Is Aimpoint ever going to design an optic comparable to an RMR?

[SavageBrew84]

I'm curious as to whether anyone has an answer to this? It seems that with the current trends of pistol optics becoming increasingly popular that Aimpoint would be coming to the table with their own platform. Instead they decide to continue miniaturizing an already incredibly reliable line of rifle optics when it would seem that they could put some of that R&D into a pistol format.

[C4IGrant]

I'm curious as to whether anyone has an answer to this? It seems that with the current trends of pistol optics becoming increasingly popular that Aimpoint would be coming to the table with their own platform. Instead they decide to continue miniaturizing an already incredibly reliable line of rifle optics when it would seem that they could put some of that R&D into a pistol format.

They did. It is called the Nano.


C4

[SavageBrew84]

Now that you mention it, I do remember reading about that, but wasn't it developed and only being sold with a B&T pistol? Not only that, but its been well over a year since that system was announced, so where is the product development at? IIRC, it still looked to be a little on the bulky side as well.

[C4IGrant]

Now that you mention it, I do remember reading about that, but wasn't it developed and only being sold with a B&T pistol? Not only that, but its been well over a year since that system was announced, so where is the product development at? IIRC, it still looked to be a little on the bulky side as well.

Currently, it can only be had on the USW. I think that will change, but cannot tell you when.


C4

[SavageBrew84]

Thanks for the heads up, if you happen to get any insider information on it, I'd love to hear about it.

BTW Grant, the new site looks great!

[C4IGrant]

Thanks for the heads up, if you happen to get any insider information on it, I'd love to hear about it.

BTW Grant, the new site looks great!

The insider info on this optic is that it was designed SPECIFICALLY at the request of B&T (which is also the reason you have the Aimpoint Micro). Since it was a purpose built optic, B&T has the sole source (in the form that you see it). Now that does not mean that Aimpoint won't make some changes to it and release it to the public.

Thanks for the feedback. My wife did all of the heavy lifting for it!


C4

[WickedWillis]

Grant, since I have not seen it or handled it in person, will they most likely have to slim it down to fit on conventional pistol slides, or do you know if they plan it as a do-all similar to the Micro line?

[SavageBrew84]

In case anybody wanted to get some hands-on time with one and had $2k to drop:

https://www.armsunlimited.com/USW-Universal-Service-Weapon-9mm-Pistol-w-Stock-p/bt-430001.htm

I still think this thing is way to big to remotely compete with the RMR market if Aimpoint was to start selling them individually.

[C4IGrant]

In case anybody wanted to get some hands-on time with one and had $2k to drop:

https://www.armsunlimited.com/USW-Universal-Service-Weapon-9mm-Pistol-w-Stock-p/bt-430001.htm

I still think this thing is way to big to remotely compete with the RMR market if Aimpoint was to start selling them individually.


It is bigger, but is nicer IMHO.

C4

[mebiuspower]

Aimpoint's argument on the RMR is it stops working as soon as snow/dirt gets between the LED and the glass.

[Outlander Systems]

Not trying to be an ass, but who cares?

If you need a red dot on a pistol, the RMR is the answer.


I'm curious as to whether anyone has an answer to this? It seems that with the current trends of pistol optics becoming increasingly popular that Aimpoint would be coming to the table with their own platform. Instead they decide to continue miniaturizing an already incredibly reliable line of rifle optics when it would seem that they could put some of that R&D into a pistol format.

[SavageBrew84]

Not trying to be an ass, but who cares?

If you need a red dot on a pistol, the RMR is the answer.

I suppose my curiosity as to why one of the biggest names in the red dot industry didn't have any skin in a game that seems to have taken off quite rapidly in the recent years. Blame it on my millennial hipsterism...

[mebiuspower]

I suppose my curiosity as to why one of the biggest names in the red dot industry didn't have any skin in a game that seems to have taken off quite rapidly in the recent years. Blame it on my millennial hipsterism...

I don't think Aimpoint will release something until it's ready for the market. Haven't we already forget all the battery contact issues RMRs were having until they released the Type 2 just few months ago?

[TAZ]

I don't think Aimpoint will release something until it's ready for the market. Haven't we already forget all the battery contact issues RMRs were having until they released the Type 2 just few months ago?

I think there is a lot of truth to this. Aimpoint pretty much owns the RDS market segment for long guns. They should not risk that business history by releasing any system that isn’t ready simply cause they have to have one to match Trijicon.

I’m sure if they ever release an even smaller variant of the T series it will be a hit and many, myself included, will consider it.

[mebiuspower]

I think there is a lot of truth to this. Aimpoint pretty much owns the RDS market segment for long guns. They should not risk that business history by releasing any system that isn’t ready simply cause they have to have one to match Trijicon.

I’m sure if they ever release an even smaller variant of the T series it will be a hit and many, myself included, will consider it.

I had the same question as SavageBrew84 so I went to Sweden last month, met with the Aimpoint CEO and asked him that directly. They've been in the RDS business for 40 years they sure do know what they're doing.

[Outlander Systems]

Shrinking the T/H's would be a bad idea.

The T/H series has a smaller field of view and is much less forgiving on presentation than an RMR.

48689


I think there is a lot of truth to this. Aimpoint pretty much owns the RDS market segment for long guns. They should not risk that business history by releasing any system that isn’t ready simply cause they have to have one to match Trijicon.

I’m sure if they ever release an even smaller variant of the T series it will be a hit and many, myself included, will consider it.

[TAZ]

Shrinking the T/H's would be a bad idea.

The T/H series has a smaller field of view and is much less forgiving on presentation than an RMR.

48689

Agree, but they need something with a smaller footprint that the T/H series. If they had a similar field of view as the T/H in a shorter in length and height above the slide it would be a hit IMO.

The RMR is definitely not CCW optimized. Those ears tend to protrude and print for me. I’m sure the extra 30# I’m carrying around my waist isn’t the issue :). Not that the little bump screams gun or anything, but a rounded window would work better.

Half moon about the height of the RMR with of the same OAL and a sealed emitter would be cats meow.

[nate89]

Agree, but they need something with a smaller footprint that the T/H series. If they had a similar field of view as the T/H in a shorter in length and height above the slide it would be a hit IMO.

The RMR is definitely not CCW optimized. Those ears tend to protrude and print for me. I’m sure the extra 30# I’m carrying around my waist isn’t the issue :). Not that the little bump screams gun or anything, but a rounded window would work better.

Half moon about the height of the RMR with of the same OAL and a sealed emitter would be cats meow.

From my understanding the ears were specifically designed as pillars to take impacts and move the stress of those impacts away from the glass and down the sides of those pillars. I have seen other red dots on pistols crack the glass at 12 o'clock for that exact reason-impacts to the top of the dot were transmitted into the glass and caused cracking.

[Outlander Systems]

Correct. Generally speaking, arcs are stronger than straight beams under loading.

[TAZ]

From my understanding the ears were specifically designed as pillars to take impacts and move the stress of those impacts away from the glass and down the sides of those pillars. I have seen other red dots on pistols crack the glass at 12 o'clock for that exact reason-impacts to the top of the dot were transmitted into the glass and caused cracking.

This is my understanding as well. Caveat being that I don’t think the RMR was intended/designed for pistols. So the impact energy it needed to handle was considerably larger aka rifle falling on it vs a handgun falling.

I’m sure (hopeful) these are the issues that Aimpoint is addressing.

[SavageBrew84]

They should not risk that business history by releasing any system that isn’t ready simply cause they have to have one to match Trijicon.

I wasn't implying they should be rushing a product to market simply to compete with a competitor. Red dots on pistols have been in use for some time now in the competition world, granted that market isn't large enough to build an entirely new optic around. That being said, I would imagine that with the amount of interest in pistol mounted optics becoming ever so popular that they might have seen the trends and began working on a realistic competitor. People like having options to choose from and I would imagine having the Aimpoint name in the mix would certainly generate quite a stir in that community.

[mebiuspower]

I wasn't implying they should be rushing a product to market simply to compete with a competitor. Red dots on pistols have been in use for some time now in the competition world, granted that market isn't large enough to build an entirely new optic around. That being said, I would imagine that with the amount of interest in pistol mounted optics becoming ever so popular that they might have seen the trends and began working on a realistic competitor. People like having options to choose from and I would imagine having the Aimpoint name in the mix would certainly generate quite a stir in that community.

Keep in mind they're a mil/LE focused company. There were about a dozen skids in shipping ready to go out to the US Army when I was there.

https://www.aimpoint.com/news/aimpoint-receives-us-army-contract-for-optical-sights/

[SavageBrew84]

Keep in mind they're a mil/LE focused company. There were about a dozen skids in shipping ready to go out to the US Army when I was there.

https://www.aimpoint.com/news/aimpoint-receives-us-army-contract-for-optical-sights/

No doubt they have contracts to fill, but the company has been around 40 years and the military didn't start using them until the 90's, meaning they were developing optics for sport shooters and hunters first. Needless to say, I'm sure that they wouldn't have been able to develop their R&D the way they have without the money they have garnered from .mil contracts. So, again, why not work on something other than having to use a T/H on a 6 second mount yet when they already have the bombproof optics to fill those other roles?