I’m pretty impressed with the Diamondhead Combat Sights which are going to be standard on the Rainier Arms carbines. They’re not “me too” iron sights that basically say “We have no imagination, but we do have a CNC machine” (which is almost like how the white background photos I’ve been posting the last few days say, “I have no imagination, but I do have a DSLR”).
Of note is the “Premium” front sight, on the left in the photo, which allows elevation adjustments for 0-200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 yards with the twist of a knob, and also allows you to estimate range to the target. When I showed this front sight to a friend of mine who is a President’s Hundred shooter, he said, “Well, isn’t that neat. How about that.” I tend to agree.
Although I hate the phrase “my new AR build,” they might find their way on to a semi-new “build,” as none of my current rifles have provisions for rail-mounted front sights. A full review will follow.
What is the co-witness on these, please?
Not sure I understand the question – they appear to be the same height as other rail-height irons on the market, and should be compatible with them.
I understand the shape-inside-similar-shape idea of iron sights, but having the hood around the front sight as an aiming reference point seems like a bad idea to me.
I think that it draws the reflexive point-of-aim away from the top of the front sight and towards the center of the front sight hood.
I use a KNS Precision Crosshair Hooded FSP on my Magpul BUIS. I get the speedy acquisition benefits of the circle-in-circle without drawing my reflexive point-of-aim off of my front sight.
I’m curious what your thoughts are on this.
I have not used these sights enough to give you an opinion on this – most of the time, with irons, I just line them up and shoot.
I’m the same, and so I would have a very hard time spending that much on iron sights.
Iron sights are treated oddly in this business. I might do an article on that.
On the rear sight, can they be folded with either aperture selected?
Yes, they can.
That’s pretty cool. Lookin’ forward to the full review!
How can these possibly do bullet drop correctly for different loads with differences in sight radius from gun to gun? They will probably sell a bunch of them to people who will then just leave them at 0-200 forever.
They specify M4 sight radius (which I think was an odd choice) and, I think, M855 (which is an okay choice) – I will have to see how it does farther out (because if I’m shooting at 600 yards and have the ability to do so, I’ll use a rifle length sight radius) and with other types of ammunition.
Iron sights on rails are treated oddly. Once mounted to a rail, with sling attached, the purpose of free floating is defeated – force now moves the sight around separately from the barrel, and the point of aim is altered.
It may not be as much as barrel mounted sights with sling attached, but the set up makes it no longer a free float. And not only the hundreds of dollars in the float diminished, the effective cost of the sights, too. The shooter isn’t getting their money’s worth. To be a free float, the sights need to stay on the barrel, and the force inputs kept separate from them.
It would be interesting to measure how much a rail mounted sight moves with a 25 pound loading at the end of the rail, vs the barrels point of impact. It’s probably not much, may still be in a 2MOA window, but t’s not an effective improvement in accuracy.
99% of people with a free float rail are using some kind of optic, with irons as a backup system.
I guess it depends on your application. For benchrest/target shooting I can see your point…at least in theory. The farthest distance I’ve ever been engaged from (overseas) was about 150M. Not sure having a FSB vs. a FF rail mounted sight would make too much of a difference there.
Would a red-dot sight mounted on the rail instead of the receiver be affected in the same way? Hmmm…sounds like we need SOMEONE to test this out for us. Wonder who that could be?
You might be interested to know that some rail manufacturers have told me that their rail is okay for use with irons, but that I shouldn’t mount a red dot or other optic on them – that made me say “What?”
wait, what?
How would the deflection of a front sight not matter, but of a red dot be a problem?
Would you be interested in naming names? I’m very curious.
Good points. One way to defeat the sling effect on a detachable front sight with a free-float handguard is to mount the front sight to a railed gas block with the sling attached to the FF handguard. No pressure from the sling on the barrel or the sight that way.
Do have a follow up on these sights? I am considering them for a new build. Thanks, Duane.