The first addition I sought to make was the red dot. I have always been hampered with somewhat poor eyesight, being nearsighted with astigmatism. As a result, iron sights are often difficult for me to see. While the aperture sight of the AR is better suited to my vision than, say, buckhorn sights, at distances fifty yards and above, I still find it hard to get a proper sight picture. The red dot sight works very well for me, however, making it easier for me to acquire my target quickly and remain on target. I have used red dots in the past on different rifles, most recently an SKS and a .22LR plinker, so I thought adding one to my AR would be just the ticket.
The red dots I have used in the past have all been tube styles, but for this project, I decided to go with an open reflex sight. My choice was the NcSTAR Tactical 4 Reticle Sight. I know that NcSTAR often gets a bad rap from the armchair spec-ops guys on the firearms forums, but most of the people I have talked to who actually own and use their products have no qualms about relying on them. Plus, with a lifetime warranty, I am willing to give the sight a try. The different reticles are bright, clear and, while I chose to go with the simple red dot, the option to change reticles depending on the shooter's need is a big bonus to me. The sight also has adjustable brightness levels, ranging from 1 to 7, so the shooter can pick the level that suits his or her need. The kit comes with the sight, a tiny screwdriver to adjust the locking screws, an allen wrench to tighten the scope mounts as well as to make elevation and windage adjustments, two batteries, a cleaning cloth, and a rubber lens cover. The sight was a cinch to mount on the top rail, and just a few minor tweaks of the reticle adjustments had it dead on. One other thing I like about the sight is that it absolute co-witnesses with the iron sights.
My next addition was the foregrip. The DPMS Sportical upper I bought comes with the Glacier Guard handguards, which are apparently proprietary to DPMS. The holes on the bottom of the guards do not line up with all mil-spec weaver rails. I first attempted to add a ProMag rail, but was unable to make it work with the Glacier Guard. Somewhat frustrated, and not really wanting to change out handguards at this point, I was assisted in my quest by Tom and Brian at TCGD. Tom showed me that (who else?) NcSTAR has an M4 Hand Guard Weaver Rail, which has a floating mounting screw that enables it to mate up with different handguards, the Glacier Guard included. Feeling that my search was over, I started to look at foregrips, when Brian pointed out to me that the internal fins on the Glacier Guard (which give the handguards the heat dissipation from which the name stems) prevented the washer and nut from fitting properly. Now this is where it gets good: with a great deal of care and patience, Brian used a file and knife to notch out the fins enough to allow the washer to fit, and the rail went on as though it were designed for this particular handguard. In the meantime, I had picked out the Vertical Folding Grip by the Mako Group. It has a great feel to it, fits my hand well, and as a bonus it has a battery compartment inside that I now use to store my spare battery and adjustment tools for the red dot sight. And while I shouldered the rifle and decided where I wanted the grip to go, Tom tightened down the mounting screws to lock it into place for me. These guys could not have made this any easier for me. Now that is customer service.
An hour later, I was on the range, blasting away at some aluminum cans at fifty yards. Everything works just as it is supposed to. The red dot was right on, and did not lose zero through 100 assorted rounds of Federal .223 FMJ and 5.56 FMJ. The barrel got smoking hot, and even the Glacier Guards were uncomfortably warm to the touch, but the Mako foregrip made shooting comfortable, and really enhanced my aim shooting freehand. It is hard to describe the enhanced ergonomics of using such a shooting aid... it just makes it feel so much better. Here is a crappy cell phone picture of the Plum Crazy Sportical as she looks now (the magazine is a Thermold 20-round polymer):
A close-up of the vertical grip and rail:
The NcSTAR red dot and rear BUIS:
View through the red dot (setting 7):
View of red dot and BUIS co-witness (setting 7):
View of red dot and BUIS co-witness (setting 1):
Thus far, I am really liking this rifle. It is accurate, has been totally reliable to this point, and is a lot of fun to shoot. I will continue to post updates with respect to any of the parts I have added to this gun, to let my readers know how they continue to function.
Finally, just a thank you to Tom and Brian at the Gun Depot for their help in picking out my accessories, and helping me to install them. When people ask me why I started shopping at Tri-Cities Gun Depot, I tell them it was for the low prices. When someone asks me why I keep shopping there, I tell them it is because of the unparalleled service I receive there (and the prices are still the best in town, too).
