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A good collimator - what is it? How to choose a standing scope

The right scope should ideally fit the type of weapon and match the tasks at hand, whether it be sports shooting, hunting or team games.

What is a collimator and why is it needed

Translated from Latin collimator means guide along a straight line, i.e. simply rectifier: such optical devices are used to build parallel beams of light. Sights designed on the basis of collimators project the image of the aiming point to infinity: in this case, the observer sees a red dot or other mark as if on an objective lens.

Shooter task - Align images of mark and aiming point. When the pupil is shifted left-right relative to the center of the lens, the mark image will also move, remaining on the target image. If the mark disappears from the field of view, this will mean that the observer's pupil has shifted beyond the lens: it is enough to return the eye to its original position, and the mark will immediately appear again.

When choosing a collimator, it is important to understand what you will use it for: the characteristics of collimator sights for hunting, sport shooting and airsoft vary quite significantly. Why, even certain types of hunting - for example, driven and shooting at a bird in flight - will require sights with different marks (see the section on types of aiming reticles). In addition to the reticle and other technical features, the main factor when choosing a scope is compatibility with the weapon (see also a separate section).

Before buying the device, we recommend that you allocate 15 minutes to familiarize yourself with the theory. After all, hunting with a properly selected collimator sight is much more effective than with a mechanical one, and more "sporty" than with magnifying optics.

The device and principle of operation of the collimator sight

The principle of operation of the collimator depends on which projection system it uses. Collimator sights are usually divided into two types.

1. Reflex (classic) - eng. Reflector sights.
2. Holographic (diffractive) - eng. Holographic sights, Holo sights.

So, How does a classic reflex sight work?? Hidden inside the case, the LED emits light towards the lens, on the inner surface of which a translucent reflective coating is applied. Rays of light reflecting from the surface of the lens towards the observer form a parallel beam. It is precisely due to the parallelism of the rays that the displacement of the pupil relative to the optical axis of the sight will not lead to the “moving out” of the mark from the aiming point.

REFERENCE. The first collimator sights were created at the beginning of the 20th century for the needs of military aviation. During the 1st World War, they were installed on fighter planes and bombers, and after the end of the 2nd they “got used” to small arms.

Holographic sights- a separate type of sighting devices, but for the user they differ little from reflex collimators with a red dot. It's just that instead of a standard mark in the plane of the lens, the observer sees the hologram in front, behind the glass: it seems that it "hangs in the air" at a distance of 50-100 m from the observer.

REFERENCE. 2018 marks the 20th anniversary of the creation of a holographic collimator sight: the innovative company EOTech (USA, Michigan) has become a pioneer in the development of such devices.

The holographic sight contains a laser emitter that generates polarized light. The laser beam emitted by the diode is directed to a number of reflectors, including a "rectifying" one - a collimator. Further, parallel rays of light fall on the diffraction grating, and after interacting with it, they illuminate the 3D image of the reticle, “embedded” in the viewing lens. The holographic film with the grid acts as a reflector and directs the image towards the shooter's eye: thus forming a hologram.

Unlike reflex collimators, holographic sights do not have a reflective coating on the lens: nothing disturbs the path of light through the lens in the plane of which the image is formed. You can clearly see the target while the reticle is simply superimposed on your field of view.

Advantages over other types of sights

A reflex sight is the best choice for the shooter who wants to keep the balance of the weapon and works mainly at short and medium distances. For episodic shooting at medium-long distances, in addition to the collimator, you can purchase magnifier(Magnifier). Simplified, this is a quick-detachable optical sight of small magnification, which is installed in front of the collimator with the condition that the central axes of both devices are aligned. Naturally, such a design is incomparable with a full-fledged optical sight, but it allows you to fully use the advantages of a collimator.

Each of the devices listed in the table has its own advantages. For example, with a laser sight, you can shoot while lying on your side behind cover; on the other hand, a collimator-type sight can be equipped with a variety of reticle, convenient for different types of shooting.

By the way, a remarkable fact: on the body of the collimator you will not find the parallax adjustment wheel, which is found on almost all optical sights of the upper and middle price range. This does not mean that collimators are not subject to parallax: as an optical phenomenon, parallax is ineradicable. But the device of the collimator sight is such that the factory detuning (usually 50 m) is quite enough for high-precision shooting.

The subtleties of choosing a collimator sight

A good collimator sight is not just an optical device to facilitate aiming: mounted on a weapon, the device must be integral with it. It is also desirable that the collimator does not obstruct the view of the standard sight or has a special mount that allows quick dismantling in the field.

Enclosure configuration (open or closed)

The division of collimators into open and closed intuitively clear: closed sights are called sights in which the emitter is hidden inside a tubular body, both ends of which are covered with lenses.

Unlike closed ones, in open collimator sights there is only one lens unit, and the emitter is simply installed in a recess under the lens frame. From atmospheric precipitation, dust and dirt, such devices are poorly protected. Some brands claim water and dust protection of their products, but it is better not to count on their use in difficult weather conditions. One of the rare (and affordable) exceptions is the "extreme" series of open collimators from Hakko: the Hakko BED XT-3, 4 and 6 sights can even withstand immersion in water.

Among closed collimators there are models with a slight increase- for example, KONUS Sight-Pro PTS1 (prismatic, 3x magnification) and Dual 1-2x30 of the same series (with 2x nozzle). In fact, the PTS1 prismatic sight is closer in design to optical sights; it can be classified as a collimator only conditionally.

The scope of the two types of collimators is determined by their distinctive features.

Open sights are more often installed on pistols and shotguns, short rifles and light pneumatics; closed - for hunting rifles, long rifles of rapid fire, as well as other sports and sniper weapons. So the choice - closed or open red dot sight - is yours.

Red Dot Size and Reticle Types

The most common type of reticle is the red dot. In the West, it has even become a tradition to call all reflex collimators, regardless of the type of grid, Red Dot Sights - red dot sights. Outside the Russian-language domain zones, you are unlikely to come across the name collimator sight: it is used mainly to name the "ancestor" of modern collimators - an aviation sight.

Aiming dot sizes are most often specified in MOA - arc minutes(Minute of Angle), less often - in milliradians(Mil). The 1 MOA size tag allows you to hit a 1 inch (2.54 cm) circle from 100 yards (91 m). When shooting at long distances, the area of ​​the circle covered by the 1 MOA mark increases, and decreases as the distance decreases.

In other words, the smaller the red mark, the more accurately you will shoot with such a collimator at long distances. But why then do scope manufacturers produce collimators with large dots (up to 10-12 MOA) or more complex reticle? The fact is that in various circumstances, not only accuracy is important for shooters, but also the speed of aiming, as well as the ease of targeting, the ability to take into account ballistics, adapt the reticle to changes in illumination, and so on, so on, so on ...

The larger the collimator point, the easier it will be for you to shoot offhand and the faster you will aim at a moving target. As a rule, 4-8 MOA Red Dot scopes are chosen for pistols and carbines, 1-3 MOA for rifles.

Many modern red dot sights allow you to switch the color of the backlight (Red, Blue, Green), the size of the mark, and even completely change the type of reticle. Color selection and brightness adjustment are usually done by spinning a single drum; the type of reticle is switched by pressing buttons or using a lever mechanism.

The option to switch reticles is useful if the sight is used with different weapons or is used for different types of shooting. For example, for varminting And benchrest a "thin crosshair" grid can be useful, and for driven hunting or shotgun shooting- “circle with a dot”. The latter option is also universal in that it allows, without switching grids, to carry out both aimed shots and less accurate, but fast shooting at large targets.

Power and backlight intensity

Any light source requires power, and the collimator emitter is no exception. The vast majority of scopes are powered by a CR2032 coin cell battery. But depending on the parameters of the emitter, operating conditions and the type of power system, working time of collimator sights without replacing the battery differs quite significantly. For different models, it ranges from 100 hours to 30-50 thousand hours.

IMPORTANT! The placement of the battery in the case matters. When choosing a collimator, pay attention to whether it will be possible to remove a dead battery without removing the sight from the weapon. In the most popular models, the battery is located in a retractable tray or under a removable backlight drum cover.

There are also models on the market of sights that operate on a rechargeable battery (for example, Sight-Pro R8 from Conus), and even energy-efficient collimators with a hybrid power system- from the battery and the solar panel on the case. The creation of single-crystal solar cells with high efficiency has led to the emergence of fully autonomous devices: modern "hybrid" collimator sights can work without batteries, exclusively on solar energy (ZEISS Victory Z-point, HOLOSUN Solar Power HS403C, etc.).

Regardless of the type of power supply, of all collimator sights, the most in demand are those that allow fine adjustment of the backlight intensity - smooth or multi-stage (at least 5, but better than 7-12 levels). Aiming dot brightness adjustment May be:

• automatic- is configured in accordance with the readings of the photosensor (for details, see the "Other features" section);
• digital-- the brightness level is changed by pressing a button (for example, Hawke RD1x WP Digital Control);
• electronic-mechanical- intensity of a luminescence of a point is regulated by rotation of a drum on the case.

Most red dot sights have a minimum possible illumination brightness that is too high to be used with night vision devices. For those who deliberately choose collimator with night mode, we can recommend the Holosan brand: all of their scopes are night vision compatible.

REFERENCE. Often, collimators compatible with "night lights" are called night vision scopes, but this is not entirely true. By itself, a collimator sight can neither amplify light in the visible part of the spectrum, nor capture the thermal radiation of bodies, but can be used, for example, with a night vision attachment.

Selection of a collimator for different types of weapons

How long the scope will last and how stable it will hold corrections depends on compatibility of the model with the type and caliber of the existing weapon. When choosing a collimator, it is important to pay attention to such a characteristic as the allowable muzzle energy, or bullet exit energy(EVP). For the sights presented in the OZ online store, the allowable EVP varies from 250 J to 6500 kJ.

The least recoil-resistant collimators ( up to 500 J) are designed for installation on airsoft guns, air-balloon and multi-compression pneumatics, rifles chambered for rimfire cartridge .22LR. From sports airsoft collimators, we can recommend a model from the British brand Hawk - Sport Dot 1x30 WP.

muzzle energy up to 1.2 kJ have hunting rifles and carbines up to .22 caliber (5.6 x 35 or 5.56 x 39 mm in metric notation). For such weapons, you can buy an inexpensive collimator from a reliable company - for example, the same Hawk, a closed-type model RD1x25 WP: this device is not intended for use in difficult conditions, but it will do for simple use.

Among sights with acceptable EVP 2.2 kJ Let's highlight the BARSKA #AC10330 model: this Red-Dot collimator is intended for installation on crossbows, shotguns, automatic rifles and pistols. The authorized caliber cartridges are 7.62 x 39 mm and ultra short magnum .223.

Next plank - 3.5 kJ: the best price-quality ratio in this category is from the good Italian brand KONUS. Universal collimator sights the Sight-Pro ranges can withstand 12-gauge smoothbore and 7.62 x 54 (.308) rifles; while their price remains in a reasonable range of 70-165 USD.

The toughest (and most expensive) scopes on the market today can withstand an ERP of 6.5 kJ. Of the more or less affordable brands, we will name Hakko, Holosun and Delta Optical: their collimators can be installed on spring-piston pneumatics (PPP), large-caliber firearms and rapid-fire automatic weapons. Fired with standard 7.62 x 63mm (.30-06) cartridges, as well as the more powerful 9.3 x 62mm and .375 H&H Magnum cartridges.

REFERENCE. The recoil from a shot from an SPP is technically not that great, but it has a devastating effect on optical devices. The problem is that when fired, it occurs twice: the 1st impulse is directed in the direction opposite to the bullet's departure; 2nd - in the direction of its movement. If the lenses are not fixed tightly on both sides (which is not so easy to achieve), during firing they can fly out of the grooves and break.

Another nuance worth mentioning is type of amendment mechanism. Installed for tactical weapons sights must have tactical turrets (adjustment drums) that can be turned without looking, guided by the number of divisions passed by ear (by “clicks”). But for the collimators used hunting rifles and shotguns, simple turrets with covers and cutouts for a screwdriver in the end of the cylinder will do. Entering corrections in the field on such devices is inconvenient, but it is not necessary. When shooting is carried out at the same distance, a pre-sighting is enough.

Red dot sight mount

In general, small arms are equipped with one of two standard types of rail:

• Weaver (Weaver-type rail, width 21 mm);
• "dovetail" (dove tail, width 8-12 mm).

REFERENCE. It happens that the weapon does not have a strap for accessories at all: then it can be purchased separately and attached to the receiver, which will have to be drilled for this purpose.

The Picatinny rail, designed to the American military standard, is also considered a Weaver-type rail, since any device that mounts on a Picatinny rail will easily fit on a Weaver rail. Accordingly, any of the sights that have entered mass production will have a weaver or dove-tail mount (or even be supplied without a bracket in the kit). But some models of collimators are equipped with a special double-sided bracket- like, for example, the KONUS Sight-Pro TR tactical sight. They can be mounted on bars of any type and used on any weapon.

Due to the small length of the body, collimator sights are more often equipped with monobloc brackets, while optical ones are often installed on separate mounting rings. Naturally, the one-piece mount provides a firmer grip on the rail and more resistance to recoil.

If you plan to use the collimator with something more serious than gas-cylinder pneumatics, choose a mount made of a durable metal alloy - steel or aircraft-grade aluminum. It is also desirable that, in addition to the coupling/clamping screws, the collimator mount has 2-3 locking pins, which will be clamped in the slots of the bar during installation.

Collimator sights are often installed on Saiga and SKS carbines, as well as on AK and SVD on side bracket, which does not block the view of the rib. But still, the more common position of the collimator is on the upper bar of the weapon. The landing height above the bar for different models differs by tens of mm.

Sights with a low landing practically do not change the natural line of sight: they are preferred by those for whom shooting accuracy is of the greatest importance. High mount scopes(for example, HOLOSUN Paralow HS403B) are suitable for installation on AR-15, M-16 rifles and their modifications. In addition, high brackets for collimators are also used in order to see the native sight of the weapon in the resulting “window”. We would not recommend this path: a more rational choice is open folding lens collimator(like HAKKO FlipUp II) or any other on a quick release bracket (Quick Detachable/ Release).

Quick release reflex sights(KONUS Sight-Pro Atomic-QR, HOLOSUN Infinity QD HS402C) are usually equipped with a flag type clamp. In the event of an unexpected failure of the device, this design will allow you to disconnect the bracket in a matter of seconds and continue firing using the standard “mechanics”.

Other features of collimators

Today, most weapon optics manufacturers are trying to keep up with the pace of technological progress and equipping their devices with sensors, automatic backlight control systems, fiber-optic mirror light collection systems, etc.

In collimator sights backlight auto control systems are of two types.

1. Based on photosensor(HAWKE RD1x WP Auto Brightness, DELTA OPTICAL MiniDOT, etc.). The device turns on when the cover is removed and turns off when it is completely dark; the brightness of the dot glow automatically adjusts to the ambient light.
2. With built-in motion sensor(HOLOSUN Infinity QD HS402D, LEUPOLD DeltaPoint 3.5 MOA, etc.). The backlight turns on when the device is shaken and turns off after a few hours of rest.

Naturally, the auto control functions significantly save battery power. Nevertheless, collimators with automated illumination have many opponents: some scold automation for economy, others, on the contrary, for wastefulness. Therefore, some manufacturers make a compromise and produce sights with two control modes - manual and automatic (HAKKO XT-3 mini).

Special mention should be made of rare collimator sights with light guide and auto brightness control (KONUS Easyhit Fiberoptic Sight). In addition to conventional lenses, the optical system of such sights includes optical fiber and reflective surfaces. The optics collects external light and uses it to display the reticle. Fiber optic collimators do not require power, are light in weight and compact in size, but are very expensive to manufacture and are unlikely to become a bestseller at current cost.

In addition to adding auto settings, manufacturers are also trying to expand the scope of sights: there are collimators with laser pointer(HOLOSUN Laser QD HS401R5), flashlight(BARSKA 1x30 Multi-Rail #AC11398), a range finder, etc. Of course, such designs are more expensive and weigh more: it is recommended to choose collimators with a “makeweight” only for those who are sure that they will use it. The most reasonable solution red dot sight with rails on the body (KONUS SIGHT-PRO #7377): you can attach or remove the necessary accessories as needed.

This concludes the main section of the article: now you also have the information necessary to select a sight. Hopefully, in the light of the above, questions like “Which collimator is best for a shotgun?” seem to be formulated not quite accurately :-).

About the price of collimators and fluctuations when buying

The main doubts that arise when buying a red dot sight are related to the questions " Maybe optical is better?" And " Is it worth it to buy a Chinese-made scope?»

An optical sight - yes, it is definitely better if you need high accuracy of shooting at long distances and the time for a shot is practically unlimited. But for shooting on the move at not too distant targets, for installation on short-barreled weapons or multi-compression pneumatics, it simply makes no sense to buy heavy multi-lens optics. The desired type of sight is determined only by the method of application, so the choice is yours.

Now about brands. Without a doubt, if you can afford a collimator for $400-500, choose Aimpoint, Zeiss, Leupold and other famous and expensive brands. You can use such a device for decades, but not because expensive collimators do not break: anything happens, but you will be insured against unpleasant surprises with a lifetime warranty.

Cheaper sights, for 1-2 hundred dollars, are made in China, regardless of the country of brand registration, be it the USA (Barska), Italy (Konus), Poland (Delta Optical), etc. At the same time, even those manufacturers that produce replicas of EOTech and other legendary sights do not take on long-term warranty obligations. The maximum that you will be offered is 12 months warranty. But the fact is that the lion's share of low-quality devices is detected much earlier, in the first three months after purchase. And if your Chinese collimator worked flawlessly for 3-4 months - most likely, you got a high-quality sight.

Customers of the online store OZ.ua have already made sure that the collimator sight from China could be good. If, nevertheless, you are biased towards products made in China - OK, we understand your concerns: take a closer look at Japanese-made sights from Hakko (Tokyo Scope). Another option is to buy a used European or American red dot sight. Of course, it is better to borrow from friends: only in this case you will know which weapon and how long the collimator was on, whether magnum cartridges were used for shooting, etc.

Suppose you have already bought a collimator. The period of its trouble-free operation will depend not only on the brand name and other inscriptions on the box, but also on how the scope is installed, whether it is carefully aligned and correctly shot. Zeroing a collimator sight is a mandatory procedure, we strongly recommend that you carry it out in accordance with the instructions in the instructions!

- ed.), in 1995. learned from Soldier of Fortune magazine. It was a sight Holodot from the company BoNaSo Trading Ltd. I was very curious and really wanted to try it. But everyone I asked about him just shrugged their shoulders.

Later, while studying at a special faculty, we were shown red dot sight in symbiosis with PP-90 - something similar to what is shown in the photo below)

I don't remember what it was called, maybe it was PSK-8 or SWEAT

So what is a collimator?

Here is probably the first Soviet collimator for small arms "Firefly"

collimator(from collimo, distortion of the correct lat. collineo - I direct in a straight line) - a device for obtaining parallel beams of light rays or particles.

Collimator sighting systems are systems that use collimator to build an image of the aiming mark projected to infinity. In reality, in the sight, the light rays from the source are reflected collimator lens in the eye of the arrow parallel flow. As a result of this, the shooter's eye does not have to be on the optical axis of the sight, the main thing is that it is within the projection of the sight lens along this axis. With transverse movements of the eye, the aiming mark from the observer's point of view moves along the sight lens, remaining at the aiming point, regardless of the position of the observer's eye relative to the sight.

Reflex sight allows you to shoot, keeping both eyes open, while the field of view does not decrease and the shooter has the opportunity to respond in a timely manner to changes in the environment.

Here it is with a different sight, for the military "Vyuga-45-2"

Reflex sight provides a higher aiming speed than traditional sights (front sight / rear sight) because when aiming, you only need to combine - a red luminous mark visible in the eyepiece and the target itself, while the eye accommodates at a distance to the target (in mechanical sights - usually on the front sight, the rear sight and the target are visible out of focus).

Reflex sights are open and closed. There is/was some vague terminology on this. Initially, closed sights were called sights that did not have a transparent lens, but only projected an aiming mark into the shooter's eye. The target was not displayed in the eyepiece, aiming was carried out binocularly when observing the aiming mark with one eye and the target with the other, in the shooter's brain there was a combination of images from both eyes, characteristic of binocular vision.

It looked like this.

Currently, such sights are practically out of use.

Modern collimator sights they have an optical scheme through which the shooter observes the target, and at the same time it also reflects the image of the aiming mark into his eye, according to the old classification, all such sights were called open.

Now closed collimator sight a sight is called, in which the light source that forms the mark is in a closed (usually cylindrical, sealed) case, while, in addition to the front collimator lenses, there is an eyepiece lens covering the housing at the back.

Open red dot sight has only the front lens in the frame, the light source is open on the base of the sight.

The history of the development of collimator sights

Howard Grubb was the head of the family business Grubb Telescope Company founded by his father, which made large telescopes, telescope controls, and other optical instruments. He is also known for his work on the improvement of periscopes and the invention collimator sight.

Howard Grubb (July 28, 1844 - September 16, 1931), Dublin, Ireland, optical instrument designer.

In 1900 Grubb invented red dot sight. In the future, this type of sights began to be used on all types of weapons from small arms to fighters and artillery.

In 1901 Howard Grubb created a compact version collimator sight suitable for handguns and small devices. The sight was modernized, the illumination of the aiming mark was improved by placing the illuminator on its front side from above, as a result, the incoming light was reflected from the transmitting mirror, and then from the concave glass into the eye of the observer.

Reflex sight Grabba began to be used on hunting weapons and gained popularity. also in 1901.

Types of collimator sights

Initially collimator sights began to be used in aviation, using them on fighters.

They were first used in 1918 on fighter planes. Albatros D.V And Fokker Dr.1. The sights were manufactured by the company Optische Anstalt Oigee, made according to the Grubb patent, electric light was used as the illumination of the reticle.

In subsequent years, aviation collimator sights improved, the principle remained the same.

Reflex sights were widely used in aviation, in anti-aircraft installations, anti-tank artillery, mortars.

Shortly after World War II, there were collimator sights for rifles and shotguns, Nydar shotgun sight(1945), which uses a curved translucent mirror to reflect light to illuminate the aiming mark, and Giese electric gunsight(1947), which was equipped with a brand of battery-powered lighting.

Red dot sight Nydar shotgun sight - view of the aiming mark

Later sights appeared Weaver Qwik Point(1970) and . Both sights used ambient light to illuminate the reticle using a beam splitter - a green cross in Insta-Sight, and a red plastic "light guide" rod that created a red reticle aiming point in Qwik-Point.

There were other types collimator sight, the so-called "blind" or closed type, which (depending on the reticle used) is called RED DOT, it came from artillery.

To illuminate the aiming mark, an electric light bulb or light guides were used.

SinglPoint and Armson OEG are examples of scopes that use light guides for illumination.
Both used a red dot as an aiming mark, the light source was ambient light. But, at Armson OEG, tritium, a radioactive substance, was used for illumination at night, which expanded the possibilities of its use.

The SinglPoint sight was used by the Green Berets in the raid on Son Tay in Operation Ivory Coast 11/20/1970

The main disadvantage of this system is that the brain is not well adapted to combine dissimilar images from each eye, causing the reticle to shift in relation to the target image. Because of this offset - and the large dot size (8 or 16 MOA), the effectiveness of the sights was significantly limited. US military stopped development collimator sights for small arms

The next step forward in red dot technology has been taken by the company Aim point, in the sights of which a light emitting diode began to be used ( LED) to project a red dot on the target image, this happened in 1974. However, despite the advantages, collimators they did not have much success among hunters and athletes.

Everything changed in 1975 thanks to the US Army Reserve Sergeant Joe Pasquarelli. Winning first place at the National Handgun Championship at Camp Perry, his photo graced the cover of the American Rifle Association magazine. The photograph was of Pasquarelli. In his hand he held a pistol, on which a scope was mounted. Aimpoint Electronic.

House Committee USA on affairs of the armed forces noted as early as 1975 on the suitability of use collimator sights for the M16, however, it was still quite a long time before ollimator sights began to be used on weapons.

But it wasn't until 2000 that a breakthrough occurred. Aim point signed a contract for the supply of the US Army 565783 sights M68 Close Combat Optic Rifle Sights (Aimpoint Comp2 ).

Over the years, popularity collimator sights has grown significantly, many different models have appeared, but they all owe their appearance to Howard Grubb.

Howard Grubb(July 28, 1844 - September 16, 1931), Dublin, Ireland, designer of optical instruments. He was the head of a family firm Grubb Telescope Company founded by his father, which made large telescopes, telescope controls, and other optical instruments. He is also known for his work on the improvement of periscopes and the invention of the red dot sight.

In 1900 Grubb invented the collimator sight. In the future, this type of sights began to be used on all types of weapons from small arms to fighters and artillery.
In 1901 Howard Grubb has created a compact red dot sight suitable for handguns and small devices. The sight was modernized, the illumination of the aiming mark was improved by placing the illuminator on its front side from above, as a result, the incoming light was reflected from the transmitting mirror, and then from the concave glass into the eye of the observer.

Grubb's collimator sight began to be used on hunting weapons and gained popularity., 1901.

Types of collimator sights:

Scheme of three types of collimator sights. The top uses a collimator lens (CL) and a beam splitter (B) to create a virtual image at infinity (V) from the reticle (R). The bottom two use translucent curved mirrors (CM) as collimating optics

Initially, collimator sights began to be used in aviation, using them on fighters.
They were first used in 1918 on fighter planes. Albatros D.V And Fokker Dr.1. The sights were manufactured by the company Optische Anstalt Oigee, made according to the Grubb patent, used electric light as a backlight for the reticle. A similar sight was made by an English company vickers

In subsequent years, aviation collimator sights improved, their principle remained the same.

An example of the operation of an aviation collimator sight.

Collimator sights were widely used in aviation, in anti-aircraft installations, anti-tank artillery, and mortars.
Anti-aircraft collimator sight.

Shortly after World War II, reflex sights appeared for rifles and shotguns, Nydar shotgun sight(1945), which uses a curved translucent mirror to reflect light to illuminate the aiming mark, and Giese electric gunsight(1947), which was equipped with a brand of battery-powered lighting.

Later sights appeared Weaver Qwik Point(1970) and Thompson Insta-Sight. Both sights used ambient light to illuminate the reticle using a beam splitter - a green cross in Insta-Sight, and a red plastic "light guide" rod that created a red crosshair dot in Qwik-Point.

Thompson Insta-Sight

There were other types of red dot sight, the so-called "blind" or closed type, which (depending on the reticle used) is called RED DOT, it came from artillery.

Sight M4 mortar M4.

To illuminate the aiming mark, an electric light bulb or light guides were used.

As an example of sights using light guides for illumination, one can cite SinglePoint And Armson OEG.
Both used a red dot as an aiming mark, the light source was ambient light. But, at Armson OEG, tritium, a radioactive substance, was used for illumination at night, which expanded the possibilities of its use.
Armson OEG

SinglePoint

Aim SinglePoint used the "Green Berets" in the raid on Son Tay in the operation Ivory Coast 20.11.1970

The main disadvantage of this system is that the brain is not well adapted to combine dissimilar images from each eye, causing the reticle to shift in relation to the target image. Because of this offset - and the large dot size (8 or 16 MOA), the effectiveness of the sights was significantly limited. The US military stopped the development of red dot sights for small arms

The next step forward in red dot technology has been taken by the company Aim point, in the sights of which a light emitting diode (LED) began to be used to project a red dot on the target image, this happened in 1974, however, despite the advantages, collimators did not have much success among hunters and athletes. Everything changed in 1975 thanks to US Army Reserve Sergeant Joe Pasquarelli. Winning first place at the National Handgun Championship at Camp Perry, his photo graced the cover of the American Rifle Association magazine. The photograph was of Pasquarelli. In his hand he held a pistol, on which a scope was mounted. Aimpoint Electronic

The US House of Representatives Committee on Armed Services noted as early as 1975 the suitability of using red dot sights for the M16, however, it was still quite a long time before red dot sights began to be used on weapons.
Aimpoint scopes saw limited use during Operation Desert Storm.

But only in 2000 there was a breakthrough, Aim point signed a contract for the supply of the US Army. 565783 sights M68 Close Combat Optic Rifle Sights (Aimpoint Comp2).

Over the following years, the popularity of reflex sights has grown significantly, many different models have appeared, but they all owe their appearance to Howard Grubb.

*Unfortunately, there is little information about Soviet collimator sights, but there is something.
I will try to dedicate a separate article to them.

Reflex sight

Sight adjustment when shooting

Aim- a device used to aim a weapon at a target. In small arms, depending on the conditions of use, various optical devices are used: the simplest "flies", optical sights with lens groups and laser target illumination. Sights include a mounted front sight (sometimes with a fence) and a rear sight. When shooting, the sight is adjustable in direction, the front sight - vertically.

open sight

open sight

Using an open sight, the shooter must simultaneously keep 3 objects in focus: the target, the front sight and the rear sight. Since this is impossible, he looks at the rear sight, then he looks at the front sight, then at the target and, before firing, he looks at the front sight again. This must be done very quickly.

Diopter sight

Diopter sight

Type of diopter sight

The shooter can ignore the rear sight, while looking through the aperture only at the front sight and the target. Today, such sights are used on most rifles, assault rifles, submachine guns and light machine guns.

Optical sight

An optical sight is an optical device designed to accurately aim a weapon at a target. It can also be used to observe the area and to determine the distances to objects (if their sizes are known).

Collimator sight

Sighting systems using a collimator are optical devices that allow alignment of aiming marks with the image of the target.

Cabin Messerschmitt Me-262. Collimator sight - at the top, slightly to the right of the middle (looks like a metal box).

The collimator sight provides a very high aiming speed - about 2-3 times higher than traditional "must-see" sights, since when aiming, you need to combine only two points - a red luminous mark that can be seen through the eyepiece and, in fact, the target itself.

Collimator sights are open and closed.

Closed ones are similar to an optical sight, only outwardly “thicker” and “shorter”. Their magnification factor is only 1-1.5, for ordinary ones (so as not to reduce the viewing angle), special nozzles are used to increase the magnification to 1.5-2 or more, although they can be equipped with optical nozzles with additional magnification, that is, the combination of a collimator with an optical one. sight.

Open ones have a simpler design and they don’t have a magnification factor at all. Just a glass screen through which the shooter looks at the target and sees a red aiming dot against the background of the target. In collimator sights, in addition to the actual aiming "point", additional auxiliary information can be projected.

The collimator sight was invented in Russia in 1917. From the time of the First World War to the present, collimator sights have been the main aerial firing sights for fighters, attack aircraft and bombers with a fixed weapon and in systems of semi-automatic sights of mobile shooting installations of attack aircraft and bombers.

laser sight

The laser designator creates a laser beam of low power directed towards the enemy and creates a light mark at the point of the intended impact. This method of aiming allows you to look only directly at the target, as well as to fire from any position. Thus, the aiming time is reduced to a minimum, however, the light mark gives out the fact of aiming and, in part, the location of the shooter.

rangefinders

Optical and optoelectronic sights and sighting systems

Sights of armored weapons and equipment

• Tank sighting and observation complex of the commander "Agat-S"
• Tank sighting and observation day-night complex of the commander "Agat-M"
• Tank night sighting system gunner "Buran-PA"
• Tank night sighting and observation complex gunner "Buran-M"
• Tank sight-rangefinder quantum TPD-K1 sighting complex 1A40-1
• Tank modernized gunner's sighting system 1A40-1M
• Sighting system gunner "Irtysh-M"
• Tank thermal sight gunner "Agava-2"
• Tank thermal imaging sight "Nocturne"
• Surveillance and sighting system "Zarnitsa"
• Sight-rangefinder - guidance device 1G46
• Tank night sighting and observation complex commander PNK-4S (PNK-4SR)
• Tank night sighting and observation system gunner TO1-KO1 (TO1-KO1T, TO1-KO1R)
• Sights TKN-4G (TKN-4GA)
• Fire control complex 1A43 tanks T80U, T-90S
• Night sight 1PN96
• Day anti-aircraft periscope sight 1P67
• Day anti-aircraft periscope sight 1PZ
• Upgraded tank night sight TPN-1K
• Upgraded tank night sight TPN-3K
• Upgraded tank night sight BPK-2K
• Sight - guidance device 1K13-2 "Bug" (Republic of Belarus)
• Sight - guidance device 1K13 (Republic of Belarus)
• Sight TPN-3 (Republic of Belarus)
• Sight BPK-2 (Republic of Belarus)
• Tank quantum rangefinder KDT-2 (Republic of Belarus)
• Sighting complex "Rubezh" (Republic of Belarus)
• Multichannel gunner's sight "Sosna" (Republic of Belarus)
• Multi-channel gunner's sight "Sosna-U" (Republic of Belarus)
• Multichannel gunner's sight "Buklet" (Republic of Belarus)
• Sight-guidance device with a rangefinder PPN-D "Sozh" (Republic of Belarus)
• Thermal imaging sight "Tisas" (Republic of Belarus)
• Thermal imaging sight "Plisa" (Republic of Belarus)
• Thermal imaging sight "Essa" (Republic of Belarus)
• Thermal imaging sight TVS-10 (Ukraine)
• Gyroscopic stabilizer of the field of view (GS PZP) (Ukraine)
• Aviation sighting and flight-navigation systems
• Aviation sighting system "Shkval"
• Aviation sighting system "Shkval-V" for Ka-50 helicopter
• Surveillance and sighting system "Rainbow-Sh" for Mi-24 helicopter
• Thermal imaging sighting system "Zarevo" for Mi-24PN helicopter
• Helicopter Pilot Thermal Imaging System (TPSL)
• Gyro-stabilized optoelectronic systems (GOES)
• Round-the-clock surveillance and sighting system GOES-321
• Round-the-clock surveillance and sighting system GOES-342
• Sight-guidance device GOES-344 for the multi-purpose complex of interspecific use "Whirlwind"
• Round-the-clock surveillance and flight system TOES-520
• Optoelectronic system "Samshit-50"
• Optoelectronic sighting system OEPS-27
• Optoelectronic sighting station upgraded 31E-MK

Optoelectronic sighting system OEPS-29 Optoelectronic sighting station modernized OEPS-MK Optoelectronic sighting system "Kaira"

• Helmet-mounted target designation system "Yauza"
• Helmet-mounted target designation and indication system "GEO-NSCI"
• Helmet-mounted system of round-the-clock vision, target designation and indication "GEO-NSCI1"
• Helmet-mounted targeting system "Sura" (Ukraine)

Sights for rocket and artillery systems, mortars and grenade launchers

• Automated sighting system 1P22
• Periscopic sights PG-2 (1OP40), PG-4 (1OP44)
• Artillery night sight 1PN53 (APN-7)
• Panorama gun PG-1M
• Gun collimator K-1
• Optical sight OP4M
• Optical mortar sight MPM-44M
• Night sight 1PN52 for anti-tank grenade launchers and heavy machine guns
• Optical sight for anti-tank grenade launcher PGO-7V (1P38)
• Sight of automatic grenade launcher PAG-17
• Combined optical grenade sight PGOK-9
• Thermal imaging sight 1PN65 ("Tract")
• Thermal imaging sight 1PN79
• Thermal imaging sight 1PN86 ("Mulat")
• Thermal imaging sight 1PN86-VI ("Mulat-115")
• Night vision sight "GEO-PZR1" for MANPADS
• Low-level television system "GEO-PZR2" for night sight SAM "Strela-10M"
• Round-the-clock television sight "GEO-PZR3" for air defense system "Tor-M1"
• Night sight 1PN72M
• Thermal imaging sight 1PN-81 "Necklace"
• Sighting system for the 23-mm twin anti-aircraft gun ZU-23 (Republic of Belarus)
• Collimator sight for PG-K hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers (Republic of Belarus)
• Collimator sight PK-R (Republic of Belarus)
• Sights for small arms
• Night sight 1PN93-1, 1PN93-2,1PN93-3, 1PN93-4
• Night shooting sight unified NSPU-3 (1PN51)
• Modernized unified night sight NSPUM-2 (1PN58)
• Unified rifle scope 1P29
• Sniper machine gun sight SPP (1OP50)
• SPP-M sniper machine gun sight
• Optical sniper sight PSO-1M2
• Pancratic sight 1P59 for SVD rifle
• Night sight NP-500
• Day-night sight PDN 4x43
• Night shooting unified sight NSPU-5 (1PN83)
• Night sight "Sniper"
• Night sight "Argus-8"
• Night active-impulse sight "Argus-AI"
• Night television sight "Argus-23"
• TV sight "day/night" ("Argus-D/N")
• Thermal imaging sight "Argus-31"
• Two-spectrum surveillance and sighting system "Veko"
• Two-spectrum surveillance and sighting system "Veko-2"
• Night sighting system "Kanadit-O" (1PN73)
• Night vision sight NV/S-9 (Republic of Belarus)
• Night vision sight NV/S-17 (Republic of Belarus)
• Telescopic sight with increased field of view PO 3.5x21P (Republic of Belarus)
• Telescopic sight with variable magnification 1P21 (Republic of Belarus)
• Optical sniper sights PSO-1, PSO-1-1, PSO-1M2, PSO-1M2-1, PSO-3 (Republic of Belarus)
• Telescopic sight with reticle illumination POSP 8x42 (Republic of Belarus)
• Compact telescopic sight with illuminated reticle PO 3.5x17.5P (Republic of Belarus)
• Sights for hunting and sporting weapons
• Non-illuminated hunting night sights PON-5, PON-5-01
• Combined hunting sight "day-night" PDN-3
• Pancratic night sights PNP-4, PNP-5
• Night sights of the "Baigish" series
• Night vision sight NP-10 ("CYCLOP-NS10")
• Small-sized night vision riflescope NS-SM-M
• Optical sights PO 4x34, PO 4.5-13x56
• Optical sights PO 4x24, PO 4x24-1, PO 6x36, PO 6x36-1
• Pancratic optical sight PO 3-9x24
• Day sights PO 4-10x40, "Bagheera-2"
• Optical sights with reticle illumination POSP 4x24, POSP 6x24, POSP 6x42, PO 3 - 9x42M (Republic of Belarus)
• Sighting systems POK-1, POK-2, POK-3 (Republic of Belarus)
• Collimator sights for small arms
• Collimator VK10-T (1P66)
• Collimator sight "Nit-A"
• Universal alignment collimator 1P61 (UV-1)
• Collimator sight "Puma-1"
• Collimator sight "Taiga-2U"
• Night collimator sights PKN-013M ("Coyote"), PKN-03M-01 (Republic of Belarus)
• Collimator sight PK-A (Republic of Belarus)
• Universal collimator sight PK-01 (Republic of Belarus)
• Collimator sight PKS-07 (Republic of Belarus)
• Collimator sight PK-06 (PKU-K1) (Republic of Belarus)
• Stereoscopic collimator sights PSK-8, PSK-20 (Republic of Belarus)
• Cold sighting collimators KHP (Republic of Belarus)
• Cold sighting collimator KHP-P (Republic of Belarus)

A device that is useful for sports shooting fans and professional hunters is a red dot sight. With its help, the effectiveness of conventional weapons is increased, shooting becomes more accurate. In other words: a reflex sight is a proven way to improve weapons.

Consider collimator sights mounted on 12 gauge. After installation, a beam will be aimed at the target. And this means: faster preparation, and faster and more accurate shooting. The device is such that the shooter's eye is located far enough from him, and the likelihood of injury due to recoil is minimized.

The collimator sight is also very popular among novice hunters - after all, they get an excellent assistant who constantly trains their accuracy. And people with vision problems feel more confident and achieve better results when using this device.

The sights considered here are optical devices with electronic filling. Most of the mass-produced products of this type have a single magnification (that is, officially, these are devices with a low magnification). The design of the label goes to the lens located in the front of the device. The appearance of the labels can be different (a dot, a dot in a circle, crossed lines, or squares). It is advisable to use different types of marks for targets located at different distances (less than 100 meters, up to 400 meters and over 400 meters). You can select either the red or green label option. Another advantage is that sights of this type do not block the view, giving a clear image.

Video: Collimator sights - the main tool for a shooter to work at short distances

Varieties of sights

The brand of the scope also determines whether it has an active or passive illumination method. When the active mode is selected, energy is taken from a compact battery. It is advisable to use the active mode in adverse weather conditions, as well as at night. The label is projected exclusively for the right eye. The passive brand does not differ in either brightness or contrast; it can only be used in good lighting (during the day).

Now manufacturers offer devices for aiming of 2 types: they look like tubes, or in the form of a frame, in front of which there is a lens. The main components of the tube: it is a LED emitter and several lenses (usually 2). If we compare this device with a variation of the open type, then it is somewhat larger, but next to standard optical solutions it looks more compact and weighs less. Such tubes are produced in a durable case, which is designed to protect all elements from sharp shaking during firing. Such weapons are usually used when firing from a securely non-fixed position, so the closed version of the 12-gauge red dot sight is not very convenient for this.

Devices of the open variety have the advantage of low weight and decent visibility. But if even a little rain drizzles, then using them is very problematic. Sometimes a halogen sight is also used, although professionals disagree on this matter, referring it to a separate type of equipment. At first glance, it looks like an open variation frame. But the brand is projected onto the output screen by means of a laser beam. Such a screen in the form of a plate is easy to change if the weather conditions require it. Neither fog nor precipitation is an obstacle to the use of such a device.

How to use

Consoles that can be quickly changed are the preferred place to mount the sighting device. If the need arises, such a device can be quickly removed and the movement of game resumed. You can use this device to fire from a moving car or shoot at rapidly moving targets. If fire is fired from automatic weapons, then collimator sights are installed in the side of the receiver. Severe frost is the enemy of collimator sights, because. under its influence, the power element may cease to perform its functions.

About collimator sights made in Japan

Considering that most of the goods (whatever their type) are made in China, then connoisseurs of special quality will be interested in the reflex sights of the Hakko BED brand, which are made in Japan. When buying a Hakko scope, you can be sure that it was made in Japan, and from Japanese components. The construction is extremely durable, designed for years of service. Excellent optical characteristics of these products are confirmed by experienced hunters. At the choice of the buyer: closed or open versions of the product. Closed devices have 11 lighting levels. Those who have tried these products in action, including in extreme conditions, say that the sights really withstand strong impacts, they are not affected by heavy precipitation. And to prevent fogging - the inside is filled with gas. The recoil from 12-gauge guns is not at all terrible for the Hakko collimator sight. The distance from the shooter's eye when using "Hakko" does not matter (although it is better to keep at a minimum distance of 100 mm.).

What is the best holographic sight?

When asked which reflex sight is preferable, experts who have tried many options say that this is EOTech produced in the States. They make it on the basis of the sight used in the army. Such open-type devices differ from their closest competitors in that their component is a laser optical device. Large selection of label brightness control (21 stages in total). This ensures accurate shooting even in adverse weather. For those who want to hunt in any conditions, there are also models with a thermal imager and night vision. EOTech uses a sophisticated brand projection system. It is used to avoid the parallax effect. Practice shows that even mechanical damage does not affect the operation of this device.

The automatic shutdown mode is used, which gives a significant operating time. Can be programmed for either 4 or 8 hours. Other advantages: compactness, lightness. Recommended for use on 12 gauge shotguns. The battery uses standard AA batteries, which can be purchased at your nearest store or ordered online. You can replace them in a minute, without any complicated actions, without subsequent zeroing. The disadvantages of such high-quality overseas products can only be attributed to the high cost (for sophisticated models - 60 thousand rubles and more).

Another interesting offer from America

Another reflex sight, Sightmark, also comes from the states, but its cost is noticeably lower than EOTech. But it does not follow from this that it is of unworthy quality. It is enough to download that the Yukon holding that produces it is a regular supplier for American cops and for the army. These devices are easily installed on 12-gauge weapons, they have 7 levels of brightness. They weigh little and are quite reliable. Some of them are produced under license in China.

About domestic goods

If we talk about collimator sights produced by domestic manufacturers, then the only option is the "Cobra" (because we do not make other similar devices). They put it with the help of the dovetail mount on the Bekas weapon. The shooter's choice: 16 gradations of brightness, 4 types of marks with the ability to remember data about them. At a distance of up to 600 meters, ballistics corrections apply. The owners of such devices say that after intense shooting (multiple shots), the settings do not go astray, there are no noticeable deformations on the seat. Good aiming is guaranteed with both one and two eyes. Of the shortcomings, the weight is more than the average and the height. In general - quite reliable and recommended products.

Video: Red dot sight testing

Mounting process

How to mount the device on a weapon is a question that worries buyers no less than the choice of model itself. With the exception of "Saiga" and "Snipe" - most varieties of smooth-bore guns initially do not involve mounting other devices due to consoles. Therefore, the hunter will have to make a choice from those technical solutions that currently exist. And there are few of them, either it is a “dovetail” or a base (another name for a “bar”).

More often they put a collimator sight on the slats of the Wever model, with the addition of seats. If the sight has mounting rings, then it can be mounted on a dovetail. In addition, there are models designed to mount directly on the aiming bar. Such electronic devices are small in size and light in weight. For example, high-quality Docter scopes. The light mark of such a device is clearly visible in the snow and in the cloudy sky. But such an option is affordable only for wealthy people, because. maybe even more expensive than the gun itself.

About unreliable options to avoid

Sometimes domestic "masters" set the Weaver landing even on the "dovetail". They make special adapters for this. Moreover, there are no standard fixtures - each time a special approach is needed. For example, on the steel console of a device manufactured in Volgograd (VOMZ), another sighting device with various mounting options can be placed. But the collimator sight designed for the IZH-27 16-gauge can only be placed on the aiming bar with a maximum width of 7 mm. Such designs are not recommended to be used not only because of the increase in the weight of the weapon, but also because of the fact that its alignment is disturbed. Such adapters weigh 100 grams or even more. Those who have already used such homemade mounts in practice say that they have little reliability and after a dozen shots they are already starting to come loose. You can install an optical device with a minimum weight. But according to the calculation, for IZH-27, the collimator sight should have a weight within 90 grams.

Decent frame for top optical devices

If you already have money for a high-class optical device, then it makes no sense to save money when installing it, it is then that the funds invested in the device itself will pay off in full due to the quality of shooting. When mounting, it is worth remembering not only about the reliable fixation of a fairly massive sighting device, but also about the fact that both the bar and bolted connections must be immune to recoil loads. And - for a long time. Any home-made devices, no matter how they are praised by the authors, do not fit here - there is no certainty in their reliability. Only proprietary developments are suitable for guaranteed reliable mounting of a 12-gauge red dot sight, and they can be easily purchased in online stores.

When choosing a product, make sure that its contour is the same as that of the receiver. Look at the thickness of the box: it should be sufficient for cutting a hole and for cutting at least 3 turns. For cutting use prof. equipment.

How is the shooting

With the help of 2 rotary knobs-drums that come with most of these devices, make adjustments in 2 planes. Select the target that the charge should hit (at a distance of 35-50 meters), for the selected distance, remember the position of the regulators. There is also an opinion that only “cold zeroing” can be used. This means that a laser pointer is used. But with such a shooting, the desired result is not always achieved, because. in hunting rifles, the axes of the barrel and chamber do not always coincide. Cold alignment is used to zero in the chamber. When mounting a collimator sight on 12 gauge, one should not forget about the correction when shooting from hand and about significant recoil.

Video: Sighting a collimator sight on IZH-94.

Among users, there is no unequivocal opinion on which model of the sight is the best. It all depends on the conditions in which it will be used, on the skill of the hunter, on which weapon it will be mounted, and what ammunition will be used. It is also said that on 12-gauge guns it is preferable to use open devices. Also, the choice depends on how much the hunter is willing to pay.