Leupold CQBSS
By Guy Sagi
The Leupold Tactical Optics Division introduced a new riflescope for the U.S. Military on Jan. 20 at the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 20. Sometime this summer the same quality optic designed with the versatility to work in two distinct combat situations will be available to the shooting public. At an early morning press conference on the show floor, design engineers explained the dual roll the CQBSS 1.1-8x24 mm Riflescope will play in the Global War on Terror.
When our men in uniform clear a building, they're typically using a non- or low-magnifying reflex sight that makes target acquisition fast and sure in the close-combat environment of urban warfare. The state-of-the-art optics perform extremely well and because our servicemen can keep both eyes open while working a scope and delivering accurate fire, they can also stay on the move because their depth perception and peripheral vision are not compromised.
The problem arises when they egress a building they've cleared and start taking fire from 300 meters. A red-dot scope with no magnification is hardly a precision instrument at long range and the odds are good the dot will completely cover the sniper and the window he's in....making it even harder to neutralize the threat.
Leupold's CQBSS 1.1-8x24 mm Riflescope has a holographic red dot on the front focal plane that subtends 5 or 10 MOA, depending on the user's setting. There are eight different brightness settings, allowing a shooter to adjust for different lighting conditions.
In essence that makes it a great, both-eyes-opening reflex sight, ideal for those CQB situations so often encountered in the Sand Box. But there's a lot more.
The scope can be dialed up to eight power to address longer-distance engagements where precision shots can mean the difference between life and death. The same knob that controls brightness is employed to turn off the red dot, and a front focal plane Horus H27 reticle then takes command. What if another building is entered for cover and it needs to be cleared? Brightness settings and off positions alternate on the dial, allowing the proper illumination to be selected again, with a single click--no more wasting time rotating a dial back to its original position or trying to read numbers when you're much busier with other concerns.
With a 34 mm main tube, the scope is second-generation waterproof and fogproof, external lenses are coated with DiamondCoat and the reticle is held in place with a dual-bias-spring erector system. The scope has been extensively tested and will survive the beating of a .50-caliber machine gun.
Adjustments are made with what the company terms a Pinch & Turn Auto Locking system. Grab the knob, squeeze, turn and when you release, it automatically locks into place. Each click equals .1 mil and one full rotation equals 10 mils.
While the M118 LR BDC makes first-round hits simple (for 175-grain, 7.62 NATO,) a quick-change BDC ring makes dialing into a different load easy. The scope also has a lockable, fast-focus eyepiece and it will come with rings, a CR-2032 battery, flip-up back lens covers and a 2 1/2-inch lens shade.
Depth of field at 100 yards is 14.7 to 92, the objective is 24 mms in diameter and it weights 23.2 ounces. Overall length is 11 3/4 inches and both elevation and windage can be adjusted 100 MOA.
How well does it work? Well, we're going to get one in for a full test when samples become available, but the prototype I handled did very well in spying on the dark corners of the roof in the Sands Convention Center. Low-light performance isn't everything, but I have to admit, from what I saw, this is optic is the real deal.