The evolution of firearms design will likely be related to accessories in the foreseeable future. We’ve hit a point where it’s tough to improve upon design. Sure, we can improve ergonomics here and simplify this, but I think what we see now is what we’ll get for now. We’ll see the most progress in optics, lights, and even magazines. SHOT Show is in the rear view mirror, and it seems like it’s the Year of The Mailbox.
Year of the Mailbox
The Mailbox is the quasi-affectionate name for enclosed emitter red dots. Every year, we see more and more enclosed emitter designs, but most aren’t doing anything new. They are, at best, a little cheaper than previous models. This year, we are seeing a new mailbox from Aimpoint and a new one from Primary Arms.
These are early releases, and sometimes new releases come in waves. With SHOT behind us, we might have a half dozen or so different enclosed emitters doing something different. With that in mind, let’s look at the two we’ve seen on Aimpoint and Primary Arms.
The Aimpoint COA
The Aimpoint COA seems to be the evolution of the ACRO. It’s smaller but has the same size window. The COA comes with a 3.5 MOA dot and will be built like a tank. Like most Aimpoint optics, it’s sealed against the environment and designed to face the world head-on. We get twelve brightness settings, four of which are NVD compatible. Battery life is supposed to be 50K hours at setting seven.
The COA uses a new, innovative mounting system along with a new optic cut called the A-Cut. Yeah, I’m sick of new optics cuts. We have too many as is. On the front and rear of the optic are two slight extensions. These extensions line up with ledges on the gun that are part of the A-Cut.
The front ledge slides in, and the optic sits on the gun and is then secured by screwing down the rear sight. I trust Aimpoint to make this work due to their reputation, and I hope I’m not wrong. The kicker is that this setup seems exclusive to Glock for the time being. I’m sure companies will crack the A-Cut, but from the factory, it’s a Glock-exclusive mailbox.
For more information, please visit Aimpoint.com.
The Primary Arms HTX-1
Primary Arms has also released a new dot, the HTX-1. The HTX-1 is an American-made optic that Primary Arms has been developing for years. This enclosed emitter mailbox has 11 brightness settings with 3-night vision settings. It has the Autolive, or what we all call Shake Awake, and we get 20,000 hours of battery life from a single 2032.
The reticle is 4 MOA, and the optic is made from 7075 aluminum. The mounting system is new, but you don’t have to worry about an optics cut. Primary Arms has developed a plate system to fit a wide variety of cuts. The plate attaches to the cut, and the optic attaches to the plate.
Nothing crazy, right? Well, the enclosed emitter design creates an interesting challenge. Instead of attaching downward to the plate, it attaches laterally to the sides. It’s similar to the Williams Low Reflex Sight and is novel for a handgun design.
For more information, please visit PrimaryArms.com.
The Mailbox
We are getting two new enclosed emitters, both with interesting mounting methods. It’s tough for me not to be excited. I like enclosed emitter optics and think they are the future of red dots for duty use. These designs simply take a small step forward for the concept.
I’m a bit more excited for the Primary Arms option. I like the mounting system and I don’t want to buy a new Glock to just use the new Aimpoint.
