SOTAC C-MORE Dot Sight Replica Review

This time, I'll be reviewing a replica of the C-MORE red dot sight made by SOTAC.

This is a somewhat ironic model because the original C-MORE RAILWAY red dot sight has such an excellent design and structure that many Chinese replicas are also of high quality (and they're reasonably priced; this particular product costs around 5000 yen).

The C-MORE RAILWAY dot sight was a popular choice in the US a while ago. Its open design makes the dot easy to see, and despite being an open type, it's sturdy and relatively lightweight. It was a well-known sight widely used in shooting competitions (ISPC) and other competitive shooting events (used on both handguns and rifles).

In Japan, I remember many people using it in speed shooting and other competitions. It's particularly large and impressive on handguns. Recently, with the emergence of sights that can be directly attached to the slide of handguns, it's become less common to see it, but it's still an easy-to-use sight, as befits a bestseller.

So far we've been talking about the real thing, but let's take a look at the SOTAC replica.

Box and contents

This is the outer box.

The outer box is the same plastic container as the SRO dot sight replica I previously introduced. The information included is the color of the main unit and a brief description of the product itself.

Let's open it.

I was included in the group in a rather haphazard way.

Let's take out the contents and check what's inside.

The contents are quite impressive and I like it, but the important instruction manual is missing. Typical of a Chinese replica. Since I have the opportunity, I'll also explain how to use each accessory and the main unit.

If you have purchased this product and are concerned about any discrepancies in the contents, please refer to this information. However, please note that since this is a Chinese replica, the contents are often changed.

appearance

Let's take a look at the exterior and texture of the device.

Let's take a closer look at the front, back, left, right, up, and down directions.

You can see that the lens is housed within a sturdy-looking frame. The surface of the objective lens reflects red light, so it is likely that it has a ruby ​​coating.

The lens surface on the eyepiece side has a slightly bluish tint. I will write more about the lens later.

The left side of the main unit is completely blank and featureless.

There is a screw on the right side to adjust the dot position left and right (vintage adjustment). As expected of a Chinese replica, the C-MORE logo is proudly molded in a realistic way.

The top of the unit contains the vertical adjustment screw for the dot position (elevation), the laser unit, and the power switch (for adjusting the dot brightness level). The controls are generally accessed from the top.

The rail section is made of metal.

The overall feel is that the main body is made of resin with no paint, so it doesn't have a premium feel at all. However, the actual C-MORE RAILWAY is also made of reinforced plastic, so I think it's quite similar (from what I can see in photos).

The shape faithfully replicates the C-MORE RAILWAY, and it has a very robust feel, just like the real thing. The frame covering the lenses is particularly thick. High durability can be expected, just like the real thing.

Next, let's look at the specific dimensions.

To get a general idea of ​​the size, I'll place it in the palm of my hand.

These are the specific main dimensions.

Now, it feels a bit too big for me.

It's the weight.

At 116g, it has a decent weight to it.

Now we'll attach the accessories to the main unit.

The following three accessories can be attached to the main unit:

Let's look at them one by one.

Now, let's attach the hood. Forcibly snap it into place as shown in the picture below. The shorter brim should be facing forward.

We will now install the anti-reflective plate. This plate will also be forcibly attached as shown in the photo below.

Finally, install the LED cover. Remove the original flat cover and replace it.

This is the product with all accessories attached.

It's a very practical accessory, and the hood and reflector make the dot quite easy to see, but the downside is that it looks a bit clunky.

From a slicing perspective, I've decided to use only the LED cover.

Battery replacement and operating instructions

The device doesn't come with batteries installed, so I'll show you how to insert them.

First, open the power box using the included hex wrench.

Insert the included LR44 battery.

Be careful, the battery compartment is very small and inserting batteries is quite difficult. It's so tight you might wonder if they'll even fit, so you'll have to force them in.

To remove the battery, use the included screwdriver.

Next, let's look at each control panel.

This is a power switch. It's a rotary switch, which is quite rare these days.

The selectable dot brightness levels are 0 to 9. The knob doesn't have a click when turned, suggesting it uses a variable resistor.

Next, we'll look at the vertical adjustment (elevation) and horizontal adjustment (vintation) of the dots.

Turning the screws in any direction (up, down, left, or right) produces absolutely no clicking sensation. This is because the design prioritizes shooting accuracy, and creating a clicking sensation is difficult due to the structure.

Also, it's difficult to turn the screws with the included screwdriver, so it's better to have a separate screwdriver.

break down

I've disassembled it as far as I could, so I'll explain the structure while looking at the inside.

First, remove the cover located under the battery cover.

This is with the cover removed. The LED unit is simply plugged in, so it can be removed (surprisingly).

The removed LED unit had an 8-pin socket. Someone skilled in electronics could easily modify it.

There is a resistor inside the hole where the LED unit was located.

Let's continue the disassembly. Remove the screws connecting to the rail mount (make sure to remove the battery).

The rail mount is in a disassembled state.

Further disassembly was carried out to remove the electronic circuit board.

The circuit board looks quite basic. It's like a children's LED challenge kit. The soldering on the board seems to be of decent quality.

In the end, I was able to completely disassemble it. It's amazing that it can be taken apart this far with just the included tools. As an engineer at a Japanese company, I would prefer that customers not disassemble it if possible, so I don't include extra tools and I warn them not to touch anything in the manual, which I find unbelievable.

Now let's take a look at the dot position adjustment mechanism.

The vertical adjustment screw is a mechanism that directly moves the lens up and down.

The left/right adjustment mechanism works by moving the lens left or right through a block.

The mechanism that directly moves this lens is a major feature of the C-MORE RAILWAY.

In typical red dot sights, the LED light source is moved within a limited space, resulting in a narrow range of motion. This often leads to a limited adjustment range for the dot, and because the dot moves significantly in proportion to the adjustment, precision is difficult to achieve.

In contrast, C-MORE has the advantage of a larger dot adjustment range and finer adjustment increments, thanks to its mechanism that directly moves the lens, which allows for the installation of the adjustment mechanism in a more spacious area.

Of course, this replica also faithfully inherits the characteristics of the original, so its zeroing and accuracy performance are excellent.

The downsides are that the red dot sight itself becomes bulky, and its structure can only be used in open-type designs.

Lens, how dots appear?

First, let's look at the lens with the dots not lit.

There's a slight bluish tint, but the view is clear. Regarding the bluish tint, in bright sunlight, the bluer dots are easier to see, so it's not necessarily a bad thing; it comes down to personal preference.

Let's look at lens distortion.

There's no noticeable distortion. Since distortion is uncommon with red dot sights, you probably don't need to worry too much about it, not just with this product.

These are the lens dimensions.

It's a decent size and easy to read.

Let's actually light up the dots. The brightness level of the dots is continuously adjustable from 1 to 9 (using a variable resistor), so we'll look at the typical settings of 1, 5, and 9.

Level 1

Level 5

Level 9

There are clear differences at each brightness level, so I think it's pretty good overall. The dots themselves are blurry (though this doesn't show up in photos), partly because I have astigmatism. However, this is the same for many models, and it's not a major issue in practical use.

Next, we'll move the dots up, down, left, and right.

Upward swing

Downward swing

Left-handed swing

Swing to the right

The dots are not cut off in any direction, which is excellent. However, unrelated to the dot cutting-off issue, the reflections on the lens are a bit bothersome.

Finally, we'll look at the dots outdoors (brightness level MAX).

It's pretty good. The optical performance is high overall, but there's a bit of reflection on the lens, which is the only downside.

Summary

Overall, it seems to have reproduced the actual C-MORE RAILWAY quite well, and I felt that it faithfully recreated the structural advantages of the real thing.

as a point

- Due to its unique lens-moving mechanism, it has a large zeroing range, allowing for precise dot movement.

- It has a large body and a simple structure, making it sturdy (unlike the real thing, it's not waterproof).

- Open type with large, easy-to-view lenses.

• It comes with many accessories and is inexpensive (around 5000 yen).

will be important.

The only downsides are reflections in the lens and the difficulty in inserting the battery. The outdated design and large size are inherited from the original, so I suppose that's unavoidable.

Although it has an old-fashioned design, it was widely used in shooting competitions and by government agencies (law enforcement), so I think it suits handguns and AR-type rifles in general. Also, its ruggedness is similar to Russian sights, so I think it would suit AK-type rifles as well.

If you're happy with the design, I would recommend it.

This review focuses on a SOTAC-made replica, but many C-MORE RAILWAY replicas inherit the quality of the real thing, so other brands besides SOTAC are also quite usable and worth trying out.

Thank you for your time.

SOTAC C-MORE type red dot sight
There are various colors available, so please take a look if you're interested.

I've reviewed other red dot sights as well, so please check them out if you're interested!