AIM-O 558 Red/Green Dot Holographic Clone

Every other sight in this range takes a coin cell or a CR123, and both are things you forget to buy. This one takes a pair of AAs. There is a packet of them in every kitchen drawer, every petrol station and most people’s torches, which turns a dead battery from a wasted Sunday into a thirty-second fix in the safe zone.

The window is 30 x 23 mm, wide rather than tall, which is the shape that suits scanning a treeline or a corridor. Parallax is corrected, so the reticle sits on the target regardless of where your eye is in the window — useful behind a mask, where your head position is whatever the mask allows rather than what you would choose.

The brightness switch is on the side of the body, so you adjust it with the support hand without breaking your grip. Dot colour swaps between red and green on the same control, and the mount is a quick-release lever on a 20 mm rail.

It is the largest body here — 136 mm long and 300 g — and AIM-O rate it down to minus forty, which is more cold than a British winter is ever going to produce.

Specifications

Good to know before you buy

AA cells are the whole point, so put two in the gun bag with it. They are heavier than a coin cell, which is part of why this body weighs what it does.

At 136 mm this takes up a long stretch of rail. Check you still have room for a magnifier or a front sight behind and in front of it before you commit the space.

The lateral switch is easy to knock in a bag. Pull the battery or wind it to off when the gun goes away, or you will find a flat sight on a Sunday morning.

Frequently asked questions

Is this an actual holographic sight?
No, and nothing at this price is. It is a reflex sight built in the shape and size of the famous holographic pattern, with a projected reticle rather than a hologram. The sight picture and the footprint are the point.

Why would I want AA batteries?
Because you can buy them anywhere. A coin cell or a CR123 means a specific trip; AAs are in every drawer and every shop.

Will a magnifier work behind it?
Yes, this pattern is the usual partner for a flip-to-side 3x magnifier. Leave rail space behind the sight and re-check zero once the magnifier is on.

How wide is the window really?
Thirty millimetres across and twenty-three tall, so a wide letterbox rather than a circle. Good for sweeping left and right, less generous vertically.

Is the black version available?
Both finishes are real and our supplier carries the pair, but the black cannot be ordered at the moment, which is why the dark earth is the only one listed here. Tell us if you want the black and we will find out when it returns.