Reflex/Red Dot

We all know Vortex Optics for having a wide breadth of glass for us to choose from regardless of our use case. This includes micro red dots which Vortex has been revamping in recent years with the unveiling of their Defender series. Now, Vortex Optics has announced the next optic in the continuation of their Defender series of micro red dots with the unveiling of the Defender-XL.

Viridian Weapon Technologies continues to expand its lineup of aftermarket optics with new sighting solutions for Taurus pistols as well as the Rossi Brawler.

Luke C is back for day 3 of the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits to talk with Shield Arms about some of their latest products and services. Today Seth shares Shield Arms’ new ROC (Revolver Optics Conversion) mount – a no-mill option that easily attaches to your J-Frame revolvers (like the S&W 442) giving you an instant optics solution for iron-sighted revolvers. Shield Arms is also showcasing their new Split Rig – an easy on-and-off chest rig perfect for shooting prone, and finally their Grip Chop service for the Glock 48 and 43X. This service shaves off just enough of the grip to fit the new Shield Arms 10-round flush fit mag made specifically for their Grip Chop – Did they just invent the Glock 43X/48 SF?

Olight is known for its line of flashlights, but it is getting into the optics game. The new Osight is a miniature red dot sight with a few unique features. Let’s see what the new sight has to offer.

Today Luke C is at the High End Defense booth at NRAAM 2024 checking out their brand new magnetically attached red dot mount. This new mount takes your standard iron-sight-only pistol and quickly converts it to accept the High End Defense “Fox” mount and red dot. This allows you to quickly swap your optic from pistol to pistol, or quickly remove it for maintenance or replacement – all with magnets.

As red dot sights and optics-ready slides continue to take over the mainstream, we have seen more and more job-specific red dot optics at increasingly competitive prices. The C&H Precision COMP enters the fold as an affordable large windowed competition-geared optic. Looks and prices are all good and fine but how does she do at the range? Let’s dive into the review!

Today I’ve brought on Eric and Jordan from Meprolight to talk a little bit about their company’s history not just here in the US, but where they started back in Israel. Like the US, Israel has a lot of domestically produced firearms, optics, and ordnance which they sometimes export to other countries. Meprolight along with IWI are just some of these companies and they’ve both recently put a lot more effort into producing products for regular consumers instead of just for military outfits. Today we’ll get a bit of that story in the form of a short history lesson from Eric and Jordan. Please give them both a warm welcome to the show!

Lead & Steel is a relative newcomer in the world of firearm optics. Their first outing, the Promethean LP-1, is a rugged red dot sight for long gun use. It features a “donut of death” reticle with up to a 150,000-hour battery life. Lead & Steel sent one out to me to test, and I’m excited to write up my thoughts after the better part of a year using it on various review guns.

Photo Of The Day and today we’re taking a look at the brand new Spuhr RDF-20225K Aimpoint T-2 Magnifier Mount in action. A little over a year ago, I reviewed the Aimpoint Duty RDS with 3X-C Magnifier – 39mm FlipMount & TwistMount base. The Spuhr mount is a little different, and offers a one-piece solution to mount a laser (or what other devices you may think of) and a magnifier around an Aimpoint Micro H2 or T2.

C&H Precision has a new series of scope tube mounts for micro red dot optics. They are available in a range of tube diameters and footprints. Let’s take a closer look at the feature set.

James Reeves is at IWA 2024 talking to Mike about the Israeli-made LAWS-M reflex sight, which may be the most durable optic in the world, according to its creator. Designed with urban combat in mind, the LAWS-M has no plastic parts and can hold zero on a .50 caliber machine gun. It includes a BDC reticle and has a long battery life. See the video and judge for yourself.

At IWA 2024, James Reeves explores the Aimpoint Acro S-2, a sight that stands out for its remarkable battery life, shotgun rib compatibility, and ultra-low mount design. This compact, waterproof sight offers a 9 MOA dot and ten intensity settings, making it versatile for various lighting conditions. Delve into the details of the Acro S-2’s design and functionality in our video and follow our IWA/Enforce Tac 2024 playlist for more updates on the latest in optics.

Spuhr is always on the cutting edge with optics mounting and this new setup manufactured for a Dutch government contract is no exception. A brilliant, robust, but lightweight integration of the Aimpoint Micro, plus the Aimpoint magnifier in a QD/swing mount combo, plus a functional backup iron sight and extended, raised Picatinny rail for night vision sighting systems is clever and accessible, as it is also available for pre-order to the civilian market. Another solution from Spuhr that looks as good as it is functional.

There is a new micro red dot from Vortex Optics, the Defender-ST. It has a lot in common with the Defender-CCW, but has a DeltaPoint Pro footprint. This new model is not just for handgun use, but would be at home on a shotgun or as a 1x optic in conjunction with a variable scope. Let’s take a look a the features.

The Pennsylvania State Police have announced their new duty pistol. Going forward, the state law enforcement body will use the Walther PDP platform, and each new pistol will be set up to mount a red dot sight.

It says it there in the title and long story short, I haven’t killed it yet. Today we’re talking about a familiar yet new(ish) face to the enclosed red dot world – the Riton Optics 3 Tactix EED (Enclosed Emitter Dot). This optic is new for Riton but may be familiar to those who are also familiar with Nutrek Optics who is the OEM manufacturer for both the new 3 Tactix EED and Viridian RFX45 Enclosed Green Dot. While I think it’s personally fair to call the two optics more or less the same, they do differ in a few ways besides the color of the dot, and to better showcase those differences I was able to get Riton Optics to send me a copy of the EED for testing and evaluation. After testing some of the most durable products in optics like the new Trijicon RCR, and RMR HD, I wanted to see what a more “budget-friendly” option like the EED could offer me as a pistol shooter. Country of origin aside, I think it’s worth testing out the EED to see what it’s capable of and how it holds up to my level of destructive range antics.

New for 2024, Meprolight has a new successor to their M21 dual illuminated reflex sight. The new M22 reflex is much smaller and lighter than the previous model, and has a streamlined single quick-detach lever. The M22 is illuminated by a combination of fiber optic pipes and tritium, like the M21; however the reticle color has been changed to red.

C&H Precision brought a whole new set of dedicated rifle optics to SHOT Show 2024 including a new MPVO and two new carbine-ready red dots. The new MPVO or LVPO will feature a 2-12 magnification range on a 44mm tube along with an illuminated reticle, parallax adjustment, and locking windage and elevation turrets for quick and secure adjustments. Meanwhile, the new ERD-1 and ERD-2 are two red dots with two different missions. The ERD-1 delivers a gigantic viewing window and multiple reticle options, while the ERD-2 is a compact, lightweight, and auto-adjusting red dot that sips on batteries and keeps your carbine ready to go whenever you are.

Primary Arms Optics has introduced a range of new products for practical, defensive, and precision shooting. This lineup includes advanced rifle scopes and red dot sights, alongside a new series of mounts and accessories aimed at enhancing shooter performance.

Holosun has grown to be an industry leader in optics in recent years. Many of their red dots and reflex sights have become some of the most popular options on the market, following on from more humble reputational beginnings. They have also dabbled in the night vision game, with their product catalog including a selection of infrared laser and illuminator units. Around SHOT Show 2023, Holosun revealed that they were working on getting deeper into the low-light shooting market by virtue of a pair of upcoming digital prototype optics, one thermal and one standard NV. Now a year later, the night vision model is ready and heading to market soon. In a January 11th Instagram post, Holosun announced that their DRS-NV is slated to ship to dealers within a matter of weeks. Check out the text of their post copied below for details.

Primary Arms Optics has introduced a range of new products for practical, defensive, and precision shooting. This lineup, revealed at SHOT Show 2024, includes advanced rifle scopes and red dot sights, alongside a new series of mounts and accessories aimed at enhancing shooter performance. Let’s take a look at the new Primary Arms rifle scopes, red dot optics, and mounting systems.

During the recent SHOT Show, Warrior Systems showcased a new addition to its product lineup, debuting a skeletonized 50-round drum magazine. The magazine stands out due to its aluminum construction featuring distinct cut-outs that serve the dual purpose of weight reduction and visual appeal. As for functionality and pricing, the product retains the characteristics of its predecessor, with a 5-year warranty accompanying its $249 MSRP.

Holosun brought a pile of night vision accessories to SHOT Show 2024, and TFB’s resident night vision nerd Hop checked them out. The night vision and thermal optics that were revealed last year are finally coming to market, alongside new weapon lights, red dot sights, and an IR laser aiming module. And brand new to the show this year was a miniaturized thermal fusion sight that can be mounted to a pistol. Suffice to say if even half of these new products come out on time and on budget, it will dominate the night vision market for the next year.

At SHOT 2024, Night Fision introduced its OMD sight line. This innovative product attaches directly to a red dot sight, providing users with a tritium-powered back-up iron sight. To meet various user needs, the sights will be offered in multiple heights, though the size of the red dot sight will naturally limit the height options. The company has set the expected MSRP for this product at approximately $118.

The 2024 SHOT Show saw the debut of the THALES XTRAIM Hybrid Thermal Weapon Sight. Optimized for rifles and light machine guns (LMGs), the XTRAIM provides a decisive operational advantage by facilitating advanced target acquisition in any light condition.

Aimpoint, a renowned manufacturer and innovator of red dot sighting technology, has taken the spotlight at SHOT 2024 with a roster of new and exciting products. The new offerings include an expansion of color variants for the ACRO P2, a new magnifier for the red dot optics, and the ACRO S2 specifically designed for shotguns.

I think it’s safe to say that Heckler & Koch doesn’t need a deeper introduction to the readers of this blog. They are now introducing no less than six new variants of their VP9 pistols, now available in an optics-ready flat dark earth (FDE) configuration. The pistols have a combination of a black slide on an FDE frame. Other features remain the same, like the striker-fired trigger, the 17-round magazines, and versatile ergonomics with a huge number of interchangeable side panels and backstraps.

The new Burris FastFire C is an RMSc-footprint red dot designed for concealed carry. It features a 6-MOA dot reticle, powered by a bottom-mounted standard 2032 battery with 25,000 hours of battery life. Let’s take a look at the other features of this red dot.

Aimpoint is often a name that is synonymous with the terms “expensive” and “high quality.” While many will more likely know them for just being plain expensive, I’ve come to recognize the Aimpoint series of red dot optics to be some of the best in the business in terms of durability, flexibility, reliability, and features. The Aimpoint Duty RDS was announced at SHOT Show 2023 and was billed as being a more affordable alternative to the more expensive Aimpoint Micro T-2. I’ve had a ton of recent experience with the Micro T2 through a couple of carbine classes I’ve been fortunate enough to take, and today I’m going to use that recent experience to compare it to the newer, and more affordable Aimpoint Duty RDS to see if the reduced price (MSRP of $499) is worth the reduction in performance that this particular optic offers.

The Aimpoint red dot sights probably need no introduction to our readers. It’s just over a year since I reviewed the new Aimpoint Duty RDS, and now it seems that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has come to the same conclusion as myself – it’s a high-quality red dot, priced competitively and you should buy one. The FBI just awarded Aimpoint with a five-year contract, with a maximum amount of $7 million for the  Duty RDS sight. The larger format CompM4s red dot sight was awarded a $4 million contract.