New Mid-level red dot
 

I stumbled across this: http://www.holosun.com/index.php?rou...&product_id=63 yesterday.

It seems to be a new product on the market competing against similar optics like the SPARC but in a much more streamlined package. Mounts are not aimpoint T1 compatable but sight comes with see through riser and has nice features like motion activated on and off, 5 year battery life, Waterproof, shock resistant etc. Primary Arms USA is supporting this product and upholding it's warranty. Since it's not only sold by PA, it may be available for import. Seems to be getting good preliminary reviews on ar15.com

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_18/64...t_.html&page=1

What do you guys think?

I like how sleek it looks. Much nicer than the SPARC. However, I don't like how it's not compatible with T1 Mounts. As they are basically the standard for all microdot mounts, it means you're limited to their mount.

I'd be interested in checking it out.

It's obviosly designed to look like a T1, which makes it all the more annoying it isn't compatible with t1 mounts.

well, it does come with a high and a low mount.

Looks nice and sleek but I don't really see the benefits of this (at least for airsoft) when the Primary Arms red dot goes for half its cost.

Canadian supplier for Holosun sights
 

Thank you for starting this thread.

First off, I am not the manufacturer. I am however the Canadian distributor for Holosun and I am also selling online through http://www.holosun.ca. I did a significant amount of research and field testing before deciding to sell this product in Canada. Obviously these optics are designed for real steel but they have become hugely popular in the Airsoft world, especially in Asia. Just search Google for HS403A AND airsoft. They are also not a “clone”. They have a lot of original engineering.

I wanted to use the sight for 50' bullseye, so low parallax was a key requirement. This should give excellent accuracy for close combat scenarios.

While Holosun.com will provide technical support, I have agreed to process any warranty claims in Canada.

There is quite a bit of information on http://www.holosun.ca Please look around.

Sounds/looks legit.

Would love to see one in person.

does it take T1 kill flash?

No kill flash at this time
 

A kill flash is not available at this time. The front objective though is contructed on an angle so that it reduce any reflection seen by an opponent.

What he meant by the killflash is mainly for protection from incoming bbs.

love how it has a built-in motion sensor that turns the sight on when it detects motion. awesome feature. also all models come with 3 NV settings, very nice.
some reviewers complain about the placement of the battery between the sight and the mount. with 50,000 hours of battery life, OHNOES! gotta take the sight off to replace the battery after 5 YEARS!...
i think this is a great alternative to an aimpoint. at the price it sells for, it's a no brainer. also, getting the dual battery/solar powered model, would extend that 50,000 hour battery life to the point where the batter would expire before you would get anywhere near draining it.
not too concerned about a kill flash. the front of the thing is a cylinder, making one would be simple. also making a lexan lens protector would be easy.

Thank you for the interest and the education. I talked to someone else on Friday as well about protecting the objective. Paper targets don't fling projectiles back at you so it is less of an issue. I have talked the the manufacterer. For the model HS403A, they will be working on a slip on lexan or similar protector as an accessory. For the HS403C (the solar model) and the HS403D (the t1 compatible model), they will be including a thread at the objective to accept a flash kill in future production.

My initial inventory of the HS403A quickly sold out. I have new inventory on its way. I am also expecting a demo unit of the HS403D for field testing. This has the same functionality as the HS403A, but with the battery on the side and a T1 compatible mount. The solar HS403C is expected in about 5 weeks.

By the way, the time out function on the HS403A is adjustable for 2 - 8 hours. You are correct, that we should see batter life equal to the shelf life. Unless you run it at max brightness all of the time. The number of micro-amperes at each setting is on the web site.

If anyone is interested, I have http://www.holosun.ca configured to accept pre-orders.

When is the next inventory of HS403A coming? Need one for the CQB next month.

I expect the shipment the week of August 26th or possibly sooner.

Flash kill
 

I have received some feedback from the manufacturer. At least one Hong Kong based Airsoft dealer is using a T1 cover. Please see the pictures.

I will work on getting access to stock. The rubber rings in the picture look like they are "O" rings to hold the cover in place.

For $185 vs $240 for a Vortex SPARC with lifetime replacement warranty, I'd rather go with a SPARC (might be biased because I have one, but meh).

Holosun
 

Who talk about Holosun HS403C and a "Guns Modify" T1 lens protector and.... why not a beautiful "Cerakoted" FCC

Thanks James for the Holosun

[IMG]http://i1171.photobucket.com/albums/...pshwncrqaf.jpg[/IMG]

Optic aside, that's an impressive looking build. How are liking that Minimalist stock?

Deliberating between picking up a Battlelink Minimalist and the new Moe-SL stock.

Mach1 and Capital has T1 bb shields that should work with it since Holosun is similar to the T1 size. A kill flash is going to darken your sight picture if used indoors.

http://mach1airsoft.com/product/spee...-optic-shield/


https://store.albertaairsoft.com/spe...shield/dp/4377

Those kind of sheilds turn me OFF

And ya, my MFT BMS Milspec stock is great :tup:

wearing paintball masks indoors turn me off, but it protects my face.

Sorry SuperHog...i'm confuse
We talk about something to protect the T1 lens like my "Guns Modify " protector or is about the thing that turn off ? : )
��

[IMG]http://i1171.photobucket.com/albums/...psxvry0sgw.jpg[/IMG]

Nice. That looks at home. Have you taken a shot at it so confirm it is actually bb proof?

Someone did that test before

http://thereptilehouseblog.com/2013/...-t1-protector/

What is the max elevation and windage on this model?

I will ask the manufacturer for the information.

I have been told that the sights are capable of +/- 40MOA for windage and elevation. This is available in a full square pattern.

Stock is available from the web site and dealers. I am currently working on getting a retailer account at AirsoftCanada.

Will it withstand .308 recoil?

Yes. The sights are bench tested to 1000G. A friend field tested a HS403A on his AR308. He wanted to buy the sight the same day. Tight group at 100 meters.

I'm here with this. Unless i get one in my hands to review and return i'll pass. My PA has survived over 10k rounds on my CZ, holding a zero and costs half the price, vortex new and on the used market is competitive with the 190 price tag.

I don't own a SPARC and i'd probably go that route with the reputation etc.

Don't suppose James you are interested in sending one to me to review?

I will consider your request for a review unit. Can you reference other reviews that you have done?

As with any new brand, reputation needs to be earned. Take a look at the specs. Extreme battery life and low parallax are two differentiators. Take a look at the test target on http://www.holosun.ca I decided to sell the product only after I tested it extensively. The sub $100 sights are designed to be parallax free at 50 yards. The Holosun is less than 30. It all depends how accurate you want to be.

Received my Holosun the other day, including a T1 sacrificial lens, and installed it on my gun.

Initial impression is really, really good. It's light, the view obviously isn't obstructed due to the lack of a battery hump, and the elevation / windage knobs are pretty small. Staring at targets around the house and neighborhood (inconspicuously, of course, through windows) showed the parallax to be pretty much non-existent, noticeably better than any of my airsoft knockoff red dots.

Finally got to game it over the weekend, and love it.

I've tried shooting with both eyes open using other sights and invariably my 'other eye' always closed as soon as I stopped thinking about it, maybe because there was always some small magnification that made it uncomfortable. With this, I was running with both eyes open for a while before I even realized I was doing it. Obviously there are other good sights that will be similar but it was a first for me.

It didn't take long before someone noticed my sight and asked what it was- they seemed impressed, and suggested the price was very reasonable too.

I'm no real-steel shooter, and no expert in weapon sights, but wanted to pass along kudos for making a great product, it's on my gun for good now. Cheers,

Dip

I very pleased that you are happy with the sight. My retailer account is now active, so I will be able to respond to comments about Holosun products.

Are these waterproof?

Curious to see how they compare with the Vortex Sparc II @ $239.99

Yup for sure. To depth of 100 feet if I recall correctly, don't have it in front of me, but more than needed for airsoft ;)

Got to game the Holosun again this weekend, still love it just as much...

I have been thinking about grabbing one of these. The waterproof point may have just sold me on it.

Extremely tempted by the solar powered unit. Like a Doctor but without their crappy battery life.

-Grant

The original specs did show 100 feet. At this time the manufacturer is comitting to IP67 which is 1m for 30 minutes. In my own testing, I left a unit in a bucket of water for more than 2 hours, immediately followed by freezing for 2 hours. An infra-red thermometer showed -16C. After I wiped the frost off, there were no issues.

100 feet was likely based on ideal lab conditions. The 1m likely allows for a bit more variation on how a customer has tightened down the mount, etc. If you want more details, I can contact the manufacturer.


As for the solar unit, I would expect to see stock soon. I know that there have been some delays at the factory. While solar will extend the battery life, battery life is already extremely good.

I thought the solar version sounded like a great idea too, but TBH if the battery lasts more than a year, that's all I really care about anyway.

The auto-brightness capability is tempting - I have a doctor that has auto-brightness, and it works well - but I haven't found it necessary so far by any means. I set it at the beginning of the day if it's really sunny out (it gets really bright if you want it to), otherwise it's fine on medium.

Plus the micro version I still prefer for it's extremely slim profile.

Get one, so I can see if it's worth getting. lol.

Got mine earlier this week. Will be testing later with my NOD to give some feedback with regards to clarity while viewing through the tube.

So I just went into my basement, turned every light source off except for the pilot light in my fireplace. I threw on my GSCI PBS-14, mounted it to my helmet and grabbed my rifle that has my Holosun HS403A mounted to it. Even though it is quite dark the tiny bit of ambient light form the pilot light gives quite a bit of definition.

Turned the sight on and lowered it to the lowest brightness setting. The lowest few settings you cannot see with the naked eye. Aiming with the NOD and was quite easy and was very clear. The dot did not wash out your image in any way. I hope that this sight truly is parallax free. It will make aiming and snapping from target to target much more easy.

Anyone who uses NODs, get this. Oh yeah, GunsModify lens pro works perfectly.

In addition to this:

I have been noticing that when I go back to my rifle the sight always seems to be on. After a short period of experimenting I discovered that with the sight I purchased for my rifle and the other one I ordered from the same batch for a teammate have a fault in them.

If you turn the sight off and give it a small tap on the side of the housing, the sight will turn back on. This also occurs if you turn the sight off and give it a light shake. Now, this is supposed to have 50k hours worth of battery life off of one CR2032 battery, so your battery dying shouldn't be an issue for awhile, however this is still a troubling factor in the confidence I hold in this product, especially as this happens in both pieces I purchased and not just the one.

I purchased it from AirsoftParts.ca, so I will be in contact with Duy about working something out.

I believe the feature is a form of "if the rifle moves, it turns on" so it's on when you need it and off in storage.

50k hours is around 5 years... so I wouldn't stress over it.

Almost 6 years lol I do like the sound of this fella. I'm starting to get fed up with crapy repro optics, almost ready to go buy a real T1, perhaps I'll grab one of these for now. It sounds like your getting a lot for your money

Response from Holosun here on ASC.:

"Re: Holosun HS403A from AirsoftParts.ca - Product Fault
Zack:

It is unfortunate that you have had a negative experience.

By design the sight will automatically turn off after 8 hours. Any movement of the sight turns the sight back on. This also happens if you manually turn off the sight by pushing the two buttons at the same time and the moving the sight.

This is to extend battery life and to extend the life of the internal electronics.

In summary, if the sight if off for any reason, a slight movement will turn it back on again."

This makes me feel better.

Is the Holosun optic sight manufactured by Holosun or is it a private label?

Holosun is being manufactured my Holosun. The have OEMd for others and now want their own brand in the marketplace. http://www.holosun.ca and http://www.holosun.com give some background.

are you able to get the other products offered by Holosun?
i am interested in the tube HS406

Thank you for the link. I really like your lifetime warranty.

Although this is intended for real steel, will accidental damage from BBs get covered under warranty even if a customer uses a BB shield?

Though he probably makes more from airsofters, lol.

I am curious about BB's warranty too.

I'm also interested in BB damage warranty. I have a lens protector, but still am curious.

I'm also curious if Holosun will be producing some different mounts for the HS403A as it is not compatible with T-1 mounts.

You may want to contact aftermarket companies that do upgrades. Unless they know of a need, it won't happen.

T1 mount option
 

Unfortunately, BB damage would be considered a non warranty item.

As for different mounts, the bottom mount battery precludes a T1 type mount. Also, the high and low mounts are bundled with the sight to add to the value of the sight.

That said, the HS403G, has the battery mounted on the side with a very low profile battery compartment. It has a T1 compatible mount. http://www.holosun.ca/index.php/products/hs403g

I have asked if the HS406 is available.

At this time we are not stocking the laser devices due legal and liability issues.

I was more referring to more "fancy" mounts for the HS403A. The T-1 style hollow mount is great, don't get me wrong; but there is a plethora of sexy mounts out there for the T-1. Just interested if Holosun will be exploring some fancier, even more appealing mounts in the future?

Given the battery being mounted in the bottom, it would be difficult to provide a T1 type mount. The HS403G with the side mounted battery provides a T1 mount.

Dam! Im really tempted to spring on one of these.

Sorry if its been asked, but are there any compatible killflashes that go with these?

AirSoftParts carries a killflash "GunsModify Micro T1 Lens Protector". It is known to work with the HS403A and based on my measurements, they should work for the HS403G.

I will be picking mine up from the post office tomorrow. All I hear is great things. Bought the kill flash lens as well . Looking forward to using it . Glad to hear people make affordable dependable things these days. if its how it should be, my whole team will be picking one up .

It is important to ensure that the base of the HS403A is properly fastened. Take a look at the FAQ at http://www.holosun.ca/index.php/support/faq

Even torque on the screws is the key.

Do you have any hints for attaching the mount?

You need to remove the mount to install the battery or to change from high mount to low profile mount. Use the small Allen wrench to remove all four screws. Set aside the screws. Install the battery or change the mount as needed. Carefully place the mount onto the scope and then reattach the screws so that they are barely hand tight. Now tighten the screws gradually a bit at a time, first one screw, then the one diagonal to it. This is to ensure the screws are evenly tightened. You should hear the screws "squeak" a bit when then are tight. For a new optic, if you have the time, let the scope sit overnight and re-tighten the screws the next day. As the rubber gasket that protects the battery may compress a bit. You can also use a low strength thread locking compound like Locktite Purple(tm).