More and more shooters are seeing the benefit of adding an optic to their defensive handgun. The hugely popular Carry Optics division of the United States Practical Shooting Association is evidence of that. So too is the USPSA’s Pistol Caliber Carbine division. The benefit of a red dot on a gun is that it eliminates the need to line up sights. Both the red dot and the target are on the same focal plane. This makes getting hits as easy as placing the dot on the target. Micro red dots have become popular and have spawned an intense competition among manufacturers with sights getting smaller, lighter and cheaper. The most recent red dot I’ve had a chance to examine is the Riton X3 Tactix PRD (Pistol Red Dot).
Riton X3 Tactix PRD
At the recent Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous held in Driggs, Idaho, I ran into Tony Tarantino, a fellow Arizona resident and longtime industry professional. Tarantino is Riton’s newly hired marketing manager and he took a few minutes to walk myself and editor Nino Bosaz through the line of optics. Picking up the X3 I was immediately impressed with its sharp and well-defined dot. Measuring just 1.8 inches wide and just slightly wider than an inch, the X3 weighs a barely perceptible 1.4 ounces.
Tarantino explained that Riton sells the X3 with a Picatinny mount already attached. If you’re looking for an optic for your AR all you need to do is place it on your Picatinny rail and tighten the screw. Though many will use the sight for a pistol caliber carbine, Tarantino says that will easily handle 5.56 and .308 recoil without any issues. In fact, it is constructed with shock-proof technology designed to stand up to 800G impacts! Also included with the X3 is an RMR-style plate to make the sight compatible with most optics-ready pistol slides.
Built Tough
The sight’s body is machined from 6061 aluminum and then hard coat anodized. Riton’s design includes an integral back-up rear sight. Another innovative design feature includes its easily accessible, top mounted battery. This design facilitates quick and easy battery changes without the need to remove the sight from the weapon which will necessitate re-zero. Not that you’ll be making battery changes very often as the X3 uses a CR2032 battery that should power the unit for an astonishing 40,000 hours! That’s approximately 4.5 years for a very cheap battery that you can find in any grocery or drug store. The X3’s four-hour automatic shut off aids in saving battery life.
Riton placed two rubber-covered buttons on the left side of the X3. Pressing the + button once turns the unit back on after a 4-hour shut off. When the unit comes back on it will be at the same intensity level it was on before the shut off. There are six different intensity levels that will suit nearly all light scenarios and the X3 is night vision compatible. To turn the X3 off simply press the – button and hold it down for 4 seconds to extinguish the dot.
Like most optics companies, Riton has the X3 manufactured in China. Tarantino mentioned Riton uses Japanese glass because of its high quality. The lens features an anti-reflective coating for brighter, distortion-free views. Unlike most other companies, Riton offers a no-hassle, lifetime warranty on their products. Said Tarantino, “Unless the optic has obvious signs of abuse we’ll replace any product with a new, not refurbished or repaired, product within 48 hours!”
For more information, visit ritonoptics.com.
Riton X3 Tactix PRD
- Eye Relief: Unlimited
- Parallax: Free
- Overall Length: 1.8 inches
- Width: 1.2 inches
- Overall Weight: 1.4 ounces
- Construction: 6061 Aluminum, Hardcoat Anodized
- Battery Type: CR2032
- Battery Life: 40,000 hours
- Magnification: 1X
- Windage, Elevation Adjustments: 45 MOA
- Dot Size: 3 MOA
- MSRP: $299
