Click the READ MORE below to view our article and find the video content link about pairing up unlike magnifiers with Red Dot Systems.

 

 

Are Magnifiers Inter-Changeable?

by Jessie Indracusin

Background

I have spoken to quite a few viewers about this topic and was a bit taken back on the miss information some people have had about this.  Some of this may be information from the manufacturer’s themselves.  For example, if you bought an Eotech Red Dot, they don’t want you buying a competing 3x Magnifier from Aimpoint and the same goes with buying an Aimpoint Red Dot and pairing it up with an Eotech Magnifier.  So I felt it was best to both discuss and illustrate this in a video cast to help everyone understand this since I can’t recall anyone talking about this topic.

Zoom-Zoom

Everyone who has a Red Dot will eventually grow into the need/desire of having a 3x Magnifier to pair up with it, so they can really zoom into the target. First thing I want to make sure I clarify is that I don’t want to argue over the need of a magnifier with my viewers.  Yes, you can hit a target with irons at a few hundred yards without magnification.  I am not here to argue that.  Many people have had to do this in the military to qualify for certain marksmanship levels. The best way I have at making this point is if you had to dig a 3 feet hole through limestone and someone handed you a shovel or a jackhammer, which would you pick?  That is pretty much my same opinion when it comes to magnified or not magnified at 100 yards+.

Aimpoint and Eotech

Both companies provide exceptional magnifiers, but they do have two different schools of thoughts. Depending on where your mindset is, I encourage you to consider which one you want carefully (since either option still costs a pretty penny). So let’s first break down the differences between the two:

Aimpoint 3x Magnifier

Pros:

 

• Superior glass quality over Eotech.  The highest level of clarity you are going to find in a 3x Magnifiers
• Twist Mount System allows the optic to come completely on and off (making bumping it against a door jam, etc. not likely, thus saving the mount from damage.)
• Battle Proven and incredibly rugged
• Adjustable centering of the magnifier to the red dot

 

Cons:

 

• Flip To Side Mount can get busted off in a CQB environment if the optic hits a door frame, furniture, etc. in a building while in the flipped to side position if you are moving quickly through a building.
• Glass Quality is very good but not quite to the same level as the Aimpoint.  Keep in mind, this is much better than any Chinese piece of crap you are going to find at a gun show.

So Can I Pair Any of These Up together?

Keep in mind, the only issue you need to ask yourself is how you setup the front optic.  If you have a low optic Eotech (like a 512 A.65) you will need to remove spacers in the rear magnifier if the unit comes with one.  The same holds true if you run an Aimpoint with a low mount kit.  You would have to make sure you are not using the spacer part for the Eotech G23FTS.  At the end of the day what I am trying to say is, pick the quality magnifier that meets your needs the best and don’t worry which brand red dot is in front of it.

 

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