Is my Aimpoint Ruined?

Machineguntony · July 9, 2013, 12:13 AM

So I've been out of shooting for over a decade and just got back. Today I took out this old Aimpoint sight that I have, and I haven't looked at it since like 1999, I believe. It still looks pretty good, but the old batteries seems to have leaked or something, and the leakage is greenish. I used a wrench to unscrew the cap. And now I can't remove the batteries. It seems to have sealed itself in or something. Is this sight ruined? Can I do anything to fix it? It's over 14 years old, so imagine that it's out of date and not worth fixing. Am I right? Should I just donate it to Goodwill?

BarryLee · July 9, 2013, 12:45 AM

You might try to determine exactly what kind of battery it is and then research a little to see what substance you could use to clean up the residue. I think white vinegar can be use on alkaline batteries, but not sure about lithium batteries. It’s probably a good idea to be careful when dealing with these various batteries and cleaning materials.

wogpotter · July 9, 2013, 07:29 AM

Its probably trashed as the electrolyte has snuk everywhere if the corrosion is that bad!

However, you can try a rescue even with the odds against you.
The electrolyte is usually alkaline in nature so a mild acid will neutralize it, but at the risk of doing additional damage. Be prepared to neutralize the acid after it has neutralized the alkaline using something like baking soda & a distilled water rinse follwed by complete disassembly & drying.

Try mechanical means such as picks & needle nose pliers to remove the corroded in batteries first & be prepared to be dissapointed.

Machineguntony · July 9, 2013, 08:00 AM

Thank you, gentlemen. I will do as such. I mean, it's old, so I have little to lose.

Theohazard · July 9, 2013, 09:47 AM

I had an old Aimpoint that I bought in 1998. In 2001 I ended up moving back to my hometown where all my guns were banned, so I stored them elsewhere for a few years. When I got them out of storage, I had a similar problem; my battery appeared to have corroded against the contact points. I took the battery out, got a wooden dowel and glued some sand paper to the end. I used this to break up the corrosion on the contact points inside the Aimpoint. Then I just blew out all the debris.

But after that the Aimpoint still had problems. It had a bad connection and would turn itself off randomly from recoil. I ended up selling it on eBay several years ago for $180. (Don't worry, I fully disclosed its problems to the buyer; eBay's a good place to sell broken electronics.)

wogpotter · July 9, 2013, 10:56 AM

Don't use "sandpaper" to clean contacts. Its way way too abrasive & will rip any plating off in a heartbeat!
An ink eraser on a ballpoint pen is as harsh as you'll ever want to go. Also a thin smear of petroleum jelly (Vaselene) will protect previously damaged contacts while allowing electricity from the battery to pass through.

Theohazard · July 9, 2013, 03:11 PM

Yeah, that's probably why it didn't work after I "fixed" it... But I wanted to upgrade and I got $180 bucks for it, so it wasn't a total loss.

zoomie · July 9, 2013, 03:46 PM

Anyone called Aimpoint and asked if they can help? They're not a low-end-fly-by-night company, they might hook you up.

July 9, 2013, 12:13 AM	#1
Machineguntony Senior Member Join Date: June 22, 2013 Posts: 1,277	Is my Aimpoint Ruined? So I've been out of shooting for over a decade and just got back. Today I took out this old Aimpoint sight that I have, and I haven't looked at it since like 1999, I believe. It still looks pretty good, but the old batteries seems to have leaked or something, and the leakage is greenish. I used a wrench to unscrew the cap. And now I can't remove the batteries. It seems to have sealed itself in or something. Is this sight ruined? Can I do anything to fix it? It's over 14 years old, so imagine that it's out of date and not worth fixing. Am I right? Should I just donate it to Goodwill?

July 9, 2013, 12:45 AM	#2
BarryLee Senior Member Join Date: July 29, 2010 Location: The ATL (OTP) Posts: 3,946	You might try to determine exactly what kind of battery it is and then research a little to see what substance you could use to clean up the residue. I think white vinegar can be use on alkaline batteries, but not sure about lithium batteries. It’s probably a good idea to be careful when dealing with these various batteries and cleaning materials. __________________ A major source of objection to a free economy is precisely that it ... gives people what they want instead of what a particular group thinks they ought to want. Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. - Milton Friedman

July 9, 2013, 07:29 AM	#3
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	Its probably trashed as the electrolyte has snuk everywhere if the corrosion is that bad! However, you can try a rescue even with the odds against you. The electrolyte is usually alkaline in nature so a mild acid will neutralize it, but at the risk of doing additional damage. Be prepared to neutralize the acid after it has neutralized the alkaline using something like baking soda & a distilled water rinse follwed by complete disassembly & drying. Try mechanical means such as picks & needle nose pliers to remove the corroded in batteries first & be prepared to be dissapointed. __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

July 9, 2013, 09:47 AM	#5
Theohazard Senior Member Join Date: April 19, 2012 Location: Western PA Posts: 3,829	I had an old Aimpoint that I bought in 1998. In 2001 I ended up moving back to my hometown where all my guns were banned, so I stored them elsewhere for a few years. When I got them out of storage, I had a similar problem; my battery appeared to have corroded against the contact points. I took the battery out, got a wooden dowel and glued some sand paper to the end. I used this to break up the corrosion on the contact points inside the Aimpoint. Then I just blew out all the debris. But after that the Aimpoint still had problems. It had a bad connection and would turn itself off randomly from recoil. I ended up selling it on eBay several years ago for $180. (Don't worry, I fully disclosed its problems to the buyer; eBay's a good place to sell broken electronics.) __________________ 0331: "Accuracy by volume."

July 9, 2013, 10:56 AM	#6
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	Don't use "sandpaper" to clean contacts. Its way way too abrasive & will rip any plating off in a heartbeat! An ink eraser on a ballpoint pen is as harsh as you'll ever want to go. Also a thin smear of petroleum jelly (Vaselene) will protect previously damaged contacts while allowing electricity from the battery to pass through. __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

July 9, 2013, 08:00 AM	#4
Machineguntony Senior Member Join Date: June 22, 2013 Posts: 1,277	Thank you, gentlemen. I will do as such. I mean, it's old, so I have little to lose.

July 9, 2013, 03:11 PM	#7
Theohazard Senior Member Join Date: April 19, 2012 Location: Western PA Posts: 3,829	Yeah, that's probably why it didn't work after I "fixed" it... But I wanted to upgrade and I got $180 bucks for it, so it wasn't a total loss. __________________ 0331: "Accuracy by volume."

July 9, 2013, 03:46 PM	#8
zoomie Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2006 Location: GA Posts: 1,863	Anyone called Aimpoint and asked if they can help? They're not a low-end-fly-by-night company, they might hook you up.