subject: Tactical Equipment: the Various Types of Weapon Sights [print this page] Weapon sights are one piece of tactical equipment used by many infantry soldiers. Added for improved accuracy and effect on smaller arms, weapon sights were used exclusively by the Special Forces until recently. These pieces of tactical equipment increase firing accuracy and give a clear view of the target area with a precise point of impact and options for range correction, even in urban combat zones.
Red dot optical sights are the most common, and many of these have had a magnifying attachment added at a later date. By itself, a non-magnifying weapon sight is a piece of tactical equipment with unlimited eye relief, which allows for quick target acquisition. Generally, a sight can operate under any lighting condition, including at night with a night vision attachment. With a magnifying attachment, a weapon sight has an extended range. Magnifying attachments are usually 3x, 4x, and 6x.
Some weapon sights have transitional features. A dual field of view sight, for examples, allows soldiers to go through buildings or confined areas in urban combat zones. This tactical equipment sight starts with a standard red dot mode and then switches to a higher magnifying level without a change in sights.
Holographic weapon sights are another common piece of tactical gear. Developed by EOTech, holographic weapon sights (HWS) are used by the US Special Forces, with 70,000 sights in total distributed to the Armed Forces.
An HWS is versatile as a daylight or night vision sight when paired with a night vision viewer. No matter the lighting, an HWS' aiming reticle is placed on the sight's display using a holographic pattern. This allows any object or person to be instantly visible, no matter the condition. For example, the average size adult man a target of six feet in height can be seen from a distance of 100 meters. The range measurements for this type of tactical equipment are able to display an average-size target at 100, 200, and 400 meters, with the size diminishing the further the distance and occupying a smaller portion of the range.
Tactical Equipment: the Various Types of Weapon Sights
