well i finally did it. bit the bullet and bought a "high end" scope mount. i had used a burris P.E.P.R. scope mount as many sites listed it as the best scope mount under around $90. it was very solid and seemed to shoot well although i only used it once, but i really wanted a quality mount that could be detachable.

a friend of mine, who just got out of the army, had one of these mounts and raved about it. he had tested the "1/2 moa after detaching then replacing" guarantee that american defense made. time after time it proved to be legit. so i bought one at $180. ugh, that seems like so much money for a mount. well, ill tell you that it fit on my flat top easily and is very secure using both levers. there isn't much pressure needed to lock it in, so at first i was thinking it must not be very sturdy as it is. but when i tried to shake it the thing doesn't budge. very smooth operation. it fits VERY snug on the scope, but not to where it scratches. its really a perfect fit. if you take off the parts that hold the scope in and just push it into the one side it fits so snugly, even without screws or anything, that it won't twist, slide, nothing. as far as height, it just barely gets over the magpul mbus sights with a scope that has an eye piece that is 1.5" in diameter, so not a whole lot of clearance. it comes off and goes back on with ease. i haven't tried it yet but will update after a range report.

overall, seems like a good buy even though it was 180 bucks. i would recommend checking one out just based on fit, sturdiness and security.