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Page AR-15 » Optics, Mounts, and Sights
AR Sponsor: bravocompany
Posted: 12/9/2005 3:55:24 PM EDT
A former Soviet bloc refugee, the PK-AS was made in Byelorussia and made its way into the US via a number of importers.



I’ve had this sight for about 6 months and have been using it for practical rifle matches, where targets are engaged at various ranges, from 2 yards to 300 yards, under a variety of conditions, moving, stationary, from the back of a pickup truck…

The good:
1) Dead easy to use.
2) Fast engagement of targets.
3) Rugged.
4) No batteries needed for daylight shooting.

The bad:
1) Heavy.
2) High sight line.
3) Optic quality.

I’ll go over in detail why I came to these conclusions about the PK-AS.

1) Dead easy to use.
There  only 2 controls that you can change while shooting. The elevation dial, graduated in MOA at the rear support of the scope, and the illumination dial, on the top right side. That’s it. There are no adjustments on the scope body for windage or elevation as that’s all done on the mount. The mount accepts Weaver or Picatinny rail type mounts.  



In low light, or if you need more contrast, turn the dial to turn the LED on.



The LED in this picture is at maximum brightness.

To use, put the center dot on the target and pull the trigger. The oval serves as a CQB indicator or as a ranging device. If a man stands head to toe in the oval, he’s 100 meters away. If he only stands ½ oval, he’s 200 meters away.

2) Fast engagement of targets.
This sight is a 1x (unity) power scope. This allows for a huge FOV and the ability to mount it from about 2” from your eye to about 14” away. The large circle and fine center dot allow fast target engagement at close range. The center dot is 1 MOA in diameter, so it doesn’t block targets at long range.

3) Rugged.
This scope is built like a brick shithouse. Both the scope and the mount are tough. There just isn’t anything flimsy about them.

4) No batteries needed for daylight shooting.
Since the circle dot reticule is always present, the battery is only used at night. I don’t know the battery life as I’m still running the original batteries (2x 357 watch batteries) that came with the scope.

1) Heavy
This goes with rugged. This scope has lots of steel, and that comes at a price, weight. The scope and mount weighs 14oz.

2) High sight line.
The PK-AS sets high over the bore. Really high. You aren’t going to co-witness anything with this scope. You aren’t going to get a cheek weld either. Chin weld is what you get with this puppy.

3) Optic quality.
They’re Russian quality optics. Not the best. Distinct bluish tint to sight picture and noticeable loss of light thru the sight. Some distortion, with the worst being that on very bright days the connection to the dot can be made out as a fuzzy vertical line. It’s almost like your blind spot, you can’t really look at it, but it’s there.

Quirks: Neither good or bad, just there.
You have to have a 3.5mm wrench to adjust windage and elevation for zeroing.  One is included in the package, don't loose it.
Sight must be removed from the weapon to zero elevation. I had very good luck with the sight retaining zero when removed and remounted, so this wasn’t a real problem for me.



All in all, I would probably buy this scope again, but for a pistol caliber carbine or shotgun. I really like the idea of having a range adjustable (in MOA) sight for a weapon with a rainbow-like trajectory. With 5.56 Nato, by the time you need to add elevation, you would probably want magnification too.  BSW
Link Posted: 12/9/2005 4:07:19 PM EDT
[#1]
It has the negative of not being parallax free yet its not adjustable to a higher magnification.  A 1-4X scope gives up the parallax free ability at 1X to get magnification on the high end.  This optic gives up the parallax free dot to counter the poor battery life and gains an etched reticle.  Not a good trade off IMO.  Pretty cool on a Saiga shotgun if you wanted something authentic-ish though.  I hear the oval corresponds to a buckshot pattern and the dot to a slug quite well with very little adjustment.
Link Posted: 12/9/2005 10:28:29 PM EDT
[#2]

Quoted:
It has the negative of not being parallax free yet its not adjustable to a higher magnification.  A 1-4X scope gives up the parallax free ability at 1X to get magnification on the high end.  This optic gives up the parallax free dot to counter the poor battery life and gains an etched reticle.  Not a good trade off IMO.  Pretty cool on a Saiga shotgun if you wanted something authentic-ish though.  I hear the oval corresponds to a buckshot pattern and the dot to a slug quite well with very little adjustment.



I have been looking at these for quite a while and I think Devl is right this would be great on a Saiga 12. I have just sent my Saiga 12 off to get conveted and I think this will be just the ticket. THANKS for the review.

IPSC_GUY
SIERRA II ALPHA
Link Posted: 12/13/2005 8:36:30 AM EDT
[#3]

Quoted:
This is a Stag upper and lower with all the usual bells and whistles.  The upper came with the Arms flip-up rear, and the sight on the upper is a PK-AS-W Russian red dot from Tantal's Collectors Source.  Had some time to go to the range and  shot 350 rds of the XM177PD without any problems, and the red dot was dead on without any adjustments.  img.photobucket.com/albums/v711/andhol3006/stag0001.jpg



I've really liked the PK-AS-W sight and haven't noticed it sitting too high, when I use both eyes I don't need a cheek weld anyway. and the face that you can use it without the dot on is one of the best features.  And it really IS built like a tank!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v711/andhol3006/stag0004.jpg
Link Posted: 1/6/2006 5:09:36 AM EDT
[#4]
I use mine for short range hog hunting:

(I absolutely LOVE it)





Z
Link Posted: 1/6/2006 10:30:50 AM EDT
[#5]
That front leg of the mount (the thin piece of sheet metal) looks flimsy from here.

No battery day use is cool.  I don't know how that is possible as at 1 power paralax free should mean a projected dot, but maybe it is a 1.1 power?
Link Posted: 1/6/2006 11:00:21 AM EDT
[#6]
It is not parallax free. It is a 14oz 1X scope with no upward adjustment in magnification and has all the drawbacks of a 1X traditional scope.
Link Posted: 2/18/2006 6:33:58 PM EDT
[#7]
How rugged is the front mount (sheet metal)?
Link Posted: 2/25/2006 11:58:50 AM EDT
[#8]
The front piece isn't flimsy at all, It's about 1mm thick spring steel. Here are some close-up pictures. BSW






Page AR-15 » Optics, Mounts, and Sights
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