I’m considering a dr 1x4 and I see they have a 2032 battery version now, any advantages for the new one over the old one? seems like that’s a plus for the 2032 version, I can get those batteries anywhere.

Any other pro’s or con’s one way or the other?

Don't quote me but I think literally the battery is the only change. I also think you can take the previous 1/3n battery version and send it back to get converted to 2032 (which is why I think that's the only difference between the two).

Sorry, probably not helpful.

They run about the same price used, so I see no need to get the older one.  I have a newer 2032 model and love it.

I was literally gonna post a thread about Elcan but since this one's fresh I'll ask here. I know the 5.56 reticle is calibrated for a 16" barrel with 62gr ammo. Would there be any major issues if I was to use this with a 10" barrel shooting 75/77gr?

I'm using it on a 12.5 zeroed at 100 yds with a CBC 77 OTM.  It isn't exact, but it's close enough to get you there.  I've only taken it out to 400. The reticle makes adjustments pretty simple.  Out to 200 it's point and shoot on 8" plates.  

Keep in mind it isn't meant to be a precision optic.

Thanks for the reply. That's great. Max distance I plan to go is 300 so that works out.

That’s good to know, thanks

What are some other comparable products to the Elcan?
I think I'm ready to get one, but wanted to check with you fine folks first.
I am looking for a 1 to 4X optic with a built in mount....prefer not to go with separate scope and mount.
Any other great players?
Thanks

The closet you’ll probably get would be a TA31 ACOG with a piggybacked RMR.

The Elcan has been around for so long.  Is it really still a good way to spend $1500?  Did the industry just go back to focusing on separate mount and scope instead?

I can't say it's worth $1500, I think it'd be a great buy at $1000-1200. The Elcan is more than just its specs though, like the glass is so clear and fov so big you will swear it's 6x and not 4x. And while the weight is basically the same as something like a Razor II, the weight is more compact and rearward so it doesn't feel as unwieldy as you would think.

It's just one of those optics you have to play with to understand -- no review I read or saw was able to make me understand any of that stuff like owning one did.

Accurate. There is only one game in town to get a 1/4 instantly within a single optic. The 31/RMR is another (and to me, slightly preferable) way of accomplishing the task though.

How well does the Elcan reticle work without a battery? I know its etched but 600 hours for illumination is defiantly a short life compared to Aimpoint. Is there any kind of whether/conditions were the reticle would be unusable and you'll need to use illumination?

Every battery life is short relative to an Aimpoint. 600 hours is plenty. You won’t be leaving it on, so for me if it’s in the triple digits it’s more or less moot. It’s not a thick reticle, but it’s not thin either. It’s serviceable without illumination in the same way any other bold black reticle is, but it collects decent light too so it also has that going for it.

I actually prefer the (TA-31) ECOS over the Elcan...

ECOS

The unilluminated reticle is OK, but it definitely works much better with illumination. I would guess slightly better than the ATACR or NX8 but not as good as the Razor or possibly the K16i.

I measured the battery life on the highest, nuclear bright dot setting at about 4 weeks. Note that most red dots measure battery life on a mid setting, not their highest setting. On the Elcan's 2nd highest setting, which is still daylight bright, the battery life lasts approximately 1730 hours (a little more than 10 weeks). On the 3rd setting the battery allegedly lasts over a year, probably around 2.

Reticle illumination is useful in general for faster aiming but is particularly important in darker and shaded areas. At night time you will want to use the full reticle illumination, activated by turning the switch the other way around. This will allow you to range targets in low light.


The Elcan w/ Mk2 ARMS levers is 22.1 ounces including the mount. The Razor Gen II is 21.6 ounces without a mount. The lightest QD mount on the market adds an additional 5.5 ounces, and it's more QD in the sense of being tool-less than actually being quick.

When accounting for the mount, the Elcan's weight is in line with 1-4x LPVOs while being more compact and likely offering significantly greater durability.

Thanks for the good info. Was this tested with one of the newer gen of Elcans that use the CR2032?

I tested the battery life on the highest setting with the CR2032 model. The 1730 hour figure for the 2nd highest setting comes from the owner's manual for the CR2032 Elcan.

Someone on youtube left his DL1/3 model Elcan on setting 3 and it supposedly still worked 15 months later; the 2032 battery is supposed to last at least 50% longer, so I figure ~2 years is a decent estimate. Setting 3 isn't what I'd classify as daylight bright, I'd call it on the upper end of daylight visible, similar to the red Accupower. It will work well indoors and will not wash out against the vast majority of artificial light sources.

Note that the full reticle illumination doesn't last as long (1208 hours on 2nd highest setting according to the manual, not sure what the battery life is on the other settings).

For home defense use I'd just put it on dot setting 3 or 4 and leave it.

I've never actually had a need to ever replace my battery, and I've used it (albeit casually) for years.

There are 3 generations of the Elcan Specter, the latest uses a 2032 battery but also fixed the POI shift issue in the first ones.

It is a variable power prism optic, I find the glass to be better than an ACOG. It is shorter than most if not all LPVOs, and while people like to complain about the weight, it includes the mount as opposed to LPVOs which do not, so in reality is is not a heavy optic.

When used as a red dot illumination the 2032 has 10k hour life per Elcan in medium setting.

Once you start illuminating the whole reticle the battery life goes down.

Elcans are great SHTF optics.