Magpul MBUS & Yankee Hill Machine and Tool Backup Sights

The most common question when talking about any tactical rifle is "what kind of optics do you have on it".  With the technology of optics and the benefits of the speed you gain in a CQB setting good optics on a battle rifle is almost as common as a 30 round magazine, and just as important.  Now consider this, what happens if your optics fail?  Your batteries die, micro electronic failure, or an impact to the glass and you loose your dot or hologram......what is your backup?  I have actually seen L.E. and military weapons with optics only, uh....have you forgot about Murphy's Law?  When the crap hits the fan, what can go wrong may go wrong and you need to have a plan, a backup plan, i.e. backup sights.  If you only rely on optics and you loose this, you are providing inaccurate suppressive fire at longer distances, at best.
This brings me to the basics, the use of the tried and true sights.  Remember those, the post in the front and the peep sight in the rear?  There are so many of options out there, but in this post we will look at the two that I am familiar with, the Magpul MBUS sights, and the Yankee Hill Machine and Tool (YHM) front and rear flip sights.
First the YHM sights, the first word that comes to mind with these sights is "solid".  With all steel construction, you know they will be durable. 

As you can see in the above images, these are well built sights.  One thing that I really like about the YHM front sight is that you can change the front post to an after market post such as a tritium front post sight.  I had these installed on a Bushmaster Modular rifle and these worked very well.  With the automatic deploy system, they will spring in place with the push of a button.  The release for the sight to go into battery is located on one side, which is the only down side I see if you are one that likes things to be ambidextrous.  If you are right handed the placement of the release is perfect, however if you are left handed this may seem awkward.  There is little to no play with the sights deployed or folded.  Just remember to put a little lock tight on when you mount them to keep the vibration from loosening the sights over time.  A set of the YHM sights for your rifle will cost you about $200-$225.
To see the full product line of YHM products, here is the link for you.http://yhm.net/

Now we will look at the Magpul MBUS sights. These are the current sights I have on a Sig 556, they look sleek and modern. 
Some of the features I really like is the very low profile of  the MBUS sights when folded:

 True ambidextrous releases are located on both sides of the front and rear sights:

You can see in this picture the aperture adjustment for the rear sight.

Here is a close up of the MBUS front sight.

Some people don't like the "plastic sight" look, but unless you mount this directly to a railed gas block you will not have an issue.  Due to the direct high heat a railed gas block puts off, this can damage the sight. 
The Gen 2 MBUS sights come in 4 different colors: Black, Flat Dark Earth, OD Green, and Foliage, so no matter how you want to outfit your rifle, Magpul has the color for you.  Magpul thought ahead and put thread lock on the mounting bolts for you, so you don't have to look around the house or garage for that one tube you used and misplaced years ago.  A front and rear set of the MBUS sights will cost you about $100.  If you are looking for some cost savings, color options, and a modern look, then the MBUS may be the sight for you.

With all that said, both the YHM and Magpul MBUS backup sight will work for you when/if you need them.  Both fit the mil-spec 1913 Picatinny rail, both have quick deploy release, both have windage and elevations adjustment, now the rest is up to you.

Thanks again for stopping by,
Jack