Besides the obvious that AA are easier to get, I’m assuming CR123 will have a longer battery life.
So all other things being equal what do I need to consider regarding one battery option vs. the other?
Besides the battery life.
The XPS offers different reticle’s and uses less rail space.
XPS2-0
XPS2-1
XPS2-2, etc…
Then your night vision versions.
Battery compatibility with your hand held and weapon mounted lights. Running CR123’s across the board is always convenient.
Even though Eotech seems to have corrected the legendary battery contact issues on their 500 (AA) series sights, the CR123 (XPS/EXPS) are a more robust design.
according to the eotech website: AA goes up to 1000 hours on lithiums, the XPS goes for 600 hours
If you are going with the parallel battery EoTechs (553-123s, whatever the AA models are) the 553 will have a smaller footprint.
I would not personally choose a 553 over the EXPS, but that’s me.
ETA: I am also not a fan of the mounting solutions for either the 553 or the legacy AA models, again, if you want an Eo, the EXPS line is the way to go in my opinion, though some lateral force issues with 123s may be in effect. Not enough data at this point for me to really say much other than mine didn’t have an issue over 500 rounds or so.
I have an XPS 2-0. For me, the positives of the shorter footprint were negated by the ADM riser mount I used, which takes up the full size of a regular EOTech anyway. I do like the battery commonality between my flashlights and RDS, though.
I like the EXPS versions a lot, and wish I could have gotten as good a deal one as I did the XPS I have. I think the side adjustments are handy as well.
I was actually looking at the 517. I’m not going to run anything other than a rear flip sight so I don’t need the rail space for NV and things like that.
If I one day decide I need a carbine with dedicated NV, I’ll get a smaller EO (or whatever the new wonder dot is at that future date) and relegate the 517 to one of my other rifles.
Is the AA the reason you’re considering the EOTech?
If you get past it, I’d take an Aimpoint over it any day. Better reticle (User preferance), lighter, smaller footprint (T-1), and it doesn’t have an automatic shut off (Most important if you’re using it for HD).
Well I’ve owned an EOTech 512 for almost a week now. It’s a VERY lightly used sight that’s been sitting in a box for months. I just received it from a buddy and the sight is having issues.
Upon receiving it I noticed that the battery contacts had some erosion and was making battery changes very difficult. The sight also gets really dim at the bottom of the window. Luckily it’s still under warranty and is getting sent back in for repairs free of charge. Would you bet your life on a sight, if you had to, with problems like this after moderate at most use? What if you were in a situation where sending it back to the manufacturer were not an option? What if it started crapping out at the beginning of a 3 day carbine course? What if you were over seas kicking in doors and it shit?
Yes they’re cheap, but what can this sight do that an aimpoint wont? Aimpoints might require a battery not readily available, but when you have to change it once every 3 years, what’s the big deal? These are all options that you have to weight yourself.
I read all the horror stories of people having problems with EOTechs, but I was like what the hell? I got a good deal on the sight, what’s the worst that can happen. Sure enough I’m having problems too. I do enjoy the reticle, but having peace of mind and knowing that your sight will turn on and work is worth the not-even-extra price if you buy an Aimpoint PRO. Some things to keep in mind.
Maybe take a look here if you haven’t already. A lot less problems have been had with the 123 models, of which the XPS/EXPS models are most popular, I believe.
If you need something with a AA, I’d look at the compm4 or trijicon srs. Much better battery life than the eotechs.
I spent a lot of time considering a red dot. The battery compatibility and availability was a concern. Based on what I’ve heard and a close friends bad experience with a 512 (parallel AA bateries), I was convinced that I did not want an EOTech. After enjoying some range time with an Aimpoint T-1 and also an EOTech. I really prefered the image and openess of the EOTech.
…so I finally got an EOTech EXPS3-0 and have been very satisfied. It has buttons on the side, takes up very little rail space and uses the same CR123 batteries as my Surefire Scout light. These seem to be more durable than the AA battery models.
If you’re looking at Eotechs the EXPS or XPS is the only way to go. The inline batteries are a design flaw: the connectors shit the bed after awhile. I’ve seen it happen at least two dozen times.
AA batteries are more common and will be easier to get in most cases, as mentioned. But, with use of cr123’s becoming more widespread, this argument holds less water as time goes by. Back when I bought the 557(AA) model, I owned nothing that ran on cr123’s. Now, almost all my lights run on them. So availability shouldn’t be as great a concern as battery life. Eotech claims the AA’s last longer. Personally if I were to buy an Eotech today, and battery type was the only variable, Id be on the fence about it. It would come down to A) Do I want longer battery life? Or B) Do I want all the electronics on my rifles to share a common battery type? The later may not even apply to you depending on what lights/lasers/other gadgets and gizmo’s you may be running.
I agree with the above post- if you prefer a AA battery, an Aimpoint M4 model may be the better option. If not, the EXPS models would be the best bet among all the EOTech models.
when alkalines leak, use lithiums