Sig 556 with EOTech holosight?

[Revet]

I have a Sig 556 Commando that I was going to set up with the new EOTech 516 and 3X magnifier w/flip mount (already have the magnifier, but can return it).

As I've been waiting for the new holosight to come in, I've come across complaints about insufficient clearance between the sight and the rifle's charging handle. Some people don't mention the issue, but others complain and say they only get by using an underhand grip on the handle. Still others consider the problem so intolerable that I am concerned--particularly since I have large hands. It's obvious just by looking at the rifle that there wouldn't be much space between the handle and any sight with a wide base.

I know there are narrower sights and scopes that would avoid the problem. The Aimpoint red dot being a well considered example. But never having used them, including the EOTech, I made a guess that my farsighted middle-aged eyes would be better served by the holosight.

Any comments from someone with actual experience on the Sig 556 rifle and EOTech combination would be greatly appreciated. But I would also be grateful to hear from anyone who's farsighted and has set-up a black rifle for day-to-dusk, short through mid-range use.

Thanks

[melkor41]

I dont have a sig, i have an ar. I setup my holosight out on the railed forgrip instead of the receiver. I open both eyes and the dom eye takes over and the sight just seems to fade out to semi transparent and i can see the target and the sight mark.

You might want to look at a spacer rail to raise it up a few. youcan get one long enough to raise both the mag and the sight together.

[ScubaSigGuy]

I have an Eotech mounted on my 556 and there is an issue with charging handle clearing. I moved my Eotech farther forward to alleviate the problem, but a more permannet solution would be to purchase a riser / taller mount. Move the optics forward add more weight to the front of what i already a front heavy rifle. Not to say that a bad thing, but it might not work for everyone. I would try calling Larue Tactical for suggestions. They are located in Texas and seem very knowledgeable. Does you magnifier have the flip to side mount? With thae magnifier mounted behind the Eotech it might not even be much of an issue. The magnifiers appear to have a thinner mount and might provide more clearance as the clearance issue I had was with the actaul body of the Eotech which is pretty wide.

The beauty of the Eotech is that there is no issue with eye relief so it can really be mounted anywhere that you are comfortable with.

Please report back on what you come up with. Thanks.

[Revet]

Gentlemen,

Thank you for your replies. I should have mentioned in my post that this is my first black rifle and most of this is new to me. Until now, I've only owned pistols, bird guns, saddle rifles, etc.

Your suggestions are great, and I think they will solve the problem. I must have seen rail risers at one point or another, but they didn't register in my memory. It seems like such a logical fix, now that you mention them. I've done a little checking already and have found some that would even allow me to extend the rail over the forend, which might help with the nearsightedness issue by letting me mount the sight farther forward, if necessary.

Yes, I do have the magnifier with the flip mount.

The weight issue with this rifle bothers me too. In fact, the front-heavy imbalance is the only thing about the 556 that I really dislike. That was one reason I bought the Commando instead of the SWAT model, as it was supposed to be better balanced with the lighter forend. But of course that also meant less rail space.

I came to the Sig rifle primarily because I like Sig pistols so much. But when I get this one set up just right, I will also want something along the lines of a true AR, and maybe an AK. I'd like to add a few EBRs to my collection before they get banned.

[Revet]

I thought I'd post a follow-up in case it is helpful to anyone else thinking of using the same rifle and sight combination.

I got a set of 1/2 inch rail risers and installed them under the holosight and magnifier. The good news is that this raised the sight to a much better height (at least for me)...making for a much more natural head and neck position. It did increase the top-heaviness, but not so much to be a concern.

But it did not solve the knuckle-busting issue of charging handle clearance under the wide sight. In fact, it made it painful.

The Sig 556 lever is high on the receiver (maybe they all are, I don't have the experience to know) and the Eotech sight is wide and has sharp corners in the front. With the sight mounted directly on the rifle's rail, my hand, specifically my index finger (using an overhand grip) slides along the side of the sight. This is uncomfortable, and requires that you pull only on the very end of the lever, but it doesn't cause injury.

When the sight is elevated however, my knuckle strikes the sharp bottom corner of the sight. Done forcefully, it would knock off a chunk of flesh. Using an underhand grip helped only slightly. My pinky finger would then hit the sight's corner, and I found that I would sometimes loose my grip altogether, or snag my nail on the edge. To be fair, someone with smaller, less hammy hands, may find all of this to be no big deal. To add enough clearance using a rail riser, would require one at least an inch tall, maybe more, and I wouldn't like the top-heaviness that would result.

A redesigned charging handle might do the trick. I just found this video on youtube (see link below). I have not emailed the advertiser for information. It looks like he's modified the lever for better clearance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ447RRnoz8