Does anyone here run their AR optics-only, no irons?

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Phaedrus/69

Phaedrus/69

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Just curious- how many of you with ARs run just an optical sight with no back up irons? I have a CORE 15 M4 Keymod on the way with no sights. I know I'll run a RDS on it, debating on whether I'll get iron sights at all. There isn't much downside, I admit, except the extra money. The gun will get used at the range and probably take over HD/zombie duty. At bad breath distance I'm thinking if the optic did fail I won't need sights anyways to get hits (at least not a rear sight- I could see a front sight still being handy).

Again, I'm basically just curious what you folks think. It's not like it's a ton of money but something like an Aimpoint is going to be pretty reliable to begin with.
 
I have one AR-15, scoped with a Redfield 2x7, with no backup sights. I do have a PA microdot as well, but is currently not in use.
 
got my ars all different ways. the dpms runs fixed irons only, the bushmaster is optics only, the smith is optics with them down flippy irons also. if you practice with your ar15, you can shoot it without sights or optics out to a good 100 yards or so, or so i found out after a crapco scope broke on the bushmaster, and i didnt feel like going home.
 
3 of my 6 AR's have back-up Iron sights.

It depends on the intended role of the gun.
 
I'm in the same camp as the other guys. My Eotech equipped 6.8 has a YHM flip up front and an MBUS rear. The batteries have let me down on the XPS 2-0 a couple of times and the BU sights keep it from being useless!

On my VX6 1-6 equipped rifle I didn't bother with irons. The illuminated reticle is awesome, but it is not useless if it has a battery failure. And if I break it, I won't need the irons because I won't be able to see through the tears!
 
Does yours have a front sight tower already? What kind of optic are you going for? I have a couple that have ACOG's that I don't really worry about. The one I keep with me most of the time has an Eotec with a flip up rear and a couple have scopes, an H-Bar is OG.
Cheapest route for you might be to find a carry handle somewhere for $20 and just keep it with that gun if your worried about SHTF or something.
 
I have several that are optics only, several that are irons only, some have optics backed up with red dots and optics and irons. No right or wrong answers.
 
Nice to have both iron and scope.
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I always run back up irons on my ARs. Even $1,000 optics can and do fail. I prefer the magpul pros but that's just me. They don't take up hardly any space though.
 
I won't have a fighting rifle without irons.

My HD AR is a BCM with an A2 FSB and a DD fixed rear, with an Aimpoint in between, sitting on a LaRue lower-1/3 mount... If the dot's gone, the irons are right there.

Can you make hits on a body 15 yards away just looking through a dead dot? Sure. Can you make a precise hit when all you can see of them is what's not behind cover, shooting at you, or they have a family member in front of them? No.

A home defense rifle is for the worst case scenario. Don't plan around the best of the worst case.
 
While I'll not pooh-pooh the idea of being prepared for Mr. Murphy, I see this a lot:

I always run back up irons on my ARs. Even $1,000 optics can and do fail.
Click to expand...

And it's true, as far as it goes. But remember, Iron sights can and do fail as well. I have personally had 3 different set's of iron sights fail on me, A Magpul MBUIS (first gen), An A2 rear (Army BCT, who knows what had been done to that thing), and an A2 front. (On an M16A2, while deployed. Good times there) I've actually only had one Optic fail on me personally, but I know of some others.

So as with everything in life, try and reach some balance. Back-ups are good, but don't have too much crap hung on the weapon. Train with every thing you do hang on there. Many of us have budgetary constraints, and while an ACOG and a set of Troy's are very tough, that could well be more then twice what the rifle cost, and out of some folks price range.

That said, the rifles I would use for inside of 500m "Serious" work have flip ups. One has a 1-6X variable, the other a 1X dot. I regularly practice with both sighting systems.

But honestly, if your budget can have a Primary Arms* red dot and some good flip ups, or an Aimpoint? Get the Aimpoint and skip the backups. It's still playing the odds a little, but once we talk about 1. being in a home invasion, 2. getting to the rifle, 3. having the optic fail, and 4. still being able to engage? We're well into Powerball level odds there. Once we're this far down the rabbit hole, the irons could very well have failed as well.

*I really like PA and have a few of their optics, but even they say don't use their red dots where your life is in the balance.
 
It's called layering, guys. We later safety by keeping the finger off the trigger AND controlling the muzzle AND treating a gun like it's loaded. Likewise, we layer effectiveness by having a quality optic that offers many benefits over irons, AND quality irons. If one fails you have the other.
 
My duty rifle has optics and backup irons. I wouldn't have a fighting gun any other way. A hunting rifle or target gun doesn't need both in my opinion.
 
Phaedrus/69 said:
I know I'll run a RDS on it, debating on whether I'll get iron sights at all. There isn't much downside, I admit, except the extra money.

Again, I'm basically just curious what you folks think. It's not like it's a ton of money but something like an Aimpoint is going to be pretty reliable to begin with.
Click to expand...

I've seen quite a few lightweight AR builds with only a red dot.

I suppose if I were to use only an optic, I might feel compelled to mount a tiny red dot mounted 45* to the side of the optic. Just because. :D
 
Depends on the rifle and intended use and reliability of optic. I only have 1 AR with backup irons and it's because I bought it that way. Yes, optics can fail, but for my optics to fail, it would have to be under extraordinary circumstances. I don't use Aimpoints or EOTechs because they rely on a battery for a reticle and that is too easy to fail. If I did use one of those sights, I DEFINITELY would use back-up irons. I use scopes that have an etched reticle and can be lit, but the reticle doesn't depend on the lit reticle for a sight picture. Yes, I know that those types of scopes can also fail, but the probability is VERY low that will occur. I'd prefer to use the money I would have spent on BUIS for ammo.
 
If a scope + BUIS combo ever becomes AR trendy, I will know the mall ninjas have taken over, but a RDS + BUIS combo is pretty standard since those batteries seem to fail at the most inopportune times. However, it is a matter of practicality. If it isn't a bedside firearm and mostly a range toy - keeping a spare set of batteries is sufficient for the first few months of the zombie apocalypse.
 
I have a flat top with a variable scope on it Andi have been thinking of adding some off set sights just in case.
 
Like Robert said, when an ACOG fails it's a real bad day. You then have to ask youself if you need a spare barrel, BCG, upper, lower or yea how about another gun?
There are other sights that can probably carry that water as well.
 
Irons only, for now...

I live in America though and I don't expect to get in any major firefights or get ambushed on night patrol (walking the dog) by mujahadein. Not too worried about sights failing in the middle of combat.

With that said, to me it's acceptable to run optic only. It's your rifle do whatever you want.

I would get some irons anyways, I don't know how well the red dot will show up on a sunny day.
 
My ARs have irons, but I'd be willing to bet my life on just my Aimpoint for a HD gun. If it fails, the tube is a big ghost ring.

I'd also bet my life on my ACOG, those 2 are about it. So far, only my expensive Troy BUIS has had issues, pin on the front sight walked out, had to stake it.
 
I run just a scope on my AR and no BUIS. I value and depend on my hunting rifle more than the AR and it has a scope only.
 
If any decent optic in the $200 and up range fails, so will a cheap plastic back-up iron sight. In 40+ years of hunting and shooting I've seen and had more irons fail than a mid-grade and up optics. I've seen some of the sub-$200 optics fail, but none of the better stuff.

I've got a lot more confidence in quality optics and have found those on the lower magnifications to be faster for getting on target than irons. I'd put my money on good glass.
 
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