Going Green With the Viridian RFX 45 Reflex Sight

  I had used red dot reflex optics for several years before I discovered that the red dot itself is supposed to appear sharp-edged. That was a shock, because the red dots I saw were always blurry and frequently displayed tiny flares or eruptions along the edges. But an article I read explained that, no, the dot itself should look precise. Unless one suffered from astigmatism, which is usually when the front surface of the eye, known as the cornea, is irregularly shaped. Instead of being completely rounded, corneas affected by astigmatism are more egg-shaped, resulting in blurry vision. Astigmatism is very common, and in most cases corrective lenses resolve the issue. However, even when you wear glasses, as I do, astigmatism can still blur the color red. With my particular astigmatism, I’ve found that a green dot is much more precise than a red one. None of that blurriness or “starburst” effect. Which eventually brought me to Viridian Weapon Technologies viridianweapontech.com, experts in designing and building reflex optics with green dots, located in Maple Plain, Minnesota.

The Viridian RFX 45 closed emitter reflex optic and the unit’s 5 MOA green dot reticle work amazingly well for my eyes. The unit also features precise controls and came with a number of different mounts to easily fit onto my firearms. The housing of the RFX 45 is machined from 6061 aluminum, the lenses are fully multi coated, and the sight features Viridian’s INSTANT-ON activation with memory and auto shut off. Battery life is rated as 50,000 hours for one CR2032 lithium battery. I mounted the RFX 45 on one of my favorite pistols, the PSD manufactured by FK BRNO of the Czech Republic, and imported to the USA exclusively by the Italian Firearms Group italianfirearmsgroup.com/fk-brno/. The PSD is chambered in FK BRNO’s proprietary 7.5 FK, essentially a .30 caliber round leaving the muzzle at an impressive 2,000 feet per second. 

That speed gives the round and the pistol self-defense and hunting capabilities. The semi-automatic PSD is a polymer-framed single action, sporting a 5.3-inch barrel and a rear beaver tail. It’s a stout pistol, too, coming in at 38.8 ounces unloaded, which helps reduce overall recoil, too. A light or laser attaches to the under barrel rail. The trigger on my PSD measured an average of just under 3 pounds of trigger pull, with a slight take-up. The 7.5 FK magazines hold 16 rounds, for overall capacity of 16+1.  I got a little fancy and added Viridian’s C5L compact green laser sight and light. The light puts out some 650 lumens, and the unit can provide multiple light and laser modes, including Low, Medium, and High Light, plus Laser-only and Strobe options.

At my outdoor range, I first zeroed the PSD and RFX 45 at 12 yards from a rest. For ammunition I used FK BRNO’s DSE (Dynamic Shock Effect) launching a 101-grain, all copper bullet.    My first two shots were a little high and right (circled in red in photograph). I adjusted the elevation on the RFX down several clicks and fired again (blue outline), and my shots hit lower. Last, I gave the windage control several clicks to the left and then fired five shots (green outline). The pistol was on! I then fired rounds offhand at eight yards. With the green dot showing strong and crisp, I drilled several groups of 1.0-inches and under. Next, I zeroed the C5L’s green laser using the unit’s windage and elevation controls. The green laser popped nice and bright, even in sunlight, and I was soon on target.  

Using only the laser I moved to eight yards and shooting offhand, put 11 rounds into a Dual Zone Silhouette Target from Caldwell Shooting Supplies. In a self-defense situation, actually aiming might take more time than is safe. But with the C5L in the laser mode, all one has to do is place the tip of the laser on the intended target and fire. As with the RFX, the laser green dot was sharp.

The RFX 45 isn’t only for handguns. I mounted the sight on a Homesteader carbine rifle chambered in 9mm and manufactured by Henry Repeating Arms. The RFX 45 easily got me on target out to 50 yards.   Now, some people have a form of astigmatism where even a green dot will be blurry. So,  green is no guarantee. But for this shooter and hunter, green is so much clearer than red, there’s really no comparison. Whenever I get an assignment to review a reflex sight, I ask if there’s a green dot option. Frequently, there isn’t. People in the optics industry tell me that green dot optics are more expensive to produce than the red versions. Which may be a factor in limiting the number of green dots available.    

Another potential downside of green, according to the people at Primary Arms blog.primaryarms.com/guide/red-vs-green-dot-sights-for-astigmatism/ is that green dots require more battery power than red dots. So, batteries don’t last as long in a green dot unit, though many green dots can still last for 25,000+ hours on a single battery. As noted, Viridian rates the battery life on the RFX 45 at 50,000 hours. With the unit’s AUTO OFF feature, the reflex sight should provide years of use on a single battery. Green is the way to go for me!