Introduction
Meprolight is an Israeli company that produces optics, such as night vision devices, red dot sights, thermal devices, LRF devices, etc. mostly for the military and law enforcement agencies. Some of their products are popular among civilians as well. This year, they’ve announced a release of a device that features what they call ‘augmented reality’. What do they mean by this?
New features
Basically, they’ve incorporated their latest technologies into the housing of Mepro M5. The sight is still of the reflex type, but more information is projected on the transparent lens. Naturally, there is a reticle in the middle of the field of view, but Meprolight added some information that shooters might find important such as a digital compass, active leveler, and a shot counter. On the display, the following information is also listed: battery level, sensor data, and Bluetooth connectivity. At Shot Show 2019, the device that I was shown was still in the Beta phase – the counter was not yet functional. Android and iOS mobile phones can be connected to the device via Bluetooth – a mobile app with the help of which the user will be able to manipulate with the device’s settings is still in development, which is why I wasn’t able to see how it works. Nevertheless, anything can be set via buttons on the device, including reticle change. The user can switch between 5 different pre-set reticles. Foresight has a built-in light sensor which automatically adapts the intensity level of the display to the ambient light.
Some people have complained that having too much information on the screen is obtrusive, but it can always be switched off as the display is programmable. The mobile app will allow the user to store up to 10 zeroing weapon profiles and upload previously stored profiles from the app to the device. Meprolight will keep on updating the firmware. Foresight comes with a rechargeable lithium battery which can be charged via USB-C cable. I was told that it should work for 2 days if left on.
The sight weighs 280 grams (9.9 oz) and is 117 mm long, 60 mm wide and 68 mm high. The 1x magnification allows simple and comfortable use with both eyes open, and a big window (33 x 20 mm) facilitates quick target acquisition. Just like Mepro M5 and M21, Foresight is incredibly robust and durable. It comes with a quick-detachable mechanism for Picatinny/Weaver that allows a quick return to zero should you detach and reattach it. The buttons are positioned at the front side, behind the lens, and add to the Sci-Fi appearance.
Conclusion
As mentioned, the product is still in Beta phase – Meprolight is planning on launching it in April 2019. The expected retail price for the US market is 714 $. The device can be used both for tactical and hunting means, as is shown in Meprolight’s promotional video:
Picture Gallery
