Comparing Red Dots

Today's comparison is between the Aimpoint Comp M4s and the L3 EOTech 552.A65/1 (Rev F).

First, the EOTech.

This is the right side of the unit.  You can see the elevation (left) and windage (right) adjustments here.

Left side of the unit showing the mounting screw.  A tool is really required to get the recommended last 1/4 turn.

Looking to the rear at the front of the unit.  The battery compartment is plastic and kind of exposed compared to the sight window which is protected by an aluminum hoop.

The controls.  Either square button will turn it on.  The up arrow turns it on and sets the "time-out" for 8 hours, the down arrow for 4 hours.  Pushing both arrows shuts the unit off.  The up and down arrows also control brightness.  The round button labeled 'NV' toggles the unit into a dim mode that is night-vision compatible.  Using any control (except turning it off) resets the "time-out" clock.  With two AA lithium batteries and set to the default brightness of 12, the battery should last for 1,000 hours.

The reticule.  It's a 65 minute-of-angle (moa) ring around a 1 moa dot.  It is also hard to get the camera to cooperate with this.

Now the Aimpoint Comp M4s.  It's a variation of the standard Comp M4 that has the battery compartment mounted at 5 o'clock instead of 1 o'clock, as seen from the rear.  The Comp M4 is issued to US Army troops as the M68 CCO.

Lens covers closed from the right.

Covers open.  The windage and elevation are in the more traditional scope locations.  The caps covering the adjusters are captured on rubber lanyards, as is the cap for the battery compartment.

Left side view.  You can see the "QRP 2" knob here as well as the spacer (horizontal bar with the holes in it).  Removing the spacer put the unit about 9mm lower, which causes it to no longer be lined up with my LaRue Po-Boy magnifier.  The QRP 2 knob requires no tools to get correct torque.

Front view showing the kill-flash unit.  This helps keep reflections from the lens from giving away the shooter's position.

The control.  Shown here set to position 10.  The first few clicks are very dim for use with night-vision.  There is no "time-out" with the Aimpoint, if you forget and leave it on, it stays on until the battery dies.  It is supposed to have several years (80,000 hours with lithium) of battery life on a single AA cell while left in position 12.

The reticule.  A single 2 moa dot.  I find that the one feature I really like better on the EOTech is the reticule.