First Impressions

I'd like to start this by comparing to my real steel sight, but sadly that isn't possible; it went walkabouts mid game at SY Airsoft a month or so ago. Even more sadly, such sights are nigh on impossible to come by now, with supplies having dwindled to the point where most players settle for a regular AK sight instead...

...What this exposes, however, is the fact that there's a serious market gap for RPK sights. One manufacturer addressing this is LCT Airsoft. Designated an 'OEM' product (by which I assume they mean these are produced and built upon the real steel, unlike some other products which appear to be based on other manufacturers), this is certainly very similar in appearance to a real steel RPK sight. Both windage and elevation work perfectly, with the windage dial accurately shifting the sight accordingly, and the elevation bar being a solid piece of metal designed to bite in place - unlike the Marui alternatives of old, which invariably slid up and down the sight before vanishing in the closest bush.

Even on the underside, the details have been accurately copied and illuminated. The detailing in bright red is one of the signs of quality, and yet, at the same time, one of the few criticisms I can find for the sight. As with many airsoft manufacturers, the paint details appears 'brighter' than on real steel variants. Whether this will dim will age we will have to wait and see, but needless to say, this is a minor niggle for an excellent piece of kit.

One final gripe about the product I have - and this isn't really LCT's fault, but manufacturers in general - is the lack of a leaf spring. Generally many who buy such rear sights do so having lost theirs in the field - typically because the leaf spring holding hte sight in place has come free, releasing both sight and spring together. This means that, unless you have a replacement (which many kits such as Inokatsu do admittedly include), you could find yourself struggling.

Conclusion

It may sound as though I am clutching at straws to find valid criticisms for the spring here, and admittedly this is the case. Okay, so a detailed review of a small element of a rifle is not going to throw up a lot of things, but for a fan of replicas who wishes their RPK to look as close to authentic as possible, this is an excellent option for those (like I) unable to any longer source an original Russian sight.