Glass question for a SW M&P15 Sport

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xdshooter

New member
I have been planning on buying one of these ever since I saw one but I have one question that remains unanswered. If I were to get a scope for the sport, wouldn't that big hairy front sight post be in the way? Is there any way to take the thing off without tools or something? Or maybe the front sight isn't in the way and it just looks like it is. I dunno. Help please? Thanks in advance! :D
 
I just ordered a Vortex Strikefire. They offer the option of a high mount designed for an AR 15 with a front sight base. For other optics you may need to buy a riser. They attach to the flat top rail and then the optic is mounted on top. They come in different heights, so you can choose an absolute co-witness or a lower 1/3 co-witness. The risers also come in different lengths (2 slot, 3 slot or 13 slot).

A riser will run anywhere from $10 to $50 depending on make and model. Replacing the front sight base is not simple, because the front sight base is also the gas block, so if you remove the front sight base you'll need to replace it with a gas block, which means aligning the gas port and detaching and reattaching the gas tube. Besides, if you keep the front sight base you'll still have your iron sights as back up in case the optic fails.
 
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Most people say that it doesn't get in the way if your scope zooms past 6x. The front sight is also the gas block and it can be removed and replaced with a different gas block that doesn't have the raised sight, but I heard that its kind of a pain to remove some are pinned in and others are clamped on the barrel. If it were me I would get the M&P15OR (optics ready) it comes with the gas block that has 1913 picatinny rail that you can add a sight or remove as needed.
 
It doesn't even take a 6x scope for that front sight to disappear. Much magnification at all and you just don't notice it; I have an Aimpoint setup with a 3x magnifier on one rifle (lower third cowitness), and you just don't notice the front sight at all when using the magnifier.

It depends largely on what kind of optic you had in mind. If you're thinking of a regular telescopic sight, most any will fuzz the front sight to where you don't even see it. For a 1x rapid target acquisition optic (like an EOTech or Aimpoint or knockoff of the same), you'll just set it up for an absolute or lower 1/3 cowitness and it won't be an issue.
 
You'll want a riser of some sort. I just got one for $12 at the LGS and put my red dot on it. The front sight fuzzes out anyway so don't go removing it.
 
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