Looking for modifications to deck out your Glock?
Congratulations! Your search has brought you to the right place. In this review, we will be featuring the best Glock reflex and red dot sights on the market 2024.
One of the first steps into customizing your pistol is upgrading to one of the best Glock reflex or red dot sights (RDS). This is a game-changer for your Glock because it brings a new dynamic to your aiming and firing.
Already used to iron sights?
Not a problem!!
With a little practice, you will be just as quick with the red dot as you are with iron sights. Perhaps even faster in low-light or long-range situations.
We’ll start with a quick comparison chart to help you distinguish what features are important to you, before moving on to the in-depth reviews.
So let’s get going and find the best red dot for your Glock…
Contents
- 1 Best Glock Reflex and Red Dot Sights Comparison Chart
- 2 Top 5 Best Glock Reflex and Red Dot Sights Reviews
- 2.1 1 Burris Fastfire III
- 2.2 2 Ade Advanced Optics RD3-009-2 – Best Budget Glock Reflex and Red Dot Sight
- 2.3 3 Trijicon – RMR Type 2 RM07 – Best Premium Glock Reflex and Red Dot Sight
- 2.4 4 Vortex Venom 1×26.5mm – Best Value for the Money Glock Reflex and Red Dot Sight
- 2.5 5 Leupold DeltaPoint Pro – Most Technically Advanced Glock Reflex and Red Dot Sight
- 3 Best Glock Reflex and Red Dot Sights Buyers Guide
- 4 So, what are the Best Glock Reflex and Red Dot Sights?
Best Glock Reflex and Red Dot Sights Comparison Chart
Name | Operation | Brightness Cycle | Reticle Size | Parallax | Tinting | Auto Shut Off | Co-Witnessing | Battery Compartment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Also Great Burris Fastfire III View Price | Operation Single button | Brightness Cycle Auto, lowest to highest | Reticle Size 3-8 MOA | Parallax None | Tinting Blue | Auto Shut Off None | Co-Witnessing No | Battery Compartment Topside |
Also Great Ade Advanced Optics RD3-009-2 View Price | Operation Two buttons | Brightness Cycle Auto, lowest to highest | Reticle Size 5 MOA | Parallax None | Tinting Blue | Auto Shut Off 4-hours | Co-Witnessing No | Battery Compartment Bottom side |
Also Great Trijicon - RMR Type 2 RM07 View Price | Operation One button on each side | Brightness Cycle On at medium | Reticle Size 6.5 MOA | Parallax None | Tinting Red | Auto Shut Off NO | Co-Witnessing Yes | Battery Compartment Bottom side |
Best Choice Vortex Venom 1x26.5mm Red Dot Sight View Price | Operation Two buttons | Brightness Cycle Lowest to highest | Reticle Size 3 MOA | Parallax None | Tinting Red | Auto Shut Off 8-hours | Co-Witnessing No | Battery Compartment Topside |
Also Great Leupold DeltaPoint Pro View Price | Operation Single button/shake to wake | Brightness Cycle Lowest to highest | Reticle Size 3-5 MOA | Parallax None | Tinting None | Auto Shut Off NO | Co-Witnessing With after-market rear sight | Battery Compartment Topside |
Top 5 Best Glock Reflex and Red Dot Sights Reviews
1
Burris Fastfire III
Starting off at Redfield, Don Burris gained 12 years of optic engineering before founding his own company in 1971. He believed that he could provide better optics than the competition, and in many ways, he did.
One such example is the Burris Fastfire III. This is a quick-setup and easy-to-use reflex sight with pinpoint accuracy. And it can be used as a primary sight on a pistol of a shotgun or as a secondary on a rifle.
Quick as a flash…
The bright 3 MOA or 8 MOA red dot reticle is easily distinguished and catches your eye for quick target acquisition. Powered by a single battery, you have hours of constant-on at the highest brightness settings.
To use the red dot, you simply press the switch, and the sight will use its auto-brightness mode. Then you can press it again to cycle through different intensity settings, starting from brightest to dimmest.
Battery strength warning…
There is also an automatic off feature that will de-activate the light after being on for more than eight hours. When the battery gets low, the red dot sight will blink every five seconds, so you know when you need to change the battery.
The windage and elevation are easy to adjust without the need for tools. The battery compartment is also topside installed. This is an advantage because you don’t have to take the red dot sight off the slide or mount to reinstall the battery.
One thing to note is that it Burris Fastfire III rides a little higher on the slide due to the mount plates so your red dot and your iron sights won’t co-witness.
Is it a problem?
Not really. But some shooters prefer to have the red dot as low as possible to align with the iron sights.
Pros
- Topside battery compartment.
- Fits perfectly with the Glock slide width.
- Large Window.
- Includes RDS hood.
- Affordable.
- Auto-brightness setting.
- 3 and 8 MOA reticles available.
Cons
- Red Dot doesn’t co-witness iron sights.
- Blueish tint.
- Thin frame.
2
Ade Advanced Optics RD3-009-2 – Best Budget Glock Reflex and Red Dot Sight
New to the shooting industry, Ade Advanced Optics earned most of their experience by working as a private manufacturer for major retailers. However, they realized they could make a bigger impact by providing affordable, high-quality products and have done well in the global market.
Their RD3-009 is an affordable red dot sight that is multi-faceted for all types of firearms and comes with a rail mount for standard Picatinny rails. However, you will need to find after-market mounting plates for the pistol model you plan to set the red dot on.
Minimizes parallax…
The lens is 0.5mm thick, which reduces parallax to a minimum. There is a slight magnification, but it doesn’t bother most shooters that much. The lens also has a slight blueish tint, but this helps the red dot stand out more from the target.
The 5 MOA reticle is powered by a single CR2032 battery, which is installed underneath, so you’ll have to unmount the red dot when it’s time to replace the battery.
Simple to use…
A single button is used to operate this red dot. You press and hold to turn it on, and it will start at its highest intensity level, and each press will cycle down through its six brightness settings before turning off. There is also a 4-hour auto-off feature that is helpful to preserve battery life.
Windage and elevation can be fully adjusted and locked in place with tools provided in the box. Another great feature is that the RD3-009-2 is fully water and fog-proof, making it suitable for the toughest of environments.
Pros
- Thin lens.
- Weatherproof.
- Includes Picatinny rail mount.
- 4-hour auto shut off.
Cons
- Under-battery compartment.
- Doesn’t include mounting plates.
- Slight magnification.
- Sights don’t co-witness.
- Blueish tint.
3
Trijicon – RMR Type 2 RM07 – Best Premium Glock Reflex and Red Dot Sight
One of the biggest names in the sport shooting and outdoor optics industries would be Trijicon. You most definitely heard this name before, no matter what type of shooting you are into. Best known for their durable and combat-ready optics, Trijicon has delivered optics to the military and law enforcement since 1987.
The Trijicon RMR (Ruggedized Miniature Reflex) Type 2 is the pistol version of the RMR, which was originally made for rifles. The iconic look of the red dot is the concave shape of the frame rather than it being convex, which adds to the red dot’s durability. Much of its strength also comes from the high-quality aluminum used to help reduce weight.
Four-year battery life…
The RMR is also easy to operate and has eight brightness settings that can be increased by pressing the right side button or use the left to lower the brightness. Even though the battery compartment is underneath the red dot, you won’t be changing the battery very often because the RMR has a battery life of 4-years on the medium intensity from just one CR2032 battery.
But there are a few issues…
The rugged design and the added strength does make the dot hang over the edge of the slide, but only slightly. The biggest fault would be that the windage and elevation turrets that have no audible clicks, which can make it difficult to detect any adjustments.
In addition, the LED emitter is exposed. So if you ever find yourself in a situation where your pistol gets dirty, then there is a chance that dust or mud could hinder the emitter and therefore result in you looking through an empty window.
Pros
- High-quality.
- Durable and weatherproof.
- Lens coating.
- 4-year battery life.
- Large buttons.
- Zero parallax.
- Large 6.5 MOA reticle.
Cons
- Under battery compartment.
- Mounting plates not included.
- Emitter can get blocked.
- Silent windage and elevation adjustments.
4
Vortex Venom 1×26.5mm – Best Value for the Money Glock Reflex and Red Dot Sight
Vortex is one of the better mid-range optic brands. Although they aren’t as reliable and durable as Trijicon or Holosun, they certainly get the job done for less than half the cost. Vortex is currently entering their fifth decade in the outdoor industry and has satisfied countless customers around the world.
So, let’s see how this red dot from the company performs…
The Vortex Venom has an iconic flared 26.5mm objective giving it a wide field of view, making it easier to find the reticle. The reticle is 3 MOA, so it’s not so big that it covers close range targets, but also large enough to accurately hit targets 50-60 yards away.
To add strength and clarity, the lens is covered with a layer of ArmorTek coating. Even though the company claims that this is parallax free, there is always going to be a slight magnification, but this is hardly noticeable.
Easy to operate…
The battery compartment is on the top side, which is preferred by many shooters as it makes changing the battery much easier. Using a single CR1632 battery, it powers the red dot’s ten brightness settings and can be easily adjusted on the left side of the dot. In addition, there is an 8-hour auto shut off feature to save battery.
Rugged and reliable…
Its large window does make it slightly fragile, but the aluminum alloy body does a good job of protecting it from recoil and general outdoor incidents. Also, the hard-anodized finish adds to its durability and makes it rugged enough for field usage.
If you ever find yourself in bad weather, the red dot isn’t something you need to worry about. The Vortex Venom is waterproof up to 1 meter and is shock and fog proof thanks to the coating.
Pros
- Wide field of view.
- Top battery compartment.
- Auto brightness mode.
- Weatherproof.
- Parallax free.
- Includes Picatinny mount.
- Mid-range pricing.
Cons
- Silent adjustment
5
Leupold DeltaPoint Pro – Most Technically Advanced Glock Reflex and Red Dot Sight
Leupold introduced their first scope in 1947 due to an incident with a foggy hunting scope. Since then, the company continued to expand their range and have become one of the most renowned high-end manufacturers of premium optics.
Coming from one of the leading optic brands, the DeltaPoint Pro delivers more than just a red dot. Starting with the lens, the extra-large objective lens makes shooting faster and easier.
Crystal clear…
Unlike many others, there is no obvious tinting on the lens, which gives the satisfaction of looking through clear glass and seeing your red dot. This does affect the battery life, but it is well worth it. There is no parallax, and no obvious magnification and the eye relief is up to infinity, making it ideal for a wide range of firearms.
Another great feature is the single button, which also functions as the battery compartment cap. This can be pressed to cycle through the ten brightness settings going from dimmest to brightest and vice versa. Rarely seen is also the shake-to-wake feature that helps preserve battery life and also making sure you will always have a red dot when you need it.
The thick housing is made from an aluminum alloy that is both strong and robust enough to protect the large window as well as keeping it shockproof. The audible and well-defined clicks of the windage and elevation also enhance the shooter’s experience and helps identify each MOA click.
Pros
- No tint.
- Positive clicks.
- Shake to wake.
- Thick housing.
- Top battery compartment.
Cons
- Slow to cycle settings
- No Auto-brightness feature.
Before concluding, there are a few things to take note of before buying a red dot sight. Some issues are probably points you already knew about, but here just a short section of things to keep in mind when buying a red dot sight.
Best Glock Reflex and Red Dot Sights Buyers Guide
Making the jump from iron sights to a reflex and red dot sight is more than just adding a fancy optic to your Glock. It is actually about enhancing your long-range, low-light, and speed-shooting skills.
Your Glock may already have the best internals and functionality, but there is still a need for reflex sights.
Field of View
Therefore, the first thing you need to consider is the size of the window or the field of view. A smaller field of view keeps the Glock low-profile. Since you’ll be shooting with your dominant hand, looking for the red dot becomes faster. You’ll be seeing the target with a red dot rather than looking through a lens and finding the target.
However, a wide objective lens is an excellent option for those new to using a red dot because it takes practice to find the red dot through the lens. Also, if you are a competitive shooter, there might be times when you’ll have to shoot with your off-hand, so finding the red dot will take more time if the window is smaller.
Next is the purpose of the reflex sight…
If you are going to use it as a range optic, then performance and precise adjustments may well have a higher priority than durability and battery life. Whereas, if you intend to use it for home defense, then you’ll probably want a rugged red dot that will function without fail regardless of the circumstances.
Additional extra features…
Lastly, there are a few smaller things that might be important to you, like the tinting of the lens, the magnification, reticle size, or even the tactile clicks of the windage and elevation. These things may be less important to many shooters, but if they’re on your wishlist, then you might have a more limited selection of red dots available.
Also, things like the battery compartment. Whether you prefer them on the top or bottom, it doesn’t change the functionality of the red dot, but it may be important to you?
Looking for some Comparisons between Glocks and other Superb Pistol Choices?
If so, check out our Glock 43 vs MP Shield, our Sig Saur P320 vs Glock 19, and our Glock 26 vs Glock 43 comparisons.
Or you may be interested in our in-depth review of the Glock 43X and our Glock 19 Gen 4 review.
Also, if you need a red dot for some of your other firearms, take a look at our reviews of the Best Red Dot Sights for Shotguns currently available.
So, what are the Best Glock Reflex and Red Dot Sights?
Every product that we’ve covered in this review would be a great choice for your Glock, but only one can truly be the winner. And that is the…
This is because it provides the basic needs of a reflex sight without being too budget and still features high-quality glass and a durable chassis. The wide but not too large window helps you learn how to shoot a Glock with an optic and looks and performs fantastically.
The battery is easy to install, and it comes with an auto-brightness setting.
Trijicon and Leupold have the advantages of brand name, reliability, and durability. However, you will end up paying more than double the price of the Vortex Venom. Also, the warranty on the Vortex is far superior because the company has a replacement and no questions asked policy, whereas the others may take some time fixing and replacing their products.
But bear in mind that this choice is based on features compared to the cost. If you are going to place your life on the line with a red dot for home defense, then the Trijicon or Leupold will do a better job.
Happy and safe shooting.