The Defender-CCW is a small, light sight for carry guns. It’s really well thought out, with features shooters will appreciate.
February 13, 2024
By J. Scott Rupp
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The Defender-CCW is the latest offering from Vortex Optics, and it has tons to offer shooters whose carry guns have the Shield RMS/RMSc footprint or an adapter plate for same. It’s offered in three m.o.a. or six m.o.a. Since I’m in the “big dot” camp for defensive uses, I borrowed a six m.o.a. sight for review.
This sight is ready to roll right out of the gate. It comes with six sets of screws, which greatly simplifies the mounting process. The screws come in individual resealable plastic bags marked with screw size and what pistols they fit.
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Vortex supplies a shim for zeroing at less than 15 yards; an adapter to mount the sight on a Picatinny rail; and “one tool to rule them all” that works for the battery compartment, mounting screws and the windage and elevation adjustment screws.
The sight runs on a CR1632 battery and promises 9,500 hours of runtime on brightness setting six (of 10, including two night vision). Brightness controls consist of Up and Down buttons on opposite sides, and these buttons also control the auto-shutoff and a lockout mode to prevent accidental changes. The sight will wake up automatically if the sight is in auto-shutoff mode, and the manual lays out these procedures plainly and simply.
The body is made of 7075 aluminum and is 1.6 inches long. Weight is 0.95 ounce. The body has a polymer insert at the top to protect the sight when you inevitably bang it against something. The front face of the body is serrated so you can rack the pistol against any surface and also gives traction against your hand.
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I mounted the Defender-CCW on a Ruger Max-9; mounting and zeroing were a snap. I ran it through a number of drills. The aspherical lens is distortion free, and the dot is nice and clear. Brightness controls were easy to operate, and I always like being able to change a battery without removing the sight.
The folks at Vortex (VortexOptics.com ) obviously know their stuff when it comes to red dots. With the Defender-CCW, all the little things add up to a superb sight that will serve you well whether it’s your first red dot sight or you’re a dot veteran. It’s priced right at $350 suggested retail, $250 minimum advertised price.
