sight out of a package marked HK-style but it is not elevation adjustable and just want to make sure it will work with my “F” gas block front sight.
That’s it.
Thanks
.
All the Troy rears are the same style, windage only. This will work fine with an F marked FSB, as this was my previous setup.
I have the Troy HK front sight on all of my rifles. In low light, I had a hard time distinguishing the center post on the other style.
Not fond of the hood. Can never figure out whether I’m supposed to line up the circles and put the post on the bad thing or put the post in the middle of the rear aperture.
Much prefer the wings.
Given the choice, a rear sight with both elevation and wind for adjustment, I’d take a fixed, non-adjustable hooded front sight (as it was originally designed).
I find it easier to line up the circles and then place the post in what I want to hit. It seems to give more consistent sight alignment.
Don’t make it complicated when it is not. Always concentric circles, always post on the bad guy. Eye likes concentricity, so aligning the sights becomes automated if you are not forcing it somewhere else. After that you just turn the rifle on target much like you would with a magnified optic.
It makes no difference if the post is not in the very center of the hood or not, not at all. I have tens of thousands of shots fired with hk-style sights andi kid you not, it works like an aimpoint: instead of the dot I just put the tip of the post on target just like you would put the dot. There is no need to think about the alignment of the hood.
Standard AR post on the other hand is very difficult to shoot accurately. Only way I can do it is to have just have the tip of the post visible and thatis very bad for the view of the target area and situational awareness.
After Troy’s recent descent into hiring anti-freedom, statist garbage, I am permanently boycotting them.
Magpul MBUS it is for me. Can’t wait to get my hands on the MBUS Pros.
Jippo explained it pretty well, and as I said before this is what I do. With the standard sight I feel like I am losing some consistency. Also, Troy isn’t the only one making this style of sight.