Home
Hobbies & Leisure
Shooting Accessories
Red Dot Sights
Vortex Sparc 2 (SPC-402) vs Vortex Sparc AR (SPC-AR1)

Product Comparison: Vortex Sparc 2 (SPC-402) vs Vortex Sparc AR (SPC-AR1)

Advertiser Disclosure

This site is a free online resource that strives to offer helpful content and comparison features to its visitors. Please be advised that the operator of this site accepts advertising compensation from certain companies that appear on the site, and such compensation impacts the location and order in which the companies (and/or their products) are presented, and in some cases may also impact the scoring that is assigned to them. The scoring that appears on this site is determined by the site operator in its sole discretion, and should NOT be relied upon for accuracy purposes. In fact, Company/product listings on this page DO NOT imply endorsement by the site operator. Except as expressly set forth in our Terms of Use, all representations and warranties regarding the information presented on this page are disclaimed. The information which appears on this site is subject to change at any time. More info

Best Pick

Vortex Sparc 2 (SPC-402) Red Dot MOA Scope

Check Price

Vortex Sparc AR (SPC-AR1) Red Dot - 2 MOA Dot

Check Price

General Specifications

Brand

Vortex

Model

Sparc 2 (SPC-402)

Sparc AR (SPC-AR1)

Origin

China

About the Product

Get on target fast with the SPARC® II. Ultra-compact and lightweight, the SPARC II (Speed Point Aiming for Rapid Combat) is equally at home mounted on an AR-15 or shotgun. Digital rear facing controls for powering on/off and adjusting the 2 MOA daylight bright red dot brightness at ten intensity levels—automatically returning to the last dot intensity used when powered up. Rugged single-piece body machined from aircraft grade aluminum is o-ring sealed for waterproof and fogproof performance.

Simple—Fast—Effective—Point and Shoot. When you boil it down, those are the advantages of a red dot sight. And that’s what the SPARC AR delivers - all in a durable, lightweight, compact, and ultra-clean package. Digital rear-facing controls for power and dot brightness offer quick access and are viewable from the shooting position. 2 MOA dot diameter promotes precise point of aim. Automatically returns to last dot intensity used when powered up.

Key Specs

Type

Closed/Active

Mount

Multi-Height Mount System

Objective Lens Diameter

22 mm

Reticles

2 MOA Dot

Reticle Color(s)

Red

Magnification

1 x

What customers say about "Key Specs"

Vortex Sparc 2 (SPC-402) Red Dot MOA Scope

The S2's lens caps flip up nicely, but are just pressed on, and shift easily from side to side if bumped.
It's small, light, and uses little upper real estate. You can have flip up irons up at the same time no problem.
The base that comes with it is actually very nice considering it was free. I expected to have to upgrade, but no concerns now, the optic is held securely in place.
The optic is pretty tough, it's taken some banging around and works just fine.
The red dot will not appear solid if you have astigmatism. It has a slight "starburst" appearance to me, but this can be mitigated by using it in conjunction with back up iron sights, as I did. Not the sight's fault really, just something to keep in mind.

Vortex Sparc AR (SPC-AR1) Red Dot - 2 MOA Dot

Having said that, I think having a circle reticle like an Eotech or a Holosun would be nice but for the price you can't go wrong.
Dot clarity. My Sparc AR has a dot that seems to be a bit fuzzy compared to the T1 or the MRO. Still puts shots on target well, but if you're picky then it may bug you a bit.
The MRO wins out in this category because of the large front aperture. The other two seem like you're looking through a tube and don't offer as great a sight picture.
The mount includes a spacer so you can decide on absolute cowitness or lower 1/3 heights. Make sure you have some blue loctite, none was included.
Have it mounted on a 22 and its light and perfect. Can't say enough good about it!

Size & Weight

Height

2.5 in.

4.6 in.

Width

3.1 in.

2.9 in.

Depth

2.5 in.

3 in.

Weight

5.9 oz.

7.5 oz.

Features

Eye Relief

Unlimited

Adjustment Graduation

1 MOA

Travel per Rotation

45 MOA

Max Elevation Adjustment

90 MOA

Max Windage Adjustment

90 MOA

Parallax Setting

Parallax Free

Controls

10 variable illumination settings, Elevation adjustment, Windage adjustment

Elevation adjustment, Windage adjustment, 10 variable illumination settings

Durability

Waterproof, Fogproof, Shockproof, Hard Anodized Finish

Waterproof, Shockproof, Hard Anodized Finish

Extras

Fully Multi-Coated, Display is highly visible in daylight, Single-Piece Chassis

Rubber Cover with Flip Caps, Display is highly visible in daylight, Fully Multi-Coated, Single-Piece Chassis

What customers say about "Features"

Vortex Sparc 2 (SPC-402) Red Dot MOA Scope

The LED is plenty bright, I have no trouble seeing it in sunlight whatsoever.
The glass is as clear as an Aimpoint. This means that the optic has a very slight blue hue just like the Aimpoint, but is not excessively dark. This is part of the red light filtration coatings they put on the glass.
The red dot is very easy to see and the various levels of brightness will fit any lighting situation you encounter.
The glass is crystal clear and won't fog. The quality of this optic far exceeds it's modest price tag.
It's lightweight and compact. Even on my 10.5" blackout there is still plenty of room for my MBUS.
The adjustments (brightness, windage, and elevation) to me, are on the "soft" side. In other words, it can be difficult to feel the "click" when making corrections, or powering on the unit. I'm comparing it to other optics I've owned, from Redfield to Zeiss.

Vortex Sparc AR (SPC-AR1) Red Dot - 2 MOA Dot

Besides that the sight has some very great features that allow it to compete with higher-end sights like aimpoint.
The dot is small but very clear and crisp, and the feature that makes it come back on to the previous intensity setting is very helpful.
They are durable, versatile, and most of all they are affordable!! I trust my life to this optic. It has maintained zero after riding unlocked in a trunk for a week.
It feels solid and durable, and seems well made.
Wish there was no auto-shut off feature, but it's needed for its relatively low battery life (when compared to Aimpoint and Primary Arms). Have 2 of these and neither have give me problems.
This is presumably a power-saving "feature" but it is very, very distracting when you're trying to get on target and your sight is moving around.

Power

Power Source

CR 2032 battery

AAA battery

Battery Life

300 hours

Battery Life

What customers say about "Power"

Vortex Sparc 2 (SPC-402) Red Dot MOA Scope

It uses the Cr 2032 battery. AAA's would be nice, but that would make it bulkier. Can't have it all, I guess.
Excellent battery life. I haven't measured how many hours but what I can say is that I leave it on at night since my rifle is always at the ready.
Nice flip caps are included and the battery life is excellent.
The optic shuts off by itself, saving battery life. It also comes with extra spacers and an extra battery.
The battery life is not that of an Aimpoint but still very good. Just be aware that you will not leave this thing on for 3 years and it still be good to go. Have a spare battery.

Vortex Sparc AR (SPC-AR1) Red Dot - 2 MOA Dot

This has a low battery life compared to the always-on optics like aimpoint or trijicon. It shuts off automatically, but that can be a bad thing if you're looking for an always-ready optic you can rely on in all situations.
Using a common AAA battery will be a plus for some people.
The biggest plus for me is that it uses a simple AAA battery.
It used standard AAA battery which is great!
Battery life is relatively short at 300-5000 hours (Aimpoint battery life is typically 50,000 hours) depending on brightness level.

Warranty / Certifications

Certifications

Other Information

Manufacturer

Link

Manual

Download

MSRP

259.99 $