This is a review of the new Shield Sights RMSx Red Dot. The abbreviation stands for Reflex Mini-Sight XL Lens, and TFB are one of the first to get them. It’s available in either a 4 or 8 MOA dot configuration and we have used both. Last year I used the SHIELD Reflex Mini Sight (8 MOA) for all of my IPSC Production Optics competitions, both on a Glock 17 and a Tanfoglio Stock III Xtreme. This division is now the second-largest, if you wonder why it caught up manufacturers’ interest. Apart from cleaning the lens, I didn’t even change the battery. Could the new Shield Sights RMSx be equally reliable? I’ve tested it for a few weeks, so most of the reliability part remains to be seen but in my world, Shield sights have a really good track record.

Shield Sights @ TFB:

• All Glass Lens and Colors from Shield Sights
• Shield Sights Announces New Glass Edition RMSc
• Shield Sights Introduces The NEW RMS2 Red Dot Sight For Pistols

Below: Yes, the dot is daylight bright but taking photos through optics never really portrays what your eye will see. The dot can be seen in the top right corner of the IPSC target (4 MOA). The pistol is a Tanfoglio 9mm for IPSC Open division, so the sight sits on a fixed mount, not the slide.

The Shield sights are typically very unobtrusive, and the XL is no exception. It kept the zero and mounts very low on the slide of the gun. The sight is developed for competition shooting, people who constantly demand larger lenses. Shield came up with a lens that is 80% larger than their current Mini-Sight range. The lens is a clear Hard Dip Coated Acrylic lens. The new RMSx uses the classic Shield footprint so you can upgrade easily (like me), or find existing mounts easily.

Below: The frame of the sight has a pretty cool modern look, with a lot of angles to look at. When you’re looking through it, shooter’s view, the frame appears more or less invisible. This is what 100% Field of View should look like!

The RMSx is Shield’s first sight to use the new increased efficiency LED. My understanding is that the remaining electronics are more or less unchanged.

The RMSx on a CZ Shadow 2. Just like the CZ, it’s possible to customize your red dot, just check here: https://www.shieldpsd.com/customizer

Thanks to the larger lens, most competitors should be able to find the dot faster in many scenarios, which should help reduce the split times and make it easier to shoot strong or weak-handed. I’m not a very good strong/weak hand shooter, so any help I can get is appreciated.

Below: B&T APC9s. There are going to be a lot of PCC competitions in 2022, and the RSMx should work quite well on these platforms too.

Optical Performance

What really strikes me (and others who had a go at it) is how clear and natural the lens is. There’s no blue/red/orange tint which can be quite obvious in some other makes. The lens coating is anti-reflection only. The lens is also very flat, so you don’t get a “bottle bottom glasses”.

If you’re looking for a new red dot, check for these side effects and compare the models side by side if you can. You should find that the RMSx does pretty well. 8 MOA dot below, just under the round steel target but it’s probably a hit anyway.

The battery is a 3V lithium battery, CR2032 with automatic brightness adjustment. The lowest brightness is compatible with night vision and the highest is visible against the sky in bright daylight. We only tried the latter, and it works. We had no NV around, and this is not a duty sight after all.

Holding the Tanfoglio Open pistol with the new Shield sight. This is the 4 MOA dot, but the dot appears much larger here since it’s out of focus.

The RMSx was designed following a request by Martin Kamenicek who is the current European champion. He won using the RMS in 2019.

Below you can see a series of photos of the Tanfoglio and the RMSx.

Here is a photo of my previous Glock 17 and the Shield RMS2 on the slide.

Below: Brand new Glock 45 MOS FS TB (that’s a long name) with Timney trigger and a Leupold Deltapoint Pro used as a reference for this review.

An attempt to show the 4 and 8 MOA RMSx sights together, but the camera cannot make a realistic impression due to the focus. My choice would be the 8 MOA, but I doubt it would make any sort of difference in how you end up in a competition.

RMSx will be available in 8 colors and the most common dot sizes: 4MOA and 8MOA. After the review, I ordered one for my personal use, in Ranger Green of course. The knife is a Benchmade Triage 916-ORG Rescue knife.

Technical Specifications – Shield Sights RMSx

• Light Source: Red light emitting diode (LED) No laser; completely eye safe No radioactive materials
• Red Dot Size Options: 4 MOA dot 8 MOA dot
• Lens: Reflex x1 (no magnification) Hard-Dip coated acrylic.

• Battery: One 3V lithium battery, CR2032
• Battery Life:  2 to 3 years – average use >4 years – dark storage
• Brightness Adjustment: Automatic

• Housing material: Aluminium
• Colour: Standard Matte black, 8 Other colours available through our customizer
• Dimensions: Sight only (Length x width x height) 42 x 34 x 23 mm,1.7 x 1.4 x 0.9 inches
• Weight: 19 grams / 0.617 ounces

Below: Glock 45 with Shield RMSx Red Dot and Timney trigger. Shield’s MOS plate is really good, better than Glock’s own, in fact. (Picture thanks to GP)

Mount: A wide range of mounts are available.

Conclusion – Shield Sights RMSx

This is a really good red dot. Shield Sights has served me well in many competitions the past few years both in handgun and shotgun. I will upgrade with an RMSx 8 MOA for the 2022 season based on my findings for this review, so you could say I find this the best competition red dot on the market as of now.

Below: Another picture of the Glock 45 with Shield RMSx Red Dot. (Picture thanks to GP)

I generally find it easier to find a large dot and I think I shoot faster with the 8 MOA, but I have no hard proof that it’s better than the 4 MOA. On the other hand, a large dot may slow me down on a few precision shots. My friend did the opposite choice, so don’t dwell on the topic too long.

In my opinion, “XL” means that you get more of the features you wanted and asked for (sometimes without knowing), and there aren’t really any drawbacks. In fact, it seems the price is $50 less than the previous model, which is quite incredible in today’s market.

The positives: The mount comes really low and the weight is almost negligible at 19 grams / 0.617 ounces. That’s really low compared to the competitors than can sometimes be 2.5x the weight. The frame is really thin, so you don’t even notice it during shooting. The sight looks good too, I like the way they CNC machined it. The lens is natural without a tint and it’s also very flat avoiding distortion of the stage in front of me. At $450, you can’t really complain about the price either. I think availability will be more of an issue.

Shield Sights RMSx 8 MOA. Dot on the right steel.

The bad? You cannot change the battery without removing the sight. That’s a bit of a pain, on the other hand, it’s not something you would have to do more often than once a year if even that often. Shield states a battery life of about 2-3 years with normal use. I’m a little surprised that there’s no hat or protection for the sight in the box and I don’t know if Shield will offer this as an accessory.

I’m also quite confused when it comes to how Shield names their products, although this matter doesn’t have any effect on the performance or the outcome of this review. I’ve used their red dot all of last year and I can’t remember what it’s called, and the RMSx won’t be an exception. I plan on calling it “The XL” when someone asks, and hope they think I’m referring to the sight and not the size of my belly.

What remains to be seen with continuous use is how well the acrylic lens survives, and that’s nothing we can test without numerous training sessions and competitions over time. With the 2022 season just in front of us, I decided it was better to make a review now rather than one next winter. Go out and try one yourself if you get the opportunity!

For more information: Shield Sights