Aimpoint CompM4 versus PRO

[Iloverevolvers]

What does the buyer get for shelling out another $300+ for the CompM4 versus the PRO, other than longer battery life?

I'd like to mount one of these on our CSA VZ 58 on which I have installed the CSA side rail and short optic mount that you see in all of CSA's promotional videos. The mount is already high enough to allow the irons to be used underneath, so I'd like a RDS that sits as low as possible on the rail. Which of these two sits lower on the rail when their spacers are removed?

Thanks.

 

[deegee]

I own a PRO.
I have not used the CompM4 so you will have to fill in the blanks on this comparatively.

With no spacer, the distance from top-of-rail to the bottom of the front removable cap is ~8mm, from top-of-rail to bottom of the front lens is ~10mm (1cm). I can use my micrometer if you need a more accurate number.

The PRO is a 30mm tube so mounted with no spacer the center of the lens (the red dot location) is about 32mm above rail. So it typically won't co-witness with BUIS.

I also have EOTech and a few other optics, I'm torn between which I like most because they all have their strong and weak points, and none imho is an ultimate sight.

The complaints I have about the PRO are:
- The mount pieces are poorly machined tolerances, in that they don't fit snugly together by quite a bit (~1mm gap on one side on mine with the spacer), so the scope is always slightly canted to the side. With the spacer out the scope sits a bit more square since there is only one amount of offset instead of two. You could try and fidget with it to get the gaps equal on both sides and then purple loctite the screws so it doesn't shift. The mounts use a \__/ shape to interlock.
- The rubber tri-web that is used to hold the caps on is really tight and makes it difficult to remove and replace the caps without cross-threading them.
- It uses a CR1/3N battery which is pretty scarce in Canada and expensive. I had to bulk order a card of them from the USA. The upside to this is that the scope gets great battery life so one battery can last many years.

 

[Iloverevolvers]

Thanks for the great practical PRO information, deegee! No micrometer necessary. Approximate is fine. Even though the battery may be a rare bird, once the owner acquires a couple, you're laughing for a number of years. Battery type or life, when the life is as long as these Aimpoints, anyway, will not be part of my go/no-go equation, but thanks for mentioning it. (Did Aimpoint include one or two batteries, by any chance?)

Hopefully someone will chime in with some CompM4 information.

 

[deegee]

The PRO comes with 1 battery.

The package includes a white cardboard box, cut foam, the sight with covers installed, picatinny mount, spacer, allen key, two sets of screws (for spacer/no-spacer), battery, manuals.

One other point to mention, the manuals included in the box cover all of the Aimpoint RedDots except the PRO...
This is really ignorant of them.
For a $500+ optic it should at least have a manual.
In the box you get the User's Manuals for the 9000L, 9000SC, CompC3, CompM2, CompM2L, CompM3, CompML3, but nothing at all for the PRO itself.
Even if you go to the Aimpoint web site to download the manual for the PRO, you get the same thing, nothing on the PRO itself.