I admired this compass for almost 30 years since I first saw one sitting on a fire direction officer's table at a gunnery range at Fort Bragg.In later land navigation training we were told not to question the accuracy of the course as it was set up using an artillery compass.At that point I pondered how I could hope to successfully complete the course with a battered Army lensatic compass.
The Brunton Pocket Transit series of compasses are some of the most accurate hand held compasses in the world. They were only surpassed in recent decades with the introduction of affordable hand held GPS units and electronic compasses.
I have owned quite a few compasses, but the Brunton is the Cadillac of compasses.I have gone through several fine lensatic, matchbox, and baseplate compasses over the years.Although my trusty Army lensatic compass outlasted them all, and indeed assisted my navigation during the first Gulf War, it is little more than a hardened toy when compared to the M2.
The M2 compass, sometimes called the M2 Artillery Compass, was the U.S. Army's standard artillery and mortar compass since World War II.The original M2's were the commercial versions of Brunton brass or aluminum -cased compasses with military stampings.Brunton compasses were originally designed for surveyors, miners, and geologists.They were a very practical choice for the US Army artillery where accuracy spells life or death.In fact all of the Pocket Transit compasses are designed to fit on special tripod mounts for improved professional accuracy.
The compass degree dial can easily be adjusted for magnetic declination.The unit also has two sets of fluid levels. The compass needle itself is jewel balanced and rapidly points north when the case is opened.The inside of the compass is not liquid filled so there is no threat of errant air bubbles appearing over time and interfering with the movement of the directional needle.
The pocket transit should not be mistaken for an expensive lensatic compass.In the strictest sense it is a directional compass.Unlike a standard Army lensatic compass, where the user holds the compass in a fashion where the lid of the compass is positioned away from the user and aligned toward the desired direction, the M2 can be sighted using sights on either side.The thing to remember is with the M2 the north end of the needle indicates the degrees at which long sight is pointing at the target, where as the south end of needle is the back azimuth.The other difference is that unlike the Army lensatic compass the M2 does not have a magnifying lens imbedded in the site.
Though the Brunton Pocket Transit Compass can be used like a lensatic or prismatic compass, it should not be mistaken for one.The fact that it is a precision surveying compass poses a few shortcomings for those who are used to the ease of a lensatic compass:
-First: The Army lensatic compass (or similar model) has a magnifying glass in the site aiding in reading the degree dial.The Pocket Transit has no such aid as the degree markers are fixed to the inside of the compass and not free floating as in the lensatic compass. For me this means wearing my bifocals to read the tiny degree markings when using the compass for orienteering.
-Second:The compass needle is very sensitive and is easily diverted from magnetic north if you are near clusters of electrical high tension wires or within 75 yards of railroad tracks with overhead electrical lines.
-Third:The pocket transit is not luminous.If you are using this compass in the dark you will need a light source.
The M2 version of the Pocket Transit Compass is just one version of Brunton compasses of this particular class. As such it can be confusing when evaluating which compass to buy.The product descriptions read virtually the same for the different models.This sometimes makes it difficult to determine which of the Pocket Transit compasses will meet your needs.In the case of the M2 compass the listing noted incorrectly -- probably because it was a cut and pasted from other model entries -- that the compass came with a leather case.Not so with the M2.The military version of the M2 came with an olive drab plastic case.This is the same case that comes with military issue M2 compasses.
The other primary difference between the military version and most of the other Brunton compasses is that the M2 version is housed in a durable OD green composite (i.e plastic) casing.There are one or two other Brunton Pocket Transit compasses that likewise have composite casings.If you are set on an aluminum body compass instead of the composite material, check the photo carefully. If the upper lid, the section that contains the mirror, has holes around the inside of the lid then the compass is housed in composite.The solid lid is for the aluminum body.Composite has a lot of benefits in that it is light weight and durable.The OD color runs throughout the composite so it has no finish to wear off.About the only drawback is that the composite version is not servicable.It is not repairable because there is no way to access the inside of the compass without cracking the plastic casing.
Alas, my days of navigating across trackless desert and through dense dark woods are over.As such I probably added the Brunton Pocket Transit to my collection a couple decades too late. Still it is great to have a precision navigational aid that does not rely on antennas, batteries, or DC power from the car.
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Brunton ComPro M2 Pocket Transit Military Compass with 0-360 Degree ScaleProduct Description: Housed in a G.I.-issue composite plastic case in an olive drab color, the ComPro M2 Pocket Transit compass is designed specifically for military applications, yet still delivers the same great results as Brunton's consumer-grade compasses. The M2 incorporates a cast NdFeB rare-earth magnet that's precisely balanced on a sapphire bearing. The powerful magnet, which resists demagnetization better than other types of magnets, seeks magnetic north remarkably quickly and allows for faster readings. The compass also takes vertical measurements to +/- 90 degrees (or 100-percent grade), with 5-percent grade scale increments. Add in waterproof O-rings and you have an ideal compass for almost any on-the-go application.
Professionals will delight in the M2's high degree of precision, with an azimuth and vertical accuracy of +/- 1/2 degree (with 1-degree graduations). The accuracy is further improved by the short and long sights and the precision-aligned mirror with convenient "see-through" sighting capability. As a final bonus, the compass offers magnetic declination adjustment when traveling through regions with magnetic variations, allowing for east or west declination settings to 180 degrees.
The M2, which boasts a 0-to-360-degree scale and comes with a durable leather carrying case, is backed by a one-year warranty.
What's in the Box? ComPro M2 Pocket Transit International compass, leather case, user's manual.
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