Best Holographic Sights For AR15: Reviews and Buying Guide of 2018

Instant, significant improvements in your AR15 shooting accuracy & speed starts with equipping the rifle with the best holographic sight.

That’s a pure fact!

Specially designed for close range shooting- and boasting of untamed popularity among the US law enforcement and military members- the holographic sight allows you to make snap shots as well as easily and quickly engage moving targets.

Besides, it allows you to engage targets a couple of hundred yards where necessary.

Now;

There’s some sad truth about these unique sights…following their widespread usage, many clones and counterfeits of the original models have popped up.

And this gives you a hard time getting a quality sight for your shooting or hunting needs.

That’s why we’ve put up this post to help you easily navigate your way to the quality holographic sights on the market for your AR 15 rifle.

(Plus we’ve found 7 top-rated AR 15 holographic sights on the market for you).

Let’s delve into the details right away…

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What's a Holographic Sight?

A holographic sight acts the best replacement for the iron sights. It comes designed and formatted to maximize your shooting accuracy for up to several hundred yards.

The sight works by utilizing holographic technology- where a hologram gets transmitted by laser that is recorded in 3D.

As we’ve hinted earlier on, these sights are specially designed fir for close quarters combat…but they’re also versatile enough for use in medium range shooting. They make it possible and easy for you to put rounds on a target as quickly as possible while allowing you to easily engage moving targets faster.

The fact that the sights come with a compact, lightweight design mean that you can easily mount them on top of other scopes to act as backups.

Other key attributes of holographic sights include ease of use, ease of mounting, parallax-free, infinite eye relief- all of which work together to improve your rifle’s shooting accuracy and precision.

If you’re looking for the perfect sight for use with your AR rifle for shooting, home defense, military or LEO use, competition or hunting, the holographic optics will work just fine.

In the next section, we’ll walk you through the 7 top best holographic sight reviews we’ve promised you at the beginning…

Best Holographic Sight Reviews For The Money:

1. Dagger Defense DDHB Red Dot Reflex Sight:

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We open our list with the Dagger Defense DDHB Red Dot Reflex sight-nan incredibly compact holographic sight whose weight-saving design, and large, easy-to-use controls make it a great addition to your AR15 rifle. Constructed using aircraft grade aluminum, this sight is sturdy enough to last for long, even under tough, regular tactical applications.

The Dagger sight presents you with up to 4 different reticles (in either red or green), granting you the versatility you’re looking for in such a sight. Mounting the sight is super-easy; it comes designed for the standard rail, meaning you can easily attach it to the flat top of any AR15 upper receiver. It comes with a large control wheel which enables you to activate it as well as adjust its brightness level and reticle color hassle-freely.

The optic also offers you a wider field of view for easy viewing of your target. With such a compact design, this sight will leave you more space on your rifle to attach additional accessories you’d wish to.

You can also co-witness it with a standard AR 15 front sight. And you can use it for either dynamic shooting or hunting. Above all, it comes with a pocket-friendly price so there’s no excuse as to why you shouldn’t get it today.

Highlighted features:

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    Four position reticles
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    Locking screws for easy sighting adjustments
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    Aperture: 33mm; field of view: 15.8m@100m
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    Mounting option: Picatinny rail
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    Compact (82mm length), lightweight (291g) design
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    Uses CR2032 Battery (included)
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    Instruction manual included

2. Ohuhu Red Green Dot Gun Sight Scope Reflex Sight with 4 Reticles:

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Next up in our top-rated holographic sight reviews list, we have the Ohuhu Red Green Dot Gun Sight Scope Reflex Sight. This is a pocket-friendly holo optic with tubeless designed, suitable for use with your AR15 rifle.

Once you mount in on your rifle, it allows you to out round on your target faster you have never done before. It enables you to easily engage targets at both close and intermediate levels.

The sight has a33mm reflex lens for wider field of view, increasing your target clarity. It can use up to 4 different reticles- and green or red for each reticle- making it one of the most versatile holographic sights you cab equip your versatile rifle with! You can use a reticle of your choice- like the single, simplistic red dot, crosshair, circle and dot, stadia, circle with dot at center- on all its four sides.

Mounting this sight on your rifle is extremely easy as it comes built on a standard base for hassle-free mounting on a standard flattop AR15 receiver. Add to the fact that it comes with unlimited eye relief, and you can opt to mount it just anywhere on your rifle forward.

The sight comes with a lightweight design, so it doesn’t add bulkiness to your gun. It comes with a shockproof and waterproof design, making it suitable for use in tough tactical situations and extreme weather conditions.

Highlighted features:

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    Delivers a wider field of view
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    Multi-reticle (4 patterns) installed
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    Built-in mount for standard bases
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    Unlimited eye relief and parallax corrected
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    Windage and elevation adjustments
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    Ultralight, shockproof, waterproof design
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    Powered by one 3V lithium battery (included)

3. Sightmark SM26005 Ultra Shot M-Spec Reflex Sight:

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Sightmark is a name you can trust in the optics industry. The worldwide manufacturer of top-quality products bases its inspiration on military and law enforcement technology- where it designs triple-duty products that can be used for competition, hunting, and even tactical situations.

The Sightmark SM26005 Ultra Shot M-Spec Reflex Sight is a perfect example of their hard work and dedication to improving your AR15 performance.

The key thing that sets this sight from the rest is its digital switch control with up to 6 variable brightness levels (for daytime use) and six settings (in the night vision mode). This makes it a highly adaptable sight to ALL shooting environments you may find yourself in. This sight is also unlike most of its competitors out there, which are known for high power consumption. It comes with a battery life of as long as 1,000 hours to give superior functionality.

Durability gets a whole new meaning in this sight, with its cast magnesium alloy housing. In addition to this, the model has a protective hood for shielding it from your rifle impact.

As if that’s not enough, it also comes with a shockproof frame that protects from impacts of up to 0.50 caliber recoil. It is fully submersible in water for up to 40 ft. And its parallax-corrected lens system plus dual pane glass team to help you accurately sight a target from 10 yards all the way to infinity.

Highlighted features:

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    Cast magnesium alloy housing w/protective shield
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    Waterproof design; submersible up to 40 ft.
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    Digital switch controls
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    Low power consumption
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    Variable reticle brightness (with night vision modes)
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    Parallax corrected, unlimited eye relief
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    Interlock internal locking system
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    Adjustable quick detach weaver mount

4. EOTech EXPS2-0 Holographic Sight:

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If you’re looking for the smallest (but the toughest) holographic sight for ar15, the EOTech EXPS2-0 Holographic Sight is the best deal you can find on the market today. Just like Sightmark, Eotech is a highly reliable, reputable brand that offers you top-quality weapon optics.

They boast of being the founders of the Holographic technology- and the only makers of the real holographic sights. How valid are these claims? Only by using their holo optics can you get to know the truth.

Back to our product, it’s the smallest, lightest model available on the market today- at only 3.5 inches and 9 ounces. This is partly attributed to use of the single lithium 123 battery, which significantly reduces the battery compartment length (and thus the entire product length).

Though this design slightly reduces the battery life, you can still expect to enjoy up to 600 hours from the battery. With the two buttons placed on the rear of the sight, switching it on/off or adjusting its brightness level gets easier.

It’s also worth mentioning the65MOA circle with an MOA aiming dot reticle that comes with this sight. Without a single doubt, this kind of reticle is the best when it comes to hog or daylight hunting. Zeroing is enhanced by the two recessed screws situated on the right side of this unit.

Highlighted features:

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    600 hrs. average battery life at brightness level 12
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    Reticle: 65MOA circle with an MOA aiming dot
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    Single transverse 123 battery for increased sight compactness
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    Shortened base; requires around 2 3/4 inch of rail space
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    Side buttons with a quick detach throw lever

5. Sig Sauer SOR31002 Romeo 3 Miniature Reflex Sight:

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Sig Sauer has been for a long time been synonyms with handguns…but they now seem to have extended their product line to other products like ammunition, suppressors, and optics. The Sig Sauer SOR31002 Romeo 3 Miniature Reflex Sight is one of their top optics- it’s a holographic sight with a simple, easy to use design- that you can add to your AR15 for enhanced shooting accuracy and performance.

This sight is activated using a motion sensing technology- where it springs into full illumination whenever it senses motion- and turns off when it don’t. Needless to explain, this feature helps save the unit’s battery life.

The unit also boasts of super-efficient, ultra-wide broadband anti-reflection lens coating. This helps minimize surface reflections to incredibly lower levels inside the optics, resulting in maximum transmission of light.

Amazingly, this sight uses the CR2032 battery which is readily available. What’s more, the side-loading battery compartment permits easy, fast battery replacement (without necessarily removing the sight from your weapon).

Made from incredibly durable, lightweight aircraft grade CNC aluminum, this optic wills serve you for a lifetime. Its waterproof (submersible up to 1m) and fog proof design makes the best holographic sight for use in extreme weather conditions.

Highlighted features:

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    Activated via motion sensing technology
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    Superior light transmission
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    Electro-optics industrial design
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    3 MOA red dot
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    Elevation/windage adjustments: 100 MOA
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    M1913 Picatinny low-rise mount
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    1.41" AR iron sight co-witness

6. EOTech 512.A65 Tactical HOLOgraphic AA Batteries Weapon Sight:

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In our second last holo optic, we focus on the EOTech 512.A65 Tactical HOLOgraphic Weapon Sight. This isn’t just another sight from Eotech, but it’s the flagship optic from the company…and by far it's the most popular an affordable model. Its widespread popularity is mainly attributed to the fact that its controls are positioned at the rear, allowing them to be 100% ambidextrous, plus it features a 33mm viewing window which translates to a wider field of view.

The extremely durable and reliable optic is designed with the toughest tactical situations in mind- making it a great option for military as well as law enforcement operations. It provides you with an excellent reticle that you can use for both medium and range and close quarter battles.

In simpler words, it uses a dot with circle reticle, with the 68 MOA circle designed for close range combat, and red dot ideal for precise shooting of targets up to 200 yards.

This American made sight utilizes only 2 AA batteries which reward you with thousands of hours of uninterrupted functionality. You can use this top-rated optic not just for law enforcement and military operations, but also for home defense, hunting or competition. If you’re on a budget, this is unquestionably the holographic scope for ar15 you can get today!

Highlighted features:

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    Designed for close-in battle speed and versatility
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    Improves target acquisition, enhances accuracy and improves control
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    Rugged aluminum hood assembly
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    Knobbed, tool-free mounting bolt
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    Powered by 2 AA batteries
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    Works with 1” Picatinny or Weaver rails

7. Burris FastFire Red-Dot Reflex Sight with Picatinny Mount:

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We close our holographic sight reviews with another great holographic sight from a great brand! The Burris FastFire Red-Dot Reflex Sight comes engineered to magically increase your shooting speed and accuracy- by simplifying your aiming job, saving you from the need to focus on and align rear sight, front sight, and your target.

Just like all the optics made by Burris, this sight comes with maximum durability for increased lifespan. It features a solid steel construction which enables it to withstand all forms of brutality. Despite the top-quality materials used to make it, this sight remains compact and lightweight.

And that means you’ll never notice any form of bulkiness once you mount it to your AR15 after you cleaned it. The fact that it offers you a whopping 20,000 hours battery time (an equivalent of 2 years runtime) means you’ll enjoy a continuous, interrupted use with this sight.

To make the sight easy to use for you, it comes with a light sensor that automatically adjusts your sight dot brightness to match your surrounding conditions. Thanks to the integrated plastic hood, the light sensor is always protected from potential damages.

Note that this hood also puts your sight into sleep mode to help conserve energy. Above all, it comes with Picatinny rail which makes it the best holographic sight for ar15 as well as a wide range of other rifles.

Highlighted features:

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    Dramatically increases speed, accuracy
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    20,000 battery life
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    Waterproof design
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    Steel construction
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    Picatinny-style rail mount included
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    Limited manufacturer warranty

Budget-Friendly Holographic Sight Buying Guide For Beginners

If you’ve checked out the 7 products we’ve reviewed for you above, you might have noted that they all come with budget-friendly prices. Actually, all the holo sights are under $100.

If you’re wondering how we found these affordable sights that come with premium features and overall good quality, this is your part…

We’ll share with you our unique criteria for picking an affordable sight that matches your budget while meeting your specific shooting needs.

These are the key points to consider:

Durability

Imagine what it is like to use your new sight with your AR15 rifle…you’ll repeatedly shoot with the sight mounted on, and in some situations, you’ll have to shoot dozens of rounds at a go.

That said, it makes sense that you should examine the overall construction of the sight you want to buy. Make sure it comes with a recoil resistant design to help hold its zero as well as withstand the intense abuse it goes through each day.

Ensure its reticle remains clear when discharging the rounds.

An overall durable, quality material construction will help keep your sight functioning at its best (regardless of how many times you use it in a day) for an extended period of time.

Battery performance

One thing that might make you hate the holographic sights is their energy efficiency. They tend to consume power much faster than other weapons sights out there.

Luckily, you can improve the longevity of your battery by taking a few measurements- like taking good care of it and using the correct brightness settings. When not in use, ensure you turn off your sight to help conserve as much energy as possible. Going for models that come with auto shutdown feature will help improve the batter longevity too.

While still on it, it’s important to check the type of battery that powers the sight you want to buy. Make sure the battery isn’t hard to come by and isn’t too expensive. This will save you money and hassle when looking for a new battery.

NOTE: Some holo sights also come with an auto battery check indicator. Given the fact that the level of battery directly affects the sight reticle performance, this feature will help you know if you’ll need to carry an extra battery when heading out there.

Brightness level

If you plan to use your sight in different light conditions (which I believe you’ll), then you should look at its brightness settings before attempting to buy it.

This is important as it ensures you get a model that can easily adjust to various light settings- including the low-lit situations. According to the experts, the higher the number of brightness settings a sight comes with the better. Such a model allows you to easily adjust your sight so that it blends well with the surrounding environment.

Otherwise, you’ll have to deal with a too dim or excessively bright reticle that directly affects your shooting.

The more settings your holographic sight comes with, the easier it becomes for you to fine tune it to obtain a significant shooting advantage.

Reticle

The key thing to look in the reticle of the sights you wish to buy is how clear and crisp it is as well as its design.

In general, the holographic sights tend to provide you with a much more cleaner reticle compared to other reflex sights, but you have to meet the price to best quality.

Reticles come in a variety of designs, with most of the holo sights using the red dot (with large MOA circle) around it. The red dot is highly favored because it performs much better in medium to long-range shots.

The large MOA circle is also great when it comes to engaging the fast moving targets at closer range.

Ease of Use

Despite being a more modern device, with a highly sophisticated design, a holographic seem should be easy to operate for both experienced and first time users.

Look for sights that come with easily adjustable features- like brightness level, windage and elevation, etc. You’ll find a variety of such models which come with a single adjuster with audible click for easy-peasy adjustments.

If you get a sight that only requires you to hold and press an intuitive button for around 3 seconds to turn it off, the better. If all the other processes are operated with a similar operation, such a sight will give you an easy time using it.

Budget

Due to their unique technology and complexity, holographic sights tend to be a bit expensive.

But this doesn’t mean that you can’t find a quality holo sight with a limited budget…in fact, our reviews section above comprises of incredibly affordable (yet quality) sights that everyone can afford.

The price range for the AR 15 holographic sights falls anywhere between $50 and $600. This means that you can easily find a model under $300 or under $500.

It all depends on your budget and shooting needs.

As with any other product, the quality of the sights gets better as you move toward the higher pricing end.

How To Find Out If This Sight Will Fit in Your AR 15?

After following our buying guide above, you’ve finally gotten your ideal holographic sight. But you’ve got one more question in your mind…

“Will this sight really fit in my AR15?”

To easily determine if a sight will fit in your rifle, read the brief guide I’ve prepared for you below:

One thing you need to know about nearly ALL the holographic sights out there is that they come with a built-in standard rail. And this means you can easily mount it on you standard flattop AR15 receiver.

Some come with both Picatinny and Weaver rails, and other special mounts to match your rifle’s mounting style.

Whether your new sight will fit your rifle or not solely depends on the mounting option it comes with.

Holographic Sight vs. Red Dot Sight

The holographic sights and the red dot are doubtlessly the two tow most popular sights in their field.

Despite having almost the same level of popularity, they come with a number of differences that aren’t easy to see by just a looking at them.

Below, I’ll explain to you the key differences between these two sights so that you’ll be better off determining which of them will serve you better.

The key differences exist in terms of:

  • LED power: when it comes to the red dots, they have lower LED power which produces the reticle. As for the holographic sights, they have a higher power LED to help deliver the more powerful laser for bouncing around to produce the reticle’s holographic image.
  • Power consumption: this one is closely tied to the LED power difference above. The fact that a holo optic uses a more powerful laser means it consumes more power compared to the red dot. And this means the battery life for the former is quicker than that for the latter.

That said, it’s always essential that you turn off your holo sight if not in use to help conserve as much power as possible.

  • Parallax issue: holographic sights boast of near immunity to the notorious parallax distortion issue associated with all weapon sights (this is probably the biggest reason why most people go for these sights). This is unlike the red dots, where parallax tends to occur- more so when your eye doesn’t get perfectly aligned with your sight. The problem becomes bigger as the distance between you and your target increase.

In brief, if you’re tired of parallax distortions affecting your shooting accuracy, you’ll have to go with a holographic sight as it has great capabilities in reducing errors to this issue, even when the shooting distance increases.

  • Bulkiness: as you might have noted from our holographic sight reviews above, these types of sights are a bit more complicated than the red dots. And this simple fact makes them a bit bulkier compared to the red dot. (This is clearly a plus for the red dot sights).
  • Temperature immunity: another attribute that gives the red dot sights an edge over the holographic sight is their excellent immunity to temperature variations. The holo models have a weaker immunity to temperature- which is the reason why you’re recommended to use a red dot in its place if working in a too hot/cold place.

Overall, the two sights show considerable differences in terms of performance and construction, with the holographic sights demonstrating superiority over the red dot sights.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I mount a holographic sight?

Most holographic sights come with the Picatinny Mil-spec 1913 mounting rail or standard 1 Weaver dovetail or 2, making it easy for you to mount them on any tactical weapon (like AR15) or handguns.

2. Which weapons can a holographic sight work with apart from AR15?

A holo sight can work with a wide range of weapons such as the MP5-style sub guns, M4/M16 and derivatives, and Tactical shotguns. However, note that this sight isn’t limited to these weapons.

3. What advantage does a holographic sight have when used for close quarters battle?

When used for close quarters battle (CQB), a holographic sight offers you the following set of advantages:

  • Speed. The sight is considered the fastest sight for CQB on the market today!
  • Parallax-free viewing.
  • Ease of use. This translates to increased accuracy, providing you with controlled confidence in your shooting capabilities.

4. Can I use my holographic sight for long range shooting?

YES, you can use your holo sight to accurately engage targets up to 300 meters away. This is made possible by the fact that this optic offers you a wider field of view than a magnified scope, offering you increased visibility in your tactical engagement area.

5. Does the holographic sight come with water/fog resistant properties, like other weapons optics?

Yes, these sights come with water resistant and fogproof properties. The depth to which you can emerge them in water varies from model to model though.

Final Verdict

That’s it for our extensive guide to the best holographic sight for Ar15 rifle. As a quick reminder, the halo sights are specially designed fir for close quarters combat. But they also allow you to accurately shoot at medium range targets- say around 200 to 300 yards.

They’re precisely engineered to enhance your shooting speed and accuracy.

The fact that you can use them in different fields- including shooting, home defense, military or LEO use, competition and hunting- makes them incredibly versatile sights for your highly versatile AR15 rifle.

If you want to get a quality holographic sight for your rifle, make sure you follow our buying guide and advice in the above post.

And if you don’t wanna waste time sorting out different sights to get the best one, just order one of the 7 sights we’ve reviewed for you above and get to enjoy a whole new shooting experience with your AR15.

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