One of the most important attachments you can add to your airsoft replica is a red dot sight. There’s options that range in price from around twenty dollars up to over a thousand dollars, but is this a situation where you get what you pay for?
For airsoft, I believe there’s a point where you’re going to see diminishing returns. Sure, the thousand dollar optic will perform great but that’s a lot of money, and I’d feel nervous bringing it on the airsoft field where it could get shot out by a stray BB. Because of this, I try to find bargain optics that are high quality without breaking the bank.
One of the brands that hits this sweet-spot is Pinty Devices. Their optics are made overseas, but have the same features you’d see from American brands. The reticles are a simple red dot, but they do this very well. The dot is crisp, and has various brightness settings so you can see what you’re aiming at on a sunny day or in dark rooms. This is an area where many affordable red dots fail and I’m glad to see the dot holds its shape even at the brightest setting.
Pinty offers a variety of different optics, which all use the same technology on the inside. That means you can focus on looking cool (the most important part of airsoft) and still have a red dot for any aesthetic. From the old-school military vibe to a futuristic soldier cosplay, there’s something for everyone. Pinty optics use easy to find batteries like the CR123A or 2032, which can be found at Walmart or most supermarkets.
Gun culture has recently started to embrace taller red dots to help avoid neck strain while shooting. Many of Pinty’s optics come on mounts for various co-witness heights, which I really appreciate. This is an area where a lot of other affordable brands miss the mark, and I’m glad this information is easy to find on their website. Pinty’s flip to side magnifiers also have information about what their co-witness is so they’ll line up correctly.
A common failure point for affordable optics is handling recoil, and Pinty is no exception to this. Part of the reason some American made optics cost as much as they do is because they’ll withstand thousands of rounds of recoil. This isn’t a problem for airsoft because AEG rifles don’t have recoil, and the recoil from a gas blowback rifle is minimal. I would recommend using Loctite on the mounting hardware if you want to put a Pinty optic on your gas rifle to keep the recoil from shaking it loose.
For most players, Pinty offers an affordable option that works perfect for airsoft. Their optics don’t do anything new, but they do everything they need to right. Most of their offerings come in around $50, which doesn’t break the bank. They also have regular sales, making their optics an even better value.
You can check out the offerings from Pinty Devices here.
