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Pros - Highly precise 0.1 milliradian windage and elevation adjustments - Second-generation argon/krypton fogproofing - Includes the mounting system necessary for Picatinny rails - Firedot illuminated dot for ease of use in low-light conditions Cons - No zero stop on elevation or windage controls

Welcome to our review of the Leupold Mark AR Mod 1 3–9x40mm Riflescope. This glass is designed with the AR–15 and M–16 hunter in mind, allowing you the benefit of what promises to be a full-featured quality scope at a price that won’t make you put out a second mortgage. Leupold is known for great quality, but does this model stand up to that reputation? Let’s find out.

What Are the Scope’s Dimensions?

This scope comes with a 40mm objective lens that allows for plenty of light transmission. It weighs just 12.4 ounces, and measures 12.6 inches long. The objective lens is two inches in diameter, allowing plenty of clearance between it and your rifle’s barrel.

Eye relief is a comfortable 4.3 inches, so you don’t have to worry about the scope banging you in the eye or forehead when you fire.

How Much Magnification Do I Get From This Scope?

Advertised as a 3X to 9X riflescope, you’ll get actual magnification ranging from 3.3X to 8.6X. Clarity, crispness, and contrast are out of this world, thanks to the index-matched lens coatings that are customized to the specific parameters of the scope’s glass.

How is the Optics Quality on the Riflescope?

Leupold has fully multicoated the optics here to maximize light transmission and image quality. You won’t find a much better image, unless you manage to find a scope that actually uses ED glass. That, of course, will cost you an arm and a leg, and you don’t really need it for hunting purposes.

For the scope’s reticle, you get the cream of the crop here, folks. The Firedot-G TMR reticle offers a total of ten range compensation markers in all directions, as well as an illuminated green dot at the absolute center of the crosshair to allow easier target acquisition regardless of the lighting conditions. The hash marks of the TMR reticle provide you with 0.2 milliradian subdivisions that allow you to precisely measure a one-meter target quickly from 500 to 1,000 meters and beyond.

What’s the Light Gathering Capability Like on the Scope?

For this scope, transmittance is nothing short of amazing. The fully multicoated optics and 40mm objective lens allow the accessory to pull this off, and the illuminated reticle gives you a great marker for aiming your shot even in low-light conditions.

How Wide is the Field of View?

This unit’s linear field of view is a generous 14.1 to 33.5 feet at 100 yards, depending on the magnification level you select. You’ll not only enjoy a generous eyebox, but also a decent amount of viewable terrain to find and focus on your target.

How Easy is the Scope to Mount?

In typical cases, mounting your scope on an AR–15 or M–16 platform will be simple and painless. The scope even comes with the required rings for mounting it on a Picatinny rail, so you shouldn’t need to make any additional purchases when you order this package.

Any Tricks or Tips About Mounting the Scope?

Nothing unusual here, just make sure you allow for the right amount of eye relief to make sure you don’t “put your eye out.”

How Easy is the Leupold Mark AR Mod 1 Riflescope to Sight In?

Again, sighting in your scope is a painless thing. Once you’ve got it mounted, use your laser bore-sighting tool to get started, then head to the rifle range. The P5 dial features highly precise 0.1 milliradian adjustments for both windage and elevation, so you can easily attain one-inch or narrower groupings from as far away as 200 yards. Once sighted in, your scope will hold zero almost forever. The only drawback is the lack of a zero stop.

How Durable is the Scope?

Most quality scopes feature optics chambers that are nitrogen-purged and O-ring sealed to make them waterproof and fogproof. Leupold has taken this process one step further, and uses a proprietary blend of argon and krypton gases to virtually eliminate the effects of thermal shock.