#RedDotSight

Every pistol red dot sold today works on essentially the same plan. An LED emitter sits on a carrier plate, and screws and springs nudge that plate to adjust windage and elevation. The SIG Sauer XRAY5 drops that plan entirely and is pitched as the world's first solid-state advanced red dot. SIG Sauer calls it "Precision built, precision kept," and sums up the thinking in one line: "Zeroed In Seconds Not Magazines." Let’s take a look at something completely new!

We currently live in a renaissance period for optics and especially red dots. Everywhere you turn, someone is making a decent red dot for recreational shooting or duty work. Expensive, quality red dots are easy to come by (you expend a lot of money on a product, it better be good quality). The more intriguing end of the product spectrum is the affordable or cheap end. How affordably-priced can something be while still being incredibly reliable and worth purchasing? We might have found that threshold in the new Vortex Optics Crossfire II Solar 2 MOA Red Dot. So, today we are going to review this lil’ guy to see how it performs and just how good it is. Let’s dive in!

Sightmark’s solution for Glock owners who want optics is the G-Shot. That’s not the name of a West Coast gangster rapper with smooth delivery; it’s the name of this optic that’s intended to work on a Glock without any milling, adapter plates or any other gunsmithing trickery or accessories. It’s supposed to work with the majority of Glock’s Gen 3, Gen 4 and Gen 5 pistols, including the G17, G19 and G26, fitted directly to their unmodified factory slides.

Leupold's new LCO Pro F2 represents the kind of iterative leap that happens when a company has the confidence to walk back to the drawing board with a successful product. The original LCO won devotees for optical clarity and build integrity, but the F2 isn't a tweak; it's a redesign that addresses what serious shooters actually ask for.

Vortex Optics has taken one of their most popular rifle and shotgun red dots and enhanced them to be even better. The Crossfire II dot now has solar capabilities, a green dot option, motion activation, and other small upgrades to make it even more desirable for gun owners.

I think we've all been there, or maybe the rest of you just have better taste than I do. Budget Optics. How cheap is too cheap? We've already taken a swing at MCG's $79 "not-EOTech" and their Dark Force night vision binos, and MCG was kind enough to keep the gravy train rolling by sending over their Kodiak Combat Scope, a red dot that's very obviously sketching off the silhouette of an Aimpoint PRO/CompM2, just without the Swedish optics heritage, the NSN, or, as far as I can tell, any "Made in" markings whatsoever. So let's open up this can of mystery meat and see what you get for just a hair under $80 or less.

FN America are introducing the new PUREVIEW Holographic Micro Red Dot Sight in the US. As we reported yesterday, FN Herstal will be offering the PUREVIEW in Europe. The PUREVIEW is a fully enclosed holographic red dot, powered by a CR2032 for 800 hours (continuous) use, it weighs in at 1.5 oz, will be available in black and FDE and has an MSRP of $749.

As an experienced IPSC competitor, trying to specialize in the rifle and pistol caliber carbine (PCC) divisions, I've put countless optics through the test over the years, both for reviews and my own training. I've competed in numerous national and international events, including the first IPSC PCC 2025 World Shoot in the Czech Republic, where precision, speed, and reliability are non-negotiable. About three years ago, I purchased the Holosun HS510C from an authorized dealer at full list price (close to $550 at the time), mounting it on my competition PCC. A friend had the same optical setup, and I copied it. He has since moved forward to several other solutions and brands, but I kept my PCC the same.

Holosun has announced the availability of their two new red dot optics for 2025: the ARO and ARO EVO. These sights are designed for shooters needing reliable performance at short and intermediate ranges. I used a Holosun red dot for my PCC carbine, and it’s been nothing but great.

Vortex has expanded its Defender lineup with new color options. The Defender-CCW, Defender-ST, and Defender-HR are now available in tan, offering the same performance in a new finish. Whether you're running a carry pistol, duty handgun, or competition setup, the Defender series now offers more flexibility in both function and appearance.

The Meprolight MPO-F is a closed-emitter pistol sight with an RMR footprint. It was designed to be a very durable optic, to meet the needs of military and law enforcement operations in any environment. Meprolight sent me one out for review, and I’m ready to give you my full and unbiased opinion and feedback on the optic.

The Meprolight MPO-F is an open-emitter pistol sight with an RMR footprint. It was designed for a full-sized handgun in the USA and is made in the Philippines.

Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we took a look at the best cover garments. If you happened to miss that article be sure to click the link here to give it a read. This week, I want to talk about the benefits of having a red dot sight on your carry gun. I was recently in a local hardware store that also sells firearms. The store employee was talking the guy out of a Trijicon RMRcc and told him to just keep the iron sights. It was an interesting argument but if you start carrying with an optic, it will start to show just how fast it is to find your sight with a red dot optic. Let’s take a closer look at some of the good as well as bad aspects of carrying with a red dot in our red dot rundown.

Riton has released their new 1 Tactix ARD 2 (AR dot), a red dot packed with features for a price that may be more friendly to budget-minded shooters. Riton intends the 1 Tactix ARD 2 to be geared toward carbine, AR pistol, and shotgun applications where a simple and affordable aiming solution is needed without sacrificing adaptability. Let’s check out some of the specs and features.