With the increasing popularity of “red dot” optical sights on handguns, SIG Sauer approached the market a bit differently than most manufacturers. The company developed its own line of optics in-house. For pistols, they’re the miniature reflex sight known as the Romeo1. It’s what you’ll find on the RX line of SIG Sauer pistols that come with optics pre-installed. They’re also available individually.
Not content to rest on their laurels, SIG engineers have been working on expanding and improving the Romeo 1. Two of them made their way to SIG’s Range Day event at this year’s SHOT Show.
The first is a 6-MOA version. That refers to the size of the dot that you use to aim when using the optic. The original Romeo 1 has a 3 MOA dot, which is often considered a good all-around size. I found the bigger dot of the new 6 MOA version to be a bit faster and easier to spot. What surprised me, though, was how crisp the dot was, with very well-defined edges even though I have mild astigmatism that normally cause dots to look like small starbursts. SIG Electro-Optics personnel tell us that they’ve been working with new coatings on the glass of the sight.
It’s available this month (at the same price as the original Romeo 1).
New coatings are also found on the new Romeo 1T. It’s an aluminum version of the 3-MOA Romeo 1 with a shroud to protect against rough handling. The developments aren’t just external though. SIG tells us to expect an impressive 25,000 hour battery life on them. The pre-production unit I shot was again a crisp, clear dot. We’re told to expect more details and pricing over the next few months.
