Scope on AR Rifle

[bikered]

Gents,
I presently have a 2-1/2-8X scope on a Remington 700.  I'm pleased with it.  However, I've been starting to think about hanging that scope onto an AR model rifle with a picatinney rail.  It looks simple?  Any thoughts and or ideas will be appreciated.

[Wlscott]

Does your AR have a flattop, or a carry handle?  

If it has a flattop reciever, it's no problem at all.  Just pick up a set of rings that fit the rail on top of the reciever.  Mine came with a one peice scope mount/rings that mounted right on top.

If it has a carry handle, things get a little more complicated.  Most mounts that I am familiar with don't mount to the carry handle just real solid.  Plus, mounting a scope above the carry handle will put your scope way up there.  Might be a little uncomfortable.  There are cheek pieces that mount to the buttstock that will raise your eye up on the same plane as the scope, and allow you to keep a firm cheek weld.

[BillP]

I started mounting scopes on ARs back when little was available in special equipment for them.  I found that if you try to mount a scope on top of a carry handle it will be too high!  Even the scope that Colt made to mount on the handle without rings was too high.  Today they have a mount that fastens to the handle but extends out in front of it putting the scope down so you are looking into it at the height of the regular sights.  I have not tried one of these and you may need a scope with an extended eye relief.
If you have a flat top, it's hard to get rings high enough.  The solution is to get the adaptor for it that's all one piece with the rings built in.  Or to get one of the rails that fits on the Weaver rail and provides another rail on top.  That boosts your rings up a bit.  If you try just using regular tall rings you will find they are not quite high enough to shoot the gun the way it's intended.  There is so much stuff available for ARs today that you can find a solution for just about anything.
There are some mighty fine target & varmint ARs now so look at how they mount scopes.

[bikered]

Thanks gents.  The rifle has a picatinney-flat rail.  I might also upgrade to a new scope with 40mm objective.  That way, the c.l. of the scope will stay low, or about as low a the standard peep-receiver sight.  Thanks again.

[PeterF.]

Look at Bushmaster's web-site, under Products / Accessories; they have quite a variety of scope mounts, for both flat-top/rail type and carry-handle type.  If you're thinking of going to a 40mm objective scope, you may need higher mounts than you'd need for a "straight-front" (low power) scope, to clear the front bell.

[bikered]

The actual scope/mount configuration that I will be mounting is a B&L Balvar8, 2.5-8, with a one-piece Kuharsky mount.  It's always done the trick in the past.

[BillP]

If your mount is designed for a conventional rifle, even if it has high rings, you may find it's still too low.  If so just ad the extra rail in between.