More news in the world of pistol optics, as Shield Sights brings a new Glass  RMSc edition to the game. In the wake of Holosun’s notable success with their 507K and 407K red dots, and hot on the heels of the release of Trijicon’s long-awaited RMRcc, Shield is updating their OG slim-frame pistol sight. Given the explosion in popularity of optics-ready slimmer-framed pistols like SIG Sauer’s P365 and P365XL, Glock’s 43X and 48 MOS versions, and the Springfield Hellcat, the market appears to be showing a clear demand both for handguns like these as well as the small optics that are designed to fit them. Most optics-ready slim-frame pistols from makers like SIG Sauer, Springfield, Walther, Canik, and Glock have adopted the standardized footprint of the Shield sight, and most other optics brands (Trijicon being a conspicuous exception) have followed suit.

When it comes to the growing category of micro red dots, whether they are being outfitted on handguns, shotguns, or even modern sporting rifles with a riser, the bar has always been set by the Trijicon RMR. Whether you lost your hammer and you need to build a deck this weekend, or you are using the red dot for its intended purpose of actually shooting, the Trijicon RMR is as tough as the nails you could pound with it. Its next closest competition is a coin flip among several reputable and good manufacturers… until now. Now its closest competition for red dot superiority comes in-house. So, in this head-to-head Celebrity Deathmatch of popular miniature reflex sights, we will take a close-up look at the gold standard in the Trijicon RMR and its newest in-house rival in the RMRcc.

Almost simultaneously with  Trijicon’s introduction of the RMRcc micro red dot sight, Ed Brown announced the release of their new FX2 pistol – a 1911 fitted with an RMRcc sight. In fact, the company claims that their new pistol is “the first Trijicon RMRcc 1911“. Let’s see what features Ed Brown FX2 pistol packs.

Earlier this morning we announced that the Trijicon RMRcc is now available to the public to fit all of the most popular concealed carry, full size, and optics ready pistols on the market. The want and desire by shooters for a dedicated micro red dot by a big-name manufacturer has been strong for a while now, and it is finally here! Yes, there are some already out there, but they are produced by foreign manufacturers, seem nearly unattainable to the average consumer, and are not rack-your-gun-on-a-door-frame-by-the-optic durable.

The flurry of new micro-compact handguns like the Springfield Armory Hellcat and SIG Sauer P365 to hit the market recently has people falling in love with carry guns all over again even if we allegedly own enough already (we know deep down inside that is never true). The one absent piece to the puzzle that is missing is micro red dots; attainable, American ones. The latest trend in the industry is to red dot “all the things.” Fortunately for all of us, Trijicon has some good news for all of our tiny carry guns that previously could not be easily or feasibly outfitted with a red dot. Trijicon is proud to debut their new RMRcc (Ruggedized Miniature Reflex for Concealed Carry) and it is meant to fit all of the most popular concealed carry pistols on the market with a more slender footprint yet an ample window to see your dot and hit your mark.

GLOCK first announced the new G43X/G48 Slimline Series about a year and a half ago to an enthusiastic crowd. Looking for a everyday carry gun that was more trim than the G26 but had better ergonomics (and has a larger mag capacity) than the pocket-size G43, the new GLOCK Slimline models were hot commodities. Switching from two-tone to black later in 2019, eager American customers watched as European shooters teased an accessory rail on the slimlines for small lights and lasers.

In this episode of TFBTV, Hop reviews the new Bushnell TRS-26, a budget red dot with a 50,000 hour battery life. The TRS-26 is the updated replacement for Bushnell’s TRS-25, one of the original and best budget red dots on the market.

Since their founding in 2007, Sightmark has become well entrenched in the budget optics category. From red dots to riflescopes, flashlights, and laser sights, the bulk of their product offerings sit well under the $500 MSRP mark. Even their night vision lineup lives at less than $300 MSRP, a fraction of the price commanded by the NODs market’s typical baseline PVS-14 monocular. Given the lower price points usually accompanying Sightmark products, you might not expect much from them. They seem like they may be better suited for rimfires and range toys rather than serious fighting guns and duty rifles.

Michigan optics manufacturer Trijicon, Inc. has just filed suit against California based Holosun Technologies, Inc. The docket that was filed on July, 7th 2020 indicates that Trijicon is attempting to bring legal action against Hollosun over alleged patent infringement on Trijicon’s ‘541 Patent titled “Optical Sight.”

Holosun have announced the HE508T V2 red dot reflex optic, available with green or red reticles, has Shake Awake tech as standard and is rated for up to 50,000 hours of battery life and has a titanium housing. We got our first look at the HE508T V2 back at SHOT Show 2020. Last week Holosun announced their HM3XT Titanium 3x Magnifier which we also got a look at earlier this year.

Welcome back to another Featured Deals of the Week. Prices are high, a good deal is rare, and I’m out here trying to find whatever I can to get you guys to take out those wallets. So without any further ado, let’s get into it.

In 2005, L3Harris purchased optics maker and holography innovation company EOTech. For the last fifteen years, EOTech has existed as only a small portion of this defense industry Goliath’s larger operations which also include products like military drones, tactical radios, surveillance and reconnaissance technologies, night vision devices, and much more.

In recent years, Holosun has significantly elevated the quality of their red dot optics from the strictly “budget” category to become legitimate serious contenders. Many of their products, such as the 507 series, are now worth mentioning in the same conversations with established standards like the Trijicon RMR. Primary Arms, who started as an optics company in their own right before expanding to be the full-scope supplier and firearms industry powerhouse they are today, share much in common with Holosun. Their early scopes were often relegated to the purely entry-level or plinker considerations sets and not seen as viable for more serious use. Over the years they have similarly grown their offerings and expanded into higher price points with notably higher quality levels to match.

The Firearm Blog continues its mission of reviewing as many of the Schmidt & Bender PM II Riflescopes as possible. Previously we had a look at the top-seller S&B 5-25×56 PM II and the S&B 1-8×24 PM II ShortDot Dual CC, one of the few riflescopes with reticles in both planes. In this review, we’re going to take a closer look at the 3-27×56 PMII, a High Power version with an impressive 9 power magnification range. TFB’s “system” also includes a Spuhr mount and the Aimpoint ACRO C-1 red dot.

Langdon Tactical likes to do things a little differently. In today’s gun industry, it seems like everyone and their mothers are working primarily with the standard “who’s who” of striker-fired polymer-framed handguns. There are a plethora of SIG P320 and P365s, Shields, CZs, Walthers, and you can hardly take a step without tripping over a baker’s dozen custom Glocks. If you prefer less common makes and models – say, for example, Beretta’s 92 series – there’s less support available in terms of holster options, customization, and the like. Fortunately, less support doesn’t mean no support, and Ernest Langdon’s team has a history diverging from the beaten path. They’ve done work with guns like the Springfield XD series, Beretta’s polymer-framed PX4, their 1301 shotgun, and one of yesteryear’s favorite 9mm sidearms: the Beretta 92. In an effort to keep the 92 relevant in today’s shooting climate, Langdon Tactical has applied their significant experience and expertise to modernize this handgun by overhauling it to allow for a red dot. In the 92’s case, this process was far more involved than simple slide cuts and required a healthy dose of re-engineering. Meet the new 92 Elite LTT Optic Cut.

The Leupold LCO, or “Leupold Carbine Optic” is a robust Red Dot Sight (RDS) with a 1 MOA dot. Leupold’s LCO product information states that they put each optic through their “Punisher” test, but I decided to put it through a couple extra paces anyway when I received the opportunity to review the LCO. The RDS is a unique optic on several levels, which I’ll expound on in this dive into the Leupold LCO.

Last year, TFB reported on Holosun’s entry into the flip-to-side magnifier game with the release of their HM3X Red Dot Magnifier. This unit featured built-in quick-detach and flip-to-side mechanisms, an adjustable diopter, included a spacer for compatibility with lower 1/3 or absolute cowitness setups, and was constructed with a lightweight aluminum body. At SHOT Show 2020 in January, Holosun showed off a new version, the HM3XT. The “T” tacked on to the end denoted that this magnifier would eschew the aluminum body for a beefier titanium one. Now with a July 17th press release, Holosun has announced that the HM3XT is nearly ready for market and will be available for purchase soon. The release reads:

Following up on Adam’s initial announcement a few months ago, the Vortex Optics AMG UH-1 Gen-II Holographic Sight is now officially available. How does it stack up to the original? Our own Nick C. has been deep into a review of the newest release for a few weeks now and will have his first-hand experiences available shortly. Stay tuned.

I first encountered an early version of Leupold’s Freedom RDS at SHOT 2019.  Full credit goes to TFB’s Nick C., who noticed the sight during the setup day prior to Industry Day at the Range.  The sight was interesting enough, being an American-made RDS at a reasonable price point.  The 2019 version of Leupold’s Freedom RDS had a gold ring as part of the VX line. For 2020 it is updated with a “Black Ring” to bring it more in line with the “Mark” series of riflescopes.

At SHOT Show 2020, TFB reported on Sightmark’s forthcoming solar-powered red dots. With a new social media announcement, Sightmark has shared that the first batch of these sun-loving optics have arrived and will soon begin shipping to pre-order customers. On 22nd June they said, “Good news! The first batch of Element Mini Solar red dots have arrived! If you’ve been patiently waiting for your pre-order, they should be shipping out our door to you soon.”

To most shooters, Aimpoint is best known for optics like their rifle-mounted red dots such as the PRO (Patrol Rifle Optic) or the Micro series, and their increasingly popular ACRO P-1 pistol sight. In March 2019, TFB reported that the US Department of Defense would be purchasing $24 million worth of Aimpoint FCS13RE sights for the 84mm “Carl Gustaf” recoilless rifle system. According to the Aimpoint product page, these Dynamic Universal Reflex Sights can also be used on additional heavy weapons like the Mk19 40mm grenade launcher. Now with a June 22, 2020 press release, Aimpoint has announced the award of an additional DoD contract for even more of their FCS13RE sights. The release reads:

Welcome back ladies and gentlemen to another Featured Deals of the Week. I am your host, sort-of, Benjamin F, and these are the sales, discounts, and in-stock notices you’ve all been waiting for. Or at least it caught your eye while you were scrolling through our feed. Either way, let’s dive in.

Welcome back to the latest edition of TFB’s Behind The Gun Podcast that features industry leaders talking about their backgrounds, company history, products and information that can help you become a better shooter.

Holy height over bore Batman! The Unity Tactical FAST Micro Mount and FTC Magnifier mounts look really tall for carbine optics but you might be surprised they don’t feel that tall. In fact, they are not the tallest on the market. The Micro FAST Mount was purposefully designed with modern gear in mind. Due to the increased height, the FAST FTC magnifier mount was created to give the shooter the added functionality of magnification.

The SLx MD-25 has a full 25mm clear aperture. And it actually offers a wider field of view compared to older 30mm red dots while being smaller and lighter weight. The MD-25 shares some similarities with other micro red dots. However, the power/brightness knob is on the left-hand side. It features a high efficiency LED that offers a run time of 50,000 hours at a medium setting. There are 11 brightness settings with two of them for night vision use.

Russian state corporation Rostec has announced that they have developed the first Russian heavy machine gun reflex sight. This red dot sight is designed primarily for the .50 caliber Kord HMG that is widely used throughout the Russian armed forces both as a crew-served infantry weapon and mounted to various marine, aerial and ground vehicles. The new sight is developed by TSNII “Tsiklon”, which is a subsidiary of the  Ruselectronics Holding that in its turn, is part of Rostec Corporation.

An opportunity arose to check out some Leupold Optics. I requested the Leupold D-EVO offset optic because it is such a unique optic design. For those not familiar with the D-EVO, it is an offset 6x rifle scope. It is not your traditional offset optic. There is no need to roll or tilt your gun to look through it. In fact, the D-EVO is the fastest 6X optic when switching from 1x to 6X. One aspect of the D-EVO that I wanted to explore is can I use the D-EVO with night vision? And surprisingly, it works, but more about that later.

Whenever Vortex Optics does another generation of any of their optic lines it ushers in lots of new features and even further improved quality from the previous good set of optics. With many faithful Vortex fans understanding this, they have been clamoring for a Gen II version of the AMG UH-1 for awhile already knowing that if you take something that is great and make it even better it might become mind-blowing. To the delight of many shooters, Vortex Optics put out a teaser video on their Facebook page on May 21st at 2:14 PM alluding to their New AMG UH-1 Gen II Holographic Sight coming out this summer! That teaser video can be watched below:

When it comes to micro red dot sights, the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro is objectively one of the best options in today’s fairly crowded market. With auto-on capability, rugged construction and the optional built-in rear sight, the DeltaPoint Pro fits perfectly on a variety of different weapon systems. Now Leupold is announcing a new version; a DeltaPoint Pro Night Vision ready that includes 10 brightness settings and allows for further fine tuning of the both the highest and lowest settings. The DeltaPoint Pro is made in the USA.

The MEPRO Foresight from MEPROLIGHT USA was one of the more intriguing optic offerings of SHOT 2020, boasting some interesting features offering the functionality of a heads up display within a red dot sight.