I thought I would try to write a review on a weapon and an optic that is a bit uncommon in the US. Please keep in mind that English isn’t my first language (or even my second language).
The rifle:
Last year I was looking around in a local gun shop that specializes in military surplus weapons. They just received about a dozen of ex Swiss Army Stgw90’s (SIG550) that were converted to semi automatic. The Stgw90’s were in good (but not great) condition and I hesitated until I noticed there was a PE90 (civilian SA version of the Stgw90) behind the counter that looked as good as new. Obviously that’s the one I got and as a ‘regular’ customer they even gave me a sling, 2nd magazine and a picatinny mount.
I had shot a few rounds with a SIG550 a long time ago but this was the first time I disassembled one and studied every detail. The first word that popped up in my mind was ‘quality’, every part fits perfectly and all controls are very smooth. The ergonomics are beyond reproach and the skeleton folding stock is a lot more comfortable than those metal folding stocks I’m used to. At 4,1 kg (9lb) it feels rather heavy for a .223, but when you remove the hand guard the reason for that weight becomes obvious; a really ‘fat’ barrel. Because I’m more used to ‘battle rifles’ than ‘assault rifles’ the weight doesn’t really bother me and I like the precision and the resistance to heating that come with a heavy barrel.
Before I used the rifle, I intended to remove the integrated bipod that seemed rather vulnerable and impractical. But a single trip to the range convinced me of the opposite … when folded you don’t even notice it’s presence and when deployed it’s actually quite usable.
At the shooting range the rifle proved to be a joy to shoot and its reputation for precision justified. Even with S&B 55gr instead of the quality Swiss Gp90 round. However, my eyes aren’t what they used to be and I felt this rifle (and me) needed an optic.
To sum it up … heavy, expensive, robust, practical and well made.
The sight:
I wanted an optic sight with limited magnification and preferable ‘military’ style that would ‘fit’ the rifle.
An ACOG seemed the obvious choice but unfortunately they’re very hard to find in Europe. Whenever I found a seller it was overpriced and I had to accept one of the 1 or 2 models available. So I looked for alternatives and stumbled upon the Elcan Spectre DR 1x4 that apparently had all the specifications I was looking for.
I ordered one online from a German company and they promptly delivered. When I held the Spectre my first reaction was “%£*µ$, this thing is HEAVY”. I knew from my research it was heavy, but reading the numbers and feeling it are rather different. It feels like you could hammer a nail with it. But then again, it feels like you could hammer the nail … without damaging the Spectre.
The glass is as clear as I’ve ever seen on an optic and the big lenses allow at lot of light to flow true. Eye relief and field of view are very good. There is a fast throw lever to switch between 1X and 4X that is easy to manipulate. I read somewhere that people were reporting a shift in POI when switching between 1X and 4X. I haven’t had the opportunity to shoot long range yet, but in a quick test at 100m (109 yards) I can’t see any change of POI when going from 4X to 1X.
Another point of criticism was the external adjustment system. Personally, I believe it’s a smart move from the Elcan people … whenever I read/hear about an optic sight failing it’s usually the adjustment system that broke. By making it external they could build it like a tank (and they did).
There are 5 illumination settings for the aiming dot and another 5 settings for illuminating the total reticle. At first I thought that this was too much but by using it I’ve learned to appreciate it. It allows to choose a setting that will give the optimal combination between good contrast with the target and a sharp well-defined aiming dot.
Finally there’s the backup ghost sights on top. They can easily be removed, but I keep them as a ‘buffer’ in case I would drop my rifle … and that’s the only thing they’re good for in my opinion.
To sum it up … heavy, expensive, robust, practical and well made.
The rifle:
Last year I was looking around in a local gun shop that specializes in military surplus weapons. They just received about a dozen of ex Swiss Army Stgw90’s (SIG550) that were converted to semi automatic. The Stgw90’s were in good (but not great) condition and I hesitated until I noticed there was a PE90 (civilian SA version of the Stgw90) behind the counter that looked as good as new. Obviously that’s the one I got and as a ‘regular’ customer they even gave me a sling, 2nd magazine and a picatinny mount.
I had shot a few rounds with a SIG550 a long time ago but this was the first time I disassembled one and studied every detail. The first word that popped up in my mind was ‘quality’, every part fits perfectly and all controls are very smooth. The ergonomics are beyond reproach and the skeleton folding stock is a lot more comfortable than those metal folding stocks I’m used to. At 4,1 kg (9lb) it feels rather heavy for a .223, but when you remove the hand guard the reason for that weight becomes obvious; a really ‘fat’ barrel. Because I’m more used to ‘battle rifles’ than ‘assault rifles’ the weight doesn’t really bother me and I like the precision and the resistance to heating that come with a heavy barrel.
Before I used the rifle, I intended to remove the integrated bipod that seemed rather vulnerable and impractical. But a single trip to the range convinced me of the opposite … when folded you don’t even notice it’s presence and when deployed it’s actually quite usable.
At the shooting range the rifle proved to be a joy to shoot and its reputation for precision justified. Even with S&B 55gr instead of the quality Swiss Gp90 round. However, my eyes aren’t what they used to be and I felt this rifle (and me) needed an optic.
To sum it up … heavy, expensive, robust, practical and well made.
The sight:
I wanted an optic sight with limited magnification and preferable ‘military’ style that would ‘fit’ the rifle.
An ACOG seemed the obvious choice but unfortunately they’re very hard to find in Europe. Whenever I found a seller it was overpriced and I had to accept one of the 1 or 2 models available. So I looked for alternatives and stumbled upon the Elcan Spectre DR 1x4 that apparently had all the specifications I was looking for.
I ordered one online from a German company and they promptly delivered. When I held the Spectre my first reaction was “%£*µ$, this thing is HEAVY”. I knew from my research it was heavy, but reading the numbers and feeling it are rather different. It feels like you could hammer a nail with it. But then again, it feels like you could hammer the nail … without damaging the Spectre.
The glass is as clear as I’ve ever seen on an optic and the big lenses allow at lot of light to flow true. Eye relief and field of view are very good. There is a fast throw lever to switch between 1X and 4X that is easy to manipulate. I read somewhere that people were reporting a shift in POI when switching between 1X and 4X. I haven’t had the opportunity to shoot long range yet, but in a quick test at 100m (109 yards) I can’t see any change of POI when going from 4X to 1X.
Another point of criticism was the external adjustment system. Personally, I believe it’s a smart move from the Elcan people … whenever I read/hear about an optic sight failing it’s usually the adjustment system that broke. By making it external they could build it like a tank (and they did).
There are 5 illumination settings for the aiming dot and another 5 settings for illuminating the total reticle. At first I thought that this was too much but by using it I’ve learned to appreciate it. It allows to choose a setting that will give the optimal combination between good contrast with the target and a sharp well-defined aiming dot.
Finally there’s the backup ghost sights on top. They can easily be removed, but I keep them as a ‘buffer’ in case I would drop my rifle … and that’s the only thing they’re good for in my opinion.
To sum it up … heavy, expensive, robust, practical and well made.
