The Aimpoint red-dot sight has been the premier red-dot reflex sight since its inception in 1975. They have a long history as an industry leader and have refined their products over the years to become the standard by which military and law enforcement sights are judged.
I used Aimpoints and other manufacturers optics during my final service years as a police officer with a busy Southern California agency and my bias for Aimpoint comes from the confidence they gave me and my fellow officers on the streets.
The Aimpoint Advantage
One of the major benefits Aimpoint models bring to the table is huge battery life thanks to state-of-the-art LED emitters and advanced circuitry. Aimpoints sights are designed to be left on and will actually last longer activated in a low range intensity setting than stored with the sight turned off. The battery draw is less than the natural discharge rate.
This means officers do not have to worry about their sight being ready when a crisis or emergency arises. I always recommended changing batteries annually, but it is superfluous and completely necessary. In some cases, the batteries will last longer than the year’s officers have left before they retire.
“Always on” capability is a huge factor for police duty as well as home protection. Ruggedness is another major factor. These sights are tough. I had an Aimpoint Comp M4 that was thrown across asphalt parking lots or concrete over 1000 times in demonstrations without loss of zero or malfunction. We have seen them heavily damaged in crashes, accidents, and they keep working.
They are also very simple to both use and employ. Simplicity is critical for use in a high-stress environment. All switching is both mechanical and
