Front sight frustration.

[2meterB]

I need an M4 front sight for my Armalite AR.

For some reason, they built the gun with gas block that's lower than the top rail. Maybe that's typical. I don't know.

The problem is, I've only found 2 possible compatible BUIS:

Promag - Which are junk and don't even sit on the rail right.
Troy - Which are canted. The Troy sight is canted against its own base - it isn't a block canting/barrel issue.

Not sure what to do about a front BUIS at this point.

[d4v0s]

Me? Free float rail and any matched set of irons.

RRA makes a gas block mounted flip up iron sight too, might work for you. Are you saying that your gas block is canted?

[2meterB]

Free float rail and any matched set of irons.

Is that my only option?

Not a fan of the look, and don't want to invest a bunch of cash just to have a gun I can shoot.




My gas block is fine. I have it all dialed in with a level.

The Troy BUIS is canted. It mounts flat to the rail, but the pop up m4 sight is canted in its own base. It's about ~1mm off on one side. Makes windage a pain, and looks terrible.

[TheExiled]

Maybe try getting a replacement set or there are plenty of options out there. Just have to search "gas block height"

[hermosabeach]

have you contacted armalite?

[2meterB]

I found a couple very expensive options that replace the gas block itself, but that's about it.

have you contacted armalite?

Yup. They basically said "Don't use same plane sights."


Wish I'd known about this ahead of time - done some research. Would have steered clear and just got a Stagarms or something.

The guy that sold me the gun originally sold me same-plane plastic sights too.

I've been trying to get this gun ready to shoot for over a month now...

[jasonnorcal]

What do you mean you say you dialed in your gas block with a level? Did you build the upper? Thought you said it was a factory Armalite? FWIW I've never seen or heard of anyone having a problem with Troy BUIS.

[2meterB]

What do you mean you say you dialed in your gas block with a level? Did you build the upper? Thought you said it was a factory Armalite? FWIW I've never seen or heard of anyone having a problem with Troy BUIS.

The gas block is only held on by two allen bolts. It was slightly crooked. I loosened them up, vised the gun, and leveled it. It was only a little out of whack.

Armalite doesn't have any high res pics up, but this is what ti looks like:



I think a lot of people wouldn't notice, or wouldn't care about the slight cant to it. I probably wouldn't have cared if they were $40 sights. But for $130, I expect them to be right.

[jasonnorcal]

Sucks you've been trying to get it going for a month. I would just bite the bullet and get a free float rail and low pro gas block. Then you can use a normal front sight. Those railed gas blocks are crap anyways. Or you could just go shoot it

[tanakasan]

Is that my only option?

Not a fan of the look, and don't want to invest a bunch of cash just to have a gun I can shoot.




My gas block is fine. I have it all dialed in with a level.

The Troy BUIS is canted. It mounts flat to the rail, but the pop up m4 sight is canted in its own base. It's about ~1mm off on one side. Makes windage a pain, and looks terrible.

Are they genuine?

Have to ask b/c Troys get top reviews almost everywhere...except the knock offs. Any pics?

Robert

[jasonnorcal]

Are they genuine?

Have to ask b/c Troys get top reviews almost everywhere...except the knock offs. Any pics?

Robert

I think the problem stems from the non-standard Troy BUIS. I didn't even know they existed

[d4v0s]

Is that my only option?

Not a fan of the look, and don't want to invest a bunch of cash just to have a gun I can shoot.




My gas block is fine. I have it all dialed in with a level.

The Troy BUIS is canted. It mounts flat to the rail, but the pop up m4 sight is canted in its own base. It's about ~1mm off on one side. Makes windage a pain, and looks terrible.

1mm isnt much, It really shouldnt effect windage at all, zero your front and rear sights and then no matter what you will still come up to zero. I have had builds that were 3 clicks right on the rear, up to 12 clicks just to zero.. Those were with bad sight blocks though.

RRA gas block assembly with flip up sight is $85, a midwest industries gas block height front iron is only $90.

http://rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=323

There are many options, just get a gas block height front sight.

[2meterB]

Pretty sure they are genuine. They are from amazon, and packaged/appear exactly the same as the other 3 troy sights sitting on my desk.

I tried taking a photo, but it just doesn't come out.

I verified the top part was crooked using a caliper, and measuring about 10 times each side (getting the same result)



I did have the midwest industries one. AKA promag. They didn't sit on the rails right.

[jasonnorcal]

Your using a caliper? Dude, stop tweaking on it and go shoot it

[2meterB]

This probably sounds OCD (and it is) but I can't stand the way the sight picture looks with the windage adjustment cranked to the side and the front post leaning (with one ear touching the ring, and the other under it)

If they were cheap sights, sure. But.


Still, it looks like my only option without putting those rails on. I think I'd ratehr have the canted sight than the big blocky rails.

That said, it's also a shame Troy has those big bulky rings. Would have liked to use the Magpul MOE handguards.