Meopta’s Rugged MeoAce 3x20 Fills the Need for Low Power, Fixed Magnification Optics
By Alton P. Chiu
Magnified optics are no longer the exclusive domain of specialized snipers. With improved ruggedness and lowered cost, various armed forces have fielded low power, fixed magnification scopes such as the SUSAT and ACOG en masse. Along these same lines, Meopta has introduced the 3x20mm MeoAce (Aiming Compact Equipment).
Meopta, a Czech company steep in optical heritage more than a century old, delivers a lightweight product with excellent optical qualities. The low magnification and bold reticle make the scope effortless to use, despite the illumination being designed only for overcast conditions.
Mechanical Description
MeoAce 3x20mm is a compact and lightweight affair. At 123mm long, 57mm tall (excluding mount), 63mm wide and weighing 350g (sans mount and battery), Meopta’s offering is comparable in size and weight to carbine optics such as Trijicon ACOG and Aimpoint CompM4. With its diminutive size and petite weight, the MeoAce enhances target identification and marksmanship without hampering rifle handling.
Mounting is via the ubiquitous Picatinny rail: a single recoil lug engages the T slot, and a steel foot (tensioned by a torx screw) provides lateral clamping. The mount places the optical axis about 3.5cm above the Picatinny rail’s top edge; the Meopta representative indicated that alternative heights have been prototyped although not in serial production. The scope also features an integrated, non-removable, three-slot Picatinny rail section at the top position for use with accessories such as the MeoDot DF 2 mini red dot sights. Similar to the Trijicon ACOG and RMR combination, this “piggyback” configuration allows users to address both distant and nearby targets with a mere shift of head position.
Knobs and Adjustments
Zeroing is achieved via capped and recessed elevation and windage adjustments with retaining lanyards. Making adjustments requires a large flathead screwdriver such as the Brownells Magna-Tip bit #360-7 (1.5mm blade thickness) or a similarly sized coin. The 1MOA clicks feel soft but exhibit no discernible thread lash. During testing, the author did not experience any point-of-impact shift when used atop a 7.62x51mm rifle. To engage distant targets, a ballistic drop compensated (BDC) reticle is...
This article first appeared in Small Arms Review V23N4 (April 2019) |
| SUBSCRIBER COMMENT AREA |
Comments have not been generated for this article.
