Konus Optics?

**payj** · 03-11-10, 14:58

Never heard of them. My buddy just got one without knowing anything about them and wanted me to do some research for him. So I thought this would be a good place to start

. He just bought their mini red dot system. Are these any good?

I guess shoot me some pros and cons.

Also, I read they are made in Italy is that true?

**payj** · 03-14-10, 00:01

b u m p

**perna** · 03-14-10, 00:49

Maybe there is already a thread about it?

**payj** · 03-14-10, 00:59

while there may be I'm having a hard time with the search function.

also, if people were ignoring solely because there is a topic on this. there would be a whole lot less eotech, aimpoint related threads on this site

**perna** · 03-14-10, 01:06

Why not just ask your friend at the gun range, he seems to be an expert.

People are probably not responding because they know your agenda, you just want to hear how they suck so you can go on about how much better aimpoint is.

**bkb0000** · 03-14-10, 06:41

Originally Posted by perna

Why not just ask your friend at the gun range, he seems to be an expert.

People are probably not responding because they know your agenda, you just want to hear how they suck so you can go on about how much better aimpoint is.

does payj have a history of trollish behavior or something? 'cause you seem to be trolling this thread a bit..

OP-
http://m4carbine.net/search.php?searchid=1821438

**Hell_Bent** · 03-14-10, 13:35

I know very little about Konus - my only exposure has been to their mini red dot (The Aimpoint T-1 semi-clone), which I believe is the one you're talking about?

I had an $80 credit at a local gun shop from some smithing I had them perform that went badly. They basically carried nothing I would have any interest in, so the credit rode on the books for a long time.

I eventually stopped in and grabbed a Konus Atomic Pro that was in their optics display. I think I "gave" around $70, thinking it would be a low budget T-1 clone for one of my .22 uppers. Couldn't find much info on it at the time, so my expectations were pretty low...

Long story short, I needed a red-dot for one of my AK's that has become my default "hog killer". I didn't want to pull an aimpoint from my AR's, and I only expected to use it for a week or two just before deer season to clear some hogs from my hunting area. The Konus was basically "free" - so it got the call.

Here it is on the AK (Just a converted MAK) that it now lives on:

As far as a "review" of the sight, here goes:

Overall, it's a pretty decent low-profile red-dot for the price point. It has held POI for two hunting seasons (and I don't baby my AK's - especially during Hog Hunts). It's been thrown around and dropped and drenched in rain and mud without issues. I do recall at least once rinsing the rifle with a water hose after a hunt. It's ridden around on the back floorboard of my Jeep over rough trails for both of those seasons and much of the time in between. It's mounted on an Ultimak and heat hasn't caused an issue. The battery and adjustment caps are aluminum and o-ringed, and the adjustments are firm.

However, it's no Aimpoint, and I'd be willing to bet that sustained mag dumps mounted to the gas tube in this fashion would kill it. I've only put moderate-to-high volume fire under it a couple of times, maybe 4-6 mags over the course of a couple of minutes - and that small amount hasn't fried the optic. I'm also fairly certain that submersion would kill it. I've never re-zeroed it or removed it from the Ultimak for any reason since initial install. my best estimate is approx 1200 rounds under this optic, all 7.62x39 Wolf 124gr HP.

The controls are reversed compared to a T-1. Not a huge deal as I rarely manipulate the controls on any of my Aimpoints - but wanted to throw that in there if you're considering it for a low-cost trainer.

The battery life isn't Aimpoint comparable, either (This was fully expected). I let the factory battery remain turned on setting "5" when I brought it home, just out of curiosity. IIRC, it lasted a couple of days in constant on. Not bad - and it could have been a sub-par factory battery. However since replacing the factory batt I tend to turn the illum knob to a position between power levels which shuts it off while leaving it on my preferred setting when turned on. I have replaced the battery once since the factory replacement - the original replacement lasted all of the last hunting season and about 2/3 of this one, with maybe 3 or 4 range sessions in between (I'm estimating maybe 18 hunts lasting 1-3 hours each and once or twice forgetting to shut it off overnight). Based on that, I'd guess that drainage when turned off is present, but not a huge concern. I can honestly say that I've had better luck with the battery life on this optic than any of the EOTech's I've owned...

The "dot" is not the "laser" appearance of the Aimpoint dot. Instead, it's a well-defined circle, similar to the center dot of a DMS-1 (But only visible when turned on). The illumination range is good, from a faint red orb on setting 1 to a VERY bright dot on setting 11 (Yeah, it goes to eleven...). It's readily usable from full darkness to bright sun and I've used it in both. The lenses impart a blue tint, but the glass is clear and it's never fogged on me.

The mount is solid, and fairly low-profile. It is about 2mm too high to get absolute cowitness with AK Iron's on an Ultimak (The housing sits a hair too high to allow use of the rear sight - I just now dropped the rear back to "zero" to confirm, and it's pretty much impossible to discern the rear sight against the housing of the Konus). I just rezeroed my irons to POA/POI at 50 while the rear irons were set at "3" and the cowitness is identical to that of an Aimpoint mounted on an Ultimak. I wouldn't necessarily advise doing that on a duty-use rifle, but in all the years I've been using this AK as a Hog gun, I've never adjusted the rear sight while shooting, so this is a valid compromise for me...

Would I trust it on a duty weapon? Nope. While it hasn't failed me in it's current role, it also hasn't proven itself over time or in numbers as the Aimpoint has. It's not a case of "just as good as", but rather "good enough for this application" - better than no RDS capability on a rifle I wouldn't spend the $$ to equip the same as my "go-to" weapons... I've considered shooting my next carbine course with an AK instead of an AR, and I may well try to run it with this rifle - but you can bet I'll have a T-1 zeroed and ready to swap out if it fails...

That being said, it makes an excellent low-profile sporting optic... I imagine I'll keep it on this AK and continue slaughtering hogs with it until it dies or I find something that better fits the niche. Keep in mind, I don't consider it "crap" - If I did I wouldn't rely on it in this role. Texas wild hogs inside a few meters can be a handful. But I also know that if it goes tits up at an inopportune moment, I can rely on irons and climb a tree.

Climbing a tree isn't a valid "actions on" if the opponent can shoot at you....

**payj** · 03-14-10, 17:10

Hell Bent: Thanks for taking the time to write that!!!!!! That info is a great help!!!!!!!!

bkb0000: Thank you for the link

perna: Sorry to have pissed in your cheerios

My buddy just bought it because it was cheap. Neither of us knew too much about it so I thought I would ask here. Being on their site it seems they are made in Italy? If so that kinda cool.

Hell Bent: My other buddy just bought a Strikefire for his AK he too uses an ultimak. We sighted it in the other day. Those seem to be excellent optics for what they are. It was easy to sight in and very accurate at 50yds with the 4moa dot. The only problem we had was accidental on/off situations where if you set the rifle on its side it would turn off, or if off turn on.

That said, I believe in April they are coming out with a new version with the button further recessed into the housing, along with a 3 sec delay to turn the optic on or off. Also, my buddy is buying the 5.56 version AK I believe next week or the week after. We both decided he should get Vortex's new SPARC model. That looks like it could be a great little sight. It compares to the konus optic so I will chime in when he gets it to let you know of our impressions. In case you wanted to give that one a shot on your AK.

Again, thanks for the help Hellbent and bkb000.......