Most of mine have FSB’s, and if I were buying an AR tomorrow it would have an FSB as well. I’m just used to it at this point, and having one seems right to me. I also still run a BUIS in the up position (Daniel Defense A 1.5). Most here would probably say that’s an older way of doing things too.
An 8 page thread on what amounts to personal preference thats basically a backdoor necropost(OP just linked a dead and locked thread). I wish IG was still around.
FSB's are cool looking, much like the 1911 is. They serve the same purpose though: old guys can brag about owning something that tamed the frontier, stand when they pee, etc.
My M4A1 SOCOM RISII FSP allows me to get a better forward clamp grip on it. It also allows a bit more space to mount my light on the other side without the lens being forward of the rail: which protects my expensive vampire.
I prefer the FSB for its rugged utility. I don’t believe they are required, but it’s critical to pin the gas block effectively, preferably two taper pins. My favorite gas block is still a shaved FSB, a Badger, and the Super Gas Block. PRI gas block looks solid also. Just have to mill the hole, taper ream it, and tap a pin or two into it. This is a measure twice, a jig is better process but I have installed a number successfully without a jig or mill.
Specops units seem to be going that way. Seems they need the rail space. If the lopro block us pinned I see no issue.
I would think that, in this day and age where carbines and rifles are sporting LPVOs or HPVOs with an offset electronic dot sight, a set of GOOD flip-up BUIS (Troy or KAC) would be better than any fixed front (and/or rear) sight - even if you had to place the front sight behind your laser/illuminator and white light. Stuff happens.
I run Troys on my BCMs. My thought is that the factory installed gas block and gas tube are totally protected under the metal hand guard. They are not subject to any sort of impact at all. BCM doesn’t pin the gas blocks, and I guess you could shoot one loose (dimpled Barrel, two knurled screws with red loctite) but I’ve never heard of that happening.
I would not have an unpinned exposed FSB though if I had to have one.
My current serious use Ar15 still has a 7in KAC URX with a KAC flip up front sight gas block. I don’t think I would mind in the slightest if it just had a fix FSB instead. This thread reminded me that I have a KAC RIS II sitting a box unused. Might need to just grab a 10.3in FSB barrel and finally throw it together.
Bookmarks