Red dot sight question...

[Hatterasguy]

So are red dot sights say an Aimpoint CompM4, Eotech or Acog, etc shielded against a HANE, and the resulting EMP?

Just out of curiosity because I was watching a show yesterday where there was an EMP blast and one of the characters lost the sight on her M1A.

So like most things on TV, was it fake? I thought that was kind of lame since you pay all that money for a supposedly indestructible sight.

 

[shotgunjoel]

In theory, the ACOG would still work because it doesn't use electronics, but fiber optics and tritium. The Eotech and Aimpoint would probably blow out. I suppose that would be a good time to use those back up irons sights that everyone has on their rifle.

 

[Mags]

Aimpoints, Eotechs, and Acogs are not EMP shielded. Acogs should still luminate though because they use tritium and fiber optics for lumination. BTW EMPs usually only effect electronics that are powered on.

 

[Just One Shot]

Posted too late. Nevermind.

 

[M-Cameron]

for the most part.....if theres an EMP......chances are your electronics are the least of your problems......because they are usually accompanied by a nuclear explosion.

 

[mbogo]

Interesting question. I suppose the resultant fallout would be of greater concern to me than whether my combat optics failed (unless I was in a firefight at the time).

Check with the manufacturers; they may or may not admit whether their sights are resistant to EMP.

You could always build a Faraday cage for it.

mbogo

 

[Hatterasguy]

Their shouldn't be much fallout since the nuclear explosion would be so high.

I kind of suspect that EMP shielding is probably somewhat guarded info among red dot sight manufactures, especially those that supply to the DOD.


I guess that's why you have BUIS.

 

[Skribs]

Just bring a red sharpie, that way if there's an EMP you can draw the sight on. (Kidding, obviously).

 

[Sky]

I read something many moons ago where a dedicated emp weapon going off the east coast could fry all the electronics out past the Mississippi. Power grid cars etc etc would all be out for and extended period of time (years). There was also something about the sun producing the same effect if the solar flare was severe enough. Anything with a power source like a battery will likely fry.

Sorry I do not remember where or when I saw the article and it may be inaccurate.

The Doomsayers are very creative in scenarios whereby life changes in an instant.

One can believe or hear pretty much anything it's freedom of thought; the problem is discerning truth from BS.

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

Most documents I have seen on the effects of EMP indicate that the pulse will not affect battery operated devices that don't have a 30 inch cord or antenna attached. I don't know if the rifle itself would act as an antenna for that purpose. I'm not terribly worried about it.

I thought that was kind of lame since you pay all that money for a supposedly indestructible sight.

Where ever did you get the idea any of those were supposedly indestructible sights?

 

[Patriotme]

Just out of curiosity...what was the TV show? I haven't seen anything dealing with EMP attacks lately.

 

[Tommygunn]

Just out of curiosity...what was the TV show?

Jericho?? That was about a small town surviving after a nuclear attack, which later was zapped with an EMP attack to TKO the power grid.

 

[W.E.G.]

First of all, you need to have backup iron sights on all your RV guns.
Everything breaks.

Secondly, a dedicated EMP attack probably won't be directed at your rifle.

Thirdly, if a nuclear device lands close enough to you to short out your electronic rifle sight, I hope you have a lot of food, iodine, antibiotics, and able-bodied, like-minded associates at your disposal.

Fourth, there has been some testing of EMP effects on vehicle systems.
The effect is much less dramatic than hollyweird would like the $14 ticket crowd to believe.
http://www.survivalblog.com/2010/08/emp_attack_and_solar_storms_a.html

 

[benEzra]

for the most part.....if theres an EMP......chances are your electronics are the least of your problems......because they are usually accompanied by a nuclear explosion.

The effective radius of a modern nuclear weapon is a few miles at most, with thermal effects reaching a bit further than blast effects; that of an EMP from a high-altitude detonation is hundreds of miles. Odds are that an explosion producing an EMP across the East Coast or somesuch wouldn't be noticed by most people if it happened in the daytime, unless they were within line-of-sight of the initial detonation and were looking in the right direction to see it. Obviously fallout is a concern with low-level detonations, but not so much from a high-level blast.

As far as optics, if it's in a gun safe, the safe is grounded, and there is a substantial electrical connection between the door and the body, then any induced currents would be greatly attenuated.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

Red dot optics will go out. I know this for a fact because it happens on the video game Call of Duty MW2.

I thought that was kind of lame since you pay all that money for a supposedly indestructible sight.

Well, you can use a $30 BSA so you're not out as much money when the EMP goes off but people buy those for other reasons than concerns about nukes going off.

 

[JohnBiltz]

Somewhere in the past I read Aimpoint claims its at least EMP resistant if not EMP proof. I sort of believe them. They are military issue now so you think they would be hardened. Also EMP tends to be overestimated, tests show cars do remarkably well.

 

[Hatterasguy]

Where ever did you get the idea any of those were supposedly indestructible sights?

Cause they cost a ton of money and are sold as such. If not just get a $50 Chinese knock off. For $700+ they should be able to take a beating and keep on working.

Its just an interesting bar discussion, I'm pretty much all irons sights on my rifles.

http://www.carloslabs.com/node/16
Google lets you nuke everything.

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

Cause they cost a ton of money and are sold as such.

Please link to the sales brochure that described them as indestructible.

If not just get a $50 Chinese knock off.

If that's all you need, sure. But, the increased price isn't for indestructibility. If you think it is, buy any sight you please. Sure, you might get some more durability, but that really doesn't matter when it comes to slaying paper and cans.

Certainly there must be something more than just EMP survivability to account for the difference in price.

 

[Hatterasguy]

Oh please I'm not arguing optics here. Quality costs money that's the bottom line.

 

[Hatterasguy]

I'm sure its classified but I wonder if were paying someone good money in the DOD to sit around in a small room and think about stuff like this.

 

[Ky Larry]

I don't know what an EMP will do to a cheap BSA red dot sight. I know what a Model-29 and warm ammo will do to it.

 

[eye5600]

From Wikipedia:

In July 1962, a 1.44 megaton (6.0 PJ) United States nuclear test in space, 400 kilometres (250 mi) above the mid-Pacific Ocean, called the Starfish Prime test, demonstrated to nuclear scientists that the magnitude and effects of a high altitude nuclear explosion were much larger than had been previously calculated. Starfish Prime also made those effects known to the public by causing electrical damage in Hawaii, about 1,445 kilometres (898 mi) away from the detonation point, knocking out about 300 streetlights, setting off numerous burglar alarms and damaging a telephone company microwave link.[7]

 

[MAKster]

U.S.A. Today had a long article on EMPs last week.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2010-10-26-emp_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip