AGM deserves more praise for their range of night vision and thermal products they have brought to the market.
They have some competitive optics that can easily compete with the best night vision scopes currently available by other big-time and well-established brands in the industry.
One such product is their Comanche-22 that is a night vision clip-on system.
With a Gen 2+ IIT, long-lasting battery life, and an included quick detach mount, this clip-on scope is worth the price and a quick looksie.
Quick Overview...
What We Like: Gen 2+
What We Don’t Like: Low recoil resistance
Best Uses: Night Shooting, Day Shooting, Tactical Use, Hunting, Scouting, Varmint Control, Mid-Range Detection, Clip-On
- ITT: Gen 2+ Level 3
- Magnification: Unity 1x
- FOV: 12-degrees
- Resolution: 45-51 lp/mm
- Eye Relief: N/A
- Color Modes: Green Phosphor
- Battery: 60 hours
- Dimensions: 6.6 x 3.3 x 3.1”/1.65 lbs
Our Verdict: The AGM Comanche-22 NL3 gets two thumbs up for its low price point, clip-on design, and mounting options. As a night vision scope that offers a no-nonsense setup with good optical features and quality, it’s a clip-on worth owning for mid-range hunting and shooting.
Who is the AGM Comanche-22 NL3 Best Suited to?
The Comanche is best suited to those who know that a clip-on scope is what they want. It can be moved from weapon system to weapon system and possibly to binoculars or helmet gear with the right assembly hardware purchased separately if you so wished to pursue this route.
This is also for those who want the benefit of mounting directly to the objective bell if you’re willing to purchase the necessary adapter to do so. If you’re on a budget, this clip-on can very well be a potential option on your shortlist as it offers versatility at its core.
If you are still not sure if you want clip on night vision, it might be worth taking a look at the AGM Wolverine-4 NL3 night vision rifle scope and compare your options.
How Does the AGM Comanche-22 NL3 Perform?
The Comanche-22 is a simple NV clip-on scope that works hard and efficiently. With 60 hours of battery time off a single battery, it will more than do for the hunt, patrol session, or whatever use you have intended for it.
With no need to calibrate or rezero your daytime scope, the Comanche is the simple and fast way to have instant night vision benefits. With magnification of up to 7x on your day scope, there is little to no POI shift, so you can be confident in retaining all the familiarities and comforts of your day scope including accuracy.
However, it isn’t a long-range performer but a mid-range device. With its limiting resolution, compatibility with magnification of up to 7x, and clip-on design, it’s not going to be your mile-long ID kind of NV scope. But for its price point, it offers a lot for those who want to bring NV to any daytime scope for the hunt.
Features & Benefits
Gen 2+ Level 3 NV
To get upper level Gen 2 quality for less than $2000 is quite the score, and it’s the lowest level of NV quality that AGM makes in their clip-ons – no Gen 1 here.
However, why it’s so affordable is the image quality which can be considered a grade above standard definition. This is due to its 45-51 lp/mm which almost reaches the best Gen 3 night vision scope specs but is still worlds above standard Gen 2 specs. Don’t forget that it has a huge 80 mm lens, and you can focus the image, so it will provide outstanding NV performance in the field.
The Comanche also features Manual Gain which controls the overall brightness of the image when in extremely bright or dark conditions depending on ambient light.
Of course, the NV clip-on features a Bright Light Cut-Off function that will automatically power down the IIT within 10 seconds of excessive light conditions (40+ lux). If you’re hunting or surveilling in changing light conditions, you can bypass the protective system by placing the photoreceiver cap on the photoreceiver. Be sure to remove it once you have achieved your goal.
Versatile Platform
The Comanche-22 is a night vision clip-on system. This means that you can turn any daytime scope into a night vision rifle scope come sundown. You clip it on for night hunting and then can take it off during the day for normal use leaving your daytime scope intact and untouched. You don’t have to go through the process of dismounting your day scope and having to rezero.
The clip-on is compatible with daytime scopes up to a maximum use of 7x magnification. Of course, your day scope can offer more than that, but around 7x is the max setting that you’ll be able to efficiently use the Comanche.
While this is made as a weapon-mounted system, you can use this on binoculars through one barrel to gain NV benefits this way. With 1x magnification, it won’t negatively affect the fixed magnification of your binos.
Clip-On Scope Mounting
The clip-on scope mounts to the front of the daytime scope on top of the rail via the included single-lever clamping mount. Even though it’s super easy to install, the optical axes of both the Comanche and the daytime scope should be even and inline. If there is a difference of more than 3mm, you may need to use different height mounting rings or monoblock for your daytime scope. The optical axis of the Comanche is 40 mm above the rail.
Although it’s extremely convenient to have a quick detach mount that attaches directly to the rail, there is another option. You can bypass the rail and mount the clip-on directly to the objective bell of the daytime scope.
This does require purchasing the right adapter separately, but AGM offers five adapters, so it’s highly likely that one of them will fit your daytime scope.
Battery Life
The battery life of the Comanche scope is impressive. You can choose between a CR123A battery or AA battery to power the scope. With either choice, a single battery will provide up to 60 hours of operation.
If you’re made of stone and are hunting in under -4F-degree conditions, it’s best to switch over to the lithium battery source for optimal scope operation.
Included Accessories
The Comanche-22 comes with a whole box of accessories included in the buy. Along with the clip-on scope, you’ll receive a carrying case, quick release mount, battery adapter, CR123A battery, and wireless remote control.
You’ll also get a Picatinny adapter for the remote control if you have room to spare on your rail. Three light suppressors and a light suppressor for the day scope are included, and of course, you’ll get the operator’s manual that tells you everything you need to know.
Limitations
Low Recoil Resistance
Dedicated scopes do a much better job at handling recoil, and even though there are some clip-ons that can handle some aggressive recoil, this isn’t one of them.
The Comanche-22 is not rated for .308 Win calibers and stronger, so you will be limited in what you mount the clip-on to.
Popular Questions
The Comanche-22 Clip-on comes with a wireless remote control. It should be affixed to the rifle stock or mounted on the rail for easy and fast access. It allows for instant activation and deactivation of standby mode between breaks of operation. Making use of the remote helps to conserve battery life and a Picatinny adapter is included for mounting to your Picatinny/Weaver rail.
The Comanche-22 NL3 is a mid-range night vision clip-on scope. Since ambient light and environmental conditions determine visibility, it is difficult to definitively say what its detection distance is. However, AGM classifies the Comanche-22 as a mid-range nighttime shooting optic.
The AGM Clip-on is good for any activity in which you need night vision. As a clip-on it can provide excellent mid-range detection performance for coyote hunting and is even a good choice as a night vision scope for coyote hunting. You’re using your daytime scope, but the Comanche-22 adds night vision for night hunting.
It’s more of a matter of what weapons the AGM Comanche-22 can’t handle. It should not be equipped to high-caliber rifles with excessive recoil of .308 Win and stronger.
The Comanche-22 NL3 is backed by a 3-year manufacturer warranty and applies only to the original owner. It is not owner-transferable and should be registered with AGM prior to claiming product repairs or replacements under the warranty.
Conclusion
Clip-ons are desired by a very specific group of people.
It’s not for everyone, but those who need night vision between multiple weapon systems or who want to use their daytime scopes for nighttime shooting, a clip-on is the obvious product for the need.
If you don’t want the digital tech of digital NV scopes, or if you don’t have the funds to afford a $3000+ dedicated scope, the Comanche-22 NL3 becomes a convenient and appropriate product to consider.
Further Reading
Do you know of anyone who makes a better QD mount that’s compatible? A QD mount with risers would be great also, mine sits to low for my scope.
Hi Justin. As far as finding a higher quality qd mount that's compatible, I came up short. Without going the ring adapter (clip-on to objective lens) route, it's hard to tell what mounts are compatible. There are some very inexpensive options to try out that includes attaching the qd mount you have to a riser block but that could put it too high. I'm wondering if the American Defense qd mounts for the AGM Rattler could work? It looks like it would put the Commanche higher. AGM and American Defense have them: models 2111 & 2112. It's an expensive way to go without knowing for sure, so I think it would definitely be worth giving AGM a call about it. I hope you find something that works! Goodluck.