WOLF Performance Optic, a sister company of WPA (WOLF Performance Ammunition), introduces at the SHOT Show 2014 the PSU 1x/4x32mm gunsight. It’s a switchable 1x to 4x magnification optic in the similar style as the highly regarded ELCAN Specter DR 1x/4x gunsight.

The new PSU 1x/4x is build by the Russian NPZ optic plant and imported by WOLF Optic for the US market. The NPZ optic plant was started by Carl Zeiss in the 1905 and it have been producing optics for the Russian military optic since World War I. A number of features were added for the US market such as MIL adjustment, 1.5 inch sight height, 1913 rail mounting interface and markings in English.

The PSU offers a true 1x magnification and at 4x magnification it covers 6.5 degree field of view. It’s between the Trijicon ACOG 4×32′s 7-deg and ELCAN’s 6-deg FOV. The PSU also features a large ocular lens size with a large 8mm exit pupil and a consistent 2.75 inch of eye relief. Two QD levers are included with it’s 1913 Picatinny mount.

The WOLF PSU 1x/4x32mm sight is 7.4 inch in length and it weights 24.6 ounces. The sight housing is machined from solid aluminum alloy and it’s shook and water proof. The illuminated reticle is power by a single common CR2032 lithium 3V battery. There are 7 intensity settings for the reticle illumination. Since the reticle is etched into the glass, the sight will work without battery.

A close-up of the lever that switches the magnification from 1x to 4x. The PSU’s reticle is consist of a large horseshoe for fast CQB, inside it there are BDCs for 200m to 800m ranges. There are two short track bars on either side of the horseshoe. A stratametric rangefinder is located under the horseshoe.

The Colt SWORD (Sniper Weapon & Observer Reconnaissance Devices) Technology Demonstrator connects a variety of COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) and MOTS (Military Off-The-Shelf) components together into a deployable package. The system is hard to describe in a single sentence. Colt describe it as “a Small Arms Fire Control System based upon Colt Canada’s Patented Small Arms Network Power Data System”. It is probably best described as a local area wireless network of sensors, communications, power systems and video feeds that can receive and transmit data to/from a wider area military or government networks if required. The heart of the system is a 3G wireless base station. The base station is a fully integrated battery powered system that can be connected to external systems via. satellite modems if required. Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of the base station, just imagine a green rectangular box about 12″x12″x4″ with two antennas on the top.

Photo © Bryan Jones

Each solider using SWORD  has an Android mobile phone attached to their rifle, currently they are using the rugged CAT B15 Android smartphone that can be purchased for $350 off-the-shelf. The phone acts as a communications device as well as the solider’s SWORD graphical user interface. The phone communicates with the rest of the rifle, and is powered, through its USB port.

Each weapon (rifles, machine guns and grenade launchers) contain a GPS sensor, IMU (inertial measurement unit containing a compass and accelerometers) and range finder. The data from all these sensors can be viewed by any other user on the network. All the sensors communicate through a powered picatinny rail communications bus. The communications protocol is ethernet.

A camera is integrated into off-the-shelf scopes by using a prism that attached to the end of the scope. Not unlike the prism found inside Digital SLR camera, used for their phase detection autofocus, it siphons off protons and directs them to a highly sensitive camera sensor. This sensor then transmits a video feed so any user on the network can see feeds from any other users. The prism only reduces the light through the scope by 5%. This scope sensor can also be integrated into spotting scopes.

A central tablet, which currently runs the ancient Windows CE still popular in military devices,  allows a commander to see the position of all the network users, can designate targets and even see what targets each solider is aiming at (based on the direction and angle of their weapons). Fire solutions can be calculated and displayed based on the type of weapon and ammunition being used. It can even alert soldiers automatically if they are aiming in the direction of a friendly.

The final component of the system is a quad-copter  (four propellor) done that can be controlled by the commander through the tablet, or any other user through the phone or the sensor unit mounted on their weapons. The drone has a video camera providing a video feed to everyone on the ground. The drone flies itself, all that is required is to tell it where to go.

Colt plans on integrating all sorts of fancy software functionality into this system, such as target recognition, passive tracking / ranging and facial recognition of targets.

The system is definitely a technology demonstrator, Colt don’t make a secret of this, many of the parts of 3D printed, but it is functional. It will be interesting to see how SWORD develops in the future.

For just $250, Cabela’s Tactical 3X Prism sight is great bargain for shooters that are on a budget.

The field of view is 35.4 feet at 100 yard. It’s not bad but not as large as the premium prism sights like the Trijicon or ELCAN. Optically, the Cabela’s 3X Tactical Prism sight is very good. I would say it’s better than majority of the budget scope in its price range. The included slotted screw mounting base is basic but it’s serviceable and it can be replaced with an ACOG comparable 1913 sight base.

The Cabela’s sight has the standard AR-15 sight height. The adjustment turrets offers 1/2 MOA per click and it’s not capped. The sight housing is aluminium and it has two removable short rails mounted at the 2 and 10 O’clock positions.

The reticle is simple yet it offer BDCs up to 600 meters for the 5.56mm caliber. The reticle illumination is daylight visible. I have found the red color illumination is brighter than the green color. The battery life from the single CR2032 lithium battery is not great but the reticle will just turn back when the illumination is off.

Cabela 3X Tactical Prism Sight Spec 

Killer Innovations is a new company, based out of Tumwater, WA that is beginning to make their own line of products for the firearm market.  Their first two products released were a muzzle brake that they are making in both .308 and .223 and scope rings in 30mm and 34mm.  I had the opportunity to meet them and talk with them about the products they are producing.

Having been able to meet with the owners, and get hands on their products I was amazed at the workmanship and quality that went into their products.  Their muzzle brakes are made to push gasses up and out, but are also designed to completely eliminate dust printing when firing.  Having fired their 308 brake on a Savage 308 and compared it to my JP brake, I can say that the Killer Innovations brake performed just as well as the JP brake in terms of eliminating recoil, and muzzle flip.  The push from the rifle was straight back, meaning that I was still able to watch the splash, even at 100yds.  On further shots, the shooter would be able to see their own vapor trail, and be able to call their own corrections if needed.

The other product that they are currently making is matched scope rings.  Currently they are making their rings in 30mm and 34mm, and they are being marketed to the precision rifle shooters who tend to stay with the larger scope tubes. As of this writing there were no plans to produce 1” rings.  Their rings are made much like many of the high end, precision rings where both are machined from the same billet, and once cut stay together through the entire process of manufacturing.  This means that you will not have to lap the rings, and that will not end up with rings that may not precisely match up once installed.  They ring caps also contain a pin that aids in alignment with the ring base, but also is set at a length that will prevent over tightening the rings and crushing your scope tube.

Used with permission from http://killer-innovations.com/

This is a brand new company on the market, but they do have experience in the firearms industry manufacturing products.  Having seen the two products they currently have in production definitely makes me want to see more innovation and products produced by them.  This is a company that is going about making a killer product, the right way and keeping the cost down for the consumer.

Current cost is $49.99 for muzzle brakes and $144.95 for scope rings and they are only available directly through Killer Innovations.

If you want to find out more about Killer Innovations, you can find their website and store at http://killer-innovations.com

Hi-Lux Leatherwood displayed their new MaxTac Dot red-dot sight at SHOT Show 2014. This new red-dot packs a lot of features for just $199 MSRP. Some of those include a robust machined aluminum housing, dual-mode digital illumination control, build-in picatinny mount and a screw-on anti-reflective filter comes with it.

On top of the Hi-Lux MaxTac Dot, there’s a ambient light sensor which is part of the automatically illumination control feature. The user has the option of override that and manually adjust the reticle brightness. The objective lens size is the standard 30mm and all lens are multicoated.

On the left side of the new Hi-Lux red-dot, there’s the battery compartment for the CR2032 lithium battery. The battery life is between 400-500 hours and there’s an automatic shutdown to save battery power. A touch of either buttons will wake up the sight from the sleep mod. Hi-Lux is working on an add-on dedicated mount spacer that will increases the sight height to 1.5 inch for the AR style rifles.

The Hi-Lux MaxTac Dor’s lens covers are metal and those screw on to both lens. The included anti-reflective filter is also threaded for use with this metal lens cover. The sight’s capped adjustment turrets offer 1/2 MOA per click. The sight housing is sealed for water proof and shock resistant.

The Hi-Lux MaxTac Dot has a 4 MOA red dot reticle (the dot is off focused in this image). I found the lens coating has a noticeable greenish tint at low light. Due to its use of larger honeycomb grids, the Hi-Lux anti-reflective filter doesn’t seems to dim the sight picture as much as other similar type of ARD filters.

At the SHOT Show 2014, Burris introduced their unique AR-1X sight. It’s a compact prism sight with a true 1x magnification. It’s a red-dot alternative for those that have bad astigmatism, such as myself. The MSRP for the new Burris AR-1X prism sight is $299.

The sight is relatively small and the battery compartment is part of the integral 1913 mount. Burris engineers did great job in designing this optic. Unique to the prism sights, the AR-1X will co-witness with iron sights and magnifier, such as Burris’ own AR-Trippler 3x magnifier, can be with it.

The sight height is perfect for the AR-15.  While it doesn’t has a true unlimited eye relief like the red-dots, the Burris AR-1X has big enough of an eyebox that will covers the usually head positions and it also has a very flexible eye relief.

The reticle illumination is daylight visible and it’s powered by a single AA battery. The battery life is 5000+ hours when a lithium AA battery is used. The reticle being etched on the prism, it will just turn black when the illumination if off or the battery died.

The Burris AR-1X’s reticle offers BDC to 600 meter for the 5.56mm caliber. It could be also use for some elementary rang-finding. I found it to be very fast at close range with or without illumination.

The Burris AR-1X’s digital control on top. The power button will cycle the reticle illumination between red or green color. Holding it down with turn on or off the sight. The other two triangle buttons control the illumination levels.

Burris AR-1X Spec 

Armament Technology Inc., the distributor of the ELCAN optics, unveiled the switchable ELCAN SpecterTR 1-3-9x gunsight at SHOT Show 2014. With a MSRP of $3100, the new ELCAN SpecterTR competes against the new high-end 1-8x scopes with the traditional scope design.

Like their popular DR 1X/4X model, the new ELCAN SpecterTR is also utilized a prism based optical design. The new TR model features a switchable 1x-3x-9x magnification. Similar to the DR model, there’s no in-between in each of those three magnification settings.

ELCAN only uses the best German glass in their sights. While the new TR model retains the ELCAN signature external adjustment base, it have been upgraded to use the MIL system. Each click is now 0.1 MIL of adjustment. The ELCAN SpecterTR offers a true 1x magnification.

The new SpecterTR uses the standard CR2032 lithium battery instead of the lesser common DL-1/3N battery. The reticle is illuminated in all three magnification setting. At the 1x, the reticle is a daylight visible red color dot. At the 3x and 9x magnifications, the whole reticle is illuminated. The ELCAN SpecterTR will be offer with two different reticles for the 5.56mm caliber w/ BDC to 800 meters, and the 7.62x51mm NATO version w/ BDC to 1000 meters.

Instead of the lever on the DR model, the new TR uses a large dial on the left for changing the magnifications. The same dial also switch the reticle illumination type between the each magnification settings. There’s also the possibility of having a different QD mounts on the production model. For the new TR, Armament Technology and ELCAN are no longer restricted to use the unpopular ARMS QD lever, which is an US military requirement on the previous ELCAN sights.

The ELCAN SpecterTR is significantly longer and heavier than the 1x/4x model. The TR is 10.4 inch in length and weights in at 30.4 ounces with the integral external mount base. However, the ELCAN SpecterTR is slightly shorter than other 1-8x scopes and the weight is comparable when a heavy duty SPR rings is added to those.

ELCAN Products from Armament Technology 

FLIR, a world leader in infrared technology, has announced the addition of the Thermosight R-Series.  The R-Series is priced just under $3500, which is about half the cost of most other high quality thermal sights.  The R-Series is designed for hunting, as well as for military or law enforcement applications.  The R-Series thermal sight comes in a more compact housing than previous FLIR models, increasing its portability.

The FLIR R-Series thermal sight.

Some of the features of the FLIR Thermosight R-series:

• Multiple resolution and lens options
• 3-inch eye relief
• Up to 16x magnification
• Advanced image correction
• Shock reduction system
• Simple, 4-button operation
• Three reticle settings with a repeatable and dependable zero
• Integrated, rubberized lens covers
• LaRue Tactical RCO QD Picatinny rail mount.

The objective lens of the R-Series thermal sight.

The ocular lens of the R-Series thermal sight.

The FLIR R-series is designed for day and night use, though the night vision application will likely provide the best differentiation of heated objects or animals.  Thermal sights have the advantage over conventional night vision optics because they do not require ambient lighting sources.  In addition, thermal scopes can identify heated objects that are in darkened areas, or behind foliage.

The FLIR R-series sight will offer up to (6) different detection palettes, including FLIR’s exclusive InstAlert.  The InstAlert displays the hottest temperatures in red so the shooter can more readily assess and engage targets.  A light shield for the optic lens provides additional protection from dust, rain, or excessive light.

The internal shock reduction system (SRS-M) is capable of withstanding repeated shots from an AR-platform rifle up to .30 caliber.  The R-Series has a water resistant casing that can be submerged up to 3-feet of water without damaging the sight.  FLIR offers a 2-year warranty (3-year with registration) on the scope, and a 10-year warranty on the internal sensor.

The R-Series 4-button controls are enlarged for easier menu scrolling even with gloved shooters.

The 4-button controls are large to ensure gloved shooters can still easily manipulate them.  Every key setting is designed to scroll through the menu in three clicks or less.  The four controls are for:

• Dual power/calibration
• Zoom in/menu navigation
• Main menu
• Zoom out/menu navigation.

The FLIR R-Series comes with a LaRue Tactical RCO quick detach Picatinny rail mount that uses a locking lever for ease of mounting and dismounting.

The LaRue Tactical RCO quick detach mount.

A closer look at the LaRue mount.

The LaRue RCO QD release lever.

Imaging in the R-series depends on the lens selection – 13mm, 19mm, 35mm, and 60mm, with the field of view narrowing as the magnification increases.  The resolution ranges from 240×180 to 640×480, but the majority of options are set at 320×240.

Tangent Theta is a new optic company from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The name is new but the company was start by Andy Webber, the founder and former president of Armament Technology, the distributor and service provider of ELCAN sights for the military and civilian market. He’s credited with bring the ELCAN sight to the commercial market, introduced the SpecterDR and the M145 to US military and the ELCAN LDS to the UK Armed Forces.

Tangent Theta acquired all designs and assets from the now defunct Premier Reticles. That included the 3-15x50mm design used in the USMC Scout Sniper Day Scope. The new Tangent Theta 3-15x50mm TT315M model is developed from the same combat proven optical design as the Marine’s sniper scope. The rest of the TT315M is a completely new design with no connection to the Premier product.

The Tangent Theta 3-15x50mm features a side parallax adjustment and 11 levels of reticle illumination powered by a single CR2032 lithium battery. Both the elevation and windage turrets feel amazing with very precise clicks, great tactile feel and clearly audible. A very clever feature for the turrets is the small indicator cutouts just under the serration that let the shooter know what revolution is the elevation turret on and which direction is the windage turret in.

Tangent Theta uses German lens and some German made components but everything else is made in house. Their engineering team consist of members that have previously worked for Zeiss, Leica, ELCAN, Schmidt & Bender and other high-end optic companies.

Each Tangent Theta scope is hand-built in Canada. The 3-15x50mm TT315M model features a 30mm tube size, 13.81 inches in length, 26.6 oz in weight, 3.54 inches of eye relief, 0.1 MIL adjustment and it comes standard with Tenebraex anti-reflective device and lens covers. Priced at $2995 MSRP, the Tangent Theta scope is in the very high-end of the optic market and competes against the premium Euro scopes.

Tangent Theta TT315M Specification

New from Israel is the MSE series of red-dot sights. It was developed by retired Lt Col. Mikey Hartman who founded and was the commander of the IDF marksmanship and sharpshooter school with over 20 years of training experience.

The MSE sight is constructed with a combination of aluminum base and advanced polymer body. Windage and elevation are adjustable without using a tool. Size and weight wise the MSE sight is similar in size to the full-size EOtech 550 series. The sight will co-witness with the iron sights on an AR-15. The battery life is 1875 hours from a CR123 lithium battery.

The MSE sight features a large EOTech-style view window on top and its control is simple yet effective. It’s almost grunt proof (nothing is truly grunt proof!) with buttons for illumination level, power and reticle selection. No doubt, the MSE sight was designed by an infantry officer.

One of the special feature of the MSE sight is that the controls are duplicated on the PTT remote control cable mounted on the handguard or forward grip. This allows the soldier to adjust the sight without taking his/hers support hand off the weapon. It also function as a redundancy control for the sight in case of battle damage.

Another special feature of the MSE sight is the selectable reticles. I was able to tried out all three reticles that the MSE sight has during the pre-SHOT Show Media Day at the Range. The bullseye reticle is quick in CQB and the 1.7 MOA dot with trackbars reticle is good for shooting farther out. After those two, the plain red dot is just boring to shoot. I would like to thank Lt Col. Hartman for coaching me on the range.

The MSE sights will be distributed in the USA by Command Arms Accessoriess (CAA). Price starts from around $700 for the thumb screw mount version and multiple configurations will be offer by CAA. Those will be including upgrades like QD mount, PTT cable control and integral visible and IR laser designator.

Many new 1-6x rifle scopes were introduced at the SHOT Show 2014 and one of the best among those is the new Meopta MeoStar R2 1-6×24 RD. The new Meopta 1-6×24 features a true 1x magnification, lightweight 30mm tube, daylight visible reticle illumination with great battery life and what I like the most: German Schott glass. Not a bad deal for $1595 MSRP. I always considered the top-end Meoptas are on the same level as the premium German and Austrian optics but with a lot less money.

Many TFB readers may not be familiar with the Meopta name. The company was founded in 1933 and it is one of the best optic producer in Eastern Europe. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Meopta began to produce optics and components for well known names such as Carl Zeiss and Aimpoint. Meopta is now own by American and has its US headquarter and US factory in the New York State. The majority of the company and its main manufacturing facility are still based in Prerov, Czech Republic.

Designed mainly for the hunting market, the front part of new Meopta R2 1-6×24 has almost 2 inches of empty space that functions as a build-in lens shade. I think if Meopta ever come out with tactical version of this optic, they could eliminate that empty space and reduce the overall length from 11.7 inches to just under 10 inches. Which would make it a nice compact 1-6x tactical optic. The tube reduction should also take out an ounce or more off the current 17.4 oz weight.

Meopta is one of the first company to introduced daylight visible reticle illumination. However, the older illumination system uses the less common CR2050 lithium battery and the battery life is rather short at only 50-80 hours. The new Meopta R2 1-6×24 is now comes with an advanced illumination system that offers hundreds of hours of reticle illumination from a standard size CR2032 lithium battery. It’s good to see that Meopta has finally caught up with S&B, Zeiss and Swarovski in illumination technology.

The low profile capped turrets require no tool to change the adjustments. The illumination dial houses the CR2032 lithium battery and it features 8-level of brightness settings with off position between each level. The lens are treated with two new proprietary lens coatings: the MeoLux coating that delivers a class-leading 99.8% light transmission and the non-stick MeoDrop hydrophobic coating that repels water, dirt, grease and oil.

Meopta MeoStar R2 1-6×24 RD Specification

Oakley Standard Issue, a division of Oakley, Inc has released a new lens system at the 2014 SHOT Show.  The new lens system is called Prizm, and comes in two shades, TR22 for brighter days and TR45 for lower light situations.  The lens systems are unique in that they pull out the color of targets, both steel and cardboard while they also diminish the colors of the background.

Developed in conjunction with the Army Marksmanship Unit using their direct input as to what colors they wanted to see better, Oakley was able to come up with the Prizm system.  ”The Prizm technology utilizes the adjustment or “tuning” of dyes in order to heighten specific colors as it relates to both the sport application and environment of the user.” from the Oakley SI press release.

TR45, TR22 and Clear for comparison. (From top to bottom)

The Prizm lenses also block 100% of UVA/UVB and violet-blue up to 400nm, they are ANSI Z87.1 2003/2010 and MIL PRF 32432 compliant for their impact ratings.  They are also made with an anti-fog, scratch resistant hard coating.  They will be made with the same high quality, optical grade polycarbonates.

Having worn the lenses, and seen both their demo and been able to wear them in the outdoors, I can say that there are colors that definitely pop, while others fade to the background.  One color that really tends to stand out is tan colors, like cardboard targets.  The Prizm system makes the target much clearer while diminishing the greens that we tend to have behind out targets here in the Northwest.  Oakley SI has really done their homework in terms of finding a lens system that will really be useful to shooters.

They new lenses are going to be available in M-Frame 3.0, Flak Jacket and Radar frames, and are due to be released in late January 2014.  A full review of the lens system will be coming soon.

It have been two years since the prototype of the Mepro M5 was appeared at the previous SHOT Show. During SHOT Show 2014, The Mako Group have shown me the production model of the Mepro M5 reflex sight. It has a number of design changes and the final design was certified by the Israeli Defense Forces with extensive field trails.

The Mepro M5 feature a EOTech-esque large viewing window for achieving the biggest possible field of view. The Mepro M5 is powered by a single AA size battery for 5,000 hour of illumination. The power system has an auto-shutoff mode to conserve battery but it also has an auto resume feature to turn the sight back on. I am assuming that’s with a help of build-in motion sensor.

The main change is that the sight is now all metal construction instead of having a polymer hood on the prototype. However, I am not so sure about the new wheel shaped switch is an improvement over the flip-lever switch found on the prototype. Mako told me that’s an IDF required design change. The Mepro M5 now comes with a set of low profile QD levers instead of prototype’s simple dual-screw mount.

The Mepro M5 features a 2 MOA red dot reticle with four levels of brightness control. A unique feature of the Mepro M5 is its ocular window which consist of a single glass prism. This is very different from the typical multiple lens optical design found in majority of the red-dot sights. The optical window on the Mepro M5 seems to be almost clear with just barely noticeable bit of blue color tint.

The Mako Group is the only authorized distributor of the Meprolight optic in the North American market. Beware of buying any Meprolight sight directly from Israel, which shipping it to the US or Canada can be a violation of the ITAR and other arms importation laws.

Optic mounting on an AK is problematic for two reasons: one, the platform is not ideally designed for optics mounting.  Second, when an AK operator does decide to shoehorn glass onto this six-decade-old design, there are actually many good options for solid mounting available, and the decision can be just as tough.

Fortunately, (or perhaps unfortunately for those of us who are already suffering from choice paralysis) Arsenal’s SM-13 mount is another a good option to add to the pool of effective optic mounting choices.  Not only is it a solid and easy-to-install mount, but the Arsenal SM-13 has some other features that set it apart from other models.

The SM-13 is a one-piece CNC machined mount made of “aircraft grade aluminum alloy”, according to Arsenal.  The mount only weighs 5.76 ounces, but offers over 7.5 inches of top rail real estate.  It is made in the USA.

As a first impression, the lightweight SM-13 comes in an airtight plastic bag with straightforward directions on the front.  Minimal packaging and simple directions are always a plus.  The SM-13 installs on your AK’s “universal” side optics mount quite easily (see this article from RussianOptics.net for an exhaustive explanation and history of the AK side rail), however, anyone who has owned more than one AK or who may have bought “one-size-fits-all” AK accessories knows that there sometimes needs to be room for spec variations in an AK.  That is to say that, most likely, the same particular part on a Russian and a Bulgarian may not be the same part at all, mags that are tight in your Yugo might flop around in your Norinco, and for that matter, the same part on two WASRs may not even interchange between them.  Arsenal has solved this potential issue, however, with the SM-13.  On the inside of the SM-13, there are two pieces of rail that slide onto your side mount.  After you slide the mount on, a half-turn of the QD lever slightly compresses the rails, ensuring a tight fit.  However, what if, after locking the QD lever you have a little play? Or worse still, what if the SM-13 won’t fit your side rail at all?

Arsenal has already considered this, and allows the user to simply, securely, and very precisely adjust the SM-13’s mounting rail width.  The width is determined by a threaded stop castlenut that will only allow the rails to expand to a certain width. Once the screw is set, the rails will stay that width apart until the stop nut is adjusted.  To adjust it, simply press the rail jawpieces together to remove pressure from the stop nut.  While keeping pressure off the nut, screw it or unscrew it to tighten or widen (respectively) the gap between the SM-13’s mounting rails.  This takes maybe sixty to ninety seconds of trial and error, and once you have the mount just loose enough that it slides onto the side rail with only minor friction, then you slip it on and give the QD lever a twist.  Your mount is now lock tight.

The tensioning hardware is visible at the lower portion of the mount from this angle.

There are many mounting solutions that offer a solid mounting surface, and many of those also offer a smooth quick disconnect function as well.  However, the real test is which of those mounts will hold zero when installed, shot, removed, re-installed, shot again, removed again, once more remounted, etc.  The Arsenal is no cause for concern here.  The sample we received held zero all day at 50 meters after being installed, banged around with regular use, shot, removed, re-installed, shot again, so on.  And with an EOTech at 25m, the SGL-21 used in conjunction with this optic produced one hole in paper over a series of multiple groups after the optic mount had been removed and re-installed several times.  It appears, then, that if you install this mount properly (which, as mentioned, is not difficult), you will be rewarded with repeatable zero after multiple dismounts and remounts.

Further, there are smaller details that make the SM-13 a front-runner in this category.  First, the mount is very, very low-profile and sits only millimeters above the receiver.  This allows a tighter, shorter sightline to bore-axis, which allows the shooter to minimize the compensation required by trajectory arcing.  In other words, your AK can shoot a little flatter if you so elect, and this is valuable to many shooters.

However, this can lead to an issue – a low mount will occlude the shooter’s view of the front sight.  Indeed, many of these mounts are high mounts to allow for “peep-through”, where a mount is elevated to the point where the operator can see his sights beneath the mount, and alternate between the optic and the irons as he pleases.  The drawback, of course, is that your bullet’s trajectory is going to have a more exaggerated arc to compensate for the higher mounting.  Also, mounts like this can tend to get in the way of charging the gun, but the SM-13 is unobtrusive in this regard.

Again, Arsenal has addressed this issue in advance.  While the top of the mount is front-to-back 1913 Picattiny Rail, ready to accommodate your standard RDS, reflex, or rings, there is a semicircle groove that bisects the rail segments, forming enough of a trough to allow the user to use iron sights, even with the mount installed.  While I note that a low-slung optic like an EOTech or optics using solid bases like LaRue QD mounts may still block the front sight, at least the option to leave the mount in place and use the irons while still offering a low mounting solution may be preferable to the peep-through compromise.

As seen here, the sights are visible through this mount when installed.

However, as seen here, the sights are not visible with a low-pro optic in place.

As stated, the SM-13 is lightweight at 5.76 ounces, but robust nonetheless.  As seen, it has three cross members that connect the side mount point with the top mount it provides, which gives it an appearance like it could take some real abuse. The fit and finish are excellent, and the flat black anodizing will go well with about any AK.  The only negative I perceive is that the QD lever itself is a very thin steel that feels like it could be bent if the wrong sort of pressure is applied, but given how neatly the lever tucks into the mount when in use, this is unlikely.

Close-up of the QD lever.

In summary, the SM-13 offers a solid, versatile, and easy to install mount that holds zero when in use, and even when removed and reinstalled.  Additionally, Arsenal’s SM-13 is well thought out, offering a lot of rail (7.5 inches) while maintaining light weight, and providing a low mounting axis, while still permitting the use of the AK’s iron sights.  Finally, the fact that it is tension-adjustable all but guarantees fit on your AK.  As said, there are a lot of options when it comes to AK mounting solutions, but Arsenal’s SM-13 gives the shooter everything he needs and at a fair price on par with other top of the line mounts, and is deserving of serious consideration when shopping for an AK mount.

Bushnell, an industry leader in optics, has released a new red dot optic in their Elite Tactical line.  The CQTS 1x32mm red dot optic looks to take aim at the higher-end market of red dot optics, such as EOTech and Aimpoint, with competitive features and a significantly smaller price tag.

The CQTS has a very similar appearance to the older Bushnell TRS-32.  In fact I think the two share the same basic housing unit with some minor cosmetic changes for the CQTS.  However, beyond that the CQTS is a completely new optic, with all new and enhanced holographic technology, better multi-coated lenses for enhanced clarity, and a 3 MOA dot instead of the TRS-32’s 5 MOA dot.

The right side of the CQTS. Note the rubberized screw cap covers for elevation and windage.

Bushnell offers several red dot optics, including 3 MOA dot options, but the CQTS appears to be a combination of the best features in one product.  Besides the smaller 3 MOA dot size, the CQTS comes with 8 brightness settings, a lighter weight of only 6 ounces, and a larger field of view (FOV) of 68 feet at 100 yards.  Eye relief is also unlimited with no need for parallax adjustment.

The Bushnell CQTS has a 3 MOA dot that is easily observed while not being too large to obscure the shooter’s view down range.

The CQTS comes in a fairly compact package, with larger dials for easier control.  The optics are well protected inside the housing, but come with rubber flip-up lens covers as well.  Point of impact adjustments of 0.5 inches per click provide a much greater potential for accuracy than previous models.

The brightness setting dial is large with textured cuts for easy manipulation.

The 30mm tube is attached to a Picatinny rail with a cantilever style mounting bracket that comes included.  The mounting ring has (6) retention screws, three on each side, for a very solid hold despite heavy shooting.

The CQTS mounting ring has (6) retention screws for a very secure hold even in heavy firing.

The Bushnell representative I talked to at SHOT Show said that MSRP had not been set, but he estimated it to be around $350.  If that is correct, the big retailers will likely drop that number by at least $100 or more, as has happened with past products.

Red dot scopes are generally purposed for instinctive or reflexive shooting at close-range targets, even though a properly sighted red dot can be accurate to beyond 200 yards.  For close range shots, many shooters prefer smaller dots with better clarity and less clutter in the lens, to allow for the greatest possible image of the target.

The CQTS lenses are multi-coated for protection and clarity. Note the protection offered the amber colored recessed lens.

The CQTS should fit those needs very well.  Though the Aimpoint has a very nice 2 MOA dot, the majority of EOTech sights have a rather thick 65 MOA ring around their 1 MOA dot.  And both will likely cost $2-300 more than the CQTS.

Here are the CQTS 1x32mm optic features:

• Power/Objective Lens – 1x32mm
• Reticle – 3 MOA Red dot
• Tube Diameter – 30mm
• FOV – 68 @ 100 yards
• Weight – 6 ounces
• Length – 5.5 inches
• Eye Relief – Unlimited
• Exit Pupil – 28mm
• Adjustment Value – 0.5 inches @ 100 yards
• Adjustment Range – 50 inches @ 100 yards
• Mount – Cantilever style
• Battery – (1) CR2032 – included
• Service Life  – 940 hours at 68-Fahrenheit, 910 hours at 140-F, 850 hours at 32-F
• Matte Black Finish
• MSRP – $350 (Unofficially).

Bushnell claims to have the leading market share in all of the sports optics categories.  Their goal is providing high quality optics at reasonable prices.  The CQTS appears to meet that objective.

Having shot an EOTech, Aimpoint, and the Bushnell TRS-32, my favorite red dot optic has been the Aimpoint Pro with its simple and small 2 MOA dot.  However, if the Bushnell CQTS does come out $200 cheaper with only a nominally larger dot (3 MOA), I just may have to switch my aim.

The Hidesight is a 1x red dot optic modifier that allows a shooter to view and engage targets from a position of cover.  The Hidesight mounts behind the optic on the rifle and allows for shooting from a normal position, or with a 45° or 90° angle.  A shooter can then expose the rifle without exposing much of his or her body for observation or shooting.

A normal image is maintained when using the Hidesight.  In other words, the image is not flipped:  right is still right, left is still left.

The unit is made of polymer, steel and aluminum.  The company states the construction is rugged and will operate normally in a wide range of temperatures.

The Hidesight is made in Finland.  MSRP is €145 (about $196 US), and the company offers worldwide shipping.

BLK Technologies has introduced a new range of rimfire and airgun mounts and bases. Each of the SOLO series rings are being sold individually rather than in pairs so you can mix and match them for your gun/optic combination. The SOLO ring range includes offset rings, single strap, double strap and even triple strap rings. You could, for example, have a triple strap forward of your scope turrets and a offset to the rear of them.

BKL-274 0.6″ Offset Dovetail Ring

BKL-264H 1.53″ Long Triple Strap Dovetail Ring

The SOLO rings range in price from $12 – $27.

LaserMax offers a laser aiming unit for several Kahr pistol models that do not have normal accessory rails.  The CenterFire laser unit mounts the to pistol frame without any need to swap parts or permanently altering the handgun.

The CenterFire units use a red laser, which typically offers good performance in a wide range of lighting conditions except for bright light.  In direct sunlight, red lasers tend to be very hard to see.  In low light encounters, red lasers work very well.

One of the benefits of the red laser is it tends to be less expensive than green lasers.  The CenterFire has a MSRP of only $129.

The unit weighs only 1/2 of an ounce.  It uses a 1/3 N lithium battery that offers one hour of run time.  The laser is adjustable for windage and elevation and comes factory set for 10 yards.

The CenterFire will fit the CM40, CM9, CW40, CW9, P40, P9 and PM9 pistols.

TRUGLO is now offering several products for turkey hunters: the Strut Stopper Extreme choke tube and the Gobble Stopper Triton Series of 1x optics.

The Strut Stopper Extreme choke tube is designed to be used without the need of a choke tube wrench and is made in both 12- and 20-gauge versions.  The tube is not for use with steel shot.

• construction for tight, dense patterns
• 12 gauge and 20 gauge
• precision CNC-machined
• internal grooves for improving patterning
• accepts all turkey loads including Hevi·Shot

Gobble Stopper Triton optics are 1x red dot-style sights with variable brightness controls and numerous options.  Shooters can get the Gobble Stopper in plain black or in RealTree APG camo finishes.  The dot can be had as 3 MOA or 5 MOA and in dual or tri colors.  The units come with a removable sunshade to reduce glare off of the front lens.

Four years ago, frustrated after having a bad experience with an Armalite AR-180B, I purchased a Colt 6920 rifle from a gun store in Northwest Louisiana, which I was passing through at the time. Since then, I have put close to five thousand rounds of steel-cased ammunition through the rifle, along with about a thousand rounds of brass-cased ammunition. During the past four years, I have tried numerous times to get the rifle to stop working, and only succeeded once. Along the way, I used the rifle to shoot at targets that conventional wisdom says are too far away to hit with a 5.56mm carbine. This review will cover my experiences with the rifle in greater depth, and conclude with why I think the Colt 6920 is a benchmark for civilian self-loading carbines.

Despite my best efforts to push the rifle beyond its limits, I found the Colt to be as reliable as the Yugoslavian M70B1 AK that I owned at the same time. Shooting through Southeast Texas rain and mud, New Mexico sandstorms, and thousands of rounds without cleaning, the rifle proved itself to me as an outstandingly reliable machine. In one of my attempts to make the rifle fail, I picked the most pitiful looking USGI magazine out of about twenty that a friend had brought back with him from his deployment in Iraq. This magazine had broken most of its welds along its spine, and had been crudely re-welded. The sides of the magazine were not quite parallel; the “box” cross-section of the magazine being more of a trapezoid than a rectangle. Despite this, the rifle – which at this point had not been cleaned in over a thousand rounds – worked flawlessly, for over 120 rounds fed from that same magazine. Even so, the only malfunction I ever experienced with the Colt happened while shooting over three hundred rounds through a New Mexico sandstorm. Towards the end of shooting, the bolt failed to lock back on an empty 20-round Pmag. A quick spray of oil through the ejection port with the bolt closed fixed the problem, and I experienced no further issues with the functioning of the rifle.

Sometimes, the rifle got a little dirty.

Throughout the time that I have used the rifle, I have greased the bolt carrier with TW-25b aviation grease. In the summer of 2010, I bought one tube; which is still almost full, as the rifle needs lubrication very infrequently in my experience (I’d say once every thousand rounds or so, depending on the conditions). While probably a more high-end product than the average user will ever need – I have seen AR-15s run perfectly through several hundred rounds in a session, lubricated with old motor oil), this product is relatively inexpensive for how long it lasts when used in moderation. A simple run over the contact surfaces with a lathered cotton swab is enough in my experience to keep the gun running for well over a thousand rounds.

My only major mechanical concern with the rifle involved the barrel nut tension. As part of a gunsmithing course, I once had to completely strip the rifle down to its pins, and to do this I had to remove the barrel. However, the torque on the barrel nut was so great that myself and my instructor were only able to remove it using a cheater bar, a technique that destroyed the teeth on the nut itself. Once the replacement delta ring assembly came in, I torqued it down to about 50 pound-feet. This issue was mostly likely unique to my rifle, and certainly didn’t affect it in any way outside of being able to take it apart easily.

Over the past four years, I’ve stretched the legs of the rifle numerous times, almost always firing Brown Bear 62gr HP ammunition, of which I bought a 5,000 round lot soon after I purchased the 6920. This ammunition, which typically produced 2.5-3” groups at 100 yards, was capable of consistently hitting a man-sized target out to about 900 yards. Beyond that point, the accuracy of the ammunition was not sufficient to guarantee a hit even given the proper dope and elevation. With more accurate ammunition, such as the Hornady 75gr TAP FPD which I found to provide close to MOA performance from the 6920, it may have been possible to extend the range of the rifle even further, though I never tested this.

Though I have fired the rifle with the original iron sights several times, most of my shooting has been done using a TA01NSN ACOG, which I bought used in good condition. I have virtually nothing negative to say about this sight. The reticle is clear, easy-to-read, and uncluttered. The elevation ticks are handy not only for holdover, but also as point-of-impact adjustment. More than once, I’ve sighted the rifle in for my home defense load, and then handed it over to a newer shooter to shoot Brown Bear (which shoots a different POI) and told them “use the second tick, you’ll be dead on”. This saves a lot of time and heartache at the range, besides being extremely handy in the field. Because it is a both-eyes-open scope, the ACOG is well-suited to both close range and long range shooting. The housing is extremely durable, and I do not feel at all as though I need back up irons on my rifle. In short, despite its high price tag, I cannot help but recommend the Trijicon TA01NSN ACOG as an all-around carbine optic.

As a final part of this review, I took to the range to illustrate the accuracy of a rifle with close to six thousand rounds down the tube. All shots were taken at 100 yards, on the bench, using a Hornady rest.

With my old standby, Brown Bear 62gr HP, it still produced groups of about 3” in size.

PMC 62 gr X-TAC LAP produced slightly smaller groups (the topmost shot is most likely the result of shooter error).

And, finally, with my home defense ammunition, T556TNB1 Mk. 318, it produces excellent groups close to 1.5” in size.

Before taking to the range for this review, it had been some time since I’d gotten out to do some benched target shooting. Between concerns that the steel-jacketed Brown Bear ammunition had worn down the barrel’s throat, and not having really put my skills to the test in about a year, I was somewhat worried that the rifle would fail to perform as well as it had in the past. I was pleasantly surprised, not only by the still very-good accuracy of a rifle barrel well into four digits, but also by the excellent accuracy of the T556TNB1 Mk. 318 ammunition.

My Colt 6920 still runs without issue, and shoots great, even after six thousand rounds of mostly steel-cased ammunition. Whatever doubts I once had about the rifle’s design, or Colt’s ability to make a great product are well and truly gone. That the 6920 is industry standard for civilian market self-loading carbines is no mystery to me.