AK Optics

[T6e9a]

I have been trying to figure out what I want to do in terms of optics for my CYMA AKS74MN. I currently have a side rail mount and am running my VisionKing Shortdot scope on it. I feel it is very heavy and cumbersome and could be streamlined a bit. I have always been partial to putting a more "traditional"/etc optic on it such as a PSO-1 or POSP to keep with that look. I'm curious how I should go about it.

I'm primarily looking for some magnification, preferably no higher than 4x(nice eye relief is a plus), not concerned about it being illuminated, for it to properly fit on my platform and not have alignment issues.
In looking at PSO/POSP replicas, they usually run around $100-$120 range, and most don't have the greatest reviews, as well are mostly advertised for the SVD/Dragunov platform(which has a lower clearance than an AK from what I can tell from research and some hands on). And the real deal is MUCH more than I'm will to pay as I'm not THAT devoted to it.
If anyone has had any experiences with any, please share! Not looking for the best, but something decent and affordable.

If nothing renders in that search, I have considered other more direct mounts for the shortdot, but am unsure how fitment and clearances would be with some thing like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Midwest-Industries-30mm-Sight-MI-AK-RD/dp/B0097A9UEG
Which is quite a bit to drop on just a mount, which I'm unsure will even fit properly. (It will fit the scope diameter, butI not sure how the rest of the scope would be, if interfering with the dust cover or iron sights or other parts of the externals)

My current issue is that I can't put it far enough forward to be comfortable, where I can lean into my gun and see what I need to. Possibly a rear sight rail? But how sturdy are those? Has anyone had any experience with them?

[House]

Some neat optics specifically for AKs include PK-As (PK-AVs are less common but apparently better), 1P63 Obzor, 1P76 rakurs, and kobras just to name a few. Alternatively you could get a side mounted rail and mount whatever optic you please. I dig PK-As personally, pic related.

[T6e9a]

Thanks for the input, I'll have to look those up and see if any might tickle my fancy. I currently have been running a side mounted rail and the short dot on top of that.

[luke213]

Not directly AK platforms but I'll tell ya I've found optics once you get above a light red dot quickly make a fairly light rifle allot more bulky and heavy. Just the nature of the beast to some degree. I just threw that low zoom scope on my M4 and that typically is my nice mid weight platform, though it also has a 203 on it. Combination of that scope and the 203 has made it quite a bit more bulky. Probably going to have to decide if I'll keep the scope on there since it replaced an EO Tech and that setup worked fine.

Either way I'm not sure you'll lower the bulk without going down in size of the optic itself some to offset that bulk. Sort of like handguns that I deal with in holsters, a small amount of size/weight can make a big difference in carry for allot of guys. In general sometimes it's surprising how much difference it actually makes when you try it out.

Take care!

Luke

[T6e9a]

At this rate, I'm considering scratching any optics and just having a monocular or binocular for spotting and go back to point shooting and leading bbs in.

But I will see if I can find a decent kobra/replica.

[luke213]

I will say this, years ago like 15 years ago;) When I started playing we all used iron sights, we were new players and didn't have much budget for optics. It was a pretty level playing field, all running stock TM guns, all iron sights. I picked up a BSA red dot, nothing special got it in a trade I believe at the time. I slapped that on my M16A2 and all of a sudden I was ahead of the action curve just slightly, fractions of a second faster. And it was enough that almost immediately everyone else had a red dot because they almost needed them to compete. Not to say you couldn't run without but there was an advantage if you both got to guns at the same time and it was noticeable especially in that small scale of guys who played each other every weekend and knew each other's actions like the back of their hand. I don't think it's as noticeable in larger games etc, but I do believe it's still there.

Now that said after that I didn't start chasing the best optic, but I did keep it in the back of my mind. And as a result virtually all my guns over the years have carried some sort of red dot or scope, but typically for airsoft ranges a red dot. And it's actually driven my dislike for a few guns like my MP5's because even more than the red dot I've found certain sights just don't work as well or fast for me. MP5's and HK sights on the whole tend to be slower for me, could just be my own whatever and what I'm used to. But I've tried, and I'm still slow on them, put a dot on there and it's pretty much equal.

The idea of an independent option to get long distance looks isn't a bad one at all, I've considered it myself but typically I think the times it would make the most sense for me is when I'm sniping. And in those cases I pretty much always have a scope that will go around 9x anyways and it's allot easier than carrying another piece of gear.

Either way I'm curious what you find because I think optics are one of those things that can be important for airsoft as a whole, sure you can get by without them. But it's interesting to see their effects on play as well. And I think despite the fact that airsoft isn't a great training analog for real firearms some lessons do cross over quite well. And the speed you can acquire a target and shoot is one of them.

Take care!

Luke

[T6e9a]

I've never really thought of it that way Luke. That's rather interesting, and I can probably agree or recognize where you're coming from. It seems a lot of things are starting to click again in my head, more with the form and function for in game, now that I am playing a bit more often.

I'll have to play around with what I have and see what works for me.

[luke213]

Another thing you can do to test of sorts is run on a timer and see what it shakes out to be, speed wise. Most of the shot timer apps will pick up the noise and you can get some data to see what the difference is in use as well. I know I used that testing things with holster design in the past and it led to some interesting results. More than anything though it was interesting to see data to show a difference.

Just as an example my draw from concealment changed depending on hand placement. If I hang my hand with thumb on the rear pocket of my jeans I can drop a good .3 seconds off my draw time compared to hands in front. That led me in situations when we traveled when I felt things just weren't right to start putting my thumb on my rear pocket of my jeans in those cases. Never needed it mind you, but my wife also knew so if she saw me do that, which wasn't an odd movement other than it wasn't typical for me. She knew I had seen something that raised my neck hair so to speak;) But it's interesting to find those little things that make a difference. And while a third of a second isn't allot of time in airsoft or real firearms it can be a huge difference in actual time to action and changing the outcome especially at close range etc.

Either way just something to think about and fiddle with that I've noticed over the years;) And for other guys reading this, I'm no secret squirrel guy. Just a normal guy that probably thinks about things differently than allot of folks, but I've also been deeply involved in firearms for years now;)

Luke