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FRONT SIGHT FOR A AR15
Rosie
Member Posts: 14,525 ✭✭✭
I have a Bushmaster ORC new in the box. The bolt hasn't even been pulled back. I would like to have a standard front sight installed and a removable handle with sight to clamp on the rail. Is it possible and where would I get the parts?
Comments
You might reconsider as a conventional AR front sight requires changing out the gas block, from what came with your AR. Old style Handle wouldn't be a problem as it just clamps on top of the receivers Picitini rail.
EDIT #1, Here is a Bushmaster ORC off the net. If you want a conventional front sight/gas block, your going have to remove the one that on there now.
EDIT #2, Your going to have to remove the flash hider to switch out the gas blocks. Over and above the correct size wrench, your going to have to carefully clamp the barrel in a vise with padded jaws. As the Flash Hider is a tight fit. Depending on your vise and setup, you might have to take the hand guards off also. Do it with with the correct tool.
Careful with the vise! We had a guy posting last week that screwed up a AR, by clamping it in a vise incorrectly. You definitely don't want to screw up a brand new AR.
Why would I have to change the gas block when the ORC has a standard sight with the top cut off.
Because the gas block is part of the sight base in the standard sight.
With that out of the way,,
I think what you're getting at is. Can you add a front sight to the existing gas block? Correct?
Your gas block won't accept a sight because it doesn't have an integral rail for one so the gas block with sight would need to be installed.
If you are wanting to add one of these,
http://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/sights/front-sights/ar-15-m16-front-folding-polymer-sight-prod44426.aspx
you would still need a gas block with an integral rail, so a different gas block is needed.
Why would I have to change the gas block when the ORC has a standard sight with the top cut off. Take a look at Bushmasters web site and look at the ORC. I don't know much about that part of it.
To try and explain this better, the reason is that the standard "triangle" front sight has the gas block built in.
If you want to install a standard front sight on your gun, you'll have to remove the current cut-down gas block, then put on the replacement.
While this can be done at home, to do it properly requires a special sight block to hold things in place while you're driving out the sight pins, and they can in some cases be difficult to drift out and then replace.
If you only plan on doing it once (ie you're not building ARs or frequently working on them), you'll probably want a gunsmith to do it for you.
Personally speaking, I would NOT do this. IMO it defeats the purpose of having a flattop AR if you have a non-foldable triangle sight up there blocking your field of view. If you want the look of the old-school triangle sight, instead I'd suggest replacing the current flat gas block with one that has a built in rail. Then you mount a triangle profile sight onto that small rail.
It will still look like the old-school M16 with carry handle and triangle sight, but the advantage of doing it this way is that you can then. . .at any time you like. . .take off the front and rear sights and go back to a true flat-top configuration for putting optics and/or folding sights.
Basically you'll get the look/feel you want, but retain more flexibility later if you (or some other user down the road) wants to go with an optical sight.
Alternatively, if you aren't dead-set on having a "classic" triangle front sight put in the exact right spot, there are other options. For example, I'm pretty sure there are several models of clamp on sights that you could mount on the barrel ahead of your current gas block. The look would be a little bit unorthodox, though not necessarily "bad" and you could get some benefit of some extra sight radius this way.
EDIT, Responding to below:
quote:The ORC is an Optics Ready Carbine that is why it comes that way to mount an optic on it.
Right.
That's why I said above that personally I would NOT put a standard fixed "triangle" front mount on the gun.
If you do that you're defeating the whole purpose of having a flat-top to begin with (which is so that you can put an optic on there without having your sight picture blocked by some legacy/vintage Vietnam era iron sights).
I certainly understand the nostalgia appeal of the look, just realize that aiming technology has advanced in the last 40 years, and there is a reason why virtually nobody who has the choice and carries a rifle like this expecting to fire it in "anger" (ie military or police) uses the old iron sight setup.
The standard now is an optic (either dot, dot + magnifier, or holographic sight) plus folding iron sights for "backup" in case the optical sight goes down. The reason for this is just the dot type sight gets on target faster, places shots more precisely, works better in low light situations, and visually obscures less of the target. For hunting/target shooting, you probably don't need iron sights at all.
So if you must have that 1970s era "look" then swap out the flat gas block for one with a rail on it, and then mount your triangle onto that. That way if/when you decide to put an optic onto the gun (or sell/swap it) you won't have to do any more gunsmithing on it.
As more consideration, there is even now a folding triangle available that will give you the "look" of the Vietnam era gun, but fold out of the way for no-snagging and/or better sight picture with an optic. I personally haven't used it, but for your specific purpose, its probably a good option. If you do this, I'd get an expensive "real" one (like this model from armalite), not some $30 Chinese one intended for airsoft guns!
http://www.armalite.com/ItemForm.aspx?item=41B
Beantown it sounds like you understand. This rifle is brand new in the box but I got it for a good price. So good I couldn't pass it up. I bought it with the idea of turning over a small profit or doing some trading. However if I keep it I want to change that sight out to the classic look. I just called bushmaster and they said no problem. Buy the front sight assembly from them,$35.00 knock out the gas tube pin and the two assembly pins and let her rip! Thanks for your input guys.
That's simple (as in not complicated), but actually knocking out the small pins that hold in the current gas block might not be EASY. (They're small, and can be stubborn).
Typically this is done with a sight block holding everything in place and preventing stray tool marks so you don't completely mung up the new sight.
Here's one for sale: http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/rifle-tools/sight-tools/ar-15-front-sight-bench-block-prod20727.aspx
quote:Originally posted by Rosie
Beantown it sounds like you understand. This rifle is brand new in the box but I got it for a good price. So good I couldn't pass it up. I bought it with the idea of turning over a small profit or doing some trading. However if I keep it I want to change that sight out to the classic look. I just called bushmaster and they said no problem. Buy the front sight assembly from them,$35.00 knock out the gas tube pin and the two assembly pins and let her rip! Thanks for your input guys.
That's simple (as in not complicated), but actually knocking out the small pins that hold in the current gas block might not be EASY. (They're small, and can be stubborn).
Typically this is done with a sight block holding everything in place and preventing stray tool marks so you don't completely mung up the new sight.
Here's one for sale: http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/rifle-tools/sight-tools/ar-15-front-sight-bench-block-prod20727.aspx
Shootah has made a very good point, about the roll pins. The only thing I might add is to use the correct diameter short shank roll pin punches. The roll pins are so small in diameter if you use the standard size punches, they will bend and bugger up the holes in the gas block.
quote:Originally posted by beantownshootah
quote:Originally posted by Rosie
Beantown it sounds like you understand. This rifle is brand new in the box but I got it for a good price. So good I couldn't pass it up. I bought it with the idea of turning over a small profit or doing some trading. However if I keep it I want to change that sight out to the classic look. I just called bushmaster and they said no problem. Buy the front sight assembly from them,$35.00 knock out the gas tube pin and the two assembly pins and let her rip! Thanks for your input guys.
That's simple (as in not complicated), but actually knocking out the small pins that hold in the current gas block might not be EASY. (They're small, and can be stubborn).
Typically this is done with a sight block holding everything in place and preventing stray tool marks so you don't completely mung up the new sight.
Here's one for sale: http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/rifle-tools/sight-tools/ar-15-front-sight-bench-block-prod20727.aspx
Shootah has made a very good point, about the roll pins. The only thing I might add is to use the correct diameter short shank roll pin punches. The roll pins are so small in diameter if you use the standard size punches, they will bend and bugger up the holes in the gas block.
And sometimes even the correct roll pin punches don't work. I had one AR that the roll pins had to be drilled out. The ORC is an Optics Ready Carbine that is why it comes that way to mount an optic on it.
Not to mount iron sights. It will take some work and who ever does replace your front sight base has to do it right. Make sure who ever replaces it has one of these:
[img][/img]
I do like the "classic" look also, and 3 of mine have flat-top rears and triangle fronts. Two are dedicated open sighted guns (16" and 20"), one has a red-dot optic. I must say that with the dot sight, the front sight gets in the way sometimes, and I wish it wasn't there.
A fourth AR has a red dot and a smooth top like the ORC, with a GG&G flip up front and rear. This gun is much easier to use with the dot, and if it goes bad I can pop up the sights and stay in the game.
Beware just 'popping out the roll pins", it can be tough lining everything up and making it run right. As we saw with a forum member's earlier trevails working on an AR without the proper tools or equipment, it sounds easy to work on them..until you're the one doing it. And if it's forced or Mickey-Moused, it'll cost 10x what it should've when you have to replace blocks, barrels, gas tubes, etc. because they get buggered or it just won't work.