Rear sights: A1 vs A2

[jsbhike]

Having a peep sight that far forward defeats the very purpose of a peep sight. A peep sight should be close to the eye.

Maybe there is an ELCAN in the mix.

https://www.coltcanada.com/assets/10...2005-08-17.pdf

[Diamondback]

Maybe there is an ELCAN in the mix.

https://www.coltcanada.com/assets/10...2005-08-17.pdf

Usually, but if they're sighting through the BUIS the Elcan's had a malfunction and been ripped off, and their practice with Eotechs is to not even mount a rear sight at all. I see no reason why they couldn't have put the scope up front and a folder iron behind other than cost... these are the same geniuses who knew they needed a KAC RAS but were only willing to pay $30 for a screw-on handguard rail and maybe $50 for a homegrown clamp-on gas-block rail--which they coulda gotten cheaper off the shelf from GG&G or Command Arms Accessories.

[jsbhike]

Usually, but if they're sighting through the BUIS the Elcan's had a malfunction and been ripped off, and their practice with Eotechs is to not even mount a rear sight at all. I see no reason why they couldn't have put the scope up front and a folder iron behind other than cost... these are the same geniuses who knew they needed a KAC RAS but were only willing to pay $30 for a screw-on handguard rail and maybe $50 for a homegrown clamp-on gas-block rail--which they coulda gotten cheaper off the shelf from GG&G or Command Arms Accessories.

There may not be enough rail space to stick a folding rear on. 70mm eye relief, but see pictures of quite a few with the scope as far back as it can go.

Years ago I was on an AR email list with a guy claiming to be from a European country that issued C7's and he claimed they stuck the back up in the butt trap and just attached when needed.

[Diamondback]

There may not be enough rail space to stick a folding rear on. 70mm eye relief, but see pictures of quite a few with the scope as far back as it can go.

Years ago I was on an AR email list with a guy claiming to be from a European country that issued C7's and he claimed they stuck the back up in the butt trap and just attached when needed.

Plausible with the early fixed-stock, wouldn't work once they went "All CAR Telestock All The Time" though.

[JDH1]

For defending base cap from a foxhole with a range card available the A2 sight is great. For bouncing around in a Patrol car not so much.

YMMV.

[mlberry]

Maybe, but it still defeats the purpose of a peep sight, unless you like shooting with 1903 era iron sights.

[1168]

Not strictly A1 vs A2, but closely related:

I had a long discussion yesterday with a Marine buddy on the topic of clicking dope with irons vs choosing a good zero range and learning holds. The discussion revolved around the relative training value of KD ranges vs pop-up ranges for marksmanship training of cherry Riflemen.

He made some convincing arguments that clicking dope with irons on a KD range is a good teaching tool for marksmanship and understanding external ballistics. He feels that a rifleman cannot truly achieve expert level proficiency without this skill. I made essentially the same arguments for choosing a zero range that makes sense and using holds from there. He conceded that wind sighting rounds were not realistic in actual combat, thus Kentucky windage has a place, also.

We did not discuss specific sights. A2 sights will work with either method, but A1 sights will not. I still prefer A1 type sights, but the A2 has more utility on a KD range.

We concluded that we were both right, drank some Bourbon, and vowed to explore these ideas further.

[26 Inf]

I would like to have an A-2 sight that has a lock feature to prevent inadvertent movement of the elevation dial. Best of both worlds.

[markm]

I would like to have an A-2 sight that has a lock feature to prevent inadvertent movement of the elevation dial. Best of both worlds.

I've never had any issue with my sights getting moved inadvertently. My problem is being a dumb ass and dialing up... then forgetting to dial back down.

I've had Marines show me a technique of running your index finger front to back down the top channel on the carry handle to ensure the correct app is up, and then feeling that the flat of the elevation dial can be felt with your thumb on the left side of the rifle. (a technique that can be used in the dark or without looking at the rifle)

[mlberry]

Of course the problem is that combat does not take place on a known distance range. The rifleman has to determine the range for himself. As for the M16A1, before the Marines wanted to make it suitable for known distance target ranges, the idea was to have a lightweight rifle firing a high velocity round with minimum bullet drop that would hit a man sized target without any hold over from 0 to about 300 yards/meters. The M16 does this. For longer ranges you flip the sight and you are good out to about 450 yards/meters.

Event the older rifles M1903 and M1 used this concept with a battle sight setting. In the M1903 it was around 547 yards and In the case of the M1 300 yards.