EOTech announced a new holographic weapon site called the 518. The EOTech 518 is an evolutionary advancement of the highly popular model 512 that is found on many AR-15 rifles.
The 518 uses AA batteries – alkaline or lithium – and quickly attaches to the Picatinny rail on any AR receiver. Alkaline batteries will power the sight for about 600 continuous hours, while a pair of lithium batteries will keep it running for about 1,000 hours.
EOTech built the 518 to be very rugged. It is waterproof to 3 meters and is impact resistant. Talking to a friend in the US Army Special Forces, he advised his team deployed to Afghanistan with the EOTech 552 sights, and they proved to be exceptionally durable. I do not see any reason to believe the 518 will not be just as reliable.
The 518 has 20 brightness levels that are easily adjustable via two buttons on the side of the unit. Total weight of this unit is 13.3 ounces plus the batteries.
This new holo sight has an MSRP of $539. Expect street prices to be less than five bills.
Magnification
EOTech magnifiers work with this unit. The G33 offers a 3x magnification, and the integral mount allows for quick transitions between 1x and 3x. Model G33 magnifiers carry an MSRP of $589.
Night Vision
While the 518 is not night vision compatible, the new model 558 is. In virtually every other respect, the EOTech 558 is the same as the 518. MSRP on the 558 is $629.
Lasers
EOTech released a battery cap that allows for the quick addition of a red aiming laser to the unit. Both the 518 and 558 can use the new Laser Battery Cap.
A second version of the Laser Battery Cap has both a visible red laser and an IR aiming laser. The red laser (only) unit carries an MSRP of $285. The unit with both a visible and IR laser is slightly more expensive with a suggested retail price of $429.
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