Questions regarding M&P 15-22

[Phobosares]

Hey, I was wondering: regarding the M&P15-22's Iron sight height from the upper, what is the appropriate height for a 4x32 Red Dot sight if I wanted the sight to be aligned properly with the rear and front sight?

Is there a certain raiser kit I need to buy to obtain the proper height?

If I wanted to buy a carry handle sight replacement for the M&P15-22, what product would be my best bet for proper specification and accuracy?

Does anyone have recommendations regarding possible affordable red dots with some but not a lot of magnification?

Thanks!

-Alex

 

[ragingyeti]

You won't be able to cowitness iron sights with a magnified red dot anyway, so it shouldnt matter what height riser you use for the 4x32. I would just use whatever irons you want, and then have a quick detach mount for your scope/red dot if you go magnified.

 

[MPLUSM]

Here's a great resource:
Scopes, Sights, Lights and Lasers

And another:
red dot sights

Hope this helps!

-Michael

 

[Phobosares]

Thanks for the tips & links! For some reason I thought the sights were up high like that for a reason.. But when I think about it more, it must be so that people can see through the sight without tilting their head in a uncomfortable manner... Am I right?

 

[CrazyFingers]

But when I think about it more, it must be so that people can see through the sight without tilting their head in a uncomfortable manner... Am I right?

Yup. That's a drawback of the AR-15 straight-line stock design (I think the positive aspects outweigh any negatives). When I first put my El Cheapo Tasco red dot on mine without a riser, I had to crane my neck over to see, or put it so high on my shoulder that it was very uncomfortable. A 3/4" riser fixed that.

 

[Phobosares]

Would that apply with a Trueglo Red dot sight?

I was looking at the 2x42 Truglo Red Dot sight for 70ish dollars. A 3/4" riser should fix that? Also, I always wonder: Why do some of these S&W M&P 15 rifles lack a Forward assist? Just curious.

Thanks

 

[mn_doggie]

Would that apply with a Trueglo Red dot sight?

I was looking at the 2x42 Truglo Red Dot sight for 70ish dollars. A 3/4" riser should fix that? Also, I always wonder: Why do some of these S&W M&P 15 rifles lack a Forward assist? Just curious.

Thanks

Anytime you have anything other than a 1X (like 2X,4X, etc. ) preceding the objective size, you have magnification and you can't cowitness cuz the front sight wil be too blurred to use.

On the high end units, they can either unscrew the magnifier or they use a mount that lets the seperate magnifier flip out of the way.

Perhaps you aren't planning on cowitnessing any more, then using the riser with the magnified re dot would be just fine.

Rimfire round is pretty small to need a forward assist...

 

[Phobosares]

Alright, that makes sense.. Seeming as I never really worked with optics much.

So basically take the front and rear sights off, and get a red dot raised with a 3/4" riser depending on the height of the sight itself..

Also, I shot a hundred rounds of American Eagle .22 LR Federals at my local range, the gun fired flawlessly! I did slow shots, then eventually started doing rapid fire at a target. No FTE's or FTF's.

I am really happy and had a great day at the range! Also, I am probably going to buy a .22 Bore Snake, as using a cleaning rod is a pain when the ejector/extractor can get rubbed and nudged on, so I am going to avoid that.

The distance I fired my MP15-22 was probably 45 yards, fired straight with great groupings right out of the box. Used normal rear sight aperture for this. No complaints.

So with that being said, cleaning my gun I used cheap .22 LR ammo, that had no copper plating (FMJ's, etc).. This made the gun messy with lead powder that needed to be cleaned out of many nooks and crannies of the rifle. So I am probably going to save myself the pain and just spend a little more on copper-coated .22 LR's.

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?

-Alex

 

[mn_doggie]

Alright, that makes sense.. Seeming as I never really worked with optics much.

So basically take the front and rear sights off, and get a red dot raised with a 3/4" riser depending on the height of the sight itself..

Also, I shot a hundred rounds of American Eagle .22 LR Federals at my local range, the gun fired flawlessly! I did slow shots, then eventually started doing rapid fire at a target. No FTE's or FTF's.

I am really happy and had a great day at the range! Also, I am probably going to buy a .22 Bore Snake, as using a cleaning rod is a pain when the ejector/extractor can get rubbed and nudged on, so I am going to avoid that.

The distance I fired my MP15-22 was probably 45 yards, fired straight with great groupings right out of the box. Used normal rear sight aperture for this. No complaints.

So with that being said, cleaning my gun I used cheap .22 LR ammo, that had no copper plating (FMJ's, etc).. This made the gun messy with lead powder that needed to be cleaned out of many nooks and crannies of the rifle. So I am probably going to save myself the pain and just spend a little more on copper-coated .22 LR's.

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?

-Alex

You CAN USE a 1X red dot with the current sights and cowitness them but you would need some sort of riser to do that.

The height of the riser is dependent upton the red dot unit you get. The riser I use with my 42 mm Tasco red dot is different than the one I use with my Bushnell TRS-25 because it is smaller.

You cannot cowitness any type of magnifying scope be it either red dot or cross hair type telescope. Period. The original iron front sight will not be in focus.

 

[Redbulladdikt]

First of all on the Optics...I have used both IronSights and Red Dot with a riser--i understand your concerns with the Iron Sights and co-witnessing--in my case was a backup in case the Red Dot malfunctioned or battery went dead

In my case i got my hands on Magpul BUIS ( Backup Iron Sights) which will allow me to zero the sights and then fold them flat and use my Red Dot as primary and the BUIS as a backup as intended...i am using the Airsoft-type which are adequate for a .22LR

As far as Ammo goes I reccommend in this order:
Federal 525 Bulk Pack Ammo ( roughly $20)
CCI AR Tactical 375 pack ( roughly $18)
Winchester 555 Bulk Ammo ( roughly $20)
CCI Mini-Mag 100 pack ( roughly $9)

These are the primary ammo types i have run and had excellet results as well as minimal issues cleaning...also some 'fun ammo' for a change of pace Remington Vipers and CCI Velocitors add a little 'kick' and give off amazing muzzle flash

AVOID REMINGTON 'GOLDEN BULLET' BULK AMMO AT ALL COSTS!!!!

Lastly about the bore-snake...not trying to step on any toes simply sharing my $.02...My Dad is a licensed gunsmith here in Iowa and he loathes bore-snakes...he claims they can damage the bore/rifling--i dont know how valid it is but obviously I use a synthetic cleaning rod and pre-cut cloths because very few times has Dad turned out to be wrong! just do some research and go with what works for you not just what everybody else is doing--you are definately in with a good group here with a wealth of information we are all willing to share!

 

[CrazyFingers]

So with that being said, cleaning my gun I used cheap .22 LR ammo, that had no copper plating (FMJ's, etc).. This made the gun messy with lead powder that needed to be cleaned out of many nooks and crannies of the rifle. So I am probably going to save myself the pain and just spend a little more on copper-coated .22 LR's.

If you read this thread, you'll see that the residue that got all over the innards of your rifle was mostly a mix of carbon from burned gunpowder and unburned powder. 22LR is a messy round, and this has little if anything to do with a copper wash on the projectile. Some nylon brushes, CLP/Hoppes/your favorite polymer-safe cleaner and some work will clean it up nicely. For the bore, use a boresnake when you feel it needs cleaning.

My Dad is a licensed gunsmith here in Iowa and he loathes bore-snakes...he claims they can damage the bore/rifling

How exactly does he explain this "theory"?

 

[dogg1er]

So whats the difference between me pulling a boresnake or a rod and copper brush thru my barrel?

Can we get some info please?

 

[Redbulladdikt]

according to him in .22LR the unburned powder/metal flakes etc are all bound to buildup in a boresnake and everytime you rerun it you are essentially taking a file to your bore and rifling...the copper brush/patching method is what he recommends after taking gunsmithing classes with a living legend in these parts...

his theory with boresnakes may or may not be based in the "just in case" scenario but for me anything that can potentially damage any of my firearms is enough for me to listen

preference issue of course; I am not claiming there is a right/wrong here just sharing my $.02 as far as i can tell cleaning them regularly however you go about it is ESSENTIAL to keeping them working properly

 

[Dragon88]

Carbon and lead residue are not nearly hard enough to damage rifle steel. Bore snakes are not good for a thorough cleaning, as you are running the residue back through the bore each pull. However, to call them "damaging" is far fetched.

Now, say you set the bore snake down on the range table and it picks up a staple, then you run that through your bore and it scratches it. That's not the bore snakes fault, it's your fault for not checking it before using it. Same with a cleaning rod if you aren't careful and nick the crown. A tool doesn't damage a firearm. The user of the tool damages the firearms by using the tool incorrectly.

 

[Redbulladdikt]

Carbon and lead residue are not nearly hard enough to damage rifle steel. Bore snakes are not good for a thorough cleaning, as you are running the residue back through the bore each pull. However, to call them "damaging" is far fetched.

Now, say you set the bore snake down on the range table and it picks up a staple, then you run that through your bore and it scratches it. That's not the bore snakes fault, it's your fault for not checking it before using it. Same with a cleaning rod if you aren't careful and nick the crown. A tool doesn't damage a firearm. The user of the tool damages the firearms by using the tool incorrectly.

very good point...hadnt thought of that angle either...i personally wont own a bore-snake as i have invested in an excellent cleaning kit...but as i said what works for me may not work for the next gent...simply sharing my perspective and appreciate the insight sir

 

[Phubar]

according to him in .22LR the unburned powder/metal flakes etc are all bound to buildup in a boresnake and everytime you rerun it you are essentially taking a file to your bore and rifling...the copper brush/patching method is what he recommends after taking gunsmithing classes with a living legend in these parts...

his theory with boresnakes may or may not be based in the "just in case" scenario but for me anything that can potentially damage any of my firearms is enough for me to listen

preference issue of course; I am not claiming there is a right/wrong here just sharing my $.02 as far as i can tell cleaning them regularly however you go about it is ESSENTIAL to keeping them working properly

So, how does he relate copper, lead, and carbon on a Boresnake to a "file", which is hardened steel? I don't get it.


Chuck

 

[chuck s]

Just put a handle on it if you want.

-- Chuck