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No. 3 in our 4x comparison test of Combat Sights comes from Trijicon - they practically invented it: the Combat Sight with 4x magnification. Here is our report.
The TA02 may not be the ACOG for which Trijicon is known, but to have roughly the same products in our comparison test, we show you the TA02. The original ACOGs were already available in the 1990s - the compact design, the characteristic fiber optic rod on top, and the extremely practical Bullet Drop Compensator quickly made the ACOG a very popular optic in the US military.
As beautiful and batteryless as the light collector (fiber optic rod) for reticle illumination was, it also had its weaknesses. Known problems were overly illuminated reticles in bright sunlight - here, the light collector was partially covered with tape; or a dimly lit reticle when shooting from a dark room into bright sunlight, for example. Furthermore - and this is also the reason why US ACOGs are not available in Germany - the ACOG came with Tritium illumination for absolute darkness. Since Tritium loses its radiation, after 10 years there is hardly any illumination left. For the military, this is not such a problem, but for private individuals, it is annoying when you have bought an optic for a lot of money. Trijicon does offer a service that replaces the Tritium, but this incurs additional costs.
With increasing competition and new LED technology, which drastically increased the battery life in optics, Trijicon expanded its range with the TA02 4x32 LED. Currently, there is only the TA02 in 4x32 and the ACOG TA11 3.5x35 in LED technology. The TA02 now has a tube on the right side that holds an AA battery and can be replaced from the front.
Trijicon claims to be able to use the battery for 12,000 working hours when the device is used at brightness level 4. There are a total of six levels available, with an OFF position between each level.
Levels 1-2 are not visible to the naked eye, as these are the night vision levels.
The control button for the illumination is large and grippy - so no problems with gloves.
The TA02 is 15.2cm long - or rather short - it is about 5.1cm wide and weighs 513 grams with the TA51 mount mounted from the factory. The TA02 is made of 7075-T6 aluminum.
The mounting is kept very simple. What we like is that, even without a quick-release mount, it can be quickly mounted due to the large screw attachments. If you don't like this mount, you can choose from various alternatives from Trijicon, American Defense, LaRue, to name a few.
A small but nice feature: Just above the mount, there is a passage that can be used as a backup sight. This way, you can save yourself backup iron sights - at least for a very rough stop.
Adjustments are made in clicks. Two clicks are 1 inch at 100 yards. The turrets are protected with screw caps, which are secured against loss with a lanyard. The complete ACOG is waterproof up to 100 meters, according to Trijicon.
The glass is clear, bright, and sharp on the edges, like everything else from Trijicon that we have had in our hands. In terms of optics, the company plays at the top, which it currently proves with its 1-6x and 1-8x scopes.
Here you can see the reticle illumination in red. There is also a green illumination available as an alternative.
Another look through the lens - here you can also see how slim the housing of the ACOGs is.
The TA02 is currently only available with Bullet Drop Compensator for .223 and .300 Blackout. From left to right: Crosshair, .300 BLK Crosshair, Chevron, and Horseshoe & Dot.
All ACOGs are calibrated in meters, not yards - i.e. if you zero at 100 meters, the holdover lines are almost perfect (this of course depends on barrel length, twist rate, and bullet weight).
SPARTANAT is the online magazine for Military News, Tactical Life, Gear & Reviews.
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