Red Dots for ARs

[Fyrtwuck]

Well to be fair, that's because you can't turn it off right?

Firecop -

Aimpoints are legendary for their battery life. They don't utilize the same technology that other red-dots use (that's part of what makes them friggin awesome - that, their weight, their low-cost compared to other high-end optics, and their durability).

You can't turn it off? They don't have an on/off switch?

 

[CAR-AR-M16]

You can't turn it off? They don't have an on/off switch?

Yes, you can turn them off. The last postion on the intensity knob is "OFF".

 

[ez bake]

Yes, you can turn them off. The last postion on the intensity knob is "OFF".

On the Comp M2? I thought the last position was "night-vision" and the ML2 allowed you to turn it completely off since the "L" models aren't night-vision compatible?

Am I confusing this with the Comp M3 or M4?

 

[CAR-AR-M16]

On the Comp M2? I thought the last position was "night-vision" and the ML2 allowed you to turn it completely off since the "L" models aren't night-vision compatible?

Am I confusing this with the Comp M3 or M4?

I'm sorry, I thought we were talking about the ML2. You are correct that the M2's lowest setting is still NV and it should go 100,000 hours at that setting. From Aimpoints website:

CompM2 / M2-2X: 10 positions: 4 NVD,
6 daylight of which 1 Extra Bright

CompML2 / ML2-2X: 10 positions:
1 Off, 9 daylight of which 1 Extra Bright

 

[Josh-L]

You're saying 7-10 years life. Is that with the sight left on constantly or just as you use it?

That is how long you can leave them turned on their mid setting. They vary a tad between models which is why I said 7 to 10. If you crank it down to it's lowest setting or technically off then I doubt you would ever need to replace enough to stockpile a dozen.

 

[Milezc9]

Well it came in today and man is it nice. Too bad I don't have an AR I would have kept this for myself. Thanks again for all your help guys.

 

[Glocktogo]

You're welcome. I have a feeling your gift is going to be very appreciated.

 

[ez bake]

You're welcome. I have a feeling your gift is going to be very appreciated.

No joke - that's a friggin gift there man. Congrats.

 

[dwkennedy]

Tell me more about these batteries.

What are they? (size?) I've never seen any of them.

Where do you get them?

Are they a speciality item or pretty common?

If I buy a dozen of them to store, what kind of shelf life do they have, how long can they be stored without losing power?

You're saying 7-10 years life. Is that with the sight left on constantly or just as you use it?

CR 2032

Easy to find at wal-mart. They are lithium so that have a long (10+ year) shelf life. They are used in a lot of small consumer electronics items (remote controls, key fobs, flashlights, etc.) so they will be available for decades to come.

The eotech models use either N cells, AA, or CR123. The N cells are a little harder to find and quite expensive for the energy they contain, and you can't yet get a lithium N cell, so I'd pass on those models. (Lithium cells are lighter, hold more energy, and work better in the cold)

Aimpoint Micro T-1/H-1 are super light and the battery lasts forever. If you shoot with both eyes open, the tube almost disappears and you're left with a dot suspended in space. Until something better comes out I think it's the dot sight to buy. You will need a riser mount ($60-$100) for it to work on an AR.