The best

[Mason]

All money situations aside, I want to know the best mount/rings/optic available for a para "tactical" FAL.

Criteria:

1.) Capable of engaging targets out to 300 meters.
2.) Waterproof, shockproof, all the -proofs.
3.) Quick-detachability if something malfunctions and iron sights are to be used.
4.) Return to zero capable.
5.) NV capatable.
6.) No light signature, ie reflection.
7.) Balls-to-walls tough.
8.) Extremely fast target aquistion.

I'm pretty new to the "tactical" optics field. Hell, I don't even know anyone with an Eotech, Aimpoint, ACOG, etc. There is no military-style rifle craze around here. I mean none whatsoever. Everytime I take my STG to the range, people are like, "What the hell is that and where did it come from?!"

I've never even looked through the glass of any of those, let alone field test one. All the shops around here carry the standard Bushnell and Tasco Chinese shit.

Some day, I want the best mount on the best cover with the best optic available for the para I'm building with a shortened barrel. I wish I could experiment and try these out for myself, but for now, I'm stuck reading reviews. What's ya'll's favorites?

[chromestarhustler]

umm the best is what works "the best" for you. personal preference. think of it like this who makes the best pot roast. or coffee. if you dont say my mother not your mother your wrong lol. its subjective. i prefer the eotech. some people like the acog, or aimpoint. i also like the the close quarters scopes by colt. all these are tuff and reliable. but i would go eotech. of course this isnt what you wanted to hear. but no one can decide for you

[Trumpet]

Originally posted by Mason
All money situations aside, I want to know the best mount/rings/optic available for a para "tactical" FAL.

Criteria:

1.) Capable of engaging targets out to 300 meters. Any good optic (including your irons) can do that.
2.) Waterproof, shockproof, all the -proofs. Once again, all of your better optics (ACOG, Aimpoint, EOTech, S&B short dot, IOR, etc) will do that.
3.) Quick-detachability if something malfunctions and iron sights are to be used. QD is more an issue of the mount. If you get a GP rail (or DSA) just about any GG&G, ARMS, or LaRue mount is good. Just be mindful that your cheekweld may need to be adjusted.
4.) Return to zero capable. Presuming you mean "return to zero after being removed from the weapon", is more an issue of mounts, not the optic.
5.) NV capatable. EOTech, Aimpoint, IOR, S&B, Meopta
6.) No light signature, ie reflection. there is no optic that wont reflect light. That's the nature of the beast. Nor, should it really be an issue with a "tacticool CQB" carbine. You're not sniping an enemy intent on trying to find you where the glint from a scope could give you away. If you're really worried about it get a tenebraex filter.
7.) Balls-to-walls tough. Just about all of the above mentioned.
8.) Extremely fast target aquistion. I've found it hard to beat the EOTech. I have Aimpoints, ACOGs, and EOTechs, and find the EOTech is the fastest followed closely by the ACOG

I'm pretty new to the "tactical" optics field. Hell, I don't even know anyone with an Eotech, Aimpoint, ACOG, etc. There is no military-style rifle craze around here. Where are you?I mean none whatsoever. Everytime I take my STG to the range, people are like, "What the hell is that and where did it come from?!"

I've never even looked through the glass of any of those, let alone field test one. All the shops around here carry the standard Bushnell and Tasco Chinese shit.

Some day, I want the best mount on the best cover with the best optic available for the para I'm building with a shortened barrel. I wish I could experiment and try these out for myself, but for now, I'm stuck reading reviews. What's ya'll's favorites?
If you're building a short barreled para, I think you're better off with a dot type sight. I have no problem ringing a gong at 200-400 yards with my EOtech. Let your needs determine what you get. What I'm trying to say is don't try to turn your para into a sniper rifle and put a Mk4 scope on it, you'll be disappointed. A short barreled para is a "close and dirty" type rifle (that can "reach out there" though). The EOTech is great because it has a 65 MOA ring for really fast close range work, and the 1 MOA dot in the middle for precision work. The ACOG is very nice too, just make sure you get a model with longer eye relief. I have a TA31F on my M4gery and I love it, but I wouldnt' dream of putting it on my FAL. Also, keep in mind that if you really want to get the best optics you can ("all money situations aside"), it is very common to spend as much, if not more, on it than you did for the rifle.

HTH
Rich

[bigant]

This is what I would consider if I was going to build the same rifle.....I would get a ARMS #4, LaRue SPR Mount if it's high enough to clear the rear sight, if not than probably Warne or TPS rings. Then I would get either a Trijicon TR 21R, or a MR/T M2 1.5-5 Leupold.....If you really, really need NV than a
Nightforce 2-10x24


A Eotech is very fast, and you could get the GG&G mount for fast removal or the LaRue. But if you want good precsion than the above optics are better, if you just want to hit a gong than the Eotech is the optic....IMO I would not put a ACOG on a FAL, but thats just me. You also need to consider weight, since the FAL weighs enough on its own, so you dont need to add more weight, ie: IOR 3x


Ant

[shogan]

Mark I eyeball with lots of practice.:D

[brownknees]

6.) No light signature, ie reflection. there is no optic that wont reflect light. That's the nature of the beast. Nor, should it really be an issue with a "tacticool CQB" carbine. You're not sniping an enemy intent on trying to find you where the glint from a scope could give you away. If you're really worried about it get a tenebraex filter.
Just a note of warning about these. I bought one, but was concerned about the effect of the "sharpness" of the image being affected by the honeycomb right up close to the front (image forming) lens.
This is exactly the technique used by photographers to get that fuzzy edged "dreamy fantasy" look that is used in movies.
Mine works fine at the lower power settings (3X~5X), but it does take a noticable chunk of the sharpness away at the higher power settings (6X~9X) For that reason I can't recomend them over a good shade of some type.
The shade will add length, bulk to the scope & will not kill 100% of reflections from the front glass, but it will make a big reduction without sacrificing sharpness.
The length of the shade will be determined by the power & diameter of the front glas of whatever scope you end up getting.
I agree that a "sniper scope" doesn't belong on a CQB carbine, but it that's the combo you're looking for then this might be a help.

[goldenspurholderx2]

Mason, my rifle, although not a para but 18" tube will have a LaRue mount and a Nightforce 2.5-10x24 with the "circle&dot" reticle. I got this so I could use it for close in 3-gun but still hit the long target. If you look at the pics in FAL Images you can see I wasn't really on a budget with this project.

[TheJokker]

get an eotech until the compact 3x30 acog comes out...

[Dakota FAL]

Criteria:

1.) Capable of engaging targets out to 300 meters.
2.) Waterproof, shockproof, all the -proofs.
3.) Quick-detachability if something malfunctions and iron sights are to be used.
4.) Return to zero capable.
5.) NV capatable.
6.) No light signature, ie reflection.
7.) Balls-to-walls tough.
8.) Extremely fast target aquistion.

I tend to agree that iron sights and a Mk1 Mod 0 Eyeball meet all the above criteria and in particular are far more shock proof and waterproof than any optic.

But having the common need to try to improve on perfection, I tried a few different scopes on mine as well an an Ultradot scavenged from a 1911 left over from my bullseye days.

The zero magnification Ultradot is nice and would be my first choice if I had problems using iron sights. It still allows the use of iron sights if your battery dies as it is very low profile. When set up this way, the red dot basically sits on top of the front post when it is installed and zeroed. This means you can quickly and easily re-zero it after swapping top covers by lining up the iron sights while looking through the ultradot and adjusting the elevation and windage knobs until the dot sits on top of the front post again. You can also shoot with both eyes open if the situation demands and you can still use the carry handle with it installed. It also works ok at night as you can turn the intensity down to very dim levels so it does not wash out the target. But since there is no image intensification, you still need to be able to see the target and it really has no significant advantage over the FAL's iron sights with it's large rear aperture.

My last choice would be a scope. I use one from time to time but only for load development where the additional magnification and precision outweigh all the downsides. They add a lot of weight, the attached top cover makes cleaning more difficult, they are comparatively fragile compared to iron sights and they really make the gun top heavy and generally destroy both the good looks and handling.