I picked up this sight for my Classic Army M4A4. Initial selling points were the mini red-dot and the Picatinny mount.
Packaging and content
The packaging for the Bravo 4×32 ACOG was just a plain brown cardboard box with a product name sticker on one side, nothing really exciting. Opening the package the sight is wrapped in plastic and snugly nestled in soft form-fitting foam padding. Inside the package are:
- 1 dovetail mount,
- 1 mini mount for separate mounting of the red-dot,
- protective cover for the red-dot,
- 1 backup iron sight ring and several screws.
- Included were 2 CR2032 batteries as well.
This was a pleasant surprise, I had gone out and purchased a pack of batteries the day before.
The build and quality
Pulling the sight out I was pleasantly surprised at the weight of this sight. It’s not really large but is made of metal with very little plastic content. I think the only plastic on the sight is the red-dot and the thumbscrews. Overall construction seems pretty solid with a nice matte black finish. There are no trades or model numbers that you would find on a true Trijicon sight. Absent as well is the biblical codes. There is no cosmetic fibre optic running across the top of the sight like you’d find on the Bravo Scope 4×32 with QD Mount. Instead, you’ll find a short blade at the tip of the scope for use with the optional back-up sight ring included in the package.
The sight reticule is a standard non-illuminated black crosshair. The image is very crisp and aligned with the body of the scope. No tilting from cheap half-assed construction. My eyesight is a bit off but there appears to faintly be drop-off markers just below the centre of the cross-hair.
Attaching the sight
The sight comes standard with a Picatinny mount with the usual thumb screws. The thumbscrews appear to be a fibre-reinforced plastic though they feel pretty solid and tighten down for a nice snug secure fit on the rail. I had originally ordered a riser mount to go with the sight because my M4 had the standard triangular front sight. Though once I put the scope on the rail, the M4 front iron sight was not visible in the scope. eye relief for me is about 2 inches. with the stock set on position 5, it is very easy and comfortable to acquire a clear sight picture.
I found the mini red-dot to be rather small and dim. It also sits quite a bit high on the scope. I initially decided to remove the mini red-dot and use the included iron sight ring. Changing out the red-dot for the iron sight was really simple with small Torx bit and small Allen wrench. I had the iron sight in place in just a couple of minutes. After a few skirmishes, I found myself not using the iron sights at all. They just felt cumbersome and harder to acquire a target. I either found myself going back to the scope or just aiming down the barrel using my stream of fire and correct as needed.
The included mounting bracket allowed me to convert the mini red-dot to a separately mountable sight. I’ve placed it on my MP5. I found this to be a really neat feature which basically gives you two sights for the price of one.
Batteries
Changing the battery on the mini red-dot uses an Allen and removing the same screws that hold the red-dot to the mounting plate. One downside to the red-dot is that it does not have an on/off switch. You need to remove the battery to power it down. The inclusion of a switch would make this less cumbersome.
Overall impressions
Overall this sight is pretty solid, gives a good clear sight picture and is basically 2 sights in one. This is definitely not a sniper scope. The zoom is only 4×32 which is ideal for checking for targets and clearing the bush before you move up. The mounted mini red-dot helps to engage the target that was acquired with the 4×32 scope. The dot could be a little bit brighter and definitely needs a power switch.
I’ll give this scope a 4 out of 5 for its construction, mounting options, cost and the ability to remove the mini red-dot.
