Review: Rusak reflex sight (русак коллиматор) (by Gruppa-L)

 

Russians seem to have a crush for polysemes and ‘the rabbit’ is no exception. Because that’s what rusak/русак means. And indeed it is a very swift sight.

 
I got the sight in a pretty ancient plastic container with a barely readable sticker. Apparently it was made in 1992 by OJSC Kazan Optical and Mechanical Plant (ОАО Казанский оптико-механический завод) and sold for 600 ruble ~ 16€.
Don’t be mislead by the photo, it comes with a 11mm mount only. I milled it off and replaced it with a standard ak side-mount.
These sights were made for the civilian and export market only and cost only around 10€. That is also the reason for the 11mm mount.
 
As you can see the name is written in Latin on this one, which means it is an exported one. It runs on two AA batteries which gives it a nearly infinite battery lifetime. Once I forgot to turn it off and left it running for around four months. Actually I never changed them in the three years I own this sight.
The screw on the right photo is for adjusting the battery compartment for different batteries, since AA batteries vary slightly in their length. You can also see the attached lens cover.
 
The chevron style reticle is very sharp and there is no ghosting or whatsoever. Even magnified (right photo) it looks very consistent.
 
The brightness can be adjusted in nine levels, so you can use it at night and in broad daylight without any issues.
To zero it in you have to loosen the screw and manually adjust the front lens with you fingers. This is the biggest flaw by far of this scope. It really takes some time and flair to get the lens in the right position.

 

Basically this scope is a poor mens cobra. It is cheap and was never meant for shooting beyond 100 meters. However it is rugged and performs well for the ranges it was designed for. I don’t think there is any other sight in that price range which is as capable as this.