Absolute, 1.93, lower 1/3rd. How do you decide? Well, now you don’t have to! Strike Industries entered the optic game with their SIOPTO SCOUTER, so it makes sense that mounts would be next. If you ever had issues deciding on which height to run, the new Strike Variable Optic Mount could fix that.

Known for their quality and durability Nightforce Optics has added the new MOA-XT reticle to its lineup.  The reticle is designed for quick holdovers for shooters more familiar with MOA rather than MILS.  Available in NX8 and ATACR series optics MOA-XT reticle-equipped scopes are already shipping to dealers.

Langdon Tactical has just expanded their custom gun works Red Dot Optics cut options to include ALL of the Beretta 92 / M9 series slides. Previously, almost all of Beretta’s 92 and M9 series of pistols could accept the RDO cut slide purchased from Langdon Tactical, but only a handful of those various models could be sent in to receive the RDO cut service. Now, Langdon Tactical has begun to take orders to receive new and old 92 series slides, such as the 92FS, 92D, Brigadier, and the 92XI and 92X Performance models. It should be noted that this custom work can be done on models that already come factory cut as RDO models from Beretta.

In this video Hop braves the crowds to visit the Ruger booth at NRAAM 2023, to take a look at the new Ready Dot. This is a fiber optic powered pistol red dot that has no electronic components and doesn’t even have an adjustable zero. While intended for use with the Ruger MAX-9, the Ready Dot should also work with any pistol that has the Shield RMS-C optic cut.

Lucid Optics has produced a fair variety of different optics over the years. Their current product catalog spans three models of rifle scopes, several red dots, a 4x prismatic optic, a spotting scope, a binocular option, and more. One recent addition is their E7 red dot model, initially announced a few months ago around SHOT Show’s timeframe. The E7 is a fully enclosed micro red dot using Aimpoint ACRO-style mounting. Its boxy shape also evokes the ACRO, along with similar competitors like the Holosun AEMS. The E7’s size makes it look like it could occupy a similar niche as the above-mentioned optics, serving as either a larger pistol-mounted unit or a relatively smaller option on a carbine. Get some additional details on the E7 in Lucid’s press release, copied below.

SIG SAUER‘s M17 and M18 handguns have been the US military’s official successors to the venerable Beretta M9 since 2017. Both of these 9mm models have been gradually phasing in with units across the branches over the last several years, with civilian-market versions also available for sale. These pistols feature an optics-cut slide as standard, and now SIG has developed a purpose-built optic to suit. Meet the new ROMEO-M17 red dot. Revealed a few months ago at SHOT Show, SIG has now advised that the ROMEO-M17 is coming soon and provided us with additional information about it. Check out the details in the press release copied below.

SIG Sauer has really made a concerted effort over the last decade or so to bring functional, practical, and sometimes even reasonably priced firearms and equipment to the market that cater to more than just military operators. One particular turning point that really indicated to me that SIG was adapting its product lineup for modern firearms audiences was when it released the P322 – probably one of my favorite firearms to be released in the last decade. This also leads to SIG’s M400 Series, their own turn-key offering to the DI AR-15 market. There are several different versions of the M400 each of which caters to slightly different firearms consumers ranging from those on a tight budget to those with hunting or even 3-Gun competition in mind. Our review subject of today is another sibling from the M400 family, the M400 SDI XSERIES. This specific M400 offering is SIG’s answer to those who want a bit more than the average budget AR-15 offers including some design cues taken from the SIG MCX-SPEAR platform.

The latest entry into the micro-red dot category of carry optics has just hit the scene, this time from Ruger. Ruger is proud to announce their new ReadyDot Micro Reflex Optic. The ReadyDot will use the Shield RMSc footprint which is common to the micro-compact 9mm category of firearms. What’s really interesting and unique about the Ruger offering is that it features no windage or elevation adjustments, a 15 MOA dot, and also uses no battery to power its dot. Instead, the Ruger ReadyDot relies on a fiber optic system similar to some prism optics to generate a visible dot that auto-adjusts based on ambient lighting.

Welcome to Friday Night Lights. For those of you who are new here, Friday Night Lights is a weekly column that focuses on the electro-optical side of firearms. I review night vision and thermal devices as well as accessories related to such topics. Today we take a look at the first high-definition thermal optic by InfiRay Outdoor. iRayUSA was kind enough to lend us their RS75 RICO HD which has a whopping 1280 resolution.  So let’s dive in and take a closer look.

AGM Global Vision presents the new Neith Digital Night Vision Scopes. According to AGM, it’s the optimal solution for budget-conscious hunters, with a desire to begin with night hunting. The display has full color during the day and black & white at night. Additional features include an integrated IR illumination, built-in video recording, detachable and rechargeable 18650 batteries, and the American Defense MFG (ADM) QD mount so you can attach it to your firearm. The camera sensor uses a 2560×1440 ultra-low light optical detector, which is displayed on a 1920×1080 OLED display inside the ocular. Thanks to the built-in long-range IR illuminator the detection range is claimed to be up to 400 meters. The AGM Neith DS32-4MP sells for $879.00, and the AGM Neith DC32-4MP costs $989.00.

If you recall from SHOT 2023, I came across Accufire at Industry Day At The Range aka Range Day. They were set up at the long-range bays and among their optics they were showing off the Omnis digital spotting scope. When I took a good look at it, I realized it was a hidden gem. I requested to review one and have been using it for a couple months. So let’s take a close look at the Accufire Omnis.

Reptilia Corp‘s bread and butter has long been optics mounts, although they do offer a menu of other products as well, including weaponlight bodies, AR-15 grips/stocks, and more. While many of their optics mounts focus on affixing backup/CQB red dots to riflescopes, the latest model delves into the world of combat shotgunning. Beretta’s 1301 has become the first word in tactical scatterguns, and the A300 model is popular as well. More shooters than ever are opting to add red dots on their shotguns, and Reptilia aims to help. Meet their new Saddle mount, which permits the fitting of an Aimpoint ACRO or Steiner MPS onto your Beretta 1301 or A300 shotgun. Read more in the official product release announcement below.

The Warner & Swasey name returns to the world of firearm optics with the RDSMicro MOA3 red dot sight. It features a proprietary 1.54″ mount, as well as integral backup iron sights on top of the optic. The RDSMicro MOA3 is exclusivley sold by Geissele.

German optics company Hensoldt have announced they are building a new factory at Oberkochen in southern Germany. Hensoldt plan for the new plant to be self sustaining with power provided by the company’s own renewable sources. The Company hope to move into their new location by 2025. They already have a facility in Oberkochen as well as in nearby Aalen and the new facility will expand the  HENSOLDT Optronics Campus.

Hi-Lux Optics offers a full range of optics for firearms, including a large selection of reproduction scopes for vintage rifles in their Malcolm lineup. One of the most interesting is the USMC 8x Gen II which is a modern take on the classic Unertl target scope. Let’s see how this revival of a legend performs.

As much stuff as we cover during SHOT Show, we somehow always manage to miss something cool that was launched at the show. One thing I just found out about is the new Samson Manufacturing AK-47 RSR2 or Rear Sight Rail. This all-steel mounting solution for the Aimpoint T-1 and T2 red dot sights is a simple direct mount option that allows the user to replace their AK-47 rear sight with an RDS compatible direct mount which also features a co-witness notch so that the front sight post can still be used in case the red dot fails or is off.

German Precision Optics has a new long-range hunting riflescope called SPECTRA 6X 4.5-27x50i. According to GPO, this model is perfect for hunting all North American game species, from small game to elk. The iCONTROL microdot lighting has been incorporated into the MOAi ballistic reticle, to aid with longer shots. The scope comes with a 30mm main tube, GPO bright lens coating technology, doubleHD objective lens technology, and PASSIONtrac zero-stop locking turrets with 1/4″ at 100 yards turret-adjustment. To help you change the magnification, there’s a removable magnification throw lever included.

Rangefinders are great for a number of different uses outdoors but here at TFB we mostly use them for measuring the distance to targets. While there are already a ton of great options on the market, more options are always better and that’s why Burris Optics is excited to announce its first handheld laser rangefinder with the introduction of the new Signature LRF 2000.

In the past five years, there has been an absolute boom in new micro-compact pistols. What followed was optics-ready models of those micro-compact pistols. With only a sparse amount of “micro-optics” and seldom in supply or at a feasible price point it was only a matter of time before other brands stepped up to the plate with their own offerings. Several footprints and types have made their mark in this timeframe but most are fragile and expensive. I am excited to say that now it is Vortex Optics’ turn in the spotlight. Today I am glad to introduce the Vortex Defender CCW 3 MOA Red Dot. Let’s dive right into my review!

The past few years have seen an absolute boom in micro-compact handguns and micro red dots to pair with them. I am happy to introduce the new Defender CCW Micro Red Dot from Vortex Optics. Their new red dot is touted as having one of the largest windows as far as micro red dots go. It features a rugged construction with an aspherical lens for a distortion-free sight picture and truer colors as well as a ShockShield™ Polymer Insert for shock absorption and added durability.

The Henry Big Boy Carbine series of rifles is one of the best options for those who like to shoot or hunt with these popular lever action rifles. However, the standard sights that come on the Henry Big Boy Carbines can leave a shooter with a sub-optimal sighting solution and that’s why XS Sights is proud to introduce their new Henry Big Boy Carbine Ghost Ring Sights for the .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum variants of the rifle. These ghost ring sights will feature fully adjustable windage and elevation, adding much-needed flexibility to the platform.

In this episode of TFBTV, James Reeves is at the Primary Arms booth during IWA 2023 to look at Primary Arms’ new high-quality budget optics for 2023, including new scopes for rifles, prism optics, and a new pistol optic using the ACSS reticle. Check today’s video for details.

The Frontier 34 first focal plane riflescopes from Hawke Optics come in either 3-18×50 or 5-30×56, and both come with two illuminated reticle options: Mil Pro Ext and MOA Pro Ext. Depending on the model, you can change the height of these riflescopes by up to 46 MRAD or 158 MOA. There are 11 levels of red illumination that light up the whole reticle, with off stops in between each level so you can quickly get back to your preferred brightness.  The price starts from $1429.

In this episode of TFBTV, James Reeves is at the CZ booth to visit Hakan Spuhr and check out his new BAM mount. According to Spuhr’s description:

Zero Compromise Optics released their first-ever all-around and hunting-focused riflescope at IWA OutdoorClassics last week. The final touches are still in the works, but it’s been named ZC Hunter 1.7-12×50 and you can see a “live” image of it below.

Recently Scandinavian Airguns changed its name to Scandinavian Arms, with the aim to offer premium shooting gear to airguns as well as normal firearms. In this move, they expanded beyond the airgun market and acquired the JET-01 firearms chassis system and accessories from Long Range Design (LRD Sweden).

The IWA exhibition in Germany is usually where Pulsar release their thermal front attachments, and this year is no exception. There is a new flagship model called Krypton 2 FXG50 with a thermal sensor of 640×480 pixels @12 µm. According to Pulsar, this device can detect a standard 1.8 m tall object at an extra-long 2300-meter distance in complete darkness, which will be displayed on the full-HD multicolor 1920×1080 pixel screen.

Pulsar Vison releases a long list of new thermals at IWA Outdoors in Nuremberg, Germany. The Pulsar Telos LRF XP50 is the first model in the new Telos series, using a European-made Lynred sensor that features 640×480 pixel resolution with 17 microns pixel pitch. But, apart from the design, the coolest thing is the NETD thermal sensitivity below 18 millikelvin, which is the lowest I’ve ever seen on a commercial device. The lower the value, the better the sensitivity.

The Firearm Blog is at IWA OutdoorClassics, the world’s leading trade fair for hunting, shooting sports, outdoor activities and security from 2 – 5 March 2023 in Nuremberg, Germany. InfiRay Outdoor brings a lot of products, and three new ones for the 2023 lineup, the ZH50V2, Tube SE and Thermal+ Dual.

In the world of pistols, the inclusion of a slide-mounted red dot is coming almost standard on most mainstream handgun models. Beretta is no exception with the APX A1 optics-ready model and there’s been a lot of buzz about this pistol. I decided to snag one and give it a fair shakedown to see what the APX A1 bundle is all about. After a few months and a decent amount of ammo through the gun, I now feel confident talking more about its performance so far. Let’s take a closer look at the Beretta APX A1 Optics Bundle.