#Hi-lux

Hi-Lux Optics offers a full range of optics for firearms, including a large selection of reproduction scopes for vintage rifles in their Malcolm lineup. One of the most interesting is the USMC 8x Gen II which is a modern take on the classic Unertl target scope. Let’s see how this revival of a legend performs.

Hi-Lux Optics had a few new optics on display at Shot Show 2023. Though they may be best known for their vintage scopes, the do offer modern options as well.

During Shot Show 2016, there were three optic companies introducing their new 1-8x scope. The second of those is Hi-Lux Optics with their new CMR8 1-8x26mm model. I did a preview of the Hi-Lux CMR8 that was shown at the Fall 2015 Big 3 Media Event. The samples that I found at the Hi-Lux booth seem to be farther along in development with functional illumination and reticle.

Reproduction firearms have always occupied a portion of the shooting market, for a variety of reasons. Many competitions are based around old firearms, such as the Single Action Army Shooting Society in the sport of cowboy action shooting. Other shooters simply want to have firearms that are faithful reproductions because they want to shoot them much more than they could an actual hundred year old or so firearm, or because they are too expensive to risk. However, reproduction scopes are not very well known, and thus Hi-Lux optics company has filled that void by manufacturing reproduction scopes. One of the primary reasons they are doing this is for the CMP Vintage Sniper Rifle competitions where competitors compete with original or reproduction firearms. Many of the older scopes have degraded in quality over the years, or are extremely expensive, some of the Unertl scopes for the Springfield 1903 have reached eight thousand dollars for example. Thus, Hi-Lux has made faithful reproductions of such scopes as the M8 USMC Sniper scope (the long Unertl scope that you’ve probably seen from Saving Private Ryan), the M40 USMC 39×40 (greenish tint body, used during Vietnam on the Remington 700s), and William Malcolm Vintage Telescope Rifle Scopes, used on such competition designs as the Browning High and Low Wall rifles (even longer scopes, almost the length of the rifle, from the 19th century).

This is a TFB exclusive product preview at the Fall 2015 Big 3 Media event at Daytona Beach, Florida. One of the companies at the event is Hi-Lux Leatherwood optics. I have reviewed more than a few of their optics for TFB. To my surprise, they brought along the working prototype of their new 1-8x tactical scope. While nothing is finalized yet, Hi-Lux said the retail price of this optic, designated as the CMR8, will be under $1000 US dollars.

Recently, I was interviewed by my friend and gun author Robert Kay for his book on how to buy an AK. Bob asked me for a recommendation on an AK optic mount for one of his books chapters. Without hesitation, I said any of the RS Regulate’s AK-300 series of receiver side-rail optic mounts.

Introduced in late 2014, the Hi-Lux Optics MicroMax B-Dot is a mini red-dot sight that’s in the same category as the popular Aimpoint Micro T-1. Since, I have previously reviewed their optics ( CMR 1-4x review) for TFB, Hi-Lux Optics asked me for some design inputs during the development phase of this mini red-dot.

Almost four years in the making, Hi-Lux displays their new PentaLux line of DMR and long range scopes at the SHOT Show.  In Latin, penta means five, as in 5x magnification ratio of both models. Those will be available in 2-10x42mm and 4-20x50mm models. Hi-Lux is planning to release the PentaLux scopes by the summer.

Few months prior to the 2013 SHOT Show, Hi-Lux Leatherwood launched the new CMR-AK762 model in their popular Close Medium Range (CMR) 1-4x24mm series of tactical scope with a ballistic reticle made for the 7.62x39mm and 300 Blackout calibers. I had the opportunity to used the CMR-AK762 for my 16-inch barrel 300 Blackout AR-15 uppers from Noveske Rifleworks and Faxon Firearms. Since I don’t own an AK rifle in 7.62x39mm, this review will be focus on using the CMR-AK762 as a 300 Blackout/300 Whisper optic for the AR-15 platform. ( Click here for my review of the standard Hi-Lux Leatherwood CMR model for the .223 and .308 calibers).

The Big 3 East in Florida is an expansion of the original Big 3 event held at Kansas every Fall.  Both events were started by writers for writers. The Big 3 stands for Tactical gun, Tactical gear and Tactical training. All the companies and writers were handpicked and by invitations only. The Big 3 East event in Florida was organized by Dillard (CJ) Johnson, a highly decorated retired US Army vet and former PMC. Special thanks to  WPA (Wolf Performance Ammunition) for providing the ammo, Action Target providing the steel targets and Revision Military providing the eye protections for the event.

[ Written By Timothy Yan ]