Eotech Reliability

[dross]

Please don't bombard me with the "Buy Aimpoint" posts. Here's my issue, I'm torn because I like everything about Eotech except the stories I keep reading about questionable reliability. It seems like they may have fixed these issues, as most of the stories I've heard seem to be a few years old. What do you guys think? I know, I know, Aimpoints never break. But how often do Eotechs actually break?

 

[sparky241]

listen dont put alot of weight into some of these stories they are made by people who just want the lastest most expensive toy to show off to their buddies, my eotech 512 has been nothing but good. it has had rain on it, dirt on it,and banged around more than i really care for. it holds zero and always works. the only downfall is a short battery life. thats the only advantage aimpoint has over an eotech. go online and keep 2 or 3 spares in the pistol grip compartment and you are good to go.sometimes you just need to get one and try it.

 

[GlockRock]

I have three EoTechs of my own on my rifles. My department issued EoTech has the same batteries in it that it came with over two years ago. Still as bright as it was when we got them. The batteries still work just as well as they did over two years ago when we got them. I dont believe all the stories about how bad they are. I've never had a problem with any of mine.

 

[Andre46996]

I love my XPS it has been used on my LR308AP4 , my AR, and my AR22. I love it!!!

 

[DialTone301]

I got the EXPS a few months ago and so far have been extremely happy.

I get tired of hearing about the battery life of the Aimpoints....it shouldn't be that big of a deal to most people.

 

[mospeada]

I don't know that you'll get a good answer here. I think one of the best places to get this type of information is from instructors of a course that is particularly difficult on whatever equipment you have a question about. So if there's someone who instructs a bunch of carbine courses, that person has probably seen a lot of sights and could tell you what went tango uniform when it shouldn't.

Like others, I have an Eotech that has been fine. I am not thrilled with the battery life of it compared to the Aimpoint and I'll trade it off or sell it someday to finance an Aimpoint. As for keeping extra batteries in the grip, I'd sure hate to ask for a timeout in a gunfight so I can change my batteries.

 

[phylodog]

We've had two EOTech's go down on my team in the past 60 days. They are both approximately five years old and they've probably had 8000-1000 rounds fired under them. The internal lens came loose from it's mount on one of them and the other one no longer holds zero. The good thing is that EOTech only charges us $58 to repair them but it's left us wondering about the reliability of the remaining units.

 

[DialTone301]

If my battery dies in the middle of a gunfight I will just use the BUIS. I leave them up all the time and since they are lower 1/3 co-witness they really aren't in the way.

 

[in812]

I think a lot of the bad rep is from the knock offs they are hard to tell from the real ones have all the right markings but are chinese junk

 

[Jtgarner]

I have a 511 (N cell) that does not have good battery life, but it has never broken (in three years). Like someone else said, keep spares, and have BUIS installed and you are fine.

I will probably trade/sell for an aimpoint pro in the near future, but the EoTech has not failed me.

 

[dross]

I think a lot of the bad rep is from the knock offs they are hard to tell from the real ones have all the right markings but are chinese junk

How do you know you're getting the right thing? And as a follow up to that, has anyone purchased from GG&G?

 

[Cru]

How do you know you're getting the right thing? And as a follow up to that, has anyone purchased from GG&G?

If you order online, it's hard to tell, other than if it seems to cheap, it probably is.

If you can actually look at it, if it switches to green, it's a fake. Even the ones with NV. The NV mode should be invisible to your naked eye, but if you have NV on it shows up.

Also, if the ring and dot look like a solid light, it's fake. On a real one the circle looks (for the lack of a better term) grainy, although it's still a sharp circle and dot. The "grainy" I refer to is because of the laser. It looks way different than a fake one, it's hard to describe.

I Love eotech, and while aimpoints are nice, I like the eotech better personally. I'm still on my first set of batteries that it came with.

 

[dom1104]

How do you judge reliability?

Is it by comparison?

Compared to an Aimpoint, they are less reliable.

Compared to say.... A BSA red dot from walmart..... They are more reliable.

 

[in812]

How do you know you're getting the right thing?

1) buy from a eotech dealer
just because it says eotech and has all the s/n & markings doenst make it's real

Counterfeit Alert | L-3 EOTech Holographic Weapons Systems

http://www.eotech-inc.com/documents/Recognizing%20counterfeit%20EOTech%20Sights%204-09.pdf

 

[Lock n Load]

Over the years I have had about 6 or 7 EoTechs, some sold off, some traded away etc.... I had both the N and AA models. I never had the battery drain issue or the turning off upon recoil etc... but I also have a variety of weapons and they are not on my main rifle so they dont see the most use.... but they are used.

I still have a 512 AA that was traded away and I purchased back, I knew that it worked great, in like new condition and is still running strong.

Use the lithium batteries and the life is x5+, even my N cells lasted 6 mos+.

I do have ACOGs and prefer them over everything else but the EoTech is still used and relied on.

 

[Lock n Load]

We've had two EOTech's go down on my team in the past 60 days. They are both approximately five years old and they've probably had 8000-1000 rounds fired under them. The internal lens came loose from it's mount on one of them and the other one no longer holds zero. The good thing is that EOTech only charges us $58 to repair them but it's left us wondering about the reliability of the remaining units.

Im guessing you meant 10K vs 1000 rounds.... if so thats easily 10 years service for the average civilian user. In your guys case its unacceptable and they even charge you for the repair ???!!!

I understand warranties but realizing who its for and the bad press EoTech should eat the repair cost and shipping..... if you guys went a different direction it would be understandable.

 

[grunt soldier]

i have a 4 year old eotech (n cell type) that has probably 5k 5.56 through, 500 + of 308, and now sits on my deer slayer 12 gauge. probably about 100 rounds of winchester partition gold. it's still going strong and has been beat up pretty good. mine gets at least 6 months of battery usage.

if you look around you can find the new xps for 375-425 depending on how long you want to wait. also if you ask for the serial number i am pretty sure you can call with and they will verify it's authenticity, though i am sure its also possible someone could give you a stolen serial number also, thats part of the risk of online shopping i suppose

 

[j706]

My mileage has been different than others I guess. I have had two Eotechs issued to me. Both had major shifts in zero from normal usage and riding in a rifle rack. I no longer have ANY faith in them and will not have one on any of my rifles. Especially on a duty rifle.

One of mine was zeroed and fired on four separate instances. It was locked in a gun rack in my car that no one drives or has access to but me. Pull the thing out to shoot a car struck deer and missed two shots at fifteen feet!!! Checked the zero later and it was two feet high and two feet right!!! Sent it back and got a new one. Told the brass to give it to someone else because I have no use for it. Never again.

 

[phylodog]

Im guessing you meant 10K vs 1000 rounds.... if so thats easily 10 years service for the average civilian user. In your guys case its unacceptable and they even charge you for the repair ???!!!

I understand warranties but realizing who its for and the bad press EoTech should eat the repair cost and shipping..... if you guys went a different direction it would be understandable.

I did mean 10K, my mistake. I agree that it's unacceptable but I'll admit that it must be difficult to produce something which is capable of withstanding abuse yet maintains it's accuracy.

 

[esrice]

It seems like they may have fixed these issues, as most of the stories I've heard seem to be a few years old.

Most of the cases I'm familiar with are with the older, non-XPS versions. Because the batteries were oriented along the boreline, the recoil would, over time, cause the batteries to smash the contacts flat, causing the sight to fail completely, or flash on and off while firing. I've also heard cases of the battery compartment not staying latched. I believe the new XPS line has solved this problem by having the battery mounted sideways.

For the casual range shooter, battery life shouldn't be an issue. They turn the sight on when they arrive, and off when they are done. They could go quite a while on an EOTech battery.

For those that use their carbine (or whatever the optic is mounted to) in a possible defensive role, its important that the sight be on and ready to go at all times. This requires the kind of battery life that only Aimpoint offers. No need for extra batteries, no need for back up irons (although they still run 'em ).