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LEUPOLD CARBINE OPTIC (LCO): JUST ANOTHER RED DOT?

by Super User
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Red dots are here to stay, and for a good reason: they are light, simple, durable, and have very little in the way of skills to acquire. They allow even mediocre shooters to reliably engage short range targets with reliable accuracy and predictable results. The market is accordingly inundated with red dots of all shapes, sizes, and price tags. Leupold has weighed in with a little offering of their own, the Leupold Carbine Optic.

PROS

  •  
    Very strong monolithic design milled out of billet 6061-T6 aluminum. If any readers here are also kit airplane builder or enthusiasts, they will instantly recognize this as aircraft grade metal
  •  
    Nitrogen filled glass making the unit impervious to water
  •  
    Legendary brand quality, backed by a five year warranty
 

CONS

  •  
    Price point. I have to just lay this one out right here; the company lists the MSRP at over $900, with real-world prices hovering just below $700. Even the Trijicon MRO and the EOTech XPS2, both legitimately considered premium units, sell for $200+ less than the LCO
  •  
    It is built like an armored car, which give peace of mind. It also comes with a stiff weight penalty. While a different style, the Primary Arms Advanced Micro Dot is a scant 4 oz
  •  
    Depending upon location, the -20℉-120℉ range may not be adequate; think Fairbanks, of Minot, North Dakota in the winter, or a parked patrol car in Phoenix in the summer

Always the first question I ask myself of any purchase, although I must admit to more leniency when buying gun stuff! As far as red dots go, it is at the highest end of the spectrum, so this one would have to impress me. However, the product just might be able to pull this one off with a litany of notable and unique features.

Besides having the name ‘Leupold’ laser etched on it, the LCO has features which turn my head. It is rated waterproof to 66’. Muy impresionante. Sharing a common thread with the DeltaPoint Pro, it employs the innovative Motion Sensor Technology (MST™) which shuts the unit off after five minutes of inactivity but brings in immediately on when motion is sensed, thus eliminating the scourge of dead batteries.

The feature which I am particularly attracted to is the construction. It is milled from 6061-T6 aluminum, which is genuine, aircraft-grade aluminum. Harkening back to the very basics of marksmanship, the more pieces connecting it to your rifle, the more opportunities for a bit to loosen, go out of adjustment, etc. Any time a unit like this is machined from a solid billet, it will fare better in retaining zero over the long run of storage, movement, and use.

 

  • Weighs in at 9.5 oz, which is a reflection of the rugged and durable monolithic design.
  • Nitrogen sealed to make the unit waterproof to 66’.
  • MST™ preserves battery life and drastically improves weapon readiness for defensive posturing.
  • 32 mm aperture makes for a very large field of view (FOV).
  • Approximately 3 ½ inches in length

As with most red dots, this unit is straightforward to operate. Windage and elevation are adjusted in ½ MOA increments by use of standard slotted knobs. 

The 1 MOA dot is reported to be crisp clear with 16 brightness settings to match about any lighting condition. It claims an active battery life of five years on a standard CR123A battery, which is pretty phenomenal.

The reviews thus far are excellent, which is the bar that consumers have come to expect from this brand. All reviewers reported this product to be utterly reliable, one of which even stated that they planned to take it the next time they go to a combat zone.

It is where the LCO (and DP PRO as well) shine: the advertised active battery life is five years. The MST™ system is long overdue, and I think we all can agree that all manufacturers should adopt it in some variety of another.

This is the million-dollar question; the one everyone is waiting for- what is this going to run me? Well, it is a Leupold, not a Leapers, so it does run on the high end of red dots. Real world prices seem to be settling in the sub-$700 range, so this is a figure that you can figure on when you are trying to convince your wife of why you need this (we have all done this).

Other similar products roughly in this ballpark are the Trijicon Reflex, EOTech EXPS3-0, and to a slightly lesser extent the Vortex Optics Razor AMG UH-1.

 

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