[Bamban]

http://www.whiteoakarmament.com/

"A revolutionary new product that could make a big difference for the service rifle shooter with difficulty focusing on the front sight. Or for the one that can focus on the front sight but loses the target.
We have all been taught to focus on the front sight when aiming at the target. But for many service rifle shooters, especially older ones, this becomes very difficult. The MicroSight allows simultaneous focus on the front sight as well as the target.

This replaces the normal hood on the AR-15 service rifle."

This is the new rear sight craze going around the AR users. The manufacturer of course does not have one for our beloved M14s.

Since my primary rifle was down for bolt roller and clip, I took the opportunity to graft the MicroSight into the rifle's rear sight. I disassembled the rear sight assembly and fitted a standard aperture into the base, then drilled/tapped the aperture to accommodate the MicroSight. To get back to the 1/2 minute adjustment I glued the 1/2 minute elevation disc on to the receiver. Since this is a NM base, now I have 1/2x1/2 rear sight with the benefit of the Micro Sight.

Here are a few pictures showing how the MicroSight sits in the NM rear sight. Well, the proof is in the shooting. This Sunday I will have the chance to see whether this MicroSight will live up to the hype. No zeros yet, but should be close enough and besides there are 22 shots in standing to fine tune the short line zero.

 

[1KPerDay]

Interesting... wonder how it works.

Isn't the NM rear sight hooded in a similar way?

 

[Bamban]

The NM aperture is hooded and to get the 1/2 adjustment you twist the hood. G

 

[jameydan]

Bamban,
I have thinking of doing this as well. My only concern was if the microsight was designed around the shorter sight radius of the M16 and might not work on the M14. I will wait to hear how you think it works out when you get it on the range. Keep us informed.

Thanks,

JW

 

[Stillwater]

NM hooded sight

Interesting... wonder how it works.

Isn't the NM rear sight hooded in a similar way?

It certainly looks like that to me...

Bill

 

[KYShooter]

Bamban,
I have thinking of doing this as well. My only concern was if the microsight was designed around the shorter sight radius of the M16 and might not work on the M14. I will wait to hear how you think it works out when you get it on the range. Keep us informed.

Thanks,

JW

I second these concerns.

 

[BudsBoy]

I don't believe the sight insert was designed for a particular rifle - it is for a particular shooters needs.
What my corrective lens needs are may or may not work for the next guy.

 

[Bamban]

Here is the manufacturer's information. I ordered what they have "one size fits all" surely it is a gamble on my part, but to me it is worth the try. When I started high power in 95 I was using +.25 diopter, and incrementally gone up over time. Recently I had to use +1.75 to see the front the front sight. Well, I will find out soon whether I wasted my money.

http://www.stallingsmachine.com/

 

[bd111]

Does it enclose a lens? We've got those apertures for the "DCM" AR in several diameters, but they're no use to me any more unless I get a Bob Jones lens fitted to them or eye surgery. But Bamban's got a clever gimmick if you can see the front sight and the target black through a .040 or .046 hole. I suspect it'd be a DQ if Service Rifle rules were being strictly enforced, but nobody's gonna sweat it in club match.

 

[ripsaw]

Well thats one way to spank me on the range !.....Contact Art7 here on the forum, he is the smartest guy I know when it comes to seeing anything.

 

[Eagle 1]

The Microsight and Art's rectangular sight inserts were just approved by CMP for EIC and National Trophy Matches. They are already legal for NRA Championships.

Eagle 1

 

[Bamban]

Does it enclose a lens? We've got those apertures for the "DCM" AR in several diameters, but they're no use to me any more unless I get a Bob Jones lens fitted to them or eye surgery. But Bamban's got a clever gimmick if you can see the front sight and the target black through a .040 or .046 hole. I suspect it'd be a DQ if Service Rifle rules were being strictly enforced, but nobody's gonna sweat it in club match.

It is CMP and NRA legal

 

[Bamban]

Well thats one way to spank me on the range !......

Come to the TX State Mid Range Championship at the end of this month. Match info posted in the match folders....

 

[M1AallTheWay]

Here is the manufacturer's information. I ordered what they have "one size fits all" surely it is a gamble on my part, but to me it is worth the try...

If I understand their explanation (perhaps doubtful), a portion of the lens is ground to provide focus on the front sight and the rest of the lens is uncorrected, which would explain why "Users must have good natural or corrected distance vision. It is very important that the user's vision be correct for distance viewing since the MicroSight provides the target image by passing a portion of the light to the eye unaltered." Since the corrected portion is intended for the sight radius of an M16, a standard barrel M14 might be a stretch.

I've been working on another solution which isn't far enough along to test and report on but essentially it's taking the #4 ELS version of one of these and attaching it to a standard M14 aperture. The idea is to use the adjustable aperture to create a very large depth of field, which makes focusing on the front sight and the target easy, when there's plenty of light, and a smaller depth of field for better illumination of the target in dim conditions. The Hunting Disc allows adjustment of the aperture from way larger than the standard combat sight to way smaller than the smaller of the NM sights. The attachment process involves drilling out the standard aperture and then tapping it such that the thread engagement is as complete as possible to eliminate any wobble in the hole. I'm still working on how to keep it in place and protect it a bit, so it hasn't actually been installed on a rifle yet, but with the weather we've been getting here, there's no hurry.GI4

 

[Bamban]

Let us know how it works out. I always put a dab of locktite to keep hoods in the ARs

 

[M1AallTheWay]

Let us know how it works out. I always put a dab of locktite to keep hoods in the ARs

I've considered that but I don't know how robust the attachment of the diaphragm section is to the threaded tube. If it's not much, the diaphragm could just twist off and leave the tube behind. Since the tube itself is 5.56 mm (sound familiar?) in diameter, I've tried the neck of a .223 cartridge as a shroud and reinforcement (it looks better, too), but then I couldn't grab the tube with pliers, if necessary, to encourage removal or even original tightening. On the traditional NM sight, the actual hole is in the aperture/rack itself. If the shroud got hit, the aperture would still be zeroed. On the Merit sight, the diaphragm is at the end of the tube; the longest tube (ELS) is needed to clear the sight base so if the sight gets hit, the aperture is more likely to move and the zero changed. Since "measure twice, cut once" is my mantra, I'm taking it slow.

 

[jameydan]

My other thought to improve the sight system and stay service rifle legal, is to simply drill out the aperture and tap it for one of the AR hoods. I want to use one of them with the smaller size holes to increase my dept of field. I have heard of this being used with good sucess.
Add the 1/2min elevation disc to gain back the 1/2 elevation corrections.

Still, I am looking forward to a range report on the microsight.

JW

 

[Bamban]

My other thought to improve the sight system and stay service rifle legal, is to simply drill out the aperture and tap it for one of the AR hoods. I want to use one of them with the smaller size holes to increase my dept of field. I have heard of this being used with good sucess.
Add the 1/2min elevation disc to gain back the 1/2 elevation corrections.

JW

I did exactly as you described to one of my 308 M1s and it works great, and as you said with the ability to swap out apertures for depth of field.

 

[RET DEP 04]

I am definitely looking forward to how this one works out. Any help with the irons would keep me from going to optics, I like that idea.

 

[Bamban]

MicroSight - Field Report

Background. With the NM hood I normally use +1.75 lens. With the MS, as it was designed with the AR in mind, I was sort of worried that it may not work so well with the M14 platform, due to its longer sight radius.

Today, I had the opportunity to try the MS in my M1a under match condition at our club range, a reduced course at 200. At this distance I did not see any issues, I could clearly define the transition from the top of the post to the bottom of the black. Though I did not clean any of the targets, I came close in the two rapids and the slow fire prone. The points I lost are not attributed at all to the sight, it was due to my usual jerking the trigger with both hands. lol... Standing, well it is standing.

The question remains whether I will buy another one. I will have to shoot the system a few more times before I will decide. Next Sunday I will try it at a full course to see how well it works at 3 and 6.