Aimpoint CompM2
Encyclopedia
- For the M68 105 mm Rifled Tank Gun, see Royal Ordnance L7Royal Ordnance L7The Royal Ordnance L7 is the basic model of Britain's most successful tank gun. The L7 was a 105 mm L/52 rifled design intended for use in armoured fighting vehicles...
.
The CompM2 is a battery powered non-magnifying red dot
Red dot sight
A red dot sight is a common classification for a type of non-magnifying reflector sight for firearms that gives the user an aimpoint in the form of an illuminated red dot...
type of reflex sight for firearms manufactured by Aimpoint AB
Aimpoint AB
Aimpoint AB is a Swedish optics company manufacturing red dot sights for civilian, police and military use. The most popular model is the CompM2 , currently used by numerous armed forces around the world.- Company :...
. In the U.S. military
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
, it is designated M68 Close Combat Optic (M68 CCO; NSN: 1240-01-411-1265) and is also known as M68 Aimpoint and is designed to meet United States military standards. The sight is designed for use with the M16/M4
M4 Carbine
The M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,...
family of rifles, but can be mounted on any weapon fitted with an upper Picatinny rail
Picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail or MIL-STD-1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail or a "Tactical Rail" is a bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform. A similar system is the Weaver rail mount.-Description:...
. It is also NVG
Night vision goggles
A night vision device is an optical instrument that allows images to be produced in levels of light approaching total darkness. They are most often used by the military and law enforcement agencies, but are available to civilian users...
-compatible—the aiming dot is still visible through night vision
Night vision
Night vision is the ability to see in low light conditions. Whether by biological or technological means, night vision is made possible by a combination of two approaches: sufficient spectral range, and sufficient intensity range...
scopes
Telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope, is a sighting device that is based on an optical refracting telescope. They are equipped with some form of graphic image pattern mounted in an optically appropriate position in their optical system to give an accurate aiming point...
and goggles
Night vision goggles
A night vision device is an optical instrument that allows images to be produced in levels of light approaching total darkness. They are most often used by the military and law enforcement agencies, but are available to civilian users...
.
Overview
The sight is water-tight down to 25 meters and runs on one 3-voltVolt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
Lithium battery
Lithium battery
Lithium batteries are disposable batteries that have lithium metal or lithium compounds as an anode. Depending on the design and chemical compounds used, lithium cells can produce voltages from 1.5 V to about 3.7 V, over twice the voltage of an ordinary zinc–carbon battery or alkaline battery...
type 2L76 or DL1/3N. The aiming dot's brightness is adjustable for better visibility and increased battery life.
The M68 is parallax
Parallax
Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight, and is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines. The term is derived from the Greek παράλλαξις , meaning "alteration"...
-free at around 50 yards, meaning that the red dot will not change position based on eye position at that range. At shorter ranges the point of aim will change position based on eye position with the maximum error being equal to the diameter of the sight's optical window at short range.
The CompM2 is used across branches of the U.S. Armed Forces
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and various NATO countries, among them Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. A variant known as the ECOS-N (NSN: 1240-01-495-1385) is also issued as part of the U.S. SOPMOD
SOPMOD
The Special Operations Peculiar MODification kit is an accessory system for the M4A1 carbine and FN SCAR Mk 16/17 used by USSOCOM...
kit. The sight is also available on the civilian market and is employed by various law enforcement
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
organizations (especially for SWAT type situations that involve close quarters work) and by recreational shooters.
The CompM2 is often faulted for its short battery life when the dot visibility is set too high, which is necessary for bright environments. The On/Off/Visibility knob is also prone to turning unintentionally when the weapon is stowed or retrieved, such as when mounting and dismounting vehicles. Batteries often burn out due to unintentional engagement of the sight's power. Large rubber bands are sometimes used on the sight to keep the knob from turning accidentally. Aimpoint's successor to the M68 (the CompM3) claims a single battery will provide 50,000 hours of operation on brightness level 7 out of 10. Aimpoint's newest military sight, the Aimpoint CompM4
Aimpoint CompM4
The Aimpoint CompM4 is a non-magnified red dot style gun sight adopted by the U.S. military. It is produced by the Swedish company Aimpoint AB and is the successor to the earlier Aimpoint CompM2.-Overview:...
, has a claimed ability to operate continuously for 8 years or 80,000 hours on a single AA battery.
Dimensions
- Length: 130 mm1 E-3 mTo help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 10−3 m and 10−2 m .Distances shorter than 1 mm* 1.0 mm — 1/1000 of a metre* 1.0 mm — 0.03937 inches or 5/127...
(5.1 in) - Width: 55 mm (2.2 in)
- Height: 55 mm (2.2 in)
- Mounting ring width: 30 mm (1.2 in)number
External links
- Official Aimpoint Product page on the M68
- U.S. Army website with entry on the M68
- Increasing Small Arms Lethality in Afghanistan: Taking Back the Infantry Half-Kilometer Describes the use of the M68 optical system