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  1. #1
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    Forward Controls Design ATA (Adjustable Turret caps, Aimpoint Micros)

    We're happy to introduce one of the two last new products for 2018, ATA.
    http://www.forwardcontrolsdesign.com...cro_p_143.html

    ATA (Adjustable Turret cap, Aimpoint Micros) was in development for a year, mostly because the requirements we place on the ATA, and the components' diminutive nature which requires high level of precision and tight tolerance, all of which takes time to design, test, and verify.

    I understand the idea of windage and elevation adjustments for the Micro series sights. By incorporating the tool into the caps, one doesn't need to carry or need another tool to make adjustments. It's pretty smart, until actual people started using the sights, and forgetting and losing them. If you lose the caps, there's no easy way to adjust anything, since it's two indentations as found on security screws, a screw driver can't be used. And folks lose them a lot.

    ATA is as simple a solution as we can contrive, given we can't change the sight itself, ATA does precisely what we designed it to do: enable users to make adjustments without having to remove the caps and flip it 180 degrees, mate the two pin like protrusions with the two indentations of the adjustment.

    As adjustments aren't always made in a single try, the user leaves the cap aside while continuing to make changes, the caps are easy to forget and lose. These caps are tiny to begin with, and their black color doesn't help. I wonder how many replacement caps Aimpoint sells a year.

    ATA's caps and discs are machined from bar stock 17-4 stainless steel. The serrations correspond to the number of 16 tick marks on the inside of the T1 caps. The precision and tight tolerance with with ATA is made, along with the internal O ring, allow the sight to retain the same water immersion depths as the factory caps.

    Each ATA is shipped with the O rings installed in the caps, and two extra lubricated O rings. It is important to keep the internal O rings lubricated.

    We're happy with the results so far. Future development includes Comp M5 and M4.



    Last edited by Duffy; 19 December 2018 at 07:53.

  2. #2
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    I'm glad you did these. I drew up something almost identical about 3 years ago, but never had the time to follow through and manufacture them.

    Edit: just so you don't think I'm full of crap, this solidworks drawing was dated 6/8/2016.

    Last edited by Slippers; 18 December 2018 at 18:19.
    Will - Owner of Arisaka LLC - http://www.arisakadefense.com

  3. #3
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    Will, I never think you're full of crap

    It’s quite similar to the ATA’s internal. Since we did develop it further, ATA has some differences but the concept is the same.

    ATA’s two underside “pins” that mate with the two indentations of the sight’s adjustment and ATA’s external slot are of the same orientation to facilitate ease of installation, like your design. We didn’t replicate the two indentations on top of the disc, ours has just the slot that doesn’t require a special tool, yours has both the slot and two indentations. Also, there'd be no room to engrave the UP , R, and arrow markings if the two holes had been there.

    ATA is simple in concept but not easy to make, the tight tolerance required to give it the same water immersion depth as the enclosed factory caps, its small size, and the smooth rotating disc all require a high level of precision. The machine engraved markings are very expensive to do. We use separate markings for windage and elevation, the factory R/UP can be confusing to new users.



    The 16 serrations which correspond to the 16 tick marks may not be something folks use, but we had the opportunity to give the serrations a function that's provided with the factory cap, and it doesn't cost more to incorporate it, so why not. Once zeroed, the user can mark the zero with a paint pen, the serrations do function better than the factory caps, since the cap and its serrations/tick markings remain stationary while you turn the disc, whereas with the factory cap, both the cap and tick marks rotate as you turn it.
    Last edited by Duffy; 19 December 2018 at 03:53.

  4. #4
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    There's no doubt you developed it further (you have a finished product, for instance), and some of the things you mention are reasons we decided to work on other parts instead of pursuing the caps. Since we don't source anything out we were a bit limited by the capabilities of our machines at the time.

    Anyway, kudos to you on these.
    Will - Owner of Arisaka LLC - http://www.arisakadefense.com

  5. #5
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    The Swiss machine is very capable of doing jobs like this. We don't do anything in house so may have some flexibility there, but we also have 10 projects in the works waiting to be made because we're in the queue behind other jobs in the shops.

  6. #6
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    Looks like a solution in search of a problem....


    *inside joke*

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Duffy View Post
    The Swiss machine is very capable of doing jobs like this. We don't do anything in house so may have some flexibility there, but we also have 10 projects in the works waiting to be made because we're in the queue behind other jobs in the shops.
    Precisely. We don't have a swiss. Oh how I lust after one....
    Will - Owner of Arisaka LLC - http://www.arisakadefense.com

  8. #8
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    Forward Controls Design ATA (Adjustable Turret caps, Aimpoint Micros)

    Quote Originally Posted by UWone77 View Post
    Looks like a solution in search of a problem....


    *inside joke*
    That was literally said on the same thread on M4C. Hahaha

    Roger, I love this. I was adjusting my T1 this week cursing at removing the caps in cold weather. In half frozen fingers they are popcorn.

  9. #9
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    Haha, the joke is that I posted in our FB group if i had a dime every time I heard it So far, the thread on m4c has been going well, one of the very respected mods chimed in and that kind of put the end to the naysayers, not to mention others have voiced similar opinions.

    I won't put out a product that has no tangible benefits, naysayers are a matter of course and don't bother me, I can't remember how many times the same had been said of our designs that turned out to be quite successful, not because we had flashy videos or celebrity endorsements (we have neither), but because they work as designed to mitigate a known set of issues.

  10. #10
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    Thank you Stick for the pics and review :)
    https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread...f-SXtb2zBURaeM

    For current ATA users, you can use Lacquer-Stik to fill in the engraved markings and make them easier to read :)


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