Introduction

The Elbit Falcon Optical Gunsight is designed to be mounted on the M16/AR-15 rifle (this review assumes familiarity with this family of weapons). It is a dot sight (I prefer the term "dot sight" to the more common "red dot" sight, because not all dot sights have red dots). This means that the shooter sees a small illuminated dot that appears to hover on the target and is used to aim, instead of using the iron sights on the rifle. There are many models of dot sights on the market today. The Falcon was one of the first, and is the best in my opinion. Unfortunately, it is no longer made by Elbit (one of Israel's largest defense contractors), and I have been told it can no longer be imported into the United States because it is an "Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight" and this violates some U.S. law (go figure). In any event, there are enough in the U.S. that they are occasionally seen for sale. As far as I know, production stopped in the late 1980's or early 1990's. Despite this, the Falcon is considered so desirable to some (including me), that it is the choice for a dot scope for the AR-15.

The Falcon is an extremely durable aircraft type heads up display system. This allows firing with both eyes open, and allows extremely fast target acquisition with a much larger field of view. It can be mounted either ahead of the carry handle (for 20" SP1 contour barrels), or on top of the rail of a flat-top upper receiver (using the Weaver/Picatinny rail system). The Falcon is specifically designed to allow the M16/AR-15 iron sights to be used as backup sights when mounted in front of the carry handle. When mounted on a flat-top, iron sights can still be used for backup.

The first thing I noticed about the Falcon was that it was built like a tank. Some of the other dot sights on the market seem rather flimsy in comparison. I have no worries about  the durability of the Falcon. Of course, this means it is slightly heavier than many other dot sights, but the difference is insignificant given the gains, in my opinion. There are controls for zeroing the sight (both windage and elevation), an on/off switch, the heads up display window (which looks like a large ghost ring), a cover for the battery compartment, and an ambient light sensor.

To use the Falcon, first make sure it is turned on. I generally leave mine turned on all the time. I don't worry about the battery going dead, because they seem to last forever. The Falcon uses a 3.6 volt AA size lithium battery that is readily available. I've left mine on for over a month, using the original battery that came with it, and it's still going strong. One of the reasons I believe such phenomenal battery life occurs is because the Falcon is the only dot sight that regulates the intensity of the dot based on the amount of ambient light. So when it goes in a dark case, the dot become very dim to compensate, and little power is used. Of course, it is prudent to have a spare battery handy, and if the Falcon is going to be used to protect life and limb, it is only reasonable to load it with a fresh battery. I keep an extra battery in the butt stock of my AR-15. Once turned on and sighted in, when the weapon is mounted, the user sees a bright red illuminated dot. If sighted in properly, and if the user does his part with the trigger, bullet impact will be essentially within the area covered by the red dot. This area seems to be about 4 minutes of angle (MOA) when mounted on the flat-top. Probably less when mounted forward (perhaps 3 MOA). Both eyes should be kept open while shooting. It's that simple.
 

Red Dot Sights

Most people think they know how iron sights work. The sad fact is, most iron sight users do not use them correctly. With the AR-15, there is a front sight, and a rear aperture sight. In order to sight in on the target, the user must obtain a proper stock weld with his cheek, and place the front sight on the target while looking through the rear aperture. Focus must then be maintained on the front sight while the trigger is pressed. It is this last step that most shooters violate for some reason, probably not realizing the benefits of focusing on the front sight. In any event, it is clear that with iron sights, there are 4 different elements that must be in near-perfect alignment to make a hit: the shooter's eye; the rear sight; the front sight; and the target. The human eye can only focus on one plane at a time, so with conventional iron sights, there are three possible things to view. This is sometimes difficult for shooters to manage, but with training the proper use of iron sights becomes reflexive. However, it takes a bit of time to use iron sights. Additionally, as we grow older, it becomes more difficult to focus on the front sight. Lastly, while we are not supposed to consciously try to center the top of the front sight in the rear aperture (in almost all cases the mind will do this automatically without conscious effort), there are some shooters who must consciously center the front sight for various reasons.

Dot sights offer many advantages over iron sights. With a dot sight, there is one less element present in the system, which now consists of the shooter's eyes, the dot, and the target. Not only that, the dot appears on the same focal plane as the target. This means that there is no need to shift eye focus around different planes. The shooter merely looks at the target, and places the dot where he wants the bullet to strike. In addition, both eyes can remain open, which allows for greater peripheral vision, and a wider field of view. All these things mean that with a proper dot sight, a lot less time is required to make accurate hits, and it is much easier to make those hits.

There are two types of dot sights: battery powered, and tritium powered. Both have their pros and cons. The battery powered sights use electrical power to illuminate the sight using an LED. A downside to the battery powered sights is that eventually the battery is going to be depleted. This is easily solved by replacing the battery, but could be disastrous in a serious situation (my recommendation is to keep only fresh batteries in these types). The tritium powered sights use a small amount of radioactive tritium to illuminate the dot. While they have no battery to wear out, a drawback is that tritium will not last forever. It has a half-life of about 11 years, which means that after that time, the dot will have half the intensity. To complicate things even more, with the exception of the Falcon, all the other dot sights have a fixed intensity dot. The Falcon is the one exception: it will sense the amount of ambient light and adjust the brightness of the dot accordingly. I also believe that no matter what the type of dot sight is used, iron sights must be available as backup if the weapon could ever conceivably be needed for self-defense use. This is just common sense.
 

Detailed Description of the Falcon

There are two ways the Falcon was designed to be mounted: ahead of the carry handle on an SP1 profile 20" barrel (or the old M16A1 barrel); or on a Weaver rail on a flat-top upper receiver.

I have never seen a Falcon mounted ahead of the carry handle except on television while watching Israeli troops. Provided with the Falcon is a barrel clamp. The handguards are removed, the clamp is placed around the barrel, and a post protrudes through a vent-hold on the upper hand guard. A thumbscrew then attaches the front of  the Falcon into the post. The rear part is held in place by a special rear mount that squeezes between the rear of the Falcon and the front of the hand guard. In this configuration, the iron sights are visible through the heads-up display of the Falcon, a definite advantage. One disadvantage of this method is that M16A1 or SP1 contour barrels are a lot less common than they used to be. In addition, barrel length must be 20"; this mounting technique will not work with a 16" barrel.

On a flat-top upper, mounting the Falcon is simple. Use the supplied mounting base, and just attach it to the upper in the same way the removable carry handle is attached. I recommend that the Falcon be mounted as far forward as possible for two reasons: to get the dot to appear as small as possible, and to mount a rear sight. Slotted thumb screws are used to tighten the Falcon. I found that a quarter makes a good screwdriver for these. I recommend that the Falcon be mounted tightly, but not excessively so.

A rear sight is now optional with the flat-top mounting. I recommend  that one be used. First, if the Falcon fails for whatever reason, you'll want your iron sights. Second, there are times when it is desireable to use iron sights, so it is good to remain in practice and not use the Falcon exclusively, tempting though that is. Shooting is a degenerative skill, and proficiency with iron sights is important.

There are several commercial rear sights that are designed to be mounted on the flat-top's rail. These are fine. However, I prefer simply taking a carry handle, and cutting the portion forward of the rear sight off, finishing it, and using the remaining one thumbscrew. This fits perfectly, and gives the original A2 sights (plus it is cheaper). But the other commercial options, such as the flip up sights from GG&G are good also. To the best of my knowledge, Jim Crews of Marksman's Enterprises was the first to use the cut-down carryhandle approach (you can see his Falcon sighted AR-15 in action there).

The Falcon has two wheels for zeroing. Each click moves the point of aim 5 millimeters at 25 meters. This is a fine adjustment, about twice as fine as the A2 sight. If you zero a Falcon, keep this in mind. The zeroing wheels are recessed, and aren't going to move on their own. A dime works as a good tool for turning the wheels.  Once the Falcon is properly sighted, and assuming the iron sights are also properly sighted, when looking through the rear aperture iron sight, the red dot of the Falcon will be hovering right on top of the front sight. This is a beautiful thing to see!

The ambient light sensor on the Falcon is a big plus, and is not available on other sights. I can't imagine why the other manufacturers haven't incorporated this important feature. The manual refers to it as the "automatic light control" and I guess that's a good name. The dot instantly changes in intensity when the surrounding light changes. In total darkness the dot is very fine and dim. In the glaring daylight of the South Florida sun, the dot is a blazing red. There is no problem finding the dot, or having your night vision adaptation harmed by it. In addition, there is an adjustable cover that rotates about the sensor that can be set by the user. I'm not exactly sure why this is necessary. I just leave mine wide open, and it works fine.

The red dot of the Falcon is projected onto the heads-up display by a horizontal aperture. This is a good feature, as it means it is much less likely for mud or dirt to occlude the emitter. The dot is reflected into the user's eyes by the display, which is a piece of glass that has several interesting properties. First, it will not transmit the color of the dot, even in total darkness. This is good, because it means that someone looking towards you will not see the dot. Only the operator behind the sight will see the dot's reflection. Second, it is curved in such a way that if you can see the dot on the target, that's where the point of aim is. In other words, you don't need to use a consistent stock weld, and in fact, can move your head around any way you want when using the Falcon. If you can see the dot, you're good to go!

The battery compartment is located in the front of the Falcon, and is a very simple affair, being a cover that can be opened with a coin. I wish someone would come up with a combined battery cover/pressure switch affair. It would seem simple enough to make.

There is an on/off switch on the left side of the Falcon. The manual mentions an optional pressure switch. I have never seen these available, and wouldn't mind having one. But basically, leaving it on all the time doesn't seem to hurt anything. The switch is easy to use, and foolproof.

The Falcon also comes with a manual, which is include here (it is not copyrighted).
 

Using the Falcon

Using the Falcon is simplicity itself. Put the dot on the target, and press the trigger. If you know how to work the trigger of an AR-15, you're ready. Do carry an extra battery of course, just on general principles. The lenses should be kept clean; use a non-abrasive cleaner, such as camera lens cleaner, or Leupold scope cleaner. Remember, that while the Falcon is built like a tank, it's not going to be any good with scratched lenses.

Of course, all this is good in theory. How does it actually work in the field? I had the opportunity to give my Falcon a really thorough test at Randy Cain's outstanding Carbine 1 course from Cumberland Tactics. This is an introductory course, and about 400-450 rounds of ammunition were used. I had the Falcon mounted on my Colt 16" Lightweight, with a cut-off carry-handle rear-sight, and a TACM III light and mount from Fulton Armory. The ammunition used was Federal 55gr American Eagle in Colt 20 round magazines. The conditions were less than ideal: it was cold, rainy, and muddy during portions of the course. During the night shoot, it rained enough to get me soaked to the skin. The Falcon worked flawlessly throughout. One outstanding advantage was the automatic light control. During the night shoot, when I turned on my bright light, the dot on the Falcon instantly became brighter. It was a pleasure to use. My only complaint was that water droplets on the Falcon's heads up display made it slightly difficult to view the dot. A flip-off cover would be a good idea, and should be easy to make. The reason this even occurred was because we used African Carry in the course. Alternately, the user can just keep his hand over the display while slung in African (which isn't a bad idea in any case).

Specifications (From the Manual)

• Weight (without mounts): 290 grams
• Length: 202 mm (8")
• Lens Diameter: 25 mm
• Height (without mounts): 60 mm
• Dot Diameter: 1.2 mr
• Effective Range: 15 meters to infinity (limited by ballistics)
• Boresighting Adjustment: 1 click = 5 mm at 25M
• Tested according to military specifications
• Battery: Lithium AA 3.6V Standard
• Unrestricted field of view
• Large aperture; exact eye positioning not required
• Internal boresight adjustment
• Automatic brightness control for wide range of illumination

Conclusions

In my opinion, the Falcon is simply the best dot sight made. It's rugged, the battery seems to last forever, the automatic light control is so wonderful that I just don't understand why it isn't present on all the others. There's no tube to look through, and the the heads-up display makes target acquisition very fast and easy (not to mention accurate).