Backup Iron Sights on a sporting rifle

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  • fidelity

    piled higher and deeper
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 15, 2012
    22,400
    Frederick County
    For ARs and modern sporting rifle variants, do you guys install backup iron sights when you have an optic with an etched reticle? For those that have used an AR-15 or M4/16 as a duty gun, were there ever circumstances in which BUIS were useful or necessary? Second question is more curiosity to get a sense of what I might not be considering due to my limited perspective.

    I'm asking because I have an M10X-Z in front of me as I peck this out that has a Primary Arms fixed power prism optic on it with an etched reticle. I was about to put on some backup sights on it as a matter of habit (usually put Magpuls on my ARs), reflected for a moment, and wondered why. Maybe offset irons if used as a HD tool in which I didn't want magnification.

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    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,818
    Even on range toys, BUISs have saved the day for me. I'm mostly a red dot guy and sometimes they can have problems from dead batteries to just a bad twitchy sight.

    I get it. Not so much with an etched retical sight, but things can still go wrong. Broken mounts, foggy optics, etc. Different sights can be preferred in different lighting or weather situations and I'm a guy who likes redundancy.

    My 1.9 cents
     

    fidelity

    piled higher and deeper
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 15, 2012
    22,400
    Frederick County
    I value your perspective far more than $0.02, my friend.

    I had the rifle out, and because it has a 3x prism, I mounted a pair of offsets that I had bought on sale but never put to use.

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    erwos

    The Hebrew Hammer
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 25, 2009
    13,866
    Rockville, MD
    Any semi-auto long gun that is even a remotely serious shooter gets backup irons. You can get MBUS for like fifty bucks... it's worth it (albeit the QD mounts needed to move magnified optics out of the way can be sometimes be more costly).

    I've had batteries fail me at the range, and being able to flip my irons up and keep shooting is nice.
     

    Uncle Duke

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 2, 2013
    11,667
    Not Far Enough from the City
    Any semi-auto long gun that is even a remotely serious shooter gets backup irons. You can get MBUS for like fifty bucks... it's worth it (albeit the QD mounts needed to move magnified optics out of the way can be sometimes be more costly).

    I've had batteries fail me at the range, and being able to flip my irons up and keep shooting is nice.

    Makes sense to me as well. A definite and inexpensive requirement IMO on a firearm that there’s any chance of having to rely upon. Can also be fun to pop a QD mounted optic and shoot the irons for a change just because. Then upon reattaching the optic, you can quickly determine what did and didn’t change.

    All part of knowing your rifle. Cheap insurance multiple ways comes to mind primarily.
     

    ToolAA

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 17, 2016
    10,500
    God's Country
    I installed offset sights on one gun that usually holds a 1-4 scope. I practice shooting with them too. It like the ability to simply rotate the rifle 45° and aim.

    I’ve also got a set of Magpul flip up sights co-witness with a holo sight on by 300BO. They work better with that setup. I have had some issues with the holo sight where I was adjusting the Zero from Subs to standard ammo and lost track of my adjustments. When that happens I just realign the holo with the backup sights which are zeroed at 50yds.

    Lastly I cant think of a good reason not to have them on any standard use AR.
     

    steves1911

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 2, 2011
    3,026
    On a hill in Wv
    As other have already stated anything for serious use gets buis. I have seen optics fail in the field and in training. Never forget one such occurance during pre deployment training we were doing some force on force mout training with sims rounds. Somewhow a squadmates m68 (aimpoint) caught a blue sim round right on the glass. One in a million shot im sure but murphy is a bitch.
     

    Mr.Blue

    Living In A Bizarro World
    Nov 21, 2011
    1,523
    Miserable in MD
    I agree that all ARs should have BUIS on them. As mentioned above, QD mounts are great. I love the LaRue QD mounts for my optics. Expensive, but worth it. For BUIS I usually get LWRC Skirmish sights, although I put Magpul BUS on my newest precision AR.
     

    Furious George

    Active Member
    May 10, 2010
    340
    For those that have used an AR-15 or M4/16 as a duty gun, were there ever circumstances in which BUIS were useful or necessary? Second question is more curiosity to get a sense of what I might not be considering due to my limited perspective.

    Here is a data point to ponder:

    I have an AR that is a LEO trade in. I am certain that it was issued because it came with a sticker on the stock with the officer's last name.

    The rifle came with the original factory BUIS still installed. The rifle was in excellent shape but there was no doubt it had been fired.

    Upon taking to to the range for the first time it quickly became apparent that the BUIS had never been zeroed. I'm talking "miss a man size target at 50 yards" not zeroed.

    Several full rotations on the front sight (and a pile of ammo) got it squared away but that was a real eye opener about how some view their equipment.

    I am just a recreational shooter but the first thing I do with any new rifle/sighting equipment is to zero it.
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    BTW, in the old days, most hunting rifles came with iron sights, and any scope installation was designed to be able to fairly quickly shift to the irons.

    When my Dad scoped his Remington 760 pump .30-06, the mount is a hinged on one side so the whole scope swings out of the way. Other mounts were high and holes to see the iron under the scope.

    But scopes were not as reliable. It was common for a scope to leak and get moisture inside and be fogged when it came time to use it.
     

    Magnumite

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 17, 2007
    6,564
    Harford County, Maryland
    Makes sense to me as well. A definite and inexpensive requirement IMO on a firearm that there’s any chance of having to rely upon. Can also be fun to pop a QD mounted optic and shoot the irons for a change just because. Then upon reattaching the optic, you can quickly determine what did and didn’t change.

    All part of knowing your rifle. Cheap insurance multiple ways comes to mind primarily.

    I use back ups for an DMR type set up with the Burris QD scope mount. It didn't make sense not to have adjustable elevation backup sights in the rear, but they didn't make them. I notice that Magpul has one now. I was thinking of that sight but found a MaTech. I tried a MaTech but it interferes with the scope when mounting the scope....not by much but a few thousand is a mile. I may just touch the offending sides to get a business card to pass between them.
     

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