A red dot sight - how does it work?
When we show up at any airsoft event, it is enough to glance at the equipment of other airsofters to quickly see that few players hold a "bare" airsoft gun in their hands without any tactical accessories. Airsofters are fond of mounting various gadgets on their airsoft rifles, such as additional grips, flashlights, scopes or red dot sights. What exactly is a red dot sight and why is it such a useful addition to any airsoft gun? We will try to answer these questions in this article.
What is a collimator?
A red dot sight is an optical sight (actually a non-magnifying reflex sight), which uses a simple but effective mechanism to help you aim more accurately. It projects a small illuminated red dot onto a specially coated lens, which you see when you look through the sight. This dot serves as an aiming point and allows for quick target acquisition. Inside the sight, there's a light-emitting diode (LED) that projects the red dot onto the lens. The lens has a special coating that reflects only the red light back to your eyes, creating the illuminated dot. The sight is designed to be parallax-free, meaning the red dot will stay on target regardless of the angle at which you look through the sight. Contrary to appearances, this is not a rocket science native to the 21st century, as references to the first use of red dot sights in the field date back to the 1960s. The prices of this type of construction and easy access to them mean that a good quality red dot sight is no longer just the domain of professional soldiers or special units operators, but is available to every enthusiasts such as airsoft players and sport shooters.
The red dot sight allows for quickly acquiring the target.
Advantages of the red dot sight
The highlights of airsoft red dot sights are, first of all, the fact that they allow much faster and more reliable aiming than with iron sights. A classic set of a front and a rear sight requires much more skill from the shooter in aiming. It also requires more time and it is easier to make a mistake resulting in a missed shot. Using a red dot sight, it is enough to point the displayed aiming point at the target and pull the trigger. In addition, red dots only slightly restrict the viewing area, so the player can simultaneously track the target and its surroundings.
Red dot sights also have an advantage over scopes, especially at close distances, because they do not restrict the field of view and are free of typical disadvantages such as parallax error. In addition, they don't require closing the other eye when aiming at a target, and the time to lay down for a shot is much shorter. All these advantages are important, especially during dynamic operations.
Red dot sights are also excellent for night games. Even during unfavorable weather conditions and lack of sufficient illumination, the adjustable level of illumination allows you to perfectly adjust the brightness of the red dot sight. As a result, aiming in the dark is not particularly difficult.
Features of red dot sights - what to pay attention to before buying?
• Type of mounting - the vast majority of red dots available on the market are equipped with a standard mounting for a 22mm Picatinny rail, which is exactly what airsoft rifles have. It can be a QD type mount, in which we use a lever to lock the sight on the rail. It can also be tightened with an Allen screw, which takes a little longer and requires the use of an Allen wrench of the appropriate size (often such a wrench is included in the kit). Lightweight open red dots can also be equipped with a dedicated mounting plate that allows mounting directly on the slide of an airsoft pistol (e.g. Glock pistols with MOS system).
• Type of aiming point – red dot sights can vary in shape and size of the displayed point. From a simple dot, to more elaborate target crosshairs. Some models have several types of sights to choose from. The color of the displayed dot is most often red, but there are sighters with green or blue illumination, or with several colors to choose from, which can be easily switched using either a button or a dial.
• MOA value - in short, simply means the size of the aiming point, although the term "MOA" itself is more complex and means minutes of angle. For example, a red dot marked 1 MOA, will have a diameter of 1.047 inches (rounded down) displayed on a target 100 yards away. When applied to red dots used at shorter distances than scopes, it is simply assumed that the optimal size for medium and short range is 2 or 3 MOA, for CQB combat it may be 6 MOA, and for shooting at longer distances 1 MOA (so that the aiming dot obscures the target as little as possible).
• Power supply - optoelectronic sights can be powered by a variety of batteries and rechargeable batteries. Starting from small CR2032 button batteries, through classic AA batteries, up to the popular CR123A. It's a good idea to have spare batteries with you at the airsoft skirmish so that a sudden power outage doesn't surprise you during the game.
• Adjustability - in order for the aiming from the red dot sight to actually be fast and precise, we should calibrate it after mounting it on the replica, or popularly speaking, "zeroing it". The vast majority of sights have the ability to adjust the position of the aiming spot in the vertical and horizontal axis. It is worth taking a longer moment to set the red dot correctly, so that the fired BB’s hits exactly where we direct the aiming spot.
• Resistance and durability - if we will use the red dot sight in harsh conditions, it is worth paying attention to its waterproofness expressed by the IP rating. The IP value will answer the question of whether our device will be resistant to dust, as well as splashing with water.
The most common way of mounting a replica is by attaching it to RIS rails.
Red dot sight - open or closed?
There are two types of devices on the market: open and closed red dot sights.
The first are much smaller and lighter than their closed counterparts. Their main advantage is compactness and minimalist design - they often consist only of a mount, a lens with a frame and a diode module. Such sights are eagerly mounted on pistol replicas, where small size and weight are most desirable, even at the expense of durability. We must also remember that the visibility of the aiming point in an open red dot may be lower on a sunny day.
Many people decide to choose a closed red dot sight, which, although larger and heavier, has much better durability. A closed sight resembles a scope in its shape, so it effectively shields from the sun, and the solid metal housing is sealed and resistant to mechanical damage and weather conditions. Such red dots will be an ideal choice, for example, for an assault airsoft carbine. The advantage of closed sights is also the possibility of using additional optical elements that can magnify the image. Such a design combines the advantages of a reflex sight and a scope, which for some tactical operations can be extremely useful.
Why should you buy a collimator?
If you want to be effective on the airsoft field and be able to react to the dynamically changing situation during airsoft gameplay - buying a red dot is almost a necessity. Red dot sights greatly reduce aiming and reaction time, and the time to assemble for a shot is much shorter. The second issue is aesthetic value. If you want to expand your tactical look, it is worth finding a replica of the sight used by real military units on firearms. Many airsoft manufacturers offer WPAof the red dots seen in photos, movies or war computer games. A red dot sight is a purchase that is sure to make airsoft more realistic, more effective and, most importantly, more enjoyable.
