Reflex/Red Dot

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.

The market for weapon lights and optics has become flooded with domestic and foreign products. When a manufacturer is organic to the United States, it is always well received, but when the products are engineered and manufactured domestically with some overseas manufacturing, it is a noteworthy achievement. Viridian Weapon Technologies' weapon optics and other accessories are nearly completely indigenous from start to finish, with a small part of their production overseas to keep costs down. The green machine is draped in red, white, and blue.

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.

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.

Luke C talks with Earle Pope, owner of Chestnut Mountain Manufacturing, at GunCon 2026 about the company's OKP-7 reproduction optic — a faithful recreation of the classic Russian-pattern reflex sight right down to the real Russian manual (obviously translated into English, too). Built for real AK-platform rifles and pistols, not airsoft replicas, the OKP-7 will also be getting an upgrade in the form of a more common battery type and other improved features over the original to make it that much better.

With the abundance of optics manufacturers in the marketplace today, it is cool to see one when it is homegrown and close to home. For me, that is AT3 Tactical based out of St. Michael, MN - which is my home state. For those who are uninitiated to the brand, they are sellers of an assortment of products - firearms, lasers, components, magazines, and more - to include other manufacturers’ products as well as their own in-house items.

The firearm marketplace today for handguns has fully embraced the adoption of red dots, and I am here for it! Handgun optics afford us a lot of benefits like faster target engagements, and they can be a workaround for some people who have vision impairments. Instead of focusing on objects at 3 varying distances from your eye - rear right, front sight, and the target - you can simply have a red dot overlaid visually on the target you’re engaging. So, whether you are hunting or shooting steel, it is a more effective way of engagement. Additionally, if red is a difficult color for you to see, manufacturers like Trijicon are also offering green dots. So, today we are going to take a look at the Trijicon RMR Type 2 3.25 MOA Green Dot, Adjustable LED to see how it performs. Let’s dive in!

When TFB first covered Dynamic Optronic Technologies back in September, the California-based company's debut EHS-1 holographic sight had already been turning heads since its SHOT Show appearance earlier that year. Now, DOT is back with a variant built around a different philosophy for how the optic attaches to your rifle. The EHS-1 L swaps the original's Quick Detach lever for a cross-bolt mounting system, and the result is a lower-profile package that DOT says is aimed at shooters who prefer a permanent, high-torque rail interface over a tool-free detach option.

This year is quickly becoming the year of the Aimpoint COA. Since SHOT Show, we have seen a lot of companies offer this popular enclosed emitter optic because of its durability, reliability, and its unique yet secure mounting system. Springfield Armory announced Echelon models that will be outfitted from the factory with Aimpoint COA red dots earlier this year, and now you can add the 1911 Operator, 1911 TRP, and 1911 DS Prodigy to that list as well.

Micro pistols continue to evolve, and one of the more unconventional approaches is the integration of simplified optics, like the one seen in this Photo Of The Day. The Ruger LCP MAX shown here is equipped with the Ruger ReadyDot, a battery-free aiming solution designed around minimalism and reliability.

The market for weapons optics is flooded with all variations of optics, ranging from selections focused on quality to some on quantity. Swamp Fox has taken a more unique approach to designing their own optics, but priced them in a space that both professionals and private citizens can both afford. Swampfox’s approach to quality is of the highest standards, with a no-nonsense warranty backing up their products; they believe in standing behind what they sell. Whether you are running the ridges of North Iraq or the Texas Hill Country, Swampfox Optics is ready to support your needs with a dependable quality optic designed to meet the highest standards.

SIG Sauer has added a new entry to its pistol optics lineup with the ROMEO-MDC, a mini open reflex sight built around the needs of daily carry shooters. The name stands for Mini Daily Carry, and the design choices throughout back that up. Let’s take a closer look!

Trijicon has added a green dot variant to its SRO (Specialized Reflex Optic) lineup, answering what the company describes as customer demand for the option. The new model is available in a 2.5 MOA configuration and launches in both Matte Black and Coyote Brown anodized finishes.

Apart from commercial images, this is the first Aimpoint COA R I’ve seen mounted on a rifle/carbine, and out in the wild. The mount is a Spuhr RD-21153 Aimpoint COA with a height of 39mm/1.53", for absolute co-witness.

FN Herstal has introduced the FN PUREVIEW, a holographic micro red dot sight built for military, law enforcement, and special operations use. The optic is making its U.S. debut this week at the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Houston, running April 16-19, before heading to EUROSATORY in Paris in June.

Lipsey's has introduced a new exclusive handgun package, pairing the Ruger RXM platform with a factory-installed Aimpoint COA red dot sight. The result is the Lipsey’s Exclusive Ruger RXM COA Edition, a ready-to-use optics-equipped pistol aimed at modern defensive and range applications.

Every now and then, you see products that catch your interest. Today’s Photo of the Day features the Cyelee BULL X PRO, a large-window reflex optic designed for handgun use with an RMR footprint interface. The oversized viewing window, measuring roughly 34.5 × 26 mm, provides an expanded field of view compared to many compact pistol optics.

Element Optics has introduced the ETX Red Dot, a compact reflex sight designed for use across pistols, shotguns, and carbines. Built around the widely used RMR footprint, the ETX is positioned as a multi-purpose optic aimed at shooters looking for a single solution across multiple platforms. The first units have already hit European shores, with a price around $260, but the aim is set for the U.S. market, I’m sure.

Photo Of The Day and we get to see a full-sized Walther PDP Polymer with an AImpoint COA. Apart from some details that have been kept black, it’s all tricked out in white for the IWA 2026 exhibition in Germany. For all I know, this is a one-off perhaps made by Walther’s Meister Manufaktur.

Springfield Armory has announced a new line of pistols factory-equipped with the Aimpoint COA, starting with select variants of the Echelon 9mm platform. The new models are cut for Aimpoint’s A-CUT interface, which integrates the optic directly into the slide.

Steiner Optics has introduced the MPS Rotary Switch, a compact enclosed red dot sight purpose-built for shotgun competition and dynamic sporting use. Based on the proven MPS platform, this new version adds a mechanical rotary switch with clearly defined tactile positions and three brightness settings (0–3). The simplified control layout is designed for fast adjustments on the clock, particularly in changing light conditions common to practical shotgun stages.

Vortex is no stranger to budget red dots, but for each year they release a new one, the tech and the presentation seem to get better and better without the price climbing too much. This year’s example is the new 2 MOA Triumph red dot. This new budget-friendly series is meant to appeal to newer shooters or those just looking for an inexpensive red dot to throw on a spare gun. Even though it is in the budget category, the red dot still comes standard with a lot of neat luxury features like a motion-activated auto-off that saves battery, 9 daylight and 2 night vision brightness settings, and a standard Aimpoint micro footprint.

Just after SHOT Show, Aimpoint announced the new COA R, a rifle-focused red dot sight built specifically for hunters who prioritize speed, durability, and a streamlined setup. The COA R carries over the ultra-compact, enclosed design of the original COA, tipping the scales at just 48 grams. It features a 3.5 MOA dot and an optical profile tuned for fast target acquisition at close range while still supporting precise holds at extended distances.

Expanding their RFX line of reflex sights, Viridian introduced at SHOT 2026 the RFX1, a green dot sight designed specifically for the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0 pistol. As you can see in the images, the serrations of the sight's housing as well as its contours match those of the pistol’s slide, giving the assembly a nice, streamlined look. With dimensions of 1.63" x 0.81" x 1.02" and weighing 0.53 oz, this optic is claimed to be the smallest reflex sight in the world.

EOtech’s slate of new releases for 2026 was very full. They had new scopes, IR lasers, silencers, and sights all on display. Let’s take a tour through the new offerings.

Holosun has a whole slate of new product releases for 2026. All of these new goodies were on display at their booth at SHOT Show 2026. Let’s take a tour of the new releases.

At SHOT Show 2026, Steiner introduced a new enclosed emitter handgun red dot sight called MPS-C. Based on the MPS design, this new red dot is noticeably shorter (1.89” vs 1.46”) and lighter (2.05 oz vs 1.13 oz) than its elder sibling. At the same time, the MPS-C has slightly larger objective lens dimensions (21x19mm vs 20x16mm).

Swedish optics pioneer and red dot powerhouse Aimpoint displayed the COA optic and wide range of newly available A-Cut mounting opportunities at SHOT Show 2026. This system was unveiled at SHOT last year but was exclusive to the Glock Gen 5 pistols at the time. Now, it is available across a broad portion of the market.

Back in December when Glock announced the new Generation 6 Glock 17, 19 and 45 one of the questions many asked online is will there be a GEN 6 COA? The COA, if you’re not familiar, is a collaboration between Glock and AIMPOINT which was launched at SHOT Show 2025.

This week at SHOT Show 2026 Shield Sights have just announced their new OMSx competition sight which combines the translucent roof design which was introduced last year on the OMSsc. The OMSx has the same wide viewing window as Shield Sights’ popular RMSx but combined with the translucent roof it creates the visual effect of an even larger window. Shield Sights say this allows shooters to pick up the dot faster and track targets more intuitively under speed and stress.