Aimpoint AB

Aimpoint AB is a Swedish optics company manufacturing red dot sights for civilian, police and military use. Comp series sights, such as the CompM2, are the most popular and is currently used by numerous armed forces around the world.

Aimpoint AB
TypePrivate
IndustryManufacturing
Founded1974
HeadquartersMalmö, Sweden
ProductsElectro-optical sights and accessories
Websitehttp://www.aimpoint.com

Company

Aimpoint AB[1] is a manufacturing company founded in 1974 and is based in Malmö, Sweden.[2] Their primary products are reflector (or reflex) sights, specifically the red dot sight sub-type. In 1975 they introduced their first commercial product,[3] the "Aimpoint Electronic" red dot sight, based on a design by Helsingborg engineer John Arne Ingemund Ekstrand.[4] This is claimed to be the first light-emitting diode "red dot" reflector sight ever manufactured. They currently offer many product lines based on this technology as well as accessories. In 1997 Aimpoint was awarded the first multi-year military contract ever for a red dot sighting system when the US Army purchased their Aimpoint CompM2, designated the “M68 Close Combat Optic”.[5]

Products
Aimpoint on an AK4
Ak 5D seen here with an Aimpoint red dot sight.
Hunter with Aimpoint Micro H-2 on rifle

Aimpoint currently sells a large line of red dot sights marketed to hunters, marksmen, law-enforcement agencies, and military organizations all over the world.[6] Nearly 3,000,000 sight are in use world wide today.

All of their products use non-magnifying optical collimators (reflector or "reflex" sights) along with battery powered light-emitting diodes to produce a red aiming point. Many sights utilize a type of mangin mirror system, consisting of a meniscus lens corrector element combined with the semi-reflective mirror (what Aimpoint's advertising calls a "two lens" or "double lens" system[7]), that compensates for spherical aberration, an error that can cause the dot position to diverge off the sight's optical axis with change in eye position.[8][9][10] Aimpoint markets their sights as "parallax free",[11] but this seems to refer to their off-axis spherical aberration correction system at one optimized distance. Aimpoints, like all other collimated sight systems, induce some parallax at ranges other than the ptimized due to the nature of the collimator.[12][13]

Aimpoints divides its products in to two categories: professional products and commercial (hunting and sport) products. In most Countries Aimpoints has different distributors for commercial and professional sector.[14]

Professional Sights

These models use Aimpoints "Advanced Circuit Efficiency Technology" (ACET) diode circuitry, a newer low power consumption system introduced in 2005:

  • Aimpoint Carbine Optic (ACO) (Launched 2014): designed specifically for modern sporting rifles and priced to sell at an entry level price point.
  • Aimpoint PRO: a.k.a. Patrol Rifle Optic. Launched in January 2011, marketed to law enforcement for usage on patrol rifles, shotguns, and sub-machine guns. Available in 2 MOA model with a battery life of 30,000 hours. Uses 2L76 or DL1/3N battery Also Night Vision Compatible.
  • Aimpoint CompM4: The latest version of the military M68 Close Combat Optic. Two MOA dot and uses standard AA battery. Night Vision Compatible.
  • Aimpoint CompM4s: Same specifications as the Aimpoint CompM4, but it comes with a low battery compartment.
  • Aimpoint Micro T-1: The police and military version in the Micro series, comes in a matte black finish with NVD capabilities.
  • Aimpoint Micro T-2: Very similar to commercial H-2 model but with added NVD capabilities.
  • Aimpoint Nano
  • Aimpoint Acro P-1
  • Aimpoint MPS3: A machine gun sight which uses the same type electronics as the Aimpoint CompM4.
  • Aimpoint CompM5 This sight is based on the design of the CompM4 but compatible with the mounts of the Micro series sights. This sight runs on a AAA battery and offers the same performance as the CompM4 sights.

Commercial Sights
  • Aimpoint 9000: For hunting. Comes in long and short variant. [15]
  • Aimpoint Hunter: For hunting. Comes in four variants with two different diameters and two different lengths[16]
  • Aimpoint Micro H-1: The smallest sight in the Aimpoint family, only 105 grams (3.7 oz) including the mount. Comes in 2 and 4 MOA dot.
  • Aimpoint Micro H-2: Available also in orange colour as special edition in 2018 [17]
  • Aimpoint Micro S-1 Aimpoint’s first sight specially designed for shotguns. It can be used on most shotguns having a ventilated rib. It features 6 MOA dot. [18]
  • Aimpoint ACRO C-1: Aimpoint’s first sight specially designed for handguns. [19]
  • Aimpoint CompC3: Commercial version of Comp series of red dot sights

Accessories
A U.S. Army soldier with an M4 carbine equipped with an Aimpoint CompM2
Police with Aimpoint Micro T-2 on a PDW
  • Aimpoint 3X-C: 3× magnification module for use with Aimpoint sights. A standard grade for use by civilian and Law Enforcement shooters.
  • Aimpoint 3XMag-1: 3× magnification module for use with Aimpoint sights. A higher-grade product used in real tough environments.
  • Aimpoint 6XMag-1: 6× magnification module for use with Aimpoint sights. A higher-grade product used in real tough environments
  • Aimpoint CEU (Concealed Engagement Unit): Mounted on the Aimpoint TM (TwistMount) behind the Aimpoint sight. Allows the user to engage the target from a protected position.

Discontinued Aimpoint models
  • Aimpoint Electronic (1975) - Aimpoint's first product and the first mass-produced electronic "red dot sight".
  • Aimpoint Electronic G2 (1978)
  • Aimpoint Mark III (1983) - first model to have internal adjustments.
  • Aimpoint 2000 (1985) - ring mounted, auto light adjust.
  • Aimpoint 1000 (1987)
  • Aimpoint Bow (1987)
  • Aimpoint 3000 (1989) - a sight with 1" (25.4 mm) tube. It is used by the French GIGN on G-3 TGS and sometimes on Remington 870; it is thought to have been used, or to be in use still, by Navy SEALs on the M4A1[20]
  • Aimpoint 5000 (1991)
  • Aimpoint Comp (1991) - pistol sight
  • Aimpoint CompM/ML (1997)
  • Aimpoint 5000 XD (1999) - improved "XD" diode for brightness/battery life.
  • Aimpoint 5000 XD 2x (1999) - 2× magnification
  • Aimpoint CompM/ML XD (1999)
  • Aimpoint CompML 2X (1999) - 2× magnification
  • Aimpoint Comp XD (1999)
  • Aimpoint CompC (2001)
  • Aimpoint CompC 2X (2001) - 2× magnification
  • Aimpoint CompC SM (2001)
  • Aimpoint 7000S (2001) - full-length sight for hunting and sport-shooting rifles.
  • Aimpoint 7000S 2X (2001) - 2× magnification
  • Aimpoint 7000SC (2001)
  • Aimpoint 7000SC 2X (2001) - 2× magnification
  • Aimpoint 7000SC SM (2001)
  • Aimpoint 7000L (2001)
  • Aimpoint 7000L 2X (2001) - 2× magnification
  • Aimpoint MPSII (2002) - designed for military use, medium or heavy support weapons.
  • Aimpoint CompC3 (2005)
  • Aimpoint CompC3 2X (2005) - 2× magnification
  • Aimpoint CompC3 (4MOA) (2005)
  • Aimpoint 9000L 2X (2005) - 2× magnification
  • Aimpoint 9000SC 2X (2005) - 2× magnification
  • Aimpoint 9000 SC Camo (2005)
  • Aimpoint Micro R-1 (2007) - handgun/hunter model, same as the H-1 but instead of the black finish the R-1 came in a Silver finish.
  • Aimpoint CompM2: The standard military red dot sight, designated M68 CCO (Close Combat Optic) by the US Army. Four MOA and night vision compatible.
  • Aimpoint CompML2: Same as CompM2, but lacks night vision compatibility.
  • Aimpoint CompM3: Available in 2 and 4 MOA models. Night vision compatible.
  • Aimpoint CompML3: Same as CompM3, but lacks night vision compatibility.
  • Aimpoint LPI: Infrared laser sight to be mounted on either a Picatinny rail or directly on some of the CompML or CompM sights.
  • Aimpoint CS Model issued to the Swedish Armed Forces.
  • Aimpoint 3XMag: 3× magnification module for Aimpoint sights.Featured behind an eotech.[21]

Aimpoint mounting standards

While red dot sights like Aimpoint Hunter, 9000, PRO, CompC3 and similar use 30 mm rings for mounting (Hunter 34 models are an exception, since they use 34mm mounting rings), Aimpoint also developed separate mounting standards for some of their red dot sight. Most common are the following.

  • Aimpoint Micro: this mounting standard features asymmetric longitudinal profile with an additional recoil stop in the center. It is the most common mounting standard for "micro" format red dots and is being extensively used by other optical manufacturers as well (Blaser, Holosun, Sig Sauer, MAK). Many scope mounts manufacturers produce mounts for this standard as well.[22]
  • Aimpoint Comp: this mounting standard is unique for Aimpoint professional red dot sight in the Comp series. Some manufacturers of tactical gear and mounting solutions produce non-original mounts for this platform, however majority of available mounting solutions of this type are original and supplied by Aimpoint.[23]
  • Aimpoint ACRO: the new ACRO red dot sights are equipped with a new mounting standard that is similar in design to already existing Micro, but in a more compact form. This was also necessary since bigger Micro mounting plates would not fit most of handguns.[24]

See also

References
  1. "AB" is a standard Swedish abbreviation for "Aktiebolag", meaning "joint-stock company"
  2. businessweek.com, Bloomberg Business Exchange, Electronic Equipment, Instruments and Components, Aimpoint AB
  3. "Aimpoint, History". Archived from the original on 2014-10-25. Retrieved 2011-07-29.
  4. Invention intelligence: Volume 11, Inventions Promotion Board, National Research Development Corporation of India - 1976, page 12
  5. Paul Milenkowic, Stan S. Sudol, USE OF MULTIYEAR CONTRACT SAVES $1.36M, archived from the original on 2011-08-25
  6. List includes: US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, US Marine Corps, USSOCOM units, the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team, French Army, Swedish Army, Danish Army, Finnish Army, Norwegian Army, Latvian Army, Slovenian Army, and Italian Army
  7. BATTLESPACE Exhibition News, SHOT SHOW OPENS WITH A BANG! by Julian Nettlefold
  8. Note: a setup Aimpoint calls "parallax free"
  9. ar15.com, How Aimpoints, EOTechs, And Other Parallax-Free Optics Work
  10. Gunsight - Patent 5901452 - general description of a mangin mirror system
  11. Aimpoint's parallax-free, double lens system... AFMO.com
  12. John Dreyer, Facts and Figures About Dot Sights, Encyclopedia of Bullseye Pistol
  13. American rifleman: Volume 93, National Rifle Association of America - THE REFLECTOR SIGHT By JOHN B. BUTLER, page 31
  14. Differences between professional and hunting Aimpoints
  15. Differences between 9000 models explained
  16. Differences between 4 Hunter models explained
  17. Micro H-2 Orange special edition
  18. Micro S-1 overview
  19. ACRO C-1 overview
  20. "Equipment | NavySEALs.com - Experience the SEAL Edge". Archived from the original on 2005-12-27. Retrieved 2006-01-04.
  21. "Systema M4A1 PTW". Archived from the original on 2006-03-20. Retrieved 2006-01-04.
  22. Aimpoint Micro mounts selection
  23. Aimpoint Comp M4 review
  24. Aimpoint ACRO mounts explained
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