[OverArmedNewb]

I am saving up to get an EoTech 4x magnifier w/ flip to the side mount to run behind my Eotech 557 AR223. Being impatient I ordered an $80 chinese eotechknockoff 4x made for airsoft;
http://dragonredairsoft.com/catalog/product_reviews_info.php?products_id=45&reviews_id=11&osCsid=t33ic6fm840rjolumfj4aljtg5
It came today and I wanted to post some observations. Firstly I would never imply that this even comes close to a real eotech in quality, ruggedness, reliability etc.
It doesn't. I would not stake my life on it. That being said, for the money, its better than it should be. The mount is a POS (doesn't sit on the rail properly though does stay tight at least) but it is functional. It flips to the side and locks back, could it be better, yes, does it still work, yes. The magnifier itself is decent for the money, better than the mount by far when it comes to quality, Is it as good as an Eotech, no, is it better than it has any right to be, yes.
Here is the 557 unmagnified


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Here with magnification


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Mounted


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FTS


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I moved the rifle unfortunately between the first two pics, the point being, employing the magnifier did not have any paralax issues. The reticle stays in the same place. For someone like me who does all of his shooting at the range. This magnifier will easily fill the void till I can get a real one.

 

[losman]

it looks like it belongs to me I understand the band-aid fix

 

[OverArmedNewb]

You gotta do what you gotta do

 

[DSM]

I've bought some cheap chinese knock-offs from Primary Arms and used them on just about everything at the range when we're having fun. Quality may not be there but they work and are cheap. No worries about that.

 

[cjt50]

It's a magnifier, no zero to worry about and as long as the thing doesn't self destruct it's all good. I'm using a Vortex magnifier and it's made in china as well. It works and I could buy 5 of them for the price of an Aimpoint or Eotech magnifier. Only reason I went with the Vortex and paid a lil' more was the excellent customer service and life time warranty.

 

[OverArmedNewb]

This was my best from todays range trip, 30 shots at 100yds using the Eotech + Chinese Knockoff 4x magnifier


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and another 400 trouble free rounds which puts me past ~1200 all told

 

[cjt50]

It works well, very nice.

 

[OverArmedNewb]

I was able to tighten up the sight-in at 50 yds. After thatI had to move the target to 100 because it was getting boring at 50. This was all off sandbags.

 

[losman]

OAN>>>what loads where you shooting today? Very nice...not bad for a NewB

 

[OverArmedNewb]

200 rnds of xm193F and 200rnds M855 penetrator. The pictured target was with xm193F. It felt good today, really it was just put the dot on a spot and squeeze the trigger. Off the sandbags there was not a lot of movement from standing it ws still good but nothing like that kind of grouping. There was a lot of nice rifles there today. The guy next to me basically put 5 bullets in one hole with a Desert Tactical sniper rifle, on the other side a beautiful White Oak Armament match upper doing basically the same so in comparison my groups looked sloppy. Lot of fun at the range today though. Good people.

Also had a lot of ACR questions from folks, sent a lot of them here for more info.

 

[losman]

The ACR does the job... if you want to do surgical shooting get a bolt rifle in .223 or .308. I will eventually get down to two long center fire rifles, but it's driving me nut deciding. The cost of the gear and living in NJ doesn't make it easy. I'm enjoying the research though.

 

[johnny smithsonian]

...i'm in the same sort of dilemma with the magnifiers...i got a LaRue medium Mount (LT-659) for my aimpoint m4s...because i wanted the lower 3rd instead of an absolute co-witness...so i was going to save for the 3x magnifier and the short pivot mount(LT-649-s)...but guess what, larue stopped making them...they only make tall pivot mounts now...so to line them up i would have to by another m4s mount and use the one i got as a paper weight...i think i might check out the chinese connection as well...

 

[johnny smithsonian]

It's a magnifier, no zero to worry about and as long as the thing doesn't self destruct it's all good. I'm using a Vortex magnifier and it's made in china as well. It works and I could buy 5 of them for the price of an Aimpoint or Eotech magnifier. Only reason I went with the Vortex and paid a lil' more was the excellent customer service and life time warranty.

...i've never seen the vortex magnifier...looks pretty durable not like a mako toy...have you seen the DM PREMIUM OPTICS 3x magnifier...its about $300...how do you like your vortex?...

 

[cjt50]

...i've never seen the vortex magnifier...looks pretty durable not like a mako toy...have you seen the DM PREMIUM OPTICS 3x magnifier...its about $300...how do you like your vortex?...

I like the vortex. It's made in china like most of the low cost ones. Since it doesn't have to hold zero, and it has a lifetime warranty from vortex I didn't think I could go wrong. Is it on the same field as an Aimpoint or Eotech magnifier, no. But it's not $500 either. For me, the glass is clear enough for the ranges that I shoot.

Would I buy it again, yes.

 

[johnny smithsonian]

...thanks cjt50...a lifetime warranty?...wow

 

[crmann]

I use the clone magnifier, however I bought the real Samson Mfg. mount. I called Samson direct and they happened to be making a special batch for a bunch of 4x's eotech found in the warehouse. They needed flip mounts, so I got in line for a new one @ $190! This was back in late Jan. The replica mount "worked" but I had no intentions of using it. The Samson mount is an order-of-a-magnitude better.

I think the main difference between the real mag and fake is that the eotech has a purge port on the bottom (from the best I can tell in photos). At any rate, I'll pick up the real 4x when I find one for a good deal. I just got frustrated trying to find the real 4x flip setup so I went this route. It's a shame the 4x is discontinued - the square view is awesome.