Which Optic

[Stickman]

I
I like everything about the ELCAN except the the A.R.M.S. throw levers (seriously why?). They are not a deal breaker as I guess I can zip tie them in place but I know I’ll have to re-zero if I remove the optic but that would be pretty rare.

How many times have you had ARMS levers on an item which was taken off, then put back on, and it was off by more than 1 moa?

[Pappabear]

I would run a RDS and maybe a magnifier if I wanted more distance out of my 11.5. I would not go LPVO on a 11.5 gun.

PB

[Arch]

The only optic I owned from teh OP's original four options was the TR24. I had three of them. I found them to be heavy and the glass quality didn't seem to match the countless ACOGs I have owned.

Since he's putting it on a 11.5" I wouldn't go with a LPVO personally. I'd look at a Aimpoint T2 or CompM5.

[Arch]

My personal optic preferences are pretty dated. My ACOG experience started in 1994 when I bought my first one, and I'm still waiting for something I like better (and I have spent a small fortune trying to find it). My first Aimpoint experience started about 15 years ago. I have owned and used US Optics LPVO (several), Nightforce (a couple), Leupold (so many I can't count), Trijicon MROs (4 of them), EOTechs (so many versions), Trijicon Reflex (2 or 3), CMORE, Trijicon TR21 (2 of them) and TR24 (3 of them), Steiner products, Vortex (too many to remember), ACOGs (too many to count), Aimpoints (lots of T1, T2, ML2, M3, CompM4, CompM4S, Pro), Elcans, Trijicon RMR / RMRcc (7 or 8 of them .. I do like these on a Glock Gen 5 MOS), plus tons of stuff I'm forgetting.

This is what I settled upon ....

10.5" or 11.5" AR Pistol .... Aimpoint T1 or T2
16" CQB / General Purpose ... Aimpoint CompM4S
16" DMR ... Trijicon TA31
16" 7.62 ... Trijicon TA11

LaRue mount all things.

Boring, but it works great for me and has for MANY years. Every time I stray away from this I regret it.

[1168]

(not interested in flip to side 3x mags. I know too many people (including SF) who end up just removing them as they get annoyed with them.
.

Yeah, when they were new and my eyes were, too, I was one of the dudes that kept magnifiers off my work gun. I hated the Short Dot and Elcan, too. But, I turned 38 yesterday, and a magnifier has been highly beneficial. T2/3x/Scalarworks is lighter than any LPVO I own. In fact, its lighter than most or all LPVOs, once mounted, and you can also take the QD magnifier off whenever.

But someone tell me the net diff between an RD + Mag and an LPVO? Don’t they solve for the same problem just different ways? Flipping to the side vs rotation.

What am I missing?

The difference is that the LPVO is a medium range optic that can do CQB, and the Dot/3x is a CQB optic that can do a little medium range work. They both live in the Venn diagram overlap between an unmagnified dot and a high power (9x+) scope. In CQB a LPVO’s signature move is being able to mimic an Aimpoint. An Aimpoint is even better at mimicking an Aimpoint, though.

A key difference is that the LPVO has an eye box all the time, whereas a magnifier only has that when selected. For this reason I would not choose one on a pistol, though I could be swayed that way with the same 11.5” with a proper stock.

If I had to sell every rifle I own except the one that best fits your use-case, I’d keep my 12.3” with T2 and magnifier.

As to the selection of optics you mentioned, as someone else stated, its a huge spread in price and capability. If you like PA and ACSS, consider the PLx 1-8x. On a different gun, though. If you want a Triji, there are different models that would compare better to an Elcan, IMO.

[DefenderAO]

Aimpoint T2 and 3x magnifier in Unity Tactical mounts

[MegademiC]

For HD, a rds or lpvo with a huge eyebox.

I ran a laupold vxr patrol for a long time (still do, different role).

It had 1.5x mag but was still fast due to a massive eyebox and bright dot (very light also).

I have a didicated hd gun with rds now. If I have to go outside, i take the lpvo, but Im looking for modern options now as its an outdated scope IMO.