I’ve had the Aimpoint ACRO P-1 now for a while. I didn’t realize I was one of the first ones to get one, so I took no hurry in my evaluation. On the other hand, there are some benefits with evaluating products over time rather than just over the day.

“ACRO” stands for “Advanced Combat Reflex Optic”. Others have guessed that the P in P-1 stands for pistol, which would make some sense, but it actually stands for Professional. The ACRO C-1, not tested here, stands for Commercial.

I have tried the larger Aimpoint Micro H2 on a few handguns. In my opinion, it isn’t really suitable there, except perhaps in the few cases you would shoot PPC (Police Pistol Combat/Competition) in the Open division. For long range, it works fine, but for close shots or anything in an unusual shooting position, it’s difficult (for me at least) to find the red dot.

The ACRO makes much more sense on the slide of a handgun than the Micro models, and as it’s a closed system it is more durable and protected than open systems. Perfect for EDC and in Law Enforcement or Military applications.

For a competition shooter, it doesn’t matter as much. A zeroed stage sucks, but it’s not a matter of life or death as with a service pistol.

I would have loved to try the ACRO on the slides of a Glock 17 MOS or a SIG Sauer P320 X Five, but for various reasons, my pistols were delayed. Imagine having an ACRO and no pistol to mount it on! Yes, it’s been frustrating.

The Aimpoint ACRO P-1 has a 3.5 MOA dot and gives a low-mount position for direct integration on a pistol slide. As described above, I think most people will think “it’s for a pistol” when they see the ACRO, but this article will try to broaden that image.

Purpose of the review:

Let’s go on: What I’ve been evaluating is the Aimpoint ACRO P-1 in general, with the Spuhr ACRO P-1 Interface called A-0055. This interface isn’t for handguns, it’s to attach the ACRO to the Spuhr line of mounts, which – in most cases – means a long gun of some kind.

The ACRO is actually perfect for a lot of PDW type of firearms (Personal Defense Weapon), rifles and shotguns either as a primary or secondary optic.

Below: Never mind the “S” on the Aimpoint H2, it’s just to remind me when I shoot shotgun slugs to click the height. As you can see the footprint of the ACRO P-1 is much smaller. Also, ACRO lacks protruding controls. There are a lot of benefits with that, for drop test survival as well as when the slides move back, there are fewer things that can cause a malfunction.

Below: Various patches and the Aimpoint ACRO 3.5 MOA. Spuhr fix it sticks and the Spuhr interface A-0055 (A-0055 ACRO P-1 Interface). The Spuhr Fix it sticks come really handy when you want to make sure you mount your screws to the right torque level. Check out some of the other firearms related Fix It sticks here.

Below: Aimpoint H2 Micro 2 MOA with a Spuhr Aimpoint riser vs. an Aimpoint ACRO (just placed on top of rail). The upper is a B&T APC-9 PDW-style carbine.

Below: Aimpoint ACRO with Spuhr riser on to B&T APC9 upper.

It’s a funny coincidence that the Swiss B&T APC9 has the Swiss cross logotype, and the Swedish Aimpoint ACRO has a similar cross for the battery compartment.

Below: The exclusive, never ever to be made again Spuhr patch: “Do you even fika, bro?”

Note the different charging handles on the APC9s, the old one above and the new retractable  “Pro” below.

If we have any readers from the US Army then take note. Note the size differences of the Aimpoints on your new Sub Compact Weapon (B&T APC9K).

Below: Here you can see the size of the Aimpoint ACRO. Sorry all Americans, centimeters only in the pictures, but the table below should help. Easier to remember: 30 mm square and 47 mm long.

The AA battery is just there for size comparison. The ACRO P1 uses a much smaller 3V lithium battery, type CR1225.

Below a few close-ups of the ACRO follows.

I’m sorry for all the TFB patches, but it looks funnier when other sites copy this review (yes, it happens).

Below: The dot appears a lot smaller, in reality, it is only 3.5 MOA. In the photo, it looks more like 10 MOA. For a competition pistol, I prefer a dot around 8 MOA. You can see the “sandwich” design of the ACRO.

Below: You can of course go by “feeling” (like I did for years, and none of my screws were set right when I checked) or use any other appropriate torque limiter, but the Fix It Sticks comes with a 25 in/lb and a 45 in/lb torque limiter, with two each of the standard length and extended length Torx 20 bits.

Below: Side-mounted ACRO interface.

Below: Here you can see the “slots” on the interface and how the ACRO is mounted. If you mount your ACRO permanently, I would advise using Loctite or similar to avoid it from coming off unexpectedly.

Below: Perfect fit.

Below: This was just for a test, but Loctite recommended for any permanent installations.

Below: Here you can see what this solution looks from above. A Swarovski Z6i in a Spuhr SP-3016 mount and an Aimpoint ACRO P1 on the side.

Below: ACRO and Leupold Deltapoint side by side. Two Swarovski Z6is (but different generations and the top is a Gen 2 with a throw lever) in a Spuhr SP-3016 mount.

It is still possible to unscrew the protective caps on the Swarovskis, to adjust for height and windage.

It is also possible to mount the red dots at the 45-degree angle, this is probably better from a practical / 3 Gun competitive shooting standpoint.

The differences between a closed-emitter system (ACRO) versus an open one are clearly visible (imagine rain and mud), and you can see that the footprint is very similar.

We haven’t tried it, but Aimpoint claims that the ACRO is submersible down to a depth of 25 meters (82 ft.). I’m pretty sure Aimpoint have some Government employed frogmen that will do that test live.

Below: Left-hand shooters note that you could mount the sight on that side as well. The mount is a Spuhr SP-3016 Ø30 H38mm 0MIL, and it’s available in QD as well.

Below: The ACRO doesn’t take much space, but it’s there when you need it. The Aimpoint logotype is very subtle.

Below: This mount and sight have been around the World for many years, so it’s allowed to be a little dirty.

The rubber buttons on the ACRO have a nice non-slip feeling and are nicely integrated into the overall design.

Below: The rail on my Tikka T3x TAC A1 was empty, otherwise there are probably much more suitable optics for this rifle, with higher magnification. On the other hand, this Swarovski Z6i seems to work rather well on a SAKO TRG M10 in hunting applications (YouTube video).

For a long range rifle, I would advise that you put the red dot on the top, zeroed at for instance 300 meters, and use it as a pre-sight and then just lower your eye into the main optic with let’s say 20 power magnification. You should really try that for PRS and similar type of needs.

Below: The dot appears much smaller in reality, it is difficult to catch on photos due to the exposure. As you can see the mount stays clear of the cap which covers the windage settings. You may also notice that the window doesn’t feel as squared as you would imagine.

Below: ACRO (top) versus an Aimpoint H-2 in a Tango Down case.

Below: This is a Browning BAR Match in .308 Win with a Spuhr SCP-3000 (Ø30 H25.4mm 0MIL) hunting line style mount. You can still use the A-0055 mount for a top or side mount of the Aimpoint ACRO.

Below: With a Swarovski Z6i, which has a 1-6 power magnification, you can for instance hunt on 4-6 power and – if the occasion arises – use the ACRO for fast close-up shots. Imagine a wild boar or similar type of hunt, where there can be unpleasant and quick surprises, where there is no time to zoom out your main optic.

Putting optics on a moving slide is always a worry. According to Aimpoint, the ACRO P-1 has been shock tested with at least 20,000 rounds, on a .40 S&W caliber pistol slide.

From Aimpoint’s Homepage:

The Aimpoint Acro P-1 is developed for use on pistols and other weapon platforms requiring a small enclosed red dot system. It is the only sight in its size category fully tested for shock, vibration, temperature span and other environmental stress.

The Acro P-1 is the smallest enclosed system on the market.

Tested with 20,000 rounds on a .40 S&W caliber pistol slide, this small optic has proven to lead in ruggedness and reliability in its category.

The Acro P-1 can be used as a backup sight for magnifying scopes, personal defense weapons, and any area where a small red dot system is applicable.

Furthermore:

The  Acro P-1 can be used on a wide range of weapon platforms in combination with different mounting solutions developed especially for this small red dot optic.

The now available solutions are:

• quick detachable mounts for weaver and picatinny rail,
• a wide range of different adapter plates for optic ready pistols,
• and an adapter plate for Micro interface that allows compatibility with all Micro sights mounting solutions.

Unique features

• Optimized for pistol and applications which require a low profile red dot system

• The only fully enclosed system in its size on the market

• Designed for direct integration onto optic ready pistol slides

• 1.5 years battery operation on position 6 of 10

• Battery installation while optic is still mounted on weapon

• NVD compatible

• Submersible to a depth of 25 m (82 ft)

Conclusion

The mounts and accessories in this article are:

Spuhr A-0055 ACRO P-1 Interface. Article no.: A-0055 Price: 45 EUR.

Interface for attaching the Aimpoint ACRO P-1 red dot sight to the Spuhr ISMS scope mount. Includes screws. Weight: 20 g/0.7 oz

We tried mounting the interface on a number of Spuhr mounts, like the Spuhr SP-3016 Ø30 H38mm 0MIL (336 EUR) and the SCP-3000 Ø30 H25.4mm 0MIL PIC (196 EUR), which is from the new Hunting Series of mounts.

There were no issues, installation took just a few minutes and everything fit. If you have an existing Spuhr scope mount the interface should fit.

It’s boring to say, but all the mounts and the accessories worked exactly as advertised. Scope mounts aren’t exactly sexy (well, I have this friend who disagrees…), but when they don’t work they will give you nothing but headache, trouble and a lot of lost time which we would rather spend on shooting or being with our families.

Aimpoint ACRO P-1

It’s a red light in a little box, but there are tons of features to back it up. Some of these features, like the NVG compatible settings or submersiblity to 25 meters, may not be what you’re looking for, but the package feels like it’s of very high quality.

It’s evident that the recoil management and recoil survival of the ACRO has been a priority when Aimpoint developed this product.

Adjusting for vertical and horizontal is always a dream on Aimpoints versus all of the other red dots I’ve tried. The worst one to adjust is probably the old C-MORE Serendipity Series, a sight I still love and use on my open gun. Being able to click and both feel and hear distinct “clicks” is a dream on the Aimpoints. This goes especially when you mount your sight in a tilted position and you have to rethink the directions.

For reasons already mentioned we haven’t tried the ACRO on a handgun, but I think it’s a perfect fit for a service pistol. This will probably mean that this article is the one and only about the ACRO which doesn’t have a picture of a Glock!

I’m pretty sure the total cost of training Police officers and soldiers would go down if these types of sights were used, plus that the probability of officers to actually hit their target(s) would increase.

For a smaller carbine or PDW, the ACRO is very suitable, it is much more compact than the Aimpoint Micro but still delivers more or less the same performance.

It feels strange to see a square Aimpoint, but it works just as good as a Micro on a rifle.

There are plenty of suppliers if you want an open design of your red dot, but Aimpoint isn’t one of them.

At the time of writing, I can’t think of any suppliers who have an ACRO box-like design on their red dot.

There are however countless variations of red dots that look like imitations of the Aimpoint Micro. Annoying, but flattering for Aimpoint I’m sure.

Negatives? Well, there are sights out there that look better, that are smaller and that cost less. But it’s always a compromise of what you need.

If there’s no need to save space, like on a competition rifle, I would personally prefer the round shape of the Micro over the ACRO. This goes especially for a side-mounted optic, it just feels more natural to have a round sight than a square one. But it could also be that I’m not used to the looks, not yet anyway.

On a sniper rifle, I would recommend an ACRO on the top mount, rather than a Micro to save space. This way you can use both eyes to look at the target and start to aim large with the red dot and then just let your eye slide down into perfect 20x magnification of the target.

I tried this at the latest PRS (Precision Rifle Series) Competition and it worked like a charm, saved me a lot of time on some stages that I could use to settle the reticle instead.

Last but not least. The Aimpoint ACRO P-1 has an MSRP of 660 USD.

Thanks to Spuhr for letting TFB use the ACRO and the interface, the items have now been sent back.

Please check out the recent TFB Factory Visit.

Spuhr can be found at Spuhr.biz (World) and Mile High Shooting (USA)

Aimpoint can be found at Aimpoint.com, and the ACRO P-1 is available here.