Skyscraper red dot Ultra-High mount

[freddy]

Any of you try these new 2.33" high red dot "skyscraper" mounts? Ostensibly for NV but even without - the ergos seem quite improved from previous cowitness-height mounts. Very intuitive and fast.

The Knight’s Armament Co. High Rise Aimpoint Micro Mount is uniquely designed to raise an operator’s Aimpoint Micro Series optic to a height more easily used under night vision goggles. Originally a collaborative effort between KAC and Redback One, the High Rise Mount allows operators to maintain a “heads up” posture during assaults, enhancing situational awareness, speeding up target acquisition, and making it easier to engage targets while using night vision and gas masks.

The High Rise Mount is 2.33″ tall from the top of the rifle’s receiver to the center of the Aimpoint Micro series optic. There is enough clearance to use back-up iron sights “through” the mount. A section of M1913 Picatinny rail behind the main optic riser allows operators to attach magnifiers of their choosing; including those from Aimpoint and EOTech. The magnifier mount should be standard cowitness height to line up with the Aimpoint Micro optic.

High Rise mounts are currently in use by special mission unit assaulters. The heads up position allows for easier and faster engagement while wearing kit.​

Knight's Armament Co. High Rise Mount - Aimpoint Micro

It also is in line with the latest CQB “head’s up” philosophy. Keeping your head up in a kinetic situation provides more situational awareness and increased reaction time to threats. The taller mount keeps the optic closer to the operator’s head in this up position, making target engagement faster. While this riser method has been utilized by Tier1 units specializing in CQB for years, other SOF units are starting to adopt the practice with new mount solutions.​

ADM Aimpoint Micro NVG Height Mount

 

[Podmonkey]

Interesting. Pretty niche, but interesting.

 

[Marine Cpl]

"The ergos seem quite improved from previous cowitness height mounts."

You don't need it that tall to cowitness.

You don't look down sights with NODS on. It's damned near impossible. That's why they have IR lasers.

 

[Podmonkey]

"The ergos seem quite improved from previous cowitness height mounts."

You don't need it that tall to cowitness.

You don't look down sights with NODS on. It's damned near impossible. That's why they have IR lasers.

You ever try aiming down the irons of an M16 with the old school monocular jobs? Exercise in futility. And yet we had to train on it. I cheated and lifted the nogs up on my forehead when no one was looking. That's how I qualified on the night ranges.

 

[freddy]

"The ergos seem quite improved from previous cowitness height mounts."

You don't need it that tall to cowitness.

You don't look down sights with NODS on. It's damned near impossible. That's why they have IR lasers.

Traditional red dot mounts cowitness. These new ultra high mounts do not cowitness. They are too tall. For good reason. The KAC version shown above has window below red dot for viewing iron sights.

Now, with these new mounts you can aim while wearing nods or gas mask. The new designs are 2.33 inches tall. About 0.6 inches taller than older traditional designs.

Nowadays going passive (no IR laser or illuminator) is prefered by many. Obviously this helps quite a bit if your opponent has nvds. Using the skyscraper mount allows ergonomic passive aiming through the red dot with helmet mounted pvs14.

For many, it also vastly improves ergos even in daylight with just the red dot.

 

[Marine Cpl]

I don't like chinwelds. I prefer cheekwelds. You can control your weapon better.

This is a gimmick and no military fields it.

 

[freddy]

I don't like chinwelds. I prefer cheekwelds. You can control your weapon better.

This is a gimmick and no military fields it.

I would not call it a chin weld. It is more of a heads up posture. Quicker to shoulder and aim. The KAC mounts are in fact used by select LE and military. ADM and KAC don't cater to the 'gimmick' crowd.

 

[Podmonkey]

I don't like chinwelds. I prefer cheekwelds. You can control your weapon better.

This is a gimmick and no military fields it.

Not much military use of the new generation of Keymod/Mlok rails either but that is where the Miltary is going, eventually. Starting with the Mlok rail on the new HK CSASS. Military usage is not the sole arbiter of worth for the civilian shooter. Case in point, the military, as yet, does not make use of LPV scopes but that is where its at for versatile carbine builds. Or we can look at the 6.5 Creedmore, no military is using that cartridge but it has plainly usurped the .308/7.62 in civilian and LE precision rifles. How long did it take the military to embrace the superior PMAG? And military acceptance of Pmags still isn't universal.

 

[Marine Cpl]

Not much military use of the new generation of Keymod/Mlok rails either but that is where the Miltary is going, eventually. Starting with the Mlok rail on the new HK CSASS. Military usage is not the sole arbiter of worth for the civilian shooter. Case in point, the military, as yet, does not make use of LPV scopes but that is where its at for versatile carbine builds. Or we can look at the 6.5 Creedmore, no military is using that cartridge but it has plainly usurped the .308/7.62 in civilian and LE precision rifles. How long did it take the military to embrace the superior PMAG? And military acceptance of Pmags still isn't universal.

I agree that military isn't the end all but Pmags aren't superior. They are just different. Millions of rounds have gone through GI mags without issue.

And variable 10 to 12 inch lengthed scopes issued to the average grunt ain't happening. They are too unwieldy and add unnecessary weight.

What's good for the at home operator or hunter isn't always good for a grunt. Grunts don't try to get cloverleafs from a bench in combat.

 

[Marine Cpl]

Keymods or Mloks do have utility due to their weight.

 

[Airborneguy]

I only own a handful of plastic rifle mags. Most of mine are GI metal. I only use plastic when trying to keep brass nice.

 

[Podmonkey]

GI mags are shit. The aluminum dents too easy and the feed lips can deform out of spec too easily, plus the feed angle is sub optimal. I have ruined too many GI mags by dropping or stepping on them to say they are great and during my service I had all sorts of problems with them. Of all the different mags I have I like the Pmags the best, better than the Lancers even, which have issues enough of their own that I'm not going to buy anymore.
@Willjr75, not every LPV Scope is as big and heavy as you state. The new Nightforce NX8 is less than 9" in length and only weighs 17oz. As these types of scope continue to shrink and proliferate we will see military adoption of such.

 

[ECU Pirates]

17 ounces is not all that light when ounces become pounds.

 

[Edwardteach72]

17 ounces is not all that light when ounces become pounds.

Honest it's not that bad for what you get .. 1-8 power at 17oz
Hell one of the most common optics in the military is the Trijicon Acog and that's just under 10oz and fixed 4x
So for 7 more oz (yes a decent amount) you get a lot more options

 

[Podmonkey]

17 ounces is not all that light when ounces become pounds.

That is extremely light for a 1-8, 30mm tube scope. Lightest on the market I think. The Vortex Razor HD 1-6 for example is 25oz

 

[Edwardteach72]

And hell the military for a while until the lawsuits were using eotechs and they are only 1x power at 11oz

 

[Marine Cpl]

Another thing is that battery life sucks on those variable scopes. Days instead of years.

 

[Marine Cpl]

And hell the military for a while until the lawsuits were using eotechs and they are only 1x power at 11oz

The spec ops that did dumped it quickly.

 

[Edwardteach72]

The spec ops that did dumped it quickly.

Oh I know they did just pointing out that previous and current optics that people think are smaller and lighter aren't by all that much

 

[Marine Cpl]

GI mags are shit. The aluminum dents too easy and the feed lips can deform out of spec too easily, plus the feed angle is sub optimal.

GI mags are all I've ever used and never once had I the problems you are saying they have. Hell, the military hasn't had that problem.