Red Dot Sight Suggestions/Experiences (Updated)

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The Annoyed Man
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Re: Red Dot Sight Suggestions/Experiences (Updated)

Post by The Annoyed Man »

I bought a Primary Arms RDS the other day, the Advanced Micro Dot, for my Sub-2000 carbine. At $169, it was a LOT less expensive than the Aimpoint T2 Micro that sits on my .300 Blackout SBR. I paid $750 from SWFA for a combo package consisting of the T2 optic, a BOBRO quick release mount (I cannot stress enough how excellent BOBRO products are), and a 30 round PMAG. The optic alone typically sells for $650. Anyway, I have something to compare against for the Primary Arms AMD.

I was impressed with the PA's quality for the price, but I'm not yet prepared to say that it is just as good as the T2, which is a known quantity. But the AMD seems to be very well made, and unless your such an operator that you 0per9, the AMD may well be plenty enough RDS for mere mortals such as ourselves. I've included some pictures below by way of comparison. The one thing I will say is that the Primary Arms Advanced Micro Dot is visually identical to the Holosun HS403G Red Dot sight........so close in fact that I think they were both made in the same factory. Whether Primary Arms manufactures for Holosun or vise versa, or possibly both are manufactured by a 3rd party, they use the same controls, and seem to use the same exterior body.

Now, here are the pictures, comparing the AMD optic to the T2. The Aimpoint is mounted on my SBR, and the Primary Arms on my Keltec:

If the Keltec were designed differently, I would have mounted the sight more rearwards, like it is on the AR, but it still works.
Image

Here are the optics, right next to each other to compare size.
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The flip side. The large knob on the T2 both carries the battery AND manages the brightness levels of the dot. On the Primary Arms RDS, the large "knob" isn't a knob, but just the battery cap. Brightness is controlled by means of "+ / -" buttons on the top of the optic body:
Image

View of the T2 from the end of the buttstock:
Image

view of the Primary Arms from the end of the buttstock:
Image

Closeup of the T2:
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Closeup of the Primary Arms:
Image

The Aimpoint is built to mil-spec, and has seen considerable military combat experience as well as being in use with a lot of police, in both T1 and T2 versions. I don't know if the Primary Arms products are built to those standards of toughness. One of Primary Arms' selling points for their Advanced Micro Dot is:
Now featuring improved waterproofing! Chemical resistant Buna-N (nitrile) O-rings protect the battery compartment from water entry. Tested to a depth of 2 meters for over 72 hours!
Aimpoint says about waterproofing:
Submersible to 80 feet (25 meters)
What this means is that you can fall in the pond with your Primary Arms and go 6' under, and as long as you come up for air in 3 days, your optic should be dry inside. With the Aimpoint, you can exit a submarine under 80 feet of water, and follow the bottom with scuba gear until you emerge on a beach somewhere in Jihadistan. The PA sight weighs 3.9 oz, the T2 weighs 3.0 oz. The PA includes a rubber bikini-style lens cap set. The T2 includes flip up lens caps. Both optics offer a 50K hour battery life on a CR2032 battery. Both have a 2MOA dot. I suspect that the T2 might be marginally more rugged by virtue of better protecting the elevation knob on the top of the optic.

Now, on the surface, the Primary Arms optic looks like a heck of a bargain. But I will reserve final judgment until I can get to the range and attempt to zero it. Some complaints in the past have focused on problems with the accuracy or implementation of windage and elevation adjustments. Possibly the complainants simply had purchased a defective unity. That stuff can happen for any manufacturer. But if it happens too often for a given brand, then we have a problem.

I'll come back and post more after I've had a chance to shoot with the Primary Arms ADM. Perhaps this comparison will help someone determine whether they'd be satisfied with the ADM, or would rather pony up for the much more expensive T2. If it performs like I hope it will, then while I have no regrets about having purchased a T2, I'll likely make my next RDS another Primary Arms AMD.
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Wag2323
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Re: Red Dot Sight Suggestions/Experiences (Updated)

Post by Wag2323 »

I will be interested to see what you have to say about the AMD sight TAM. I have nothing or any experience to compare with.

Just curious did you look at the instructions that tell you how to adjust the primary arms sight? My holosun tells me rotate right which I take to mean clockwise for adjusting up and adjusting right. The indicators on the caps tell me up and right is counterclockwise. Counterclockwise for up and right would match my two hunting scopes.
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