View Full Version : MBUS or Troy? Really can't decide.
I've searched this topic and read everything I can find about it. Here's my situation: This is a DD upper from Smartgunner (essentially a V5 Lightweight with Omega X 12" rail). This will be my primary carbine and in another month or two once I finish saving the coin, it will wear a TA-11. However, I'm going to a LAV class the first weekend in March and need irons on the gun for that class. I plan to keep BUIS on the gun even with the ACOG, but don't really plan to use them much with the AGOG on there. I want the sights to be light and high quality. I saw Rob's article where they're basically the same height when folded. I have a set of MBUS on my MP15-22 and they seem to work well, but that's a 22 and I use it for 25yd indoor practice. Most of the posts on here state that the MBUS are good for the money. Saving money is great, but then again, buy once cry once. Please let me know what you would choose and WHY. Thanks guys!
I like the PRI folding front sight HK style, with a round hood. I like the GGG MAD rear because of the very low profile.
For some reason I would rather have the metal iron sights. I have played with the mbus and like them, they seem strong, but I really think Troy is the way to go if you looking for back up sights for a serious rifle.
I own both.
Ive taken a limited amount (one 3 day and one 1 day) carbine courses. Neither of which got into the issue of deploying BUIS.
The Troy is well built, no question, and its the piece that was suggested to me for a BUIS due to that reputation.
I had my Aimpoint H-1 go down on me (bad batt died during a COF) and had to deploy the Troy. At that moment I wished it was the MP.
Honestly, for MY NEEDS, I dont need rugged as much as I need quick to deploy within the scope od the real use for this firearm for me. Civvy, HD, or on the range. If I was concerned about being in harsh enviroments or drawn out gun fights with some distance in them Id go Troy every time. But on my steps with a goblin downstairs the slap-chop deployment is IMO worth the trade off.
JMO YMMV
ETA: My only issue with the MBUS is it wont fit under optics, but I hear the new ones coming out will.
Militant83
02-03-11, 13:57
If you have the money troy is the way to go.
I have both, and both have held up just fine. One issue already mentioned is the MBUS are pretty tall when folded and might not fit under some scope mounts. (Gen2 MBUS is supposed to address this) The troys are very low profile when folded and I haven't had any issues with them fitting under scopes or magnifiers. Another thing to consider, magpul warns not to install the MBUS front sight directly on a gas block. Probably due to heat.
On a further note, the troys give me a clearer sight picture then the MBUS. (personal preference) But you pay for it tho, almost twice the cost. Currently, my MBUS are sitting on my MP15-22 and my troys are on my SHTF/work rifle. For me, I would go troy with HK front sight.
Just my opinion :cool:
Ive own MBUS's, Troy's, and KAC micro's....if money is no object, the KAC's are easily a cut above the rest imho. I like both the micro 300m and 600m rear sight, and the front micro sight is a real piece of fine craftsmanship/design with the dial adjustable front post and overall size.
I like them both personally. I originally got an MBUS rear for an immediate solution as MBUSs are much more affordable. This was supposed to be temporary while I worked on having my budget permit a Troy rear down the road. Today I'm still using the MBUS and to tell you the truth I've almost forgotten about getting the Troy. The MBUS has really grown on me. I suppose thet down the road I might still get a Troy if I find a good deal on one but for now I'm stickin' with my MBUS.
This is a topic that interests me as well with regards to the rifle I'm currently building, which is also a DD upper from SmartGunner. I generally see the Troy recommended for durability. While I have no question regarding the Troy BUS quality or durability, I can't recall ever seeing any reports of the Magpul MBUS not holding up.
A former employer of mine did manage to break the rear MBUS on one of his uppers. I believe he either dropped the rifle or dropped something on it and one of the MBUS's claws that grabs onto the rail snapped off. While this is certainly operator-induced and a rare occurrence, I agree with everyone here... If youve got the cash, go Troy.
Metal vs Plastic. I went with the Troys because of durability reasons. I would think that the metal Troy sights would be more durable that the plastic MBUS's.
Getting a lot of responses quickly, thanks! It seems that the Troy is the clear winner. Not that the MBUS is bad, but Troy is better. What are the differences in the Troy vs the PRI. Other than the PRI front circle being complete and the Troy being open like the HK. The only thing I see is that the PRI would be a bit of a PITA to sight-in due to the shroud. True? Finally, who has the Troys in-stock? G & R and Bravo are out of the Blacks. I'd ideally like to pick up a combo pack and save some coin. Seems like you ought to be able to get the pair for about $200. The KAC's look nice, but expensive, and I actually prefer the round shroud on the front. (I know some take issue with it, because the whole sight assembly doesn't adjust for elevation, but if the front circle is centered in the rear circle, the POA of the post will equal the POI for which it is zeroed, right?)
Thanks again!
http://www.pri-mounts.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PRI&Product_Code=05-2829&Category_Code=AR15_M16_ACC
http://www.gggaz.com/index.php?id=64&parents=38,40
Check out the PRI very similar to the Troy. I only use their front sight though. easy to adjust it has a small notch and I have a sight adjustment tool.
The GGG are very low and go under just about everything.
Metal vs Plastic. I went with the Troys because of durability reasons. I would think that the metal Troy sights would be more durable that the plastic MBUS's.
Just ordered the Troy's yesterday because of this exact reason (well that and I got an awesome price on them). I also look at sights as something Im going to keep forever, literally.. I can always use them. Why not spend a little extra and get ones that are built with materials guaranteed to withstand years and years of abuse.
I also must admit I was very attracted to the DOA system the Troy's offer. Cant wait to see how much better they work over standard irons.
swsmailman
02-03-11, 16:54
I would have to say the Troys if you have the coin since they are going to withstand a ton of abuse and be able to fit under optics.
My team is in our pre-deployment shooting package now and had bought Troys before I arrived; about one third of ours have gone down for one reason or another. I haven't been able to try them myself since I use my own sights (the previous user of my rifle had to replace his Troys with personal ones, too, so there weren't any on it when I drew it). You can get KAC 300m sights for less than the Troys, and you know they're going to work, or GG&G for a lot less. The only other sights we tried that were worse than the Troys were the YHM. For the guys with broken Troys, they're ordering the Magpul MBUS quickly since we still have a few more weeks of shooting to do.
I like the Troy and the MBUS. I use the MBUS or a DD A1.5 with my Aimpoints. If I were gonna be using an ACOG I'd probably look hard at the KAC sights.
matchstick
02-03-11, 22:50
I just got my smartgunner upper on Tues, and went and got the MBUS that same day. I was looking at the Troy BUIS as well, but since the MBUS was about half the cost, and I didn't have experience with either I went with the cheaper version. If I don't like them, well I sell them and get the Troy, if I like them...well then all the better.
I am going to run the irons for a bit before I get any optic, probably a 1-4x, and I think the MBUS will do just fine with an optic as well.
Also might note that I have a FSB so I am only running the rear MBUS.
My opinion is that if you are going to run just irons for a while before you purchase an RDS than go Troy. If you have an optic and it is truly for back up purposes then go MBUS. Save the cash and the weight.
I liked how quickly the MBUS can be deployed, but that was about it. I ordered one when the first came out, but ended up giving it to a friend.
The Troys seem really slow to deploy, but I haven't really practiced with them. I bought a set for my Dad and they are really accurate/hold zero well.
With an RDS my favorite sight so far is actually the Matech. They can be found as cheap as an MBUS, seem sturdy (when folded down), and are really foolproof and quick to deploy with gloves or damaged hands.
I want a BUIS to either be fixed, or something I can get into action with one single touch.
My team is in our pre-deployment shooting package now and had bought Troys before I arrived; about one third of ours have gone down for one reason or another. I haven't been able to try them myself since I use my own sights (the previous user of my rifle had to replace his Troys with personal ones, too, so there weren't any on it when I drew it). You can get KAC 300m sights for less than the Troys, and you know they're going to work, or GG&G for a lot less. The only other sights we tried that were worse than the Troys were the YHM. For the guys with broken Troys, they're ordering the Magpul MBUS quickly since we still have a few more weeks of shooting to do.
Do tell where I might find KAC's for less than Troys. Everywhere I've looked, they're about $100 more.
I have the Troys - but just recently I also picked up a set of the ARMS 71 polymer back up sights - and am quite impressed with them. Slightly lower profile than the Magpuls and were slightly cheaper too (just under $80 for the front and rear pair from Smartgunner on Ebay). Probably the biggest thing that put me off the Magpul offering was their front sight post - it always looks like it is halfway unscrewed to me....purely cosmetic I'm sure, but with the ARMS ones you just get a normal A2 front sight post in the unit that fits flush.
Just another option for you - of course the metal Troy sights are the standard if you are motivated to spend the extra money, and of course they are stronger - but really, for 99% of uses there is nothing wrong with the polymer ones either.
I would go with the Troy, that's what I'll be getting when I have some extra cash. I have never heard anything negative about the Troy.
Texpatriate
02-04-11, 13:30
I own both and like both, but I prefer the Troy. The best feature of the MBUS is the quick deployment and if the Troys had that, they would be absolutely perfect IMHO. They are absolutely rock solid and hold zero very dependably. The main drawbacks on the MBUS is that they are plastic, which at least a theoretical/psychological drawback to me, and they're pretty chunky (size, not weight). I will be interested to see the new lower profile ones when they come out.
Do tell where I might find KAC's for less than Troys. Everywhere I've looked, they're about $100 more.
I googled "KAC Sight" and came up with these under "Shopping":
http://www.txgundealer.com/KAC-300M-MICRO-FLIP-REAR-SIGHT-BLK-KNAC25475.htm
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=kac+sight&hl=en&biw=1272&bih=559&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=11578896385944479550&ei=X1lMTYbMK4HUgAfevLUg&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CFMQ8wIwBDgK# (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=kac+sight&hl=en&biw=1272&bih=559&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=11578896385944479550&ei=X1lMTYbMK4HUgAfevLUg&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CFMQ8wIwBDgK#)
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=kac+sight&hl=en&biw=1272&bih=559&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=17059236975888902235&ei=X1lMTYbMK4HUgAfevLUg&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CFcQ8wIwBTgK# (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=kac+sight&hl=en&biw=1272&bih=559&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=17059236975888902235&ei=X1lMTYbMK4HUgAfevLUg&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CFcQ8wIwBTgK#)
http://www.theonlinegunshop.com/shoppingcart/products/KAC-300M-MICRO-FLIP-REAR-SIGHT-BLK-%252d-Knights-Armament-Company.html
All of the above are cheaper than the Troys I saw here:
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=26429/avs|Manufacturer_1=TROY%20INDUSTRIES,%20INCxzzx/Product/AR_15_M16_FOLDING_BATTLE_REAR_SIGHTS
I would go with the Troy, that's what I'll be getting when I have some extra cash. I have never heard anything negative about the Troy.
I just sold my Troys to buy MBUS, so I voted Magpul. There isn't anything wrong with either one, there just isn't enough added value to me to pay the extra cost for the Troys.
I wanted to update this thread for posterity/searching sake. I ended up going with the KAC Micro's. 600M rear and Micro Front. I felt these sights were a cut above the others. Buy once, cry once and all that. I don't regret spending the extra money a bit!
Rattlehead
02-23-11, 15:28
Like I mentioned in the other thread, I prefer a KAC 600M over any other..
Congratulations on the purchase!
Magic_Salad0892
02-23-11, 20:56
KAC 600m Rear Sight, and KAC M4 front sight.
Or Troy M4 sights.
KAC 600m Rear Sight, and KAC M4 front sight.
Or Troy M4 sights.
What he said! I've had many fixed and flip ups. The Troys are the standard. I get a clearer sight picture through the Troys than through the MBUS. If I was really going to use them the KAC is king. I've got Troys on most, KAC's on 2. If you gave me the ARM's I wouldn't take it. I know several people who like them but because of their business pratices and situational ethics I will not ever buy anything they make.
Both AMAZING sights. The MBUS is light, strong. Troy IS the best though. Buy em both
Birddog1911
02-24-11, 09:45
Like so many others here, Troy gets my vote. I want to know that my sights will be trouble free and bullet proof.
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