I love Aimpoints and most other red-dot (non-magnifying) optics, because they’re fast, relatively compact, and with generous eye-relief, I don’t have glass in my face! Yet, SROs tell me that for their job they need more downrange detail than an Aimpoint will provide, even at ranges under 100m.
With Aimpoints (and most other red-dots), you can get a “swing-out magnifier,” but it is bulky, precarious, and gets in the way.
As a practical matter, when shooting in a congested environment without magnification, past 100m I can’t tell what I’m shooting at. In many cases, I can’t adequately identify a threat past 75m.
So, I equipped my wonderful IO (International Ordinance) M4 with a 1×4 Steiner optic (P4Xi) and their excellent low-profile mounting system.
From exchanging email with John he indicates to me that “The Steiner P4Xi that I’m using features an illuminated red dot (with variable intensity) at the center, which can be used when it is hard to make-out the traditional reticle.”
So he’s claiming that the scope he’s using gives him the shorter range red dot performance, along with the LPVO performance for longer distances if he chooses.
A very nice idea. I don’t happen to do well with flip-to-side magnifiers. Of course, this scope isn’t cheap. You may have to break the piggy bank open for it.
Eh, whatever. I’ve never had one come loose. Besides, you should give your weapon a check before use every time anyway. A guy whose AR castle nut can be removed by hand just hasn’t been paying attention.
Good video. This is why generally speaking, I don’t like the idea of shooting rifles inside homes or in neighborhoods.
A pistol or pistol caliber pistol carbine (PDW) seems preferred to me based on the risk of shooting high velocity rounds. And in the pistol or carbine, use personal defense rounds (hollow point), with proven ballistic tests for expansion. Lucky Gunner has good tests online.
And there is a corollary point. +P rounds aren’t necessarily the best home defense rounds for this reason. I shoot 45 ACP, and there are some very hot +P loads for that caliber, including 450 SMC (which is way too hot for something like home defense – I carry for that bear defense in the bush with a 22# recoil spring).
Buffalo Bore and Double Tap make some of the hottest loads, including in PD ammunition. It isn’t at all apparent to me that these loads would be a better choice. The homeowner must be the judge given circumstances.
This video and those like it make the pistol caliber carbine a worthy investment for home defense.
My takeaways: (1) The heavier bullets (77 grains) are more effective than the 55 grain bullets, and (2) The muzzle velocity even at close range for the 10.5″ barrel hovers around 2200 FPS, right at the threshold for hydrostatic shock.
4 years, 1 month ago
