Well let me say that this has been a fairly complicated hunt. Given the size of the airgun market, you'd think that finding a quality compact scope would simple. The choices that are truely compact are limited to inexpensive, OK quality and uber-expensive, high end above what is required for the average airgunner. My definition of compact happens to be something under 11".
An additional requirement for me was that the scope had to be Second Focal Plane(SFP). I know the trend is First Focal Plane(FFP) and with FFP the hold off marks are spaced correctly regardless of power, but there's no value to something when it cannot be used. FFP works great at higher power, but when you adjust power to 3X, an FFP reticle usually shrinks into a jumble of unreadable mish-mash. SFP for close range airgunning just makes sense. Plus, with SFP, if you do need to use a mil hold-off, you can just dial to 10X, or whatever power the scope is mil calibrated for, and then use the info from ChairGun or StreLok. Chances are if you need a hold-off, it's going to be at a distance that reqires more magnification anyway.
Enter the Optisan CP 3-12X32P and CP 10X32P with the MIL-MH10X Reticle. Wow! Really compact, light, great reticle, glass, and decent warranty! What's not to like. At 9.52" OAL without sun shade and only 17oz, the CP 3-12x32 is the real deal for any compact bullpup or backpack gun.
This is a link to the CP specs..
http://www.optisanoptics.eu/apex/Global/en_US/04002/web_product_detail
I initially ran across these on a couple of European websites, but could never find a US retailer that carried them. They always had everything else Optisan, but for some reason the Compacts were a European thing. Jeff at Trenier Outdoors was one of the retailers I contacted via e-mail and he told me that he didn't have them either. Sigh. I was just about order one from an English retailer with the best price and then I got a follow-up e-mail from Jeff saying they had just gotten some in. This was a no-brainer..order from Europe with goofy euro conversions, shipping costs, and ship times..or go with a US retailer. I immediately placed my order with Trenier Outdoors and patiently waited.
A huge shout out to Jeff. He didn't have what I needed, but he went the extra mile to find it and get it in stock. To top it off, he contacted me when he had scopes in hand. Who does that these days? Needless to say, I'll be checking at Trenier first for products I need in the future. As far as I know, Jeff is the only US retailer that has these.
Given the time of year (just after Thanksgiving) I expected the wait to be longer, but was pleasantly surprised when it was in my grubby paws in just eleven days..from placing the order to UPS at the doorstep. Shipped double boxed and with the very impressive Optisan packaging.
This is my first Optisan product so I wasn't sure what to expect.
The scope the CP is replacing is a "buget compact". You'll recognize the brand from the picture.
While it served its purpose, it had a number of annoying features. Preface the complaints about the budget detractions with it not being a current model, so things I'm complaining about could have been fixed in newer versions. Mushy clicks on the turrets..was that a click or not? A super critical eye box that made shooting in low light super frustrating. If head placement was not perfect, the sight picture would have areas of "black-out", and in super-low light you couldn't tell if what you were looking at was the dark target area or an off-center look through the scope. You'd end up twitching your head around like a nervous squirrel trying to find "the spot". AO front paralax focus that made it impossible to use flip-up lens covers. No space between bell and turret to mount a bubble-level. The list goes on, but that's why it's being replaced with the CP.
Initial CP impressions. Fit and finish are excellent. The turrets are not "tactical" in nature..no visible mil marks unless you remove the turret caps. This is to be expected, as it is a compact scope. The tactile feel of the clicks is good. Clean clicks that you can feel and hear. It comes with a sunshade and flip-up lens covers. The scope finish which is a nice flat matte that is not reflective or shiny; which is slightly different from the sun shade anodizing. With sun shade, the OAL is just 12". Comes with an owners manual, reticle chart, and warranty card (10 year limited). The power change and parallax wheel turn firmly and feel solid. The power change wheel looks to have a spot that a lever can be screwed in (?). Setting the paralax to infinity and looking at a distant hill the sight picture is clear to the edge. The reticle is distinct and stands out against all backgrounds without being lit.
For me, a scope also has to have the correct scale to fit the gun. It can't look out of place like the tires on a monster truck.
The Optisan CP 3-12X32P is a "GoldiLocks Scope"..not too big..not too small...just right!
An additional requirement for me was that the scope had to be Second Focal Plane(SFP). I know the trend is First Focal Plane(FFP) and with FFP the hold off marks are spaced correctly regardless of power, but there's no value to something when it cannot be used. FFP works great at higher power, but when you adjust power to 3X, an FFP reticle usually shrinks into a jumble of unreadable mish-mash. SFP for close range airgunning just makes sense. Plus, with SFP, if you do need to use a mil hold-off, you can just dial to 10X, or whatever power the scope is mil calibrated for, and then use the info from ChairGun or StreLok. Chances are if you need a hold-off, it's going to be at a distance that reqires more magnification anyway.
Enter the Optisan CP 3-12X32P and CP 10X32P with the MIL-MH10X Reticle. Wow! Really compact, light, great reticle, glass, and decent warranty! What's not to like. At 9.52" OAL without sun shade and only 17oz, the CP 3-12x32 is the real deal for any compact bullpup or backpack gun.
This is a link to the CP specs..
http://www.optisanoptics.eu/apex/Global/en_US/04002/web_product_detail
I initially ran across these on a couple of European websites, but could never find a US retailer that carried them. They always had everything else Optisan, but for some reason the Compacts were a European thing. Jeff at Trenier Outdoors was one of the retailers I contacted via e-mail and he told me that he didn't have them either. Sigh. I was just about order one from an English retailer with the best price and then I got a follow-up e-mail from Jeff saying they had just gotten some in. This was a no-brainer..order from Europe with goofy euro conversions, shipping costs, and ship times..or go with a US retailer. I immediately placed my order with Trenier Outdoors and patiently waited.
A huge shout out to Jeff. He didn't have what I needed, but he went the extra mile to find it and get it in stock. To top it off, he contacted me when he had scopes in hand. Who does that these days? Needless to say, I'll be checking at Trenier first for products I need in the future. As far as I know, Jeff is the only US retailer that has these.
Given the time of year (just after Thanksgiving) I expected the wait to be longer, but was pleasantly surprised when it was in my grubby paws in just eleven days..from placing the order to UPS at the doorstep. Shipped double boxed and with the very impressive Optisan packaging.
This is my first Optisan product so I wasn't sure what to expect.
The scope the CP is replacing is a "buget compact". You'll recognize the brand from the picture.
While it served its purpose, it had a number of annoying features. Preface the complaints about the budget detractions with it not being a current model, so things I'm complaining about could have been fixed in newer versions. Mushy clicks on the turrets..was that a click or not? A super critical eye box that made shooting in low light super frustrating. If head placement was not perfect, the sight picture would have areas of "black-out", and in super-low light you couldn't tell if what you were looking at was the dark target area or an off-center look through the scope. You'd end up twitching your head around like a nervous squirrel trying to find "the spot". AO front paralax focus that made it impossible to use flip-up lens covers. No space between bell and turret to mount a bubble-level. The list goes on, but that's why it's being replaced with the CP.
Initial CP impressions. Fit and finish are excellent. The turrets are not "tactical" in nature..no visible mil marks unless you remove the turret caps. This is to be expected, as it is a compact scope. The tactile feel of the clicks is good. Clean clicks that you can feel and hear. It comes with a sunshade and flip-up lens covers. The scope finish which is a nice flat matte that is not reflective or shiny; which is slightly different from the sun shade anodizing. With sun shade, the OAL is just 12". Comes with an owners manual, reticle chart, and warranty card (10 year limited). The power change and parallax wheel turn firmly and feel solid. The power change wheel looks to have a spot that a lever can be screwed in (?). Setting the paralax to infinity and looking at a distant hill the sight picture is clear to the edge. The reticle is distinct and stands out against all backgrounds without being lit.
For me, a scope also has to have the correct scale to fit the gun. It can't look out of place like the tires on a monster truck.
The Optisan CP 3-12X32P is a "GoldiLocks Scope"..not too big..not too small...just right!
I have a few comments, and I want to be sure that they are understood correctly: We all have our preferences, and you declared yours. Some of them I do not quite understand, or see them differently, and that's why I'm commenting.
It seems that you think that compact scopes should have capped turrets. I guess, I don't quite understand that reason.... 
