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Thread: 'Just' irons?

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    'Just' irons?

    Just curious- Does anyone rock just irons on their primary/defensive AR? The more I shoot mine, the more I enjoy the light weight and the easy balance without my aimpoint on top. I suppose picking up a T1 would help, but I can buy my M&P for that much.
    The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. - Ayn Rand

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    Not on my primary, but I do have one carbine that is just irons and I love it. Don't admit you do it around here or you'll get some pretty nasty comments from the dogmatics about you and your RCR or "Reduced Capability Rifle". If you don't conform you are a blasphemer and a charlatan.
    Last edited by D. Christopher; 11-20-10 at 21:40.

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    Quote Originally Posted by SpookyPistolero View Post
    Just curious- Does anyone rock just irons on their primary/defensive AR? The more I shoot mine, the more I enjoy the light weight and the easy balance without my aimpoint on top. I suppose picking up a T1 would help, but I can buy my M&P for that much.
    Not on my primary. A high end reddot like a T1 just gives you too many advantages over irons, primarily speed and a more open field of view. AR irons aren't that great in low light either.

    Combat is something that you just don't make compromises with. Adding up all the little incremental advantages in training and equipment can mean all the difference between life and death.
    "A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left." -Ecclesiastes 10:2

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    I use a2 sights on my primary rifle. In fact, all of my HD firearms have iron sights. I tried red dot sights and have never felt comfortable with them. My eyes are also not the best so I see more of a blob than a dot. Another reason I went to iron sights is the fact that you do not have to worry about batteries dying or forgetting to remove the lens covers when you half asleep. When used with a good white light, I am able to see the front sight just fine.

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    My home defence SBR is a BCM 11.5" iron only rifle....
    FFL/SOT

    Chuck Norris has to maintain a concealed weapon license in all 50 states in order to legally wear pants.

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    My H.D. weapon (KISS Carbine) is a Colt AR6520 (stock, except for the BCM FA BCG & CS Buffer Spring).

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    If you are using a carbine it already has serious inherent range and power limitations. You can make the case that with M193 ammo a 16" barrel is awfully short on power by 175 yards. Irons may give up some real advantages but they also have advantages as you mentioned. The gun is lighter, irons are fairly bombproof, and not slow. Sometimes less can be more; you have to decide. If you have the eyes of the eagle, I envy you. Enjoy it while it lasts.

    I shoot a low power compact ACOG because I have the eyes of the bat. There are a lot of things from my youth that I miss but this one was a relatively easy fix. Not cheap--just easy.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by michael word View Post
    I use a2 sights on my primary rifle. In fact, all of my HD firearms have iron sights. I tried red dot sights and have never felt comfortable with them. My eyes are also not the best so I see more of a blob than a dot. Another reason I went to iron sights is the fact that you do not have to worry about batteries dying or forgetting to remove the lens covers when you half asleep. When used with a good white light, I am able to see the front sight just fine.
    You see a blob if you focus on the dot and not on your target. A reddot sight like the T1 is not like a regular rifle scope.....the focal point is on the target, not on the optic's crosshairs/dot. Basically you get your cheek weld, and then look down the length of the rifle at your target. That is major advantage of a reddot in that almost all people, when involved in a shooting(extrememly stressful) get selective sight and they only focus on the threat. When you are in this state of mind and stress, it takes a considerable amount of mental effort to line up iron sights on the threat. A reddot takes advantage on the natural tendencies of the body to get tunnel vision in combat stress and focus on the threat. Think of the cheek weld being glued to your face, and the rifle moving everywhere that you look.....the speed and field of view advantage is easily measurable in a carbine class. Even if your cheek weld is off and the irons wouldn't like up properly, the dot remains centered on the target so you can see it from less than idea angles(unlike irons). Very few LE agencies and military use iron only sights anymore if they have the option to use a reddot. As far as battery life goes, a T1 can be left on for a continuous year on the regular daylight setting and still not burnout on you. If the hell has frozen over and the T1 doesn't work for some reason, just flip up your rear sight and you can use your irons right through the optic. Not to mention it works quite well at night(unlike irons), and you can add a 3x magnifier for longer ranged shooting or night vision.
    Last edited by Entropy; 11-21-10 at 08:52.
    "A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left." -Ecclesiastes 10:2

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    I had irons only for a while, but I think many folks are kidding themselves when they go "irons only", it seems to be the trendy way to say that an Aimpoint is not in your budget yet.

    That being said, I value the trigger time with irons and will spend the first range trip with my SBR upon completion with irons only prior to zeroing the H-1.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Entropy View Post
    You see a blob if you focus on the dot and not on your target. .
    Those with poor eyesight/astigmatism can also see blobs, figure 8's, stars, ect, even when using the sight correctly. It's hard for those with excellent natural vision to understand this sometimes.

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