I’ve noticed some interesting threads on this site, and one in particular got me thinking about our everyday carry. Not long ago I completed an NRA Range Safety Officer (RSO) course, and soon I will be completing the USCCA Instructor Course. After a medical retirement from law enforcement, I missed the work and the opportunity to serve the community. Becoming an RSO allowed me to volunteer at my former union’s range, where we support both civilian and law enforcement training. This includes agency training days, CCW courses, home-defense classes, and more.
As I settled into that role, I started evaluating my everyday carry and experimenting with different optics and products for self-defense and survival. I reached out to Vortex Optics to explore distributor opportunities and to share my background in law enforcement, range safety, and mental health. They sent me the distributor documentation and even offered a 60-day trial of several units for testing (they let me pick whatever I wanted). I selected the following four optics:
• Defender ST — Green Dot
• Defender XL — Green Dot
• Defender CCW — Enclosed Solar Micro Red Dot
• Defender ST — Enclosed Solar Micro Red Dot
To date I’ve put just over 1,000 rounds through the test firearms and invited three other RSOs to evaluate the optics; they added roughly 200 rounds and shared their impressions. The firearms used for testing were:
• Gen 5 Glock 45 MOS — Defender ST (Green Dot)
• Gen 5 Glock 34 MOS — Defender XL (Green Dot)
• Ruger PC Charger — Defender CCW (Enclosed Solar Micro Red Dot)
• Ruger PC Carbine — Defender ST (Enclosed Solar Micro Red Dot)
Overall impressions: three of the four RSOs (myself included) favored the Defender ST (Enclosed Solar Micro Red Dot) and the Defender XL (Green Dot). One RSO preferred the Defender ST (Enclosed Solar Micro Red Dot) and the Defender ST (Green Dot). There was a consistent preference for the green dot as it tended to stand out against busy backgrounds, and allowing for faster target acquisition. That said, with the brightness increased, the difference would be negligible.
We did encounter two notable issues:
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Defender XL (Green Dot): On a few occasions (after approximately 200–300 rounds with that optic) the dot exhibited brief “bursting” behavior. Appearing like a tiny sunburst rather than a solid point. The effect cleared after a moment; however, every RSO who tested it observed the anomaly. It’s likely a manufacturer defect worth noting and I have since notified Vortex Optics of the issue.
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Defender CCW (Enclosed Solar Micro Red Dot): This unit felt small for the PC Charger and was difficult to acquire quickly on that platform. It’s more suitable for a subcompact handgun (e.g., Glock 26). However, I wasn’t able to test it on an MOS slide initially because it didn’t come with a mounting plate for that setup. I do have extra mounting plates at my residence, so expect a follow up on this optic with the Gen Glock 26 MOS.
I particularly enjoyed the Defender ST (Enclosed Solar) variant. The ability to switch reticles (for example, between an “O” and a dot) provided a useful reference that improved my speed and perceived accuracy. Battery life for the enclosed optics also impressed us: the enclosed models use both an external battery compartment and solar charging and are advertised at a much longer service life compared to the open-sight red dots (significant increases in estimated hours with battery and solar).
One minor usability note: on initial assembly the battery compartment required more torque than expected to make reliable contact. It’s possible that was user error or just cautious handling of loaner units, but I wanted to flag it.
Next steps: I plan to return to the range to retest these optics and will bring the proper MOS mounting plate to evaluate the Defender CCW on my Gen 5 Glock 26 MOS. I’m scheduled to run additional tests on October 18 and 19 at the earliest.
I’d appreciate your feedback on testing methods or specific scenarios you’d like me to run so my report is as useful as possible to the community. These optics are on a temporary trial and must be returned in roughly 45 days, so I want to prioritize tests that will provide the most meaningful information.
Please feel free to write your requests or questions below and I will do my best to get back to you on this.