To make a long story short, my buddy texted me a link to a scope that was on sale and I jumped on it because I thought it would be perfect for my 5.56. I was under the impression that it was a 1-4 power. When it got here it was a fixed 1 power. Completely my fault for not reading the fine print. So do I send it back or slap it on my upper?

How good are your eyes? I use a 1x scope on one of my rifles because the crosshairs are easier for me to see than open sights. The rifle is designed for use between point blank and maybe 75 yards. I find it difficult to use the 1x for precision shooting much past 50 yards, but my vision isn't the greatest. What is the primary intended use of your rifle?

My eyes are super great when I have my contacts in. This rifle is my truck gun.

What scope is it?

Most red dot and reflex optics are 1x, and I use them a lot.

I had an EOTech on my AR when I had an AR. It was a good scope for quick target acquisition and ease of aiming, but I always hated the lack of magnification. Made it very difficult to shoot precisely at 100 yards.

I would box it back up and send it back. 4x is the minimum magnification I would consider on a scope (minimum top magnification I mean - obviously a 1x-4x is even better than a fixed 4x). JMHO - I'm sure others will differ.

This

Y'all said what I've been thinking. It's going in the mailbox tomorrow morning. Thanks fellers.