Differences Between Aimpoint Micro Sights
UPDATED 9/14/17 For COMP M5 AAA sight.
A question I get on an almost daily basis is “which Aimpoint micro do I get? And why that one?”
Hopefully this article will help you make the most informed decision. We’ll be comparing the differences in the Aimpoint MICRO sights. There are still other Aimpionts out there that you may want to consider, but this article will just focus on the Micros. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at: Ike@BigTexOutdoors.com
Also check out our article on the differences between the Trijicon RMRs
Save 15% THESE SIGHTS with the code: Aimpoint Article
First lets look at the differences between the “H” series and the “T” series sights.
H-1
T-1
The H series sights are identical in every way to the T series with the following exceptions: The T Series is night vision compatible & has a higher water depth rating; (25 meters whereas the H has a rating of 5 meters.)
For the vast majority of folks out there there’s no advantage in selecting the T series over the H series. When was the last time you took your rifle greater than 5 meters underwater?
The only possible reason for getting the T series is if you’re planning on getting night vision for the rifle. My advice is to save some money and go with the H series of sights. The battery life and durability are exactly the same. Buy a few extra mags or ammo with the savings.
Now that we’ve established the differences between the H & T series, let’s take a quick look at the different “generations” of each sight.
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The pictures show a T-1 with LRP mount and spacer on the left and a T-2 with LaRue LT660 mount on the right
Lens Covers
The H1/T1 one comes with the “bikini” covers pictured below. It’s a very low cost but effective means of protecting the glass when not in use. There’s some obvious drawbacks to these but I suppose it’s better than nothing. There’s also flip covers available for an additional cost.
The T2/H2 sights come with the flip covers which are actually pretty nice. The H2 has clear covers on the front and back so you have the ability to use the sight with them still in the closed position. The T2 has a clear rear cover and a black front. One thing to take into consideration is that if you’re using a magnifier it will require you to have the magnifier slightly further back than if you were using the bikini covers that come with the T1/H1. The covers are removable so you still have the option of removing them if needed.
Protected Elevation Knob
Looking at the pictures below you can notice how the H1/T1 series have the elevation knob somewhat exposed and with the H2/T2 series they have some protection built into the body of the sight itself.
T1 on the left and a T2 on the right
Optical Clarity
When compared side by side you can notice that the H1/T1 appear to have a blue tint to them, while the H2/T2 have a more natural look and also greater contrast.
(Image courtesy of Theshwatteam on YouTube)
One common complaint with the H1/T1 was the distortion of the dot when using a magnifier. Aimpoint has resolved this issue with the new generation of sights as you can see below.
(Image courtesy of Theshwatteam on YouTube)
Smoother Adjustments
Another improvement (although hard to illustrate via the interwebs) is the brightness adjustment knob. The H2/T2 have a smoother knob and a more pronounced “click” at each setting. It’s impossible to show you through a blog post, but when felt side by side you can easily notice a difference.
How does the COMP M5 compare?
On September 12th, 2017 Aimpoint released the new COMP M5 sight which is a AAA powered sight roughly the same size as the incredibly popular Micro line.
It weighs 5.19 ounces (A T2 weighs 3.4oz) and is 3.3 inches long (T2 is 2.7″). The main features of this sight is the use of AAA batteries which are inexpensive and readily available all around the world. This sight was initially developed with Military and PMCs in mind operating in remote areas where other batteries (2032, 1/3N etc) may be harder to source.
It has all the features you’d expect from an Aimpoint including over 5 years of battery life, fully submersible to 150 feet (45m), NV and magnifier compatible and is supposed to feature clearer glass and improved dot clarity.
We don’t know much for now but we will continue to update this article as more information and real world reports come to light.
We expect to have he COMP M5 sights in stock available for shipping around the end of September 2017. You can view the PRODUCT PAGE HERE.
The COMP M5 is 100% compatible with existing MICRO H1, H2, T1, T2 mounts.
Also see this article from our friends at Recoil
Mounts
The mount options are identical. Every Aimpoint Micro is offered with the exact same mounts and any Micro mount is compatible with any Micro sight. There are no differences between the H & T series or the 1st or 2nd generations. The mounts are the same. These mounts are even compatible with the new COMP M5.
As you can see, the 2nd generation (H2/T2) is superior in every way. If you already have the 1st generation (H1/T1) I probably wouldn’t feel the overwhelming desire to get rid of it and go out and buy the new version immediately. It’d be nice to have, but not something that I have to have right now. If you’re buying a new sight altogether, I think the choice is pretty clear. Go with the H2/T2.
Hopefully you found this informative and it provided you with the information you need