Rusan Mikron D.O.O. is a European company located in Croatia that specialises in the production of precision accessories, such as scope bases and mounts, and has quickly established itself as one of the absolute benchmarks in the field of adapter systems for mounting clip-on optoelectronic devices on hunting scopes.
Rusan's catalog is incredibly diverse, including adapters for proprietary and sometimes hard-to-find firearms from Eastern Europe; it is worth having a look at their website.
For our test we used a thermal clip-on manufactured by HIKMicro, the Thunder TQ50CL 3.0, together with a Noblex Inception NZ8 2.5-20x50 scope.
The natural choice fell on the Rusan MAR Modular Adapter, and the manufacturer sent us for testing not only the MAR modular kit with specific adapters for the Thunder 3.0. but also a 2.5x eyepiece that allows the Thunder to be transformed from an optical clip-on to an observation monocular.
Rusan MAR modular adapter details
The kit consists of four parts: a MAR-FX-59 adapter specific to the lens bell of the optic used, in my case 59 mm, but Rusan offers this adapter in as many as 53 different sizes/types, and in addition can make a custom adapter on request; an MCR-M52 four-lug bayonet connector; a threaded ring for the specific optic, and finally, the eyepiece, which in turn can be supplied with a bayonet mount ring, in our case, of the correct size to match the Thunder 3.0. It should be said that the Rusan system can be used with most optical clip-ons on the market, from any manufacturer, and Rusan is constantly increasing the number of compatible devices. For this reason before making a purchase, it is a good idea to consult either your gunsmith or Rusan directly in order to know precisely which size to choose, on the basis of the thermal device and scope you have.
We also received covers for the optics, both the riflescope and the optical clip-on, masterfully crafted from solid aluminum!
The scope bell adapter has a ring that, when rotated by 90 degrees, locks into the corresponding coupling ring in an absolutely solid and reliable manner.
The assembly of the system is very simple, tolerances are minimal and the only "difficulty" is in correctly orienting the threaded adapter counter ring on the clip-on to tighten and at the same time align the device with the scope. In five minutes we are immediately operational at the range to check and zero the clip-on using the internal digital procedure.
In our tests, the zeroing loss error due to the mechanical coupling of the Rusan modular system alone is less than a half MOA, with repeated assembly and disassembly with the scope fitted on the rifle.
The eyepiece does its job very well, allowing you to adjust the diopters for optimal focusing on the microdisplay of the HIKMicro Thunder 3.0 which. Eye relief is sufficient and the field of view is rather small, but the optical quality is more than decent. Some criticism could be made of the rubber eyecup, which is very basic and, above all, easily detached from the eyepiece. Just a detail, compared to the fact that it is possible to use the Thunder as a thermal observation monocular when separated from the riflescope.
The overall quality of the kit is really high, and we find that many proprietary adapters offered under the brand name of renowned optics manufacturers are made by Rusan! Our experience is excellent, and in the future we will also try other products, including trigger systems and mounts for scopes, rings and bases, from this manufacturer.
The prices of the Rusan kit components are not cheap: in our case, the MAR-FX-59 adapter for the objective bell costs 165 euro, the MCR-M52 bayonet mount ring costs 88 euro, and the threaded adapter ring for the Thunder costs 36.80 euro. The 2.5x eyepiece with Rusan adapter, on the other hand, costs 150 euros, and each aluminum cover another 25 euros. In short, for the package sent to us, we are talking about a total of 489.80 euros... it must be said that the covers and eyepiece – which are not strictly necessary for mounting the clip-on on our hunting optics – can be purchased at a later date. It is, however, the go-to solution for mounting clip-ons on the objective bell of a riflescope with almost unparalleled quality and precision. And considering the cost of even a mid-range thermal clip-on, it is strongly recommended to invest in a quality adapter like the one offered by Rusan.
