Red dot or 'reflex' sighting systems now dominate civilian action shooting and are standard issue in the West's armed forces. Three manufactures have taken the lead and now dominate the marketplace; each taking a different approach to the problem of rapid target engagement and survivability on battlefields across the world.
The Swedish manufacturer Aimpoint opted for an almost indestructible 'tube' design in a range of red dot sights that are parallax from 50 meters out making the firer's head position all but irrelevant. Aimpoints come in many sizes featuring dots of different sizes for different uses. The US Army having standardized the Aimpoint CompM2 as its M68 is now purchasing the improved Model CompM4s. Note the small 's' in the manuracturer's designation. Aimpoints offer a somewhat narrower field of vision than holographic units when used with in-line night vision, but offer a far greater battery life - on some recent models at lower reticle brightnesses this can be years! Most Aimpoints are 1X powered, but a flip to side magnifier is available to boost them to 3X in an instant. This gives the operator the flexibility to engage long range targets should these appear in an otherwise CQB scenario. You can easily 'co-witness' back up iron sights on a rifle in the lower third of the sight picture, so you can still shoot accurately even if your Aimpoint is broken or its aiming window obscured. An alternative is to use offset back up iron sights or a see thru mount, though the latter can position the sight too high for correct cheek weld. Some aimpoints come with mounts, but a many alternatives are available from Aimpoint and aftermarket suppliers to allow the Aimpoint to be used in almost any conceivable configuration.
Eotech broke new ground by introducing laser HUD technology to individual weapon sighting. This makes for parallax free aiming at all distances and extremely fast target acquisition regardless of head position. Reticle design is more flexible and models are available with aiming patterns ballistically matched to the .223 Remington (5.56x45mm NATO) and .308 Winchester (7.62X51mm NATO) calibers. The Eotechs will display the entire reticle even if all but a small part of the aiming window is obscured or even if it is entirely shattered. The Eotechs are more difficult to protect from the elements than Aimpoints with optics that are awkward to cover. GG&G make a set of flip up covers for some Eotechs, but they don't really seal like the Butler Creek style ones typically used on Aimpoints The lasers in Eotechs exhaust batteries far faster than their Aimpoint competitors, but battery lives are still in the hundreds of hours and are protected by a user configurable auto power-off feature. Eotechs are considered somewhat less robust than Aimpoints, but enough for demanding military operations. USSOCOM was impressed enough to commission its own Eotech HWS model and the sights have seen extensive service with the the 1st Stryker Brigade and 3rd Infantry and 10th Mountain Divisions. USSOCOM requested twice the waterproofing depth of the standard models - 66 feet. That Eotechs are reliable in salt-water environments can be seen from their adoption by the Royal Navy for use on defensive Miniguns. Again a flip-to-side magnifier can be purchased - Aimpoint and Eotech magnifiers being effectively interchangeable. Some HWS models come with 7mm risers to improve night vision compatibility and iron sight co-witnessing. To clear the delta rings of AR15s, these models also boast 'cantilevered' battery housings. Most Eotechs are night vision compatible - the most modern featuring brightness and NV buttons on the side of the unit to allow the magnifier or NV to be mounted right up to the back of the sight. Eotechs come with their own mounts to suit Weaver and Picatinny rails - depending on budget and desired amount of rigidity/detachability these can be bolt, thumb screw or ARMS type quick detachable throw levers. Many Eotechs are available in models to suit either CR123 or AA batteries offering longer life vs easier availability. The 512.A65 is a good example of an Eotech Holographic Weapon Sight.
Trijicon offer a huge range of sights to cater for applications from close combat up to long range sniping and crew-served weapon sighting. ACOGs are essentially reflex sights that magnify and bridge the gap between reflex sights and scopes. Magnification extends the useful range of the ACOG dramatically. It is possible so use an ACOG with both eyes open, but, for closer range engagements, some now boast either peep and post back-up iron sights and/or mount a small 1X red dot sight on top. Such a combination has recently been adopted by the British Army for their new L129A1 7.62mm sharpshooter rifle. The Marine Corps have also opted for the ACOG as their standard optic with two units calibrated for the M4 carbine and flat-top M16A4 rifle. The M4 carbine variant is the TA31RCO-M4CP or AN/PVQ-31B. A key advantage of the ACOG is its non-reliance on batteries, utilizing a tritium light source for night use and, in the models with a bright daylight aiming point, a fiber-optic light gatherer. ACOGs come either set up for the traditional M16/AR15 carrying handle or Weaver or Picatinny rails
Aimpoint, Eotech and Trijicon ACOG sights have replaced iron sights throughout the US military, increasing effectiveness and driving up qualification scores. They are all excellent but cost hundreds of dollars, so deciding which one to purchase is a non-trivial decision. A flip up or detachable magnifier will add immensely to its versatility. You need to decide how detachable the sight needs to be and whether you will be using it with iron sights and/or NV or a magnifier as this will dictate the model of sight and mount options. ACOGs offer magnification in a rugged compact package at the cost of some loss of close range capability in the higher magnification models. The CQB capability of the Eotech and Aimpoint can be added to the ACOG by opting for a model with its own back up iron or mounting a red dot sight mounted on top, or by going for the very low magnification models (down to 1.5X). At the opposite end of the spectrum an ACOG magnifying reflex sight can make a tough and flexible replacement for a traditional tube telescopic sight. Mounting an RMR red dot on one of these covers the whole spectrum of targets from across the room to several kilometres distant.
These three manufacturers produce absolutely top notch optics that will take everything front line service in the military will throw at them. All are relied upon in life or death situations on a day to day basis.
The Swedish manufacturer Aimpoint opted for an almost indestructible 'tube' design in a range of red dot sights that are parallax from 50 meters out making the firer's head position all but irrelevant. Aimpoints come in many sizes featuring dots of different sizes for different uses. The US Army having standardized the Aimpoint CompM2 as its M68 is now purchasing the improved Model CompM4s. Note the small 's' in the manuracturer's designation. Aimpoints offer a somewhat narrower field of vision than holographic units when used with in-line night vision, but offer a far greater battery life - on some recent models at lower reticle brightnesses this can be years! Most Aimpoints are 1X powered, but a flip to side magnifier is available to boost them to 3X in an instant. This gives the operator the flexibility to engage long range targets should these appear in an otherwise CQB scenario. You can easily 'co-witness' back up iron sights on a rifle in the lower third of the sight picture, so you can still shoot accurately even if your Aimpoint is broken or its aiming window obscured. An alternative is to use offset back up iron sights or a see thru mount, though the latter can position the sight too high for correct cheek weld. Some aimpoints come with mounts, but a many alternatives are available from Aimpoint and aftermarket suppliers to allow the Aimpoint to be used in almost any conceivable configuration.
Eotech broke new ground by introducing laser HUD technology to individual weapon sighting. This makes for parallax free aiming at all distances and extremely fast target acquisition regardless of head position. Reticle design is more flexible and models are available with aiming patterns ballistically matched to the .223 Remington (5.56x45mm NATO) and .308 Winchester (7.62X51mm NATO) calibers. The Eotechs will display the entire reticle even if all but a small part of the aiming window is obscured or even if it is entirely shattered. The Eotechs are more difficult to protect from the elements than Aimpoints with optics that are awkward to cover. GG&G make a set of flip up covers for some Eotechs, but they don't really seal like the Butler Creek style ones typically used on Aimpoints The lasers in Eotechs exhaust batteries far faster than their Aimpoint competitors, but battery lives are still in the hundreds of hours and are protected by a user configurable auto power-off feature. Eotechs are considered somewhat less robust than Aimpoints, but enough for demanding military operations. USSOCOM was impressed enough to commission its own Eotech HWS model and the sights have seen extensive service with the the 1st Stryker Brigade and 3rd Infantry and 10th Mountain Divisions. USSOCOM requested twice the waterproofing depth of the standard models - 66 feet. That Eotechs are reliable in salt-water environments can be seen from their adoption by the Royal Navy for use on defensive Miniguns. Again a flip-to-side magnifier can be purchased - Aimpoint and Eotech magnifiers being effectively interchangeable. Some HWS models come with 7mm risers to improve night vision compatibility and iron sight co-witnessing. To clear the delta rings of AR15s, these models also boast 'cantilevered' battery housings. Most Eotechs are night vision compatible - the most modern featuring brightness and NV buttons on the side of the unit to allow the magnifier or NV to be mounted right up to the back of the sight. Eotechs come with their own mounts to suit Weaver and Picatinny rails - depending on budget and desired amount of rigidity/detachability these can be bolt, thumb screw or ARMS type quick detachable throw levers. Many Eotechs are available in models to suit either CR123 or AA batteries offering longer life vs easier availability. The 512.A65 is a good example of an Eotech Holographic Weapon Sight.
Trijicon offer a huge range of sights to cater for applications from close combat up to long range sniping and crew-served weapon sighting. ACOGs are essentially reflex sights that magnify and bridge the gap between reflex sights and scopes. Magnification extends the useful range of the ACOG dramatically. It is possible so use an ACOG with both eyes open, but, for closer range engagements, some now boast either peep and post back-up iron sights and/or mount a small 1X red dot sight on top. Such a combination has recently been adopted by the British Army for their new L129A1 7.62mm sharpshooter rifle. The Marine Corps have also opted for the ACOG as their standard optic with two units calibrated for the M4 carbine and flat-top M16A4 rifle. The M4 carbine variant is the TA31RCO-M4CP or AN/PVQ-31B. A key advantage of the ACOG is its non-reliance on batteries, utilizing a tritium light source for night use and, in the models with a bright daylight aiming point, a fiber-optic light gatherer. ACOGs come either set up for the traditional M16/AR15 carrying handle or Weaver or Picatinny rails
Aimpoint, Eotech and Trijicon ACOG sights have replaced iron sights throughout the US military, increasing effectiveness and driving up qualification scores. They are all excellent but cost hundreds of dollars, so deciding which one to purchase is a non-trivial decision. A flip up or detachable magnifier will add immensely to its versatility. You need to decide how detachable the sight needs to be and whether you will be using it with iron sights and/or NV or a magnifier as this will dictate the model of sight and mount options. ACOGs offer magnification in a rugged compact package at the cost of some loss of close range capability in the higher magnification models. The CQB capability of the Eotech and Aimpoint can be added to the ACOG by opting for a model with its own back up iron or mounting a red dot sight mounted on top, or by going for the very low magnification models (down to 1.5X). At the opposite end of the spectrum an ACOG magnifying reflex sight can make a tough and flexible replacement for a traditional tube telescopic sight. Mounting an RMR red dot on one of these covers the whole spectrum of targets from across the room to several kilometres distant.
These three manufacturers produce absolutely top notch optics that will take everything front line service in the military will throw at them. All are relied upon in life or death situations on a day to day basis.
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