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A New Aimpoint AAA Powered Micro Variant?

The Department of State released this photo in a series of images depicting “2016 Diplomatic Security Service Day On The Hill“.

A DSS special agent (left) lets a visitor peer through a high-tech rifle scope used on DSS weaponry, Washington, D.C., June 23, 2016. (U.S. Department of State photo)
State Dept Image / Jun 23, 2016 / Washington, D.C.

Reportedly, it is a AAA battery powered variant from Aimpoint. Said to be a downsized M4 with T2 capabilities, the battery choice is to make logistics easier on agencies like DSS which operate in remote locations and may have difficulty sourcing the 2032 battery.

Coming SHOT Show 2017?

Hat tip to Matt L

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45 Responses to “A New Aimpoint AAA Powered Micro Variant?”

  1. Pat says:

    T4S is what I’d be hoping for. Get that battery compartment down.

    • Aaron says:

      Unfortunately the battery compartment can’t be moved down due to the space needed for mounts.

      • Alex says:

        Maybe it’d get in the way of the rheostat but I can see it being moved to the other side and out of the way.

      • Pat says:

        Aaron, I’m guessing by your response that you have first hand knowledge of the issue. From this small picture, I’m not sure I see a reason why it couldn’t be moved down to the bottom right side of the body rather than the top right. However, I’m not an engineer, and have zero knowledge of the internal workings of this optic. Thanks for the response.

        • Aaron says:

          Pat, yes I have first hand knowledge. I’m the guy in the picture. All I know about battery compartment/switch placement is what we were told. Preference was for low location like the COMP M4S, but were told due to the design and internal components it wasn’t possible.

      • heh says:

        What about Comp M4s, this has battery compartment moved down

  2. RayForest says:

    Better yet put it underneath in an internal lower 1/3 cowitness mount. Make it one solid unit and make it compatible with a Larue base.

    • Hubb says:

      Good idea.

    • Pat says:

      I like the idea of the optic being separate, and not integral with the battery compartment and mount. Having just installed a T-1 on a pistol, and being very happy with my personal (short term) testing, I really like it. However, if it had a battery compartment / mount built in, I wouldn’t be able to do that without excessive height over bore issues.

    • t1tan says:

      Larue base = no thanks

  3. Jeff S says:

    Finally out in the wild. I heard about this one a few months ago…

  4. Erik says:

    I like it. Can’t wait to see it in more detail.

  5. Luke says:

    Moist.
    Everything should be AA.

  6. Jim says:

    SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!

  7. JSGlock34 says:

    Nice scoop!

  8. Dellis says:

    How about a scope that is battery powered but that’s for backup power, the charge of the round powers the light and can store a small amount of that energy in cells?

    Now, at SHOT 2017 I will see this and be out of any damn royalties!!

    • Airborne_fister says:

      Sig has a red dot that is battery and solar powered. We have one at Cabela’s and have never changed the batteries. While with the EOTechs, vortex, aimpoints, Burris, and any other battery operated optic or red dot. (btw we leave everything in the on position.) the EOTechs turn them selves off. While aimpoint Burris and a few others must heave the batteries changed once some times twice a week. Depending on the brand.

      • John says:

        Vortex is auto shutoff to.

      • Dellis says:

        It is odd, I have changed my aimpoint pro battery twice in 3 years and keep it on its lowest visible setting. None of my shooting friends have an aimpoint so no input from them but by reading other users input they go years on one battery ?

        • Agent_Orange says:

          My original CompM68 which I purchased back in 2006 is still running the battery it shipped with. Granted, I don’t keep it turned on 24/7, but there have been some periods where I’ve forgotten it was switched on for several months at a time. I should probably change it out, but I’m kind of curious to see how long it’ll run before it finally dies.

          • Dellis says:

            Totally had a flash back to that Seinfeld episode where they ran that car dry of gas as soon as I read your last line!!

      • TM says:

        Airborne_fister, there’s something SERIOUSLY wrong with your Aimpoints if you have to change their batteries every few weeks.

        • Airborne_fister says:

          We have to change them because we get display optics that are not ever going to be sold to the cust. Keep the new in the box in back. And sell them. Let the customer play with the ones out in the case. Let the kids too. They get dropped. Batteries get put in wrong. Non lithium ion batteries put in. Just basically we treat the display ones as show piece.

  9. CWG says:

    My god. It would be everything I ever wanted.

    I’m down for a few

  10. jjj0309 says:

    We can expect longer usage time on this one compared to T1, right?

    • Lasse says:

      are we joking right now or isn’t 50000 hours good enough for you?

      • jjj0309 says:

        I know it’s pointless but I’m kinda want to see happan complete overkill, almost batteryless-like time with many years of constant daylight usage. Hell, why not? It would be hilarious and almost death sentence to other fiber or phosphor powered optics.

  11. Cyclops says:

    The battery life is supposedly comparable to the T1. Dot is crisper than our current issued T1s. I liked it. But not enough to justify replacing all of our T1s. He’ll of a replacement for DS’s Eotechs!

  12. Diddler says:

    DSS must be the longest, most austere environment deployed mofos on earth if they have trouble sourcing a battery that only needs changing every five years.

    • Matt says:

      Have you used a T series optic very much?

      If you have, you’d understand that the setting for 5 years is not a setting you use during outside daylight hours. Hell, as a graveyard cop I kept it on setting 9 since indoors with WML, a 8 was to dim.

      10-11 is a common daylight setting which can shorten run time down to 8 months.

      • Diddler says:

        I was an early adopter and have carried them to war. I realize that the setting that allows five years of life isn’t for optimal day use. I also realize that leaving it on setting 9/10 all the time is for stooges who don’t ever do anything at night or have the ability to turn a knob while getting their bearings while “the shit just hit the fan.” People are always acting like they need to have their ghn blazing the moment the lift it up. no one in theatre needs their sight on for months without end.

  13. Airborne_fister says:

    What happened to having extra batteries on hand? Or is that just a dumb thing to ask? I know I keep 6 cr123s in my range bag. But then again. All my optics run off of cr123’s along with my atpail-c laser, my surefire M952V ,and yes I rock an EOTech. But I don’t leave the EOTech in my trunk or to drastic temperature changes. The only thing I wish is that the aimpoint twist mount was compatible with the EOTech flip to side mount, and I could mount my nvgs on it as quickly as I can with the twist mount. Like the ability to switch from magnification to night vision and back. With a flip to the side. But I do have the IR laser which is nice. But at times I want to be able to hit a target or anything at a distance greater/less then my lasers are Zeroed for. Plus I won’t have to look thru my nvgs with my helmet on. And carrying a rifle all to shoot coyotes at night or really early morning when night vision is necessary.

    • You are still using an Eotech ?!?! OMG – we will all pray for your soul…..

      • DAN III says:

        I shot a 2-Gun shoot yesterday. Of the 37 shooters two of them had Aimpoints that were not functioning. 5 % failure rate.

        FWIW.

      • joe says:

        The Eotech saga is proof positive that “buy once, cry once” and “you get what you pay for” are false statements.

  14. SSD says:

    Somebody wanted a link to info on the Aimpoint magnifiers.

    https://soldiersystems.net/2016/01/26/post-shot-show-wrapup-aimpoint-magnifiers/

    • Joe says:

      Sorry i just thought “Airborne_fister” might find the new aimpoint brand flip/qd mounts intriguing, haven’t seen pics of the magnifiers with mounts anywhere else yet

  15. John C says:

    In this day and age, with even Fedex and UPS shipping to the most austere places in the world, I find it hard to understand why a government entity can’t provide enough coin style batteries. Especially when they last multiple years in the T1/T2 series.

    • Aaron says:

      Because I don’t want to waste my limited budget on hundreds of dollars for each shipment to ship a few lithium batteries somewhere. Remember, lithium batteries are HAZMAT which costs a lot. Then add in the carrier costs to ship to some countries/areas well beyond the home/personal shipping you’re used to. By the way, FedEx and UPS don’t ship to every country in the world. Sometimes it’s DHL or another carrier. They’re even more expensive. I ship large quantities of batteries and constantly. Multiply hundreds of dollars for each shipment across a year of shipping and the cost would be staggering.

      I need to spend my limited budget on weapons, optics, ammo and other gear instead of wasting most of my budget on shipping costs. It’s nowhere as simple as most assume. I’m supporting over 280 diplomatic missions in just about every country there is and with basically no organic logistical shipping capabilities. The scope of what we’re supporting is well beyond your assumptions.