Why did Leupold discontinue the LCO?

Published on January 27, 2022
Duration: 11:03

This expert review by Hop critically analyzes the Leupold LCO, detailing its technical specifications, performance flaws like PWM flicker and internal reflections, and mediocre night vision capabilities. The analysis highlights why the LCO was discontinued, citing its high price, lack of popularity, and Leupold's history of abandoning experimental products. The video also briefly touches upon the D-EVO and HAMR models.

Quick Summary

The Leupold LCO red dot sight was discontinued due to its high price ($699-$909), low market popularity, and Leupold's pattern of abandoning experimental products. Key technical flaws include PWM flicker, internal reflections, and mediocre night vision performance, making it less competitive against established brands like EOTech and Aimpoint.

Chapters

  1. 00:00Leupold's Experimental Optics
  2. 00:34Leupold LCO Overview
  3. 01:15LCO Physical Specs and Mounting
  4. 01:52Controls and Battery Life
  5. 03:05Technical Flaws: PWM and Reflections
  6. 04:17Night Vision Performance
  7. 05:40The D-EVO Offset Prism Scope
  8. 07:32D-EVO Usability and Specs
  9. 08:40Discontinuation Reasons
  10. 09:30The Leupold HAMR

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was the Leupold LCO discontinued?

The Leupold LCO was discontinued due to a high MSRP ($699-$909), lack of market popularity, and Leupold's tendency to discontinue experimental optics rather than iterate on them with improved versions.

What are the main technical flaws of the Leupold LCO?

The Leupold LCO suffers from Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) causing noticeable flicker, internal reflections of the emitter in bright light, and mediocre night vision performance with poorly spaced brightness settings.

How does the Leupold LCO compare to EOTech sights?

The Leupold LCO weighs 9.5 oz, similar to some EOTech XPS models. However, its technical flaws like PWM flicker and internal reflections make it less desirable than established competitors like EOTech.

What is the Leupold D-EVO?

The Leupold D-EVO is a 6x offset prism scope designed to work with other optics. It allows a quick shift from 1x to 6x magnification but is noted for being cumbersome with a tight eye box and short eye relief.

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