Images by the author unless otherwise noted
I have one life choice that, if I had made differently, would most likely have changed the trajectory of my life. I’ve had a great life – God has been very good to me. A great wife, kids, grandkids… I am blessed. But I always had a tiny place in my brain that housed a regret, of sorts, that I didn’t serve in the military. This would have been back around 1970… I’m old enough that I probably would’ve gone to Vietnam. Instead, I chose college and a career in retail sales and education. I loved being a band and choir director, and I also sold pianos and organs of all things… I’m a hit at parties when someone wants to know what a Yamaha piano’s soundboard is made of. (Solid Sitka spruce, non-laminated). It’s been a good life!
I have the utmost respect for those who serve and who have served. I salute you and thank you for your sacrifices.
Consequently, I have, ever since I was a young squirt, been interested in military history. I built models like crazy – still do – and have read/watched tons of resources on WWII and later. Cutting to the present, whenever I can, I try to get items to review that are either used by militaries somewhere or are like those items.
One company that makes products for both the military and civilian markets is Trijicon. They make a whole world of optics, ranging from iron sights to thermal-imaging scopes. To narrow their product lines down, their ACOG scopes are in demand by both markets.
We have one such item here today in that role. I contacted Trijicon about getting a couple of optics to look at, and they sent me an ACOG scope and an RMR red dot. Their ACOG has earned a good reputation during its deployment on the battlefield, and the red dot isn’t far behind.
Let’s look at them now. First, the ACOG.
ACOG stands for Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight. It is an illuminated (either fiber optic or LED/battery), magnified scope that allows extremely fast target acquisition like a red dot, but with the precision of a crosshair-style, BDC glass scope reticle.
There are 12 overall models, with several sub-models in each group. You can get:
- Magnification ranges from 1.5 to 6x… 4x models offer the most sub-models, at 48;
- Either fiber-optic (always on) or LED/AA-battery illumination with 6 degrees of intensity;
- Five models set up specifically for machine guns;
- Five models that come with an RMR red dot mounted on top
I count 129 models, not counting the five RMR red dot models… those are two sights in one. That’s 134 different models that Trijicon produces, just in the ACOG scope line. That’s truly amazing…
As I said, I am new to the ACOG. I was truly impressed by one feature that I noticed when I picked it up for the first time… after you turn it on (this model uses one AA battery), you have six levels of intensity available. You adjust those in a rotary dial switch on the left. Neither of these things is earth-shaking. But what impressed me was that, once you have a level set, turning the dial one click either way turns the sight off. You don’t have to dial past four levels to get to your favorite #5 level the next time you turn it on – just spin the dial one click to “5”, and it’s there. It’s not exactly magic, but it’s a nice touch.
The reticle is a green-illuminated abbreviated crosshair… here’s an image from the Trijicon website that’s clearer than what I could shoot:
One difference between the one they sent me and the above illustration is that mine does not have the thin/thick duplex reticles. It just has the green-illuminated part. You can see it very well, and the BDC marks are clear. It is a useful, non-cluttered reticle. I like the “arrowhead” (upward chevron) at the point of aim… it points to where the bullet should hit.
Another small thing they did that makes sense is that they tethered both adjustment turret caps to the scope body, so you’d really have to try hard to lose them.
While we’re on the topic of small things that really help, the base mount screws are simple. All you need to tighten them is a flat screwdriver or other similar flat item. I think they probably figured that a soldier or Marine in the field may not have a Torx set handy, so they went with plan B. I like it… It’s simple, but it’s easy and strong.
ACOG Features & Specifications
I took the following directly from this ACOG’s web page.
Features
TAKE CONTROL
Several ACOG models are designed with a user-adjustable brightness setting powered by a single AA battery. The 3.5×35 LED and 4×32 LED models both offer six adjustable brightness settings.
RUGGED, RELIABLE HOUSING DESIGN
Fixed-power design allows for minimal moving parts to create a nearly indestructible sighting system.
“BOTH EYES OPEN” DESIGN
“Both eyes open” shooting using Trijicon’s Bindon Aiming Concept™ (BAC) feature allows for improved situational awareness.
OUTSTANDING CLARITY
The quality of the glass and multi-coated lenses maximizes light-gathering capabilities and a clear field of view with zero distortion.
EXACT TARGET DISTANCES & HOLDS
Most ACOG models feature a bullet drop compensating and target-ranging reticle for decisive aiming.
COMBAT PROVEN
No other magnified optic has been used more in combat than the ACOG.
SHOCK-RESISTANT
Proven to withstand recoil from a .22LR to a .50BMG and everything in between. Easily passes U.S. Military drop test requirements.
WATERPROOF
Exceptional waterproof performance that exceeds military standards. Dry nitrogen-filled to eliminate fogging. This optic is tested to withstand and perform in extreme cold and heat with dry-nitrogen-filled housing that mitigates fogging.
Specifications
- Length x Width x Height: 5.98 in x 2 in x 2.3 in (151.89mm x 50.8mm x 58.42mm)
- Weight: 17.5 oz. (496.12g)
- Magnification: 4x
- Objective Size: 32mm
- Reticle Pattern Crosshair
- Day Reticle Color: Green
- Night Reticle Color: Green
- Bullet Drop Compensating (BDC): Yes
- Caliber: .223 / 5.56
- Bindon Aiming Concept™ (BAC): Yes
- Illumination Source: LED
- Power Source: 1-AA Lithium or Alkaline Battery
- Battery Life: Over 12,000 hours on setting #4 using supplied alkaline battery at 21 deg C (70 deg F)
- Adjustment: 2 clicks per inch @100 yards
- Eye Relief: 1.5 in. (38.1mm)
- Exit Pupil: 0.32 in. (8.13mm)
- Field of View (degrees): 7°
- Field of View (feet): 36.8 ft. @ 100 yds. (12.27m @ 100m)
- Mount: Flattop Thumbscrew Mount (TA51)
- Housing Material: Forged Aluminum
- Finish: Matte Black
- Submersion Depth: -66 ft. (-20m)
- MSRP: $1750
Photos
Here are some ACOG photos…
I put it on my HM Defense Defender M556L… it worked as advertised. I had to place it a bit forward on the rail due to my vision glitches. Its 4x magnification is a good balance between 1x and higher settings.
This is one of the battery models. It takes one AA battery, as I said above.
In terms of customization, I was sent an illuminator by fellow TTAG writer Tim Stetzer. This is useful if you are using a non-battery-model ACOG. It wraps around the scope and “brightens up” the reticle, if the scope has need of that. Here it is:
This is a handy item… it can save you from having to replace your sight. You have 11 levels of intensity to choose from. This one features a 5000 MCD blue LED.
The Red Dot
Now, let’s look at the red dot they sent. Here, you have a Trijicon RMR® 2 DCHD Red Dot sight that has stood the test of time. It uses an RMR footprint, arguably one of the most common, but at the time of writing, I did not have an RMR-cut pistol to mount it on. So, we have photos of the sight.
Features and Specifications
Features
TOP-LOADING BATTERY
Battery changes are easy, with no need to dismount the optic; Uses common CR2032 battery with up to 3 years of battery life.
UPGRADED WINDAGE AND ELEVATION ADJUSTERS
More tactile and audible clicks for tool-less zeroing.
RUGGED, DURABLE CONSTRUCTION
7075-T6 forged aluminum housing; waterproof up to 66 ft. (20 m).
LARGE, UNOBSTRUCTED FIELD OF VIEW
Find the reticle with ease, parallax-free.
RELIABILITY FOR EVERYDAY CARRY
Unique shape diverts impact force to protect the lens from drops and bumps.
COMPLETE USER CONTROL ILLUMINATION SETTINGS
Nine brightness settings with multiple modes for excellent visibility in any lighting condition.
CLEAR TARGET VISIBILITY
Advanced lens technology provides a crisp field of view.
IDENTICAL FOOTPRINT AS RMR
Mounts easily on popular red-dot-ready pistols using the same base as Trijicon RMR®.
IMPROVED CONTROLS
More tactile and audible controls provide positive feedback when used with duty gloves.
INDEX RIDGE ALIGNMENT AID
Unique housing design provides a built-in index point for fast sight picture acquisition even from atypical positions.
BUTTON LOCK-OUT MODE
Secures the Auto-Brightness Setting, which is Ideal for Everyday Carry
MANUAL BRIGHTNESS LOCK-IN MODE
Secures the User-Chosen Brightness Setting Indefinitely
BRIGHTNESS RESPONSE SETTING
Choose amongst Normal Auto (default), High Auto, and Low Auto adjust settings
FORWARD MOUNTED LIGHT SENSOR
Enables the RMR HD Automatic Brightness mode to read the lighting conditions at the target, rather than just at the user.
Specifications
- Length x Width x Height: 2.15 in x 1.27 in x 1.19 in (54.61mm x 32.26mm x 30.23mm)
- Weight: 1.69 oz. (47.91g)
- Magnification: 1x
- Reticle Pattern: 3.25 MOA dot with 55 MOA Selectable Reticle
- Day Reticle Color: Red
- Night Reticle Color: Red
- Illumination Source: LED
- Illumination Settings: 9 brightness settings, 3 NV, 1 super bright
- Power Source: 1-CR2032 battery
- Battery Life: Over 3 years of continuous use in brightness setting 5, dot only
- Adjustment: 1 MOA per click
- Adjustment Range: 135 MOA Total Travel
- Eye Relief: Infinite
- Housing Material: 7075-T6 aluminum
- Submersion Depth: 65 ft. (20m)
- Operating Temperature: -40F to 140F (-40c to 60c)
- MSRP: $1019
Photos
Again, here are some photos I took. One thing to note is that you don’t have to remove the sight to replace the battery – you can get to it from the top:
Summary
For those out there in the market for either a red dot or a lower-powered, magnified scope to stick on your AR, Trijicon has your back. I don’t think anyone would question the reliability and quality of these optics… too many have gone out in the hands of our (and others’) military. They tend to work as designed.
They are not the cheapest options out there, but nothing of quality usually is. In strict performance terms, both would deliver. I like writing reviews about items like what we have here… It’s easy, because the things simply work, as I just said above. You can get a price break from companies such as Midway USA, or you can order directly from Trijicon. Bear in mind that they make many, many more products than the two we have here today.
I guess my point is that if you are looking for a quality optic for your rifle or handgun, you might want to look at Trijicon. I’d bet there are hundreds of folks in the military who would agree with me.
Read the full article here
