VECTOROPTICS Maverick GEN3 SCRD-38 Review

I went to the Bakuretsu Festival by myself on March 6th, 2021. One of my spoils of war was the classic VECTOR OPTICS Maverick GEN3 red dot sight.

I bought it at my usual store, 41PX, and I think it was on sale for around 6000 yen. By the way, Osumi Mama was there too. (Her sales pitch was incredibly good.)

The actual selling price was around 10,000 yen, so I think it was quite a bargain. If you're looking to get it cheaply, I highly recommend attending a merchandise event.

Now, this is the first time I've covered optical equipment on this blog, but I'm not particularly picky, so I've made quite a few mistakes buying cheap things and wasting money.

Furthermore, he has some mysterious personal rules: red dot sights should generally cost under 5,000 yen, and no more than 10,000 yen; and scopes should generally cost under 10,000 yen, and no more than 20,000 yen.

The reason is that I want to fully enjoy airsoft, so I set these rules so that I won't regret it if my lens gets shattered from being hit or if it breaks from falling.

Luckily, I've never broken any optics without using protectors or kill flashes (though I have broken some by tinkering with them).

I also have a slight astigmatism, so the dot on red dot sights generally appears blurry to me. The blurring is so pronounced that the dot appears 2-3 times more blurry than a standard MOA dot. Therefore, I will introduce some red dot sights that are usable even with a slight astigmatism (the ones that are unusable don't appear as a dot at all).

Since I believe red dot sights are primarily for quick aiming rather than precision shooting, I don't require strict accuracy, and therefore I don't mind a little blurring of the dot.

I'm not an expert on optical equipment itself, but I'm confident in my knowledge of the number of inexpensive optical devices I've handled (over 40). Some of them are good, so I'll introduce them from time to time. (There were quite a few duds too.)

So, today I'll be reviewing the popular and classic VECTOR OPTICS Maverick GEN3.

From here on, as a benchmark for comparison (and will continue to be the benchmark), I will use the Tokyo Marui NEW Pro Sight, which was the first one I ever bought and which many of you have probably handled (the NEW Pro Sight is also good in terms of cost performance).

Appearance, contents, weight

Let's start with the exterior.

Top view

Opposite side

It looks cool, similar to the Aimpoint T1 (I personally like the Aimpoint Comp M2, but I don't own one).

The material is basically aluminum, I believe. The surface of the body is covered with rubber, making it resistant to scratches. The texture is also nice. Overall, it's quite compact.

Next, let's look at the contents.

It's nice to get a low mount at this price. Though I probably won't use it. By the way, it uses a CR2032 battery, but it's not included, so be aware of that.

CR2032 lithium battery
It can be used as a battery for illumination in various optical instruments.

A lens cover is also included.

This is a great deal.

Finally, let's talk about the weight. At 184g, I think it's quite light. That's fantastic.

Incidentally, Tokyo Marui's Pro Sight weighs 154.5g. However, this is light because it's mostly made of resin. But the Maverick is made of aluminum and is almost as heavy as a resin sight, which I think is amazing.

Usability

We will examine the operation system of each function while comparing it with the Tokyo Marui NEW Pro Sight.

Main switch

The power switch for the dot is located on the right side of the unit, integrated with the battery compartment.

There are 11 settings, but I probably won't use more than three. It's quite firm and has a satisfying click. It seems unlikely to shift easily.

Incidentally, Tokyo Marui's model has three settings. It's light and has a clicky feel.

Dot adjustment mechanism

Next, let's look at the adjustment mechanism (up/down elevation, left/right vintage). The cap (made of aluminum) is held in place by a screw, so remove it to reveal the adjustment mechanism. The cap can be removed by hand, but it's stiff. It's better than it being loose and falling off.

The adjustment can be made by fitting the protrusion on the cap into the recess of the adjustment mechanism.

This is great. It's a fantastic idea, especially considering how many adjustments require tools. The click mechanism also makes it seem easy to adjust.

By the way, Tokyo Marui's guns can also be adjusted without tools, but they're a bit loose and lack a click feel, so it might be a little difficult. Once you get used to it, Marui's guns are actually pretty good.

The worst are the ones that won't even fit a 1-yen coin and can only be used with a flathead screwdriver. And some of them are incredibly stiff to turn.

Since it's just a red dot sight, I don't mind a little bit of misalignment. Ease of use is more important, I think.

One of the best features of the Maverick is its quick-release attachment system for the airsoft gun itself.

Furthermore, the fact that it has a locking mechanism and can be locked mechanically, rather than just relying on spring tension, is fantastic. Incidentally, Tokyo Marui uses a hex wrench.

Incidentally, the kill flash has threads on the outside and screws into the main body.

Since it's quite loose, if you plan to attach it and play with it, we recommend applying a low-strength adhesive for plastics.

The appearance of the dots, the color of the lenses

We'll compare the appearance of the lens and the dot with that of the Tokyo Marui Pro Sight.

Lens comparison

Let's compare the lenses. The background is white copy paper.

Let's start by looking at Maverick.

It has a slight bluish tint, but it's incredibly clear, which impressed me. Incidentally, the eyepiece diameter is 22mm, which isn't that big, but because the internal light-emitting unit is small, the field of view is quite wide.

For reference, here's Tokyo Marui.

You can see that it's fairly blue. The eyepiece diameter is 25mm, but the light-emitting unit is a bit large, so the field of view is about the same as or slightly worse than the Maverick. It's still perfectly usable, but the clarity of the Maverick is quite amazing.

Dot illumination comparison

Next, let's light up the dots.

I set the dot brightness level to 3 out of 11.

It feels a little weak.

I have set the dot brightness to level 8 out of 11.

It looks great. What's even more impressive is how the brightness of the individual dots actually changes. Cheaper ones sometimes don't change at all.

This site uses light emitted from the bottom of the tube to capture the dots, so you can see a slight reflection of light on the top, but I don't think it's noticeable.

Try moving your gaze up, down, left, and right.

It's fantastic that the dots are clearly visible all the way to the edges. Cheaper ones tend to have the dots disappear.

For comparison, here's the Tokyo Marui product. The brightness is level 2 out of 3. It's quite excellent. This is also fantastic.

Finally, I'll attach the kill flash and take a look.

The kill flash is quite obstructive and makes it difficult to see. However, I was planning to remove it anyway, so I'll accept it.

Next, let's look at the objective lens on the opposite side. The dot is lit. I've deliberately included a fluorescent light in the image to show how the light reflects.

Let's start with Maverick. It significantly reduces reflections.

The reason why we care about the light reflected from the objective lens is that sometimes, when light reflects off the sight (including the scope), it can reveal the location of the target.

Anyone who's played airsoft will understand this, but just like in anime and movies, you can really tell where someone is by the reflection of light.

This is an extreme example, but back then, when about 150 people gathered for a paintball game at Desert Storm in Saitama, as evening approached, the field's layout allowed you to see your opponents from the start, so the sights of the opposing players' guns were sparkling beautifully. It was amazing; it was like seeing 75 beautiful stars.

The light-emitting element appears to be located on the underside.

For comparison, here's Tokyo Marui's product. While it might look inferior in comparison, it's actually quite good.

This concludes the lens comparison.

Attached to an airsoft gun

I thought the Maverick design suited law enforcement better than military use, so I tried putting it on the Kriss Vector.

left

First-person perspective. The dots were a bit too bright.

If you're interested, please also check out the article about the Kriss Vector.

Practical usability in actual combat

I actually used it at a regular Yanex meeting held in a forest-type outdoor field in Noda City, Chiba Prefecture.

The vehicle used was a VFC MK18 mod.1 AEG with a Maverick attached.

I zeroed the sight at 40m. The dot had a wide adjustment range, so I had no trouble zeroing it at all.

In terms of usability, it's incredibly lightweight, and I didn't feel any weight at all when handling it. I used it outdoors all day, and the dot remained clearly visible from the strong morning sun to the twilight in the evening.

When you hold the airsoft gun properly, the dot appears naturally in front of your eyes, making it very easy to use. Even a quick aim brings the dot into your field of view automatically and naturally.

I really like it because it's easy to use and looks great.

Overall, if you're mainly engaging in combat at distances of less than 40 meters, this is more than sufficient for accurate aiming.

Furthermore, because it's lighter and more compact, attaching this sight to a small gun would make it much easier to handle and likely prove very useful in confined spaces.

Summary

Even if you can't get it at a special price, I think it's one of the best red dot sights you can buy for under 10,000 yen.

It's lightweight, has a great design, a good lens, a good dot matrix display, comes with a 5-year warranty, and the usability is decent. For under 10,000 yen, I think it's an exceptionally good product.

Based on my experience using it, I think it's perfect for accurate sighting from very close range to about 40 meters.

Tokyo Marui's NEW Pro Sight, which received somewhat unfortunate treatment this time, sells for around 7,000 yen, so I think it's quite cost-effective.

Basically, I recommend both. How you view the 3 yen difference is up to the user.

I've also reviewed the Nautilus, a rival product from the same company, so please check that out if you're interested.

I hope this will be helpful in your selection of a red dot sight.

VECTOR OPTICS Maverick SCRD-38 GENIII Black
I highly recommend it. I've also included a direct link to the Rakuten shop of the well-known shop, 41 Military.

VECTOR OPTICS Maverick SCRD-39 GEN III Tan Color
I've also included a direct link to 41 Military's Rakuten shop.

I also recommend Tokyo Marui's NEW Pro Sight. I bought it as my first gun and still have it; it hasn't broken down in over 10 years.

Tokyo Marui NEW Pro Sight
定番です。

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