Have you heard of Gideon Optics before? If not, you may want to check them out because they have some cool stuff coming out for handguns.
Finding optics at SHOT 2025 is like finding a gun, they are everywhere. But finding one that is a little different than what we are used to seeing, well that’s a different story.
A few years ago, enclosed emitter optics started becoming popular. Today, you see them side by side with open emitter optics; most companies offer both. At first, they were big and boxy looking, and some still are. I don’t mind the larger ones for PCCs or a rifle. But for a handgun, they have always been a little too bulky for me.
But this is 2025 and the trend this year appears to be small and compact. And that is just what the Valo Mini Micro Red Dot Sight is, small and compact.
Valor Mini Micro Red Dot from Gideon Optics
This isn’t the first micro-enclosed red dot to hit the market, but the overall size and features really stood out to me. It was designed with concealed carry in mind and fits perfectly on a Glock 48, 43, or 43X. That doesn’t mean it cannot be used on any other compact gun, but it’s like these two were made for each other.
According to Gideon Optics, it is parallax-free up to 33 yards with unlimited eye relief. That means there is no specific distance needed between the optic and your eye (like on a scope).
As I said before, one thing that has held me back somewhat with enclosed emitter optics is the bulky size. The Valor, however, is only 40.8 mm long, 25.5 mm wide, and 24.5 mm tall. In inches, that’s about 1.5 inches tall by less than one inch in width and height.
Using the RMSc footprint, it will work on a variety of compact handguns. If you choose, you can always use a Picatinny rail adaptor they make available too.
The Valor is made of 7075-T6 aircraft aluminum and MilSTD 1200g Shockproofing so you know it can take a beating. When it comes to water, the Valor has an IPX7 rating.
What makes it special?
Besides the compact size of the Valor, several other features made me like this optic. The first is the reticle options. For such a small optic, I never would have guessed it was a multi-reticle optic. You can choose from several reticle shapes including a dot only, a circle, a circle with a dot, etc.
Second, it has a side-loading battery which is always a nice feature. This means the optic does not have to be removed from the gun to change the battery. This is not an uncommon feature in traditional size optics, but for such a small optic it is surprising.
The Valor runs on a CR-1620 battery and according to the company can run for “tens of thousands of hours.” That number is a little vague, but I’m fine with anything that gets into the thousands.
Like many other optics today, it features an auto shut-off after 225 seconds. It automatically turns it on again when it senses motion. This will make sure you are maximizing the battery life.
The third feature is the reticle brightness, which again is nothing special for most optics. But I find a lot of micro-sized optics start losing some of these common features. This is mostly because of the size of the components they have to work with.
With the Valor, you get 10 brightness settings after selecting the reticle of your choice. And of course, because it is an enclosed emitter optics, the LED emitter is sealed up between the two pieces of glass.
This is why enclosed emitter optics have become so popular. If you get stuck shooting in the rain or an extremely dusty environment, you could have problems. These elements can mess up the emitter on an open emitter optic.
Lifetime warranty and trade-in deals
To sweeten the deal even more, Gideon Optics offers a lifetime warranty on their products and a trade-in program. The trade-in program allows you to trade in your old optic and get $50 back after purchasing your new optic. There are not too many companies offering to buy your old optics from you.
This doesn’t cover intentional damage or abuse, but that’s not a big deal for me. I’m hard on optics when I review them, but most of the time, they hold up just fine. This means everyday wear and tear shouldn’t be a problem.
Get the most out of conceal carry
There is a good argument to be made that most self-defense incidents take place at close ranges and optics are pointless. If a threat is a few feet in front of you, that’s true, you probably won’t be taking time to aim. But there have been cases when people needed to shoot from further away.
Having an optic this small will keep it from getting in the way or adding too much weight to your gun. And at the same time, it will be there if you ever need to take a shot from further away. It’s better to be safe than sorry, and this looks like a great optic to keep it safe.
