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  1. #1
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    Leupold LCO Thoughts

    Some people have asked to me to provide my thoughts on a Leupold LCO I recently received. I planned to make a video, but I don't have a lot of the equipment to do that, so I'll try to summarize everything in the form of notes. If you guys would like more information or more detailed pictures, let me know and I'll do my best to oblige.





    INTRO:
    The great majority of my firearm-related stuff is on the other side of the country right now, so all of the comparisons I'll be making are from memory. I've also have been using the optic for about a week, so I only have initial impressions at this point. I'll write a follow-up in the future if my opinions change drastically. The rifle that I'm using the LCO on is a Knight's SR-15 MOD 2. This optic will likely end up on my LVOA-S when I get back home.


    LCO SPECIFICATIONS (From the Instruction Manual)
    - Magnification: 1.0x
    - Sight Window: 1.26mm x .98mm
    - Elevation/ Windage Adjustment: 60 MOA
    - Subtension of the Aiming Point: 1 MOA Dot
    - Waterproof to 66 ft
    - Operating Temperature: -20F to +120F
    - Power Supply: One CR123A Lithium Battery
    - Dimensions (LxWxH): 3.60" x 2.25" x 2.41"
    - Weight (With Battery Installed): 8.9 oz


    MECHANICAL CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN:
    The housing of the LCO appears to be machined out of a single piece of aluminum, and the fit and finish of the entire unit is very impressive. I would say that the LCO my be the most well constructed red dot that I have seen to date (FYSA: I have not had a chance to get hands on with an Aimpoint T2). There are small lips built into the interior of the housing, that support the front and rear lenses and provide them wth extra surface area to adhere to. The windage and elevation dials have positive clicks and although they are exposed, I have not experienced any kind of accidental adjustment from impact. The intensity adjustment knob can be spun quickly and it has nice, tactile clicks. Ultimately, time will show how robust the construction is, but my initial impressions are very positive. The only weak point I can see is in the position of the lenses (discussed further below).
    The LCO looks a lot heavier and bulkier than it actually is. It smaller than an EOTECH EXPS-3, definitely smaller than an AIMPOINT PRO and M4. Slightly larger than a T1 and an MRO.
    The thumb screw mounting method works well and I don't have an major issues with it. Leupold says that the optic should be installed with 60in/lbs of torque and this is more than enough to keep it from coming loose. In general, I don't think that QD levers are a necessity on optic mounts. The thumb screw sits close-to-flush with the optic, so the low-profile that the thumb screw provides v. a QD lever is an acceptable tradeoff for me.
    The viewing window is clear and free of any perceptable aberration, from any angle that I positioned the optic in. No noticeable magnification of the image. There is a noticeable but very slight blue-ish tint when viewing through the optic. I think this may be intentional, as it seems to make the dot stand out more against the "background." In practical usage the tint does not negatively effect performance. The view is also clear of any obstructions, in that the internal electronic components are not visible. I also don't remember experiencing any image ghosting, but in all fairness I didn't do anything specific to check for ghosting or reflections.
    The dot is crisp and fairly symmetrical but ultimately its still a starburst. I would say that its better than a T1, not as good as an EOTECH. I have not seen what the dot on a T2 looks like. I believe the closest analogy would be a Trijicon MRO.
    The dot seems to maintain its shape and intensity no matter where it is viewed in the optic, and from whatever angle it is viewed at. If the dot does change shape, it is not noticeable.
    The optic also has an "alert" feature, which I have not seen on any other optics (if they exist please correct me). The LCO will alert the user under two circumstances; if the red dot has reached its highest intensity, or if the unit is low on power. Basically the red dot will blink a few times when the unit is initially activated if any of the two conditions are met. The LCO also has a motion activated on/off feature. If the unit is stationary for 15 minutes, the dot will turn off. When the optic it moved, the dot will be activated, with the same intensity that it was previously set at.


    PRACTICAL USAGE:
    The design of the LCO really appeals to me because I prefer to have a large window on my red dots. I would go with EOTECH but they tend to have problems with de-lamination. Temperature effects on zero are also a big deal to me, as I am regularly moving to different environments. My reaction time tends to go up as the viewing size of the optic I'm using goes up, so the LCO is a great option for me. The LCO's design is a nice compromise between an EOTECH and an AIMPOINT T1, in that it has a large viewing window while staying relatively light weight and efficient with power usage.
    The LCO's weight is definitely manageable and doesn't seem to negatively effect handling and balance of the weapon, compared to similar optics.
    Before using the optic, I thought that the 1 MOA dot would be hard to identify, but I have not experienced any problems. The small dot is also nice when shooting at 300-400m. I would be interested in testing the LCO with a magnifier, but I don't have one on hand.


    LIKES:
    - Motion activated power. This feature seems to work well and it helps to save battery. It may seem like a trivial feature but its a thing thats nice to have it you can get it
    - Large viewing window.
    - Lense coatings and clarity. The construction of the lenses leads to a crisp and clear optic. I don't know if its my imagination but the LCO "feels" like has a clearer and crisper image compared to the competition.
    - Design and construction. I'm impressed with the construction to the point that I feel like I should mention it again. It may be that my initial expectations were low, but the last time I was this impressed with an optic's construction was when I was testing out a USO 1-8x and a Leupold MK 8.


    DISLIKES:
    - The cross bar that the thumb screw is connected to is the only kind of recoil lug/ surface on the LCO. I didn't see any kind of shift after installing the optic, but an extra recoil lug would be nice in my opinion
    - There is no space for any kind of lens protector, and the front and rear lenses are very exposed. I think that the lenses on an LCO will become scratched up very quickly if the optic is used in an operational environment. While the lenses of Aimpoints and EOTECHS are more often than not exposed, their designs incorporate an overhang around the lenses, which offer protection from bumps and scrapes. Granted, minor scratches are not really show stoppers but if an optic becomes scratched to much optical clarity can become significantly degraded. I also am not confident that Leopold warranties excessive scratches.
    - Leupold branding. There are WAY to many logos on the LCO. Just not my cup of tea.


    CONCLUSIONS:
    I think that the LCO is currently my favorite red dot. It checks almost all the boxes that an EOTECH does, and it seem to be more robust in its construction while remaining light weight. I think that the LCO's pros definitely outweigh the cons, but time will tell if the construction is as robust as it seems.

    The two major things that would make the LCO absolutely outstanding would be; some kind of overhang or shroud on the housing to protect the lenses, and a ring around the 1MOA dot... something like a 65MOA ring may be nice (yes I realize that I would like it to be more like an EOTECH).

    I would really like to talk with an LCO engineer regarding the lenses and coatings and their effect on optical clarity v. what Leupold's competitors are doing (With the exception of the T2 - I have no experience with the optic).

    All that being said the MAJOR downside of this optic is its price. The LCO has an MSRP of $1,299.99 and a street price of around $950. For all the things that the LCO does right, its really hard to justify spending that much on a red dot. Obviously, cost is something that you have to justify for yourself but at its current price, I have a very hard time recommending the optic. I think an MSRP of around $800 would be more reasonable. If you can find an LCO for $700 or less, you should definitely consider it.

    Full disclosure: Leupold and/or Leupold affiliates did not provide me with this optic but I did receive it at a price that was significantly lower than FED/MIL pricing. If this is an issue for you, then please take my comments with a grain of salt.


  2. #2
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    Any experience with the Meprolight RDS? Seems like that might be right up your alley, too.

  3. #3
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    Thanks for the review. I want to experiment with one even more.

    With all the electronics in this, I'd like to see various reticles to user-select... dot, multi-dot, circle, etc.

  4. #4
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    Well done write-up. It looks like a pretty decent optic. The price kills it for me, though. I could get two Aimpoint PROs for the street price, and those are 110% proven optics. I'll be curious to see how it holds up over the long term.
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  5. #5
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    Agree on the too much branding/white contrast in general on that optic. It's like an Air Jordan/Starter Jacket convention for the logo conscious.

    A tinted clearcoat would fix that right up, with the subdued look.
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  6. #6
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    I read elsewhere from a Leopold rep that they will be offering a subdued logo version in the future. Hopefully with a price drop.

  7. #7
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    That would be nice.
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  8. #8
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    They offer a FDE type coating on the optic for special FED/MIL purchases. The color the housing before adding the laser engraved logos so. The end result is that they branding is still present, but it looks more subdued as you have white-on-tan v. white-on-black


    Quote Originally Posted by fledge View Post
    I read elsewhere from a Leopold rep that they will be offering a subdued logo version in the future. Hopefully with a price drop.

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