The Aimpoint CompM4 is a non-magnified red dot style gun sight adopted by the U.S. Armed Forces, designated the M68 CCO (Close Combat Optic). It is produced by the Swedish company Aimpoint and is the successor to the earlier M68CCO, the Aimpoint CompM2.
The Aimpoint CompM4 is a "tubed" style reflector (reflex) sight that uses a red light-emitting diode (LED) at the focus of a mirror type optical collimator to produce an aligned red aiming spot (what is commonly called a red dot sight ). There are a total of 16 brightness settings for the LED, the lower 7 intended for use with night vision devices and the upper 9 for daylight. The CompM4 is powered by a standard AA battery, and the manufacturer claims that the sight will run continuously for 8 years on a single battery, in its 10th brightness setting.
Reflector sights have unlimited eye relief, meaning that the user may place his eye at any distance from the sight and the reticle will remain visible. This allows flexibility in mounting and shooting position. The CompM4 uses Aimpoint's "parallax-free" optical correction system, meaning there is minimal induced optical error that would shift the point of aim relative to the sight's optical axis as the user's eye moves off-center in relation to the sight. The sight itself is parallax-free at around 50 yards, meaning that the red dot will not change position relative to the target based on eye position at that range. As in other reflex sights, the point of aim will change position based on eye position at other ranges with the maximum error being equal to the diameter of the sight's optical window at short range. [1] There are currently two variants available; the standard CompM4 and the CompM4S, the latter being the same in terms of features and functionality, but having the battery compartment & power control knob mounted near the bottom of the sight instead of near the top.
In 2009, the US Army selected the CompM4s to fulfill the M68 CCO program requirements and ordered 565,783 of the sights. [2] This was followed by another order in 2017 for an additional 30,000 sights. [3]
The M4 carbine is a 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle.
The Colt Canada C7 and C8 are a Canadian family of service rifles, manufactured by Colt Canada, having similar design and function to the Colt M16A3.
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The Heckler & KochXM8 is a lightweight assault rifle system developed from the late 1990s to early 2000s. The rifle was designed by German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch (H&K), and shares design and engineering with their G36 rifle.
The 1913 rail, also known as the Picatinny rail is an American rail integration system designed by Richard Swan that provides a mounting platform for firearm accessories. It forms part of the NATO standard STANAG 2324 rail. It was originally used for mounting of scopes atop the receivers of larger caliber rifles.
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The FNSCAR is a family of gas-operated short-stroke gas piston automatic rifles developed by Belgian manufacturer FN Herstal (FN) in 2004. It is constructed with modularity for the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) to satisfy the requirements of the SCAR competition. This family of rifles consists of two main types. The SCAR-L, for "light", is chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO and the SCAR-H, for "heavy", is chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO. Both types are available in Close Quarters Combat (CQC), Standard (STD), and Long Barrel (LB) variants.
A designated marksman rifle (DMR) is a modern scoped high-precision rifle used by infantry in the designated marksman (DM) role. It generally fills the engagement range gap between a service rifle and a dedicated sniper rifle, at around 300–600 metres (330–660 yd).
Aimpoint AB is a Swedish optics company based in Malmö, Sweden that manufactures red dot sights.
The Heckler & Koch HK416 is an assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge. It is designed and manufactured by the German company Heckler & Koch.
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The Special Operations Peculiar MODification (SOPMOD) kit is an accessory system for the M4A1 carbine, CQBR, FN SCAR Mk 16/17, HK416 and other weapons used by United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) special forces units, though it is not specific to SOCOM. The kit allows US Special Operations Forces personnel to configure their weapons to individual preferences and customize for different mission requirements.
The Special Actions Detachment or DAE is the tier one special force maritime unit of the Portuguese Navy. It is part of the Portuguese Marine Corps. Raised in 1985, the DAE is one of the smallest special forces units within the Portuguese Armed Forces. It is responsible for conducting air-sea rescue, amphibious reconnaissance, amphibious warfare, black operation, bomb disposal, CBRN defense, coastal raiding, counterterrorism, direct action, executive protection, hostage rescue, irregular warfare, ISTAR, long-range penetration, JTAC, manhunt high-value target, maritime sabotage, mountain rescue, naval boarding, operation behind high risk enemy lines, special operations, special reconnaissance, tracking targets, underwater demolition, unconventional warfare, other missions in support of Portuguese and NATO armed forces. DAE's mission and training are similar to their American counterparts DEVGRU and the British SBS. DAE often trains with them alongside other SMU counter-terror units.
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The C79 optical sight (SpecterOS3.4x) is a telescopic sight manufactured by Elcan. A variant, the M145 Machine Gun Optic is in use by the US military. It is 3.4×28, meaning 3.4x magnification, and a 28mm diameter objective lens. A tritium illuminated reticle provides for normal and low-light conditions sighting. It can be mounted to a variety of rifles and light machine guns using the Picatinny rail mounting system or the similar Diemaco rail system found on small arms produced by Diemaco/Colt Canada. Similar rifle sights are the Sight Unit Small Arms, Trilux (SUSAT) and the Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG).
A red dot sight is a common classification for a non-magnifying reflector sight that provides an illuminated red dot to the user as a point of aim. A standard design uses a red light-emitting diode (LED) at the focus of collimating optics, which generates a dot-style illuminated reticle that stays in alignment with the firearm the sight is attached to, regardless of eye position.
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