Iron sight done right: Scalarworks PEAK sights

Iron sights have gotten a dirty name as optical technology has progressed.  I think when we hear or read about iron sights, we automatically think of the worst Buckhorn rear sight paired with a poorly designed front sight that we can think of.  With this come all the downsides; hard to adjust, difficult to see and challenging to use.  Stepping up to a better system, like those found on an M16A2, you start seeing how truly effective iron sights can be.  Unfortunately, not all the sights are well designed or executed.  When Scalarworks introduced its PEAK iron sights for the AR-15/M16 M4 series of rifles, I was immediately interested.

The PEAK sights are absolutely gorgeous.  What makes them different than other iron sights?  They were designed specifically for the 15″ sight radius found on carbine length guns (as opposed to rifle length guns), are manually adjustable front and rear, and have a milled front sight.

When I asked Scalarworks what prompted their decision to make iron sights, they told me it was a request from Larry Vickers, the well-known gun guru.  I’m glad he asked, these are great sights.

I installed a set on my old warhorse carbine.  Since I wanted a long sight radius I dug into the T&E parts bin and found a Knight’s URX rail that I could use. This may be the ugliest rifle on the internet; but it is mine, it works and I enjoy shooting it.

Zeroing the Scalarworks PEAK sights was a breeze.  The tool-less low profile adjustments were a breeze.  Ask any Marine who has tried to flush out the front sight of a rifle in cold weather with the tip of a bullet, the front adjustment is a gift.  

Shooting the PEAK sights was a blast.  The machined front and rear sights are crisp, giving you complete control over the placement of your round.  I ran the 16″ gun shown above from 7-200 yards and think this may be the best set of iron sights I’ve used to date.

To learn more about Scalarworks and their PEAK sights, visit them on the web.