Edit:

Updated with newer red dots and collimators, also clarified some details on the PK01 series.

(Also keep in mind this isn't every single combloc red dot manufactured, but it is the majority of them I believe)




Traditional tube style red dots:

PK-A
Grey model with lower mount (my personal favorite of the PKA family)



PK-A
Black model with high mount


PK-A
Weaver



PK02/PK23
Mine was marked PK02 but the common name is PK23. Has a flickering red dot that is easy to acquire and naturally draws your eye to it.
(In RS Regulate's 30mm tube mount, good stuff)




PK01 Series

The PK01 series is extensive and covers probably 8-10 models, maybe more. I'm still in the process of trying to nail all these down, I think I have 4 or 5 more to go (not counting the newest ones from BelOMO that we can't get). The hard part is knowing exactly how similar they are in construction...some of them clearly are in the same family, others just carry the ubiquitous PK01 designation. I'm still researching.

(Sorry, no pics for some of these, I don't have them in hand yet but they are on my list)


PK01 styles
Left to right VS, VM, V and Vi


PK01AA
http://www.eastwave.ca/products/scopes/pk01aa.html


Venezuelan PK-A






Venezuelan PK-A with older PK-A



PK01BT
http://www.eastwave.ca/products/scopes/pk01bb.html


PK01 from Eastwave's site, this one seems to be similar to the PK01 series that we're seeing lately (The PK01-Vi) but has some kind of automatic light sensor


PK01Vi
The body is marked PK01Vi but this seems to most commonly be called PK01VA or PK01VE or sometimes just PK01-V. A fair amount of confusion exists on it's designation... at different time periods and different vendors have used various names for it from what I have been told by Tantal. For simplicities sake I think I'm going to stick with what is written on the scope body and dispense with the designations that may or may not be based on mount types.

PK01Vi with the high mount (spacer above locking clamp)


With spacer removed




PK01-V
Is extremely low and will cowitness with rear sight on 1
Uncharacteristically for BelOMO optics it uses AAA batteries





PK01-VM






Super rare PK01-VS
Also extremely low and will cowitness on 1






Kobra EKP-1S-03M
This is not a collimator or a traditional red dot, however it has a proven reputation for toughness and is well regarded by Russian troops in Chechnya. There are a number of versions, this one is 03M. Currently produced by Axion, Kobra has had somewhat of a checkered past manufacturing-wise.






Collimater type optics:


Generally speaking the collimator optics are really non magnified scopes as opposed to tube style optics with dots. They tend to have a higher quality lense, less of a tube like field of view and gather more light for a brighter image than typical red dots. Latest versions like Obzor and Rakurs do not use batteries and are tritium illimunated, plus have some form of always on reticule like an regular scope would.


PK-AS
I believe this is sometimes called the S version and is generally what I think most of us are familiar with
Has an always on black oval and dot and uses batteries to illuminate the dot for low light shooting


PK-AS-V
Higher and center over the bore


PK-AS-W
Weaver





Rakurs
Has an always on German Post Reticule and uses tritium for low light shooting. 1P76 has entered service with Russian FSB units.


Russian marked 1P76 version without diopter


Rakurs-PM picatinny version



With PN16K nigh vision


Reticule
This is indeed a tritium illuminated reticule but because of the eye relief it's hard to get a decent picture of it. It's green and has a ghostly feel to it, I like it alot. No on/off, no batteries and nothing to worry about.



On the S12


SLR105



PK-AS-S and Rakurs, here you can see the relative difference in height




Semi top view, it was hard to get a good photo showing the height over the receiver. It does block the irons.




Obzor
Uses always on daylight reticule via the light sensors on the top and bottom and also tritium for low light shooting. Has a brightness filter to darken the FOV and make the reticule stand out more clearly.



Bottom and top light sensors for daylight reticule



Elevation and windage


Filter on/off (to reduce glare and bring out the contrast of the reticle better)


Daylight reticule
Tritium is similar…no triangle in the middle and the overall size is smaller, it fits in the empty space around the triangle. Tough to get a pic but hopefully you get the idea


Rakurs and Obzor


NIT-A
Always on German post reticule using light sensor technology like Obzor (it actually is the forerunner of Obzor). Also has filter switch like Obzor for better reticule clarity
Tritium illuminated but most likely will be too old to use or deactivated.

SLG31







With Obzor and Rakurs


NIT-A reticule


Shooting position from the bench



NIT light sensors



On the S12














More pics including magnified:
http//:russianoptics.net

Z

Nice write-up.

I hate you and your 30 Optics that I want, though.

Excellent post, perhaps we can get this tacked somewhere?

Some of them are intended for use with ballistic helmets that have faceshields. Otherwise as far as I can tell it's more for CQB where higher seems to be more natural in a dynamic environment.

I was trained by Uncle Sam with the nose to the charging handle M16 sight picture with a very low cheekweld, but I can say after using these optics over the years I personally don't think they're high at all, actually quite comfortable and I shoot just fine with them. They do take a little getting used to at first but it generally doesn't take long.



Chinweld is a more realistic description but as I mentioned above it really doesn't take long to get used to. Using the RS Regulate mount that I show with the PK23 (Horse's mount) puts the optic extremely low, most Western shooters like it from the feedback I have seen.


Z

Interesting thought...I just 'reported' myself, maybe they'll have mercy and sticky this like you suggested



Z

I second making this a tacked thread.

Very nice scope selection.

That sounds like something I'd be interested in. Can you post a link to where you found it?

Thanks for the write up

PK 01 30mm mount with an Aimpoint ML3. Sits very low, co-witnesses with the irons.

Added NIT-A pics

Excellent stuff as always Zen. Your posts always make me jealous.

Just to stir the pot a little, which one is your personal favorite as far as comfort/utility are concerned?

Overall it's still the Rakurs, at least as far as practicality goes. Obzor is might be able to take over though...it's really neat and the more I use it the more I like it.

I have a soft spot for the plane old PK-A and over the years I've gotten a lot of miles out of the PK-AS which had been my favorite for a long time before Rakurs.




Thanks!


Z