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Posted: 8/15/2012 5:01:02 PM EDT
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Hey guys. I just got my new Aimpoint M3 in today from Larue. Mounted it up on the rifle and started playing with it and noticed something. If I shoulder the rifle and center my right eye (I'm right handed) exactly with the optic everything is clear as a bell. However, as soon as I yaw the gun slighly to the right, the verticle left half of the reticle space appears red. Like the same color red as on the outside of the lense. It doesn't matter whether it is on or off, the left half of the reticle space shows a red "tint" any time I turn the gun slightly to the right.
Also noticed something else. The ouside red lense that faces the target is not "even" with the case. In other words, if I look at the gun from the front (barrel pointing at my face) with the red lense facing me, the red lense is not flush with the casing of the M3. It slopes from left to right a couple of degrees as if the right side of the red lense has been pushed into the optic itself. Are these normal characteristics of a M3? I wouldn't think a vertical red tint would be a normal feature of a $600 optic. Update: Here are two pics. One looking dead on into the optic: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7119/7792453906_3652283a72_z.jpg And one with the gun yawed/turned slightly to the right: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8306/7792451404_d0f368ffe5_z.jpg |
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The canted lens is by design.
As for the tint, how high is the intensity of the sight when you have the issue? I only get the red tint if I have the optic turned up too high for conditions. It reflects off the inside of the enclosure onto the lens. I keep the intensity just bright enough for conditions, which gives a smaller, tighter dot, unless the ambient light is variable (like walking through a house or from inside to outside), in which case I turn it up to where it would still be visible in the brightest light I'd encounter. Nothing like losing the dot when you need it most... Joe |
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My Comp M2 does this, too. I believe it's a combination of the objective lens coating and the collimating mirror (the thing in there that makes the dot seem to stay in the same spot"
I notice it at sharp angles indoors, looking to dark places. Outdoors it's not an issue. ETA: You might want to rotate your optic so you have the adjustments at 12 and 3 o'clock. Otherwise you might have trouble zeroing. |
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scudzuki:
I get that red reflection whether I have the optic turned on or off. It doesn't matter. I know what you are talking about though. If I turn it up to max setting, a red ring or "halo" forms around the inside of the optic. Turning it down makes that ring go away. Thanks for alerting me to the front glass being canted by design. I wasn't sure. |
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Quoted:
My Comp M2 does this, too. I believe it's a combination of the objective lens coating and the collimating mirror (the thing in there that makes the dot seem to stay in the same spot" I notice it at sharp angles indoors, looking to dark places. Outdoors it's not an issue. ETA: You might want to rotate your optic so you have the adjustments at 12 and 3 o'clock. Otherwise you might have trouble zeroing. That is disappointing to hear that this is "normal" operation. I find it distracting indoors. I haven't tried it outside just yet. I'll have to go do that know and see how it looks. I think I will call Larue/Aimpoint as well when they open up and see what they say. Good eye on catching the mounting problem. I was just wanting to play with it a bit so it isn't seated in its final position. |
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Well I called Larue and they told me that this is a common issue with Aimpoints. Basically that all of them have some type of reflection issue. As noted, it doesn't appear to be bad outside, but inside it can definitely be noticed when room lamps and overhead lights hit the optics at strange angles.
I plan on taking it out tomorrow and doing some shooting with it. I guess that will be the true test on whether it makes me sad or not.. ;) |
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Dots, holographic sights, reflex optics, etc. are designed to be fast-sighting devices. In the cool light of new-purchase scrutiny we notice warts and wrinkles. We notice the graininess of the Eo reticle. We see the prism reflection of APs. Etc. I would even throw flare, associated with uncorrected astigmatism, in the same bucket.
I have been using APs for a long time; I now own 6 despite having pretty significant partially correctable astigmatism. Why? B/c no matter how bad the flare appears an AP is still miles ahead of irons for this age 57 old fart, in terms of precision. And it is miles ahead of magnified optics in terms of quickness. When you try something new noticing every wart or wrinkle is normal. I would reassure you that if/when you use any quality optic (Trij, AP, Eo) for fast sighting on close stuff you will not notice graininess, prism reflection, or flare. My .02: play with it for awhile, warts and all. I have a sneaking suspicion that after you see what it can do for you (vs irons or magnified scope) you will kinda ignore the warts. I don't know if you're as old as me, but I can tell you that these dots become more indispensable with each passing year. Sam |
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Quoted:
Dots, holographic sights, reflex optics, etc. are designed to be fast-sighting devices. In the cool light of new-purchase scrutiny we notice warts and wrinkles. We notice the graininess of the Eo reticle. We see the prism reflection of APs. Etc. I would even throw flare, associated with uncorrected astigmatism, in the same bucket. I have been using APs for a long time; I now own 6 despite having pretty significant partially correctable astigmatism. Why? B/c no matter how bad the flare appears an AP is still miles ahead of irons for this age 57 old fart, in terms of precision. And it is miles ahead of magnified optics in terms of quickness. When you try something new noticing every wart or wrinkle is normal. I would reassure you that if/when you use any quality optic (Trij, AP, Eo) for fast sighting on close stuff you will not notice graininess, prism reflection, or flare. My .02: play with it for awhile, warts and all. I have a sneaking suspicion that after you see what it can do for you (vs irons or magnified scope) you will kinda ignore the warts. I don't know if you're as old as me, but I can tell you that these dots become more indispensable with each passing year. Sam Thanks for the reply Sam. Yeah, I have a feeling when I take it out to my range tomorrow I will settle in just fine with it. I'm pretty excited to try it out! |
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I have 2 Comp M4s and I don't see this red tint effect with either. Maybe the killflash cuts down on it by making the incoming light colinear. Joe Do you have the killflash on both? I was wanting to try it out but didn't know if it was worth the $40 for the killflash. |
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