quote:

Originally posted by benny6:
I noticed American Defense has a reasonably priced red dot called the SPEK, but they don't say where it's made.

https://www.americandefenseman...oduct-p/rd-t1-lo.htm

Arfcom says China.

Chinese Defense Manufacturing?

And I guess you and I have different definitions of "reasonably priced"... $370 for a red dot of dubious quality isn't reasonable, IMO.

In fact, I'm not sure why anyone would pay $370 for a Chinese red dot, when you can get a high quality Aimpoint PRO for a few bucks more (in normal times). And occasionally find them on sale for around the same price. Or find them lightly used for less.

I haven't ever been that impressed with ADM's products anyway, namely their optic mounts. Not worth saving a couple bucks compared to something like Larue or Bobro. But at least those (or some of those) are made in USA.

Well that's a bummer! I guess I'll hold out for an Aimpoint. I don't mind European, or Japanese glass. I know Vortex's high end glass is made in Japan, and I'm okay with that. I've been there a couple of times and I like the Japanese and their culture. I'm trying to stay away from ChiCom stuff as much as possible.

Tony.

Nobody has mentioned the Vortex UH-1. After digging around, it's made in the USA and only reticle is imported and made in the UK.

And it's a holographic sight, like the EO-Tech.
https://www.recoilweb.com/vort...amg-uh-1-140127.html

Vortex had a number of their Razor AMG UH-1 “Hueys” on display at Triggrcon. While the optic itself is not new, it has only begun to ship recently. For those looking at holographic type sights, the UH-1 is worth a look.

The Advanced Manufacturing Group (AMG) line is made entirely in the USA. The only part that is sourced from another country is the hologram, which is built in the UK. But being made in the USA is not the only attractive point about the optic. Vortex set out to identify and correct deficiencies in the holographic optic market.



Vortex sought to remove potential thermal shift issues by firmly attaching all of the critical components responsible for maintaining zero within the optic housing. What does this mean? Unlike the majority of other sights on the market, when a user makes elevation or windage changes, they are actually moving the optic housing which is attached to the base. There is no internal adjustment to a laser that is being made. Simply put, the optic itself is two pieces (a base and the housing where the electronics are located). Any shift that could be contributed to pieces within the optic itself are now accounted for and eliminated.

It was explained by Vortex staff that the optic only has three different points where the laser is reflected from. While this may not seem significant, it has less potential points of failure. The UH-1 also lacks any lenses, a lens being a curved surface, within the optic. This prevents parallax and helps to minimize any edge distortion which results in a better image for the shooter. The front and rear panels are constructed of shatter-resistant glass and only serve to keep out water and dust.



The laser is a Class 2 laser, which is why you don't see any warning labels on the side of the optic. It is also 800 times more efficient than commonly used lasers which results in a better battery life for the end user. The staff at Vortex's booth explained that when lasers heat up or cool down, it changes the output of the laser itself. These changes can result in zero shift or degrade the integrity of the image itself. To combat this, the UH-1 has sensors that monitor the ambient temperature of the sight and either increase or decrease the laser's output to maintain a stable zero and image. This also helps regulate any issues that may be in relation to thermal drift.



Looks like a street price of $500 but out of stock everywhere.

https://vortexoptics.com/vorte...lographic-sight.html

Tony.

quote:

Originally posted by benny6:

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
Guess I am weird. I find the aesthetics of the Leupold far more appealing that something like the US Optics I posted earlier.

Though the rear lens popping off like that is not good.

That was disheartening to see. Especially since their headquarters and my job are only separated by 500 feet with a freeway between us. We've had some optics engineers from my company work for them before. I wanted so badly to like that red dot.

Tony.

Found the follow up video and sadly it had a production defect as well. I am presuming this was a new replacement and not a repaired unit as he opens a whole brand new package.




Link to original video: https://youtu.be/m5timDnYzQw

To put thing in perspective, I just scored a used Aimpoint H2 for $300. (Admittedly a better than average deal.)

But used Aimpoint PROs routinely go for around that.

Compared to $370 for a Chinese optic like the ADM, or $500 for that Vortex.

Not in this current nonsense but I have bought comp m2 for plinking guns in the $200 range several times. And sometimes seen ml2 for less than that.