I wasn’t very familiar with Gideon Optics until I saw them at TriggrCon a few years ago. Since then, I have been using and loving their stuff. I had been wanting to try out the Omega green dot handgun optic, and the Ruger RXM was on my radar after seeing it at SHOT. It only made sense to me to pair them up and give the RXM and Omega a spin.
I’m not sure what causes me to like a specific optic on specific guns. Most of the time, when I mount an optic on a handgun or rifle, I either love it or hate it on that gun. Half of the time, I can’t really come up with a good explanation as to why. This is probably a combination of personal preferences on guns and optics, as everyone likes different combinations of the two.
When I mounted the Omega to the RXM, I was trying to review the RXM, with plans to review the Omega later on a different gun. But I like the pair so well, I’ve decided to leave the Omega on the RXM for now.
Here is a quick rundown of the Omega green dot from Gideon Optics.
The Omega Green Dot
The Gideon Omega Green Dot stood out to me from the beginning because of its rounded-top frame. I generally like more of a square-shaped optic, but this one really stood out to me.
And it’s not just about looks; the Omega is a great quality optic that has been performing well on the RXM pistol.
It has a circle reticle, meaning there is a 3 MOA dot with a larger circle around it. This style of reticle is perfect for rapid target acquisition without overwhelming the sight picture.
The housing is constructed from 6061-T6 aluminum, so it’s light and durable.
It uses a standard RMR footprint, so it’s compatible with a lot of popular handguns, including the RXM, but we will talk more about that shortly.
The Omega green dot runs on a CR1632 battery and has a runtime of up to 20,000 hours on a medium setting. There are 10 brightness settings, with the top two settings optimized for daytime visibility and the lowest two compatible with night vision.
Gideon made the battery system top-loading so it’s simple and quick to swap out the battery. Another feature I really like is the auto On/Off function. In today’s world, I’m not sure why some manufacturers still make optics without this feature, but prefer it.
Specs
- Reticle: 3 MOA green dot
- Footprint: RMR
- Battery Type: CR1632
- Battery Life: Up to 20,000 hours
- Brightness Settings: 10 (including night vision)
- Construction: 6061-T6 aluminum
- Waterproof: Up to 1 meter for 30 minutes
Operating the Omega Green Dot
Operating the Omega Green Dot is straightforward. To turn it on, simply press the “up” arrow. To adjust the brightness, use the up/down arrows. To turn it off, press and hold the down arrow.
For me, it’s also a perk that the Omega has a green dot. This, of course, is a preference, but I tend to like green dots better than red.
Sighting in the optic is done via the windage and elevation adjustment dials, with each providing 1 MOA per click. To zero the optic, fire a three-shot group, assess the point of impact, and adjust accordingly. The dial clicks are audible, so it’s easy to fine-tune it in the field.
I started at 7 yards and then went to 25. On some of my handguns, I sight them in out to 50 yards, but on most mid-size handguns, I keep it at 25.
The Ruger RXM
When Ruger announced the release of the RXM, I’ll admit I wasn’t too excited about another Glock clone pistol. Not because I don’t like them, but because everyone has made their version of the same gun. After a while, you kind of get a little bored with them, right?
But once I realized Ruger was making a removable fire control system, I got a little more excited. Could it be that someone made a Glock clone that was different? The answer was yes, and it’s a fantastic design.
Because they partnered with Magpul to make the lower frame (grip module), you can easily swap out the grip for a different color. The RXM is a Glock 19-sized gun, and soon, you will also be able to purchase different sizes of grip modules, which is why this design is so cool.
To see a full review of the RXM, check out my article, “Ruger RXM Handgun: Why This Glock Clone is Different.”
A Perfect Match for the RXM?
Mounting the Omega Green Dot on the Ruger RXM is incredibly simple thanks to the RXM’s drop-in pin system. As I mentioned before, the Omega uses the RMR footprint. Once I removed the optics cover on the slide, I dropped pins in the need holes for an RMR footprint.
The Omega green dot overhangs the sides of the RXM slide just a little. This would normally bother me, but in this case, I kind of like the look of it.
We all know that an optic, however, is only as good as it works, not how it looks. I haven’t used a lot of drop-in pin systems in the past, so I wanted to make sure the optic stayed sighted in.
AmmoToGo.com provided 500 rounds of 124 grain FMJ MAXX Tech ammo for this review, so a big thanks for the ammo and the fast shipping!
I ran a few drills with the RXM and Gideon combo, ranging from 10-25 yards. After 500 rounds, the Omega was still zeroed and working great. I’ll keep tabs on how it does as I continue to fire more ammo through it over time.
A practical combo for real-world defense
After using the RXM and Omega green dot, I can easily say this is a great self-defense setup. The Omega isn’t overly bulky but still has a large enough window view so that it’s easy to find your targets. The green dot with a circle around it is a perfect combo for defensive target acquisition.
The RXM has been shooting great, and I’m excited to see what Magpul variations become available over time. Switching out the grip module took me about 6 minutes.
So far, every holster for my Glock 19 that I have tried works with the RXM. I would still check for compatibility before purchasing, but it looks like they will work in the same holsters.
