This month at the 2G-ACM match, I thought it would be interesting to try out a “Ring Sight”. This is the same style of optics used on the FN P90 – the manufacturer marketed it for a variety of applications and I came across one designed for use on an AR carry handle (thanks, Steve!). It is a truly tiny optic, adding almost nothing to the weight or bulk of a rifle. To complement that, I mounted it on a Colt 733 clone, and SBR with an 11.5 inch barrel. The sight picture is just like the P90; a plain white donut that is quite dim. My biggest concern in the match (it really bit me in one of the stages) was finding the reticle when bringing the gun up to the shoulder, as I found it a bit unintuitive. Even so, it performs ed a lot better than I expected.
Naturally, I used the Laugo Alien as my pistol for the match, and it was excellent.
Ian, I have picture of my ring sight that I took apart and CAD modeled it. It shows light paths for operation as well as how the zeroing mechanism works. I also have shots of how the original Tritium worked in them. If you want this for you next video on it just let me know at mongo@weaponblueprints.com
The P90 Ring Sight reflex sight had a dot and circle reticle for day light and a 3 bars reticle illuminated with tritium for night. And you could see it transitioning from one to the other when you shift from a light to a dark spot and back.
Although it must be dead now, does this sight also had tritium ?
It should have Trtium illumination. Ian’s ring sight needs a refill of Tritium. AFAIK Ringsights Inc. does still exist and makes an LED version of this. I do not know if they do refills and service for old sights. Maybe Trijicon could put a new Tritium vial into this sight? But still quite the rspectable shooting results for using a sight that is not in full working order. That white ring makles for a hossible sight picture. I have shot with Austrina Army Stg 77 and its “donut of death” was black and worked really well. Easy point and shoot at the target with it. I guess the ring sight is the same, but with really bad contrast.
Funny how the new trend the last few years are smaller and smaller dot sights for pistols, when this ring sight already had the right size for a pistol slide thirty years ago. Though I do not know how these would survive the accelerations on a pistol slide.
Some 13/14 years ago I picked up 2 of those sights on ebay in Australia. The seller told me that they came out of an evaluation for a new combat sight for the australian armed forces. With one I played around a bit. Since the sight picture / the Ring was too dark I put some light gathering fibre infront of the little hole where the light comes in. It worked quite well and I was able to shoot reliable 3inch groups on 100m with an AR and a Springfield FAL Variant (4800).
The tritium illumination is nearly down but you can see, that the night reticle is different: 3 bars comming from both sides and from below, leaving the center open. I couldn ´ t find any other Info on those sights. Where can I get the led illumination? I tried an LED from a bow-sight butthat was to bright.
Theo Kleingarn, northern Germany, Baltic shore
“…LED from a bow-sight butthat was to bright…”(С)
Paint the LED with nail polish?
Anyone know what model this one is in particular? I’m having a hell of a time finding anything on it.
wao, that’s really amazing.
I never saw this optic