January 06, 2020
By Patrick Sweeney
You have to plan, to get a red-dot and a magnifier onto your rifle.
OK, you’ve got a red-dot optic for your carbine, where on the rail does it go? First rule: It goes far enough forward to clear your folding rear iron sight. You do have a back-up iron sight (BUIS) on your carbine, don’t you? Don’t you? So, forward of where that will be when it stands up. If you are going to be using a magnifier, then forward of that, with enough clearance to work the controls.
It used to be a cardinal sin to mount an optic, any optic, across the gap between the handguard rail and the upper receiver. With so many handguards now incorporating some sort of anti-tilt feature, I’m less worried. Well, I’m less worried when the handguard has an anti-tilt tab or screw. If it doesn’t, I’d rather keep the optic entirely on the receiver.
Also, if you are going to be pairing your red dot with a magnifier, the RDS has to be far enough forward that you can use the magnifier. So then, you start from the back. (Make sure your magnifier will clear your folded BUIS.) Mount the magnifier so you have proper eye relief. Then mount the RDS ahead of it with clearance to work the controls.
Try to avoid having the lens of the RDS right over the ejection port, or you’ll occasionally get powder grime on your lenses.
Other than that, put it pretty much any place that works for you. And practice.
