Russian Kobra sight

[dubya450]

I have a lead on a LNIB Russian Kobra red dot for $375, I've found them for almost $500 at online stores. They look really nice and would work good on my Saiga I'm thinking but i can't find many reviews on them and haven't heard much other than they're the real deal dot sight that the Russian military uses and are really rugged. There's a thread i found here but it's 10 years old. Anyone have experience with these dots?

 

[TurtlePhish]

They're tough and cool looking, but you can get a much better red dot for the money now. They were a good deal on a decent dot back when they were really cheap, but now they're really collectors' items more than anything.

 

[dubya450]

Yeah i wasn't sure about the actual optical quality and for $400 i can get another Trijicon or Leupold like i have on my AR's but really like the idea of keeping the saiga authentic with a Russian dot.

 

[dvdcrr]

I like my Kobra
Pros: designed for the rifle
Rugged
Lightweight
Precise aming dot 1.8 MOA Multiple reticle
Plenty of brightness adjustment.
Sits reasonably low.
Very fast sight acquisition, two eyes open aiming.
Returns to zero when remounted.
Using the Bindon aiming concept the sight can be used in total darkness.
Parallax free.

CONS
No automatic battery saving shutoff.
Relatively short battery life compared to aimpoint.
Lense is necessarily tinted limiting light transmission and making sight harder to use during twilight.
Sight in adjustments require special tool and are in Russian so hard to read.
Non magnified.

 

[dubya450]

Am I making a mistake buying this for $380? I have an extra Leopold Prismatic I'm not using on anything currently but figured I'd put that on a Saiga 12 I'm planning on picking up.

 

[dvdcrr]

At 380 I don't think its a mistake. It's a good daylight optic. I have heard that an aimpoint micro on top of an ultimak tube is best, but that's substantially more dough

 

[stubbicatt]

Don't do it~! Unless you want a clear weather only optic.

Used mine in a snow storm one time. The snow occluded the little emitter window and the lens. I was able to keep the lens relatively snow free, but getting the snow out of that little window was a task of desperation.

I would choose a standard tube type optic were it me.

 

[Jackal]

The snow occluded the little emitter window and the lens.

That sir is something I have never thought of. That would be a problem indeed, thanks.

 

[gun addict]

ehh, there's a reason why all the "cool guys" in the Russian military and all the spetznaz uses Eotech or Aimpoint on their AK, ive had a kobra optic but was not very impressed on how the optic looks , sits, and how it prevented my triangle side folder from being used

 

[WardenWolf]

Check out the PK-A scopes. They're equivalent to an Aimpoint in quality and features, but only around $200. They're slightly heavier, though.

 

[aka108]

I have two different models of Kobra sights. One on a old Arsenal SA M7S and one on a Saiga. Never a problem. Only bad thing is that the up-down and right-left adjustment knob are in Russian. I can't remember which way to turn the things but that's just my jaded memory. I bought them from some company in SLC, Utah that I think was run by some Russian guys. Found them by simply putting kobra sights in the search engine. I have zero idea if they are still in business.