Chad Wallace

November 3, 2023

Gideon Optics Judge

Chad Wallace

November 3, 2023

Another red dot sight manufacturer has entered the arena. This new sight company is Gideon Optics. Gideon has come on the market strong with an assortment of micro and mini red, and green, dot sights. I’ve known the owner of this new optics company for some years now, so I am excited to get into the “Judge” red dot that they sent out for review. The Judge is Gideon’s micro red dot reflex sight and uses the RMSc mounting footprint.

When the Judge arrived, I was excited to mount it up. Part of the reason I was excited is because I was looking for a red dot for my G43ish carry gun. The Judge fit that bill nicely as my G43 slide was already cut for a RMSc style sight. The other half of the excitement came from the Judge's auto on/off ability. In today's market, I see no reason why a red dot shouldn’t be auto on/off. Gideon also includes 4 different pairs of mounting screws. So you should have something that fits. More important, in my opinion, is that Gideon also includes a sealing plate with the Judge. This is important since the Judge uses a bottom load battery. The sealing plate does just that, it seals the battery from moisture and dust.

The Judge has an option for either a red or green dot. I chose the red dot because my eyes just seem to pick it up faster. The Judge uses a 3 MOA dot size, which is a good size for all around use. If you have an astigmatism, like I do, the dot will probably look larger because of the “flare”. Don’t worry, the Judge’s dot is fairly clear in pictures, so I know it’s me and not the sight. To adjust the 10 brightness settings, the Judge has a brightness up button on the left side and a brightness down button on the right side. I actually like this better than the red dots that have both the up/down on the same side. There’s just no doubt which button I am pushing. With the Judge, you get 90 MOA of total adjustment for windage and elevation. More importantly is that the Judge has actual clicks for the 1 MOA adjustments. These clicks are not something you find in competitors' products, but the Gideon Judge has them.

Construction of the Judge is pretty sound. You get a 7075-T6 aluminum housing, not the less durable 6061. It is also waterproof to 1 meter for 30 minutes plus. Let’s just say that I have not broken it yet. The Judge also only tips the scales at around 0.6 ounces with the 2032 battery. Probably more important to the user, is that the judge has a window size of 16x21mm. This size is really nice for such a small reflex sight. I was able to get a good sight picture fairly quickly. Essentially, the window is big enough to make it easy to find the red dot.

The Gideon Judge just runs. I can’t seem to get the Judge to stop. It has given me zero problems since day one. It’s bright with very little tint to the lens. It has held zero through all my abuse. Granted, I didn’t drop it on concrete, but I also don’t want to actually break it just to break it. I love the click adjustments. In all, I have had a good shooting experience with the Judge.

If you are in the market for a micro red dot, definitely give the Gideon Judge a look. Maybe even judge it compared to others in this market space. It has some great features at a respectable price. I might even give it style points for its looks. Even if you are looking for a different style of red dot, Gideon Optics might have what you want, so go check them out.

Firearms Insider Reviews - Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Small Red or Green dot that fits RMSc slide cuts

Target Market:

Anyone wanting a small red or green dot optic

Features & Benefits of this product:

Magnification: 1x
Lens Dimensions: 16mm tall x 21mm wide
7075-T6 aluminum body
Elevation/Windage adjustment range: 45 MOA (Total 90 MOA)
Click Value: 1 MOA per click
Circle Dot Reticle: 3 MOA Dot
Parallax Free: Beyond 33 yards
Red Dot Brightness Setting: 10 levels (8 visible, 2 NV compatible)
Power Supply: 1x CR2032 3V Lithium battery
Run Time: approx 40,000 hrs
Auto Wake/Sleep: 225 Seconds after no movement
Shockproof & IPX7 Waterproof
Dimensions: (LxWxH) 41mm x 25mm x 24mm
Weight (with battery installed): 0.6 oz (approx.)
1913 picatinny rail mount and screws
T10 tool
Adjustment tool
Sealing plate
Cleaning cloth
One pair each of the following mounting screws: M4 x 0.7 x 10mm, M4 x 0.7 x 8.6mm, M3.5 x 0.7 x 10mm, M3 x 0.5 x 12mm

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

Green Dot Version

What others are saying?:

Dan @ OpticsPlanet

Very happy

I purchased this for my PSA 5.7 Rock. Could not be happier clear Len and crisp dot.

Link to other reviews:

Caleb Downing on YouTube

Price point:

MSRP = $229.99

Retail = Same but use code “GGR” for 10% off at Gideon Optics

I need it now! Availability:

Gideon Optics or JSD Supply

Our Rating:

Pros:

Bright Dot
Actual click adjustments
Auto on/off
Includes Sealing plate
Includes various mounting screws

Cons:

Slightly fuzzy dot
Bottom Load battery
Only a 3 yr warranty

Score: 7.50 Good

Favorite Link: Patmos Arms Judah slide review

Chad Wallace

August 4, 2023

Review, Red Dot, reflex, Gowutar

Gowutar A17 Micro red dot

Chad Wallace

August 4, 2023

Review, Red Dot, reflex, Gowutar

If you are in the market for an inexpensive red dot, Gowutar is something to take a look at. I had never heard of Gowutar before they contacted me. They sell Chinese manufactured red dots on Amazon. Since a lot of the well known red dots are manufactured in China, that part didn’t bother me. So I headed over to take a look at them before I decided to review one. I then decided that the A17 micro dot might fit the bill. The A17 uses an RMSc footprint and is right at home on smaller pistols.

The Gowutar A17 has all the same features as the top name red dot’s. Most notably is its Motion Activated Illumination. This functions just like one would expect. After 4 minutes of no movement, the A17 turns off. Just slightly move the A17 and the red dot turns on. This helps give the CR2032 battery a 30,000 hour lifespan. It does use a bottom mount battery, so to change it you will need to take the optic off. There is a built-in seal to help keep moisture out of the battery, but no seal plate. The A17 also comes with a low picatinny rail mount and a bunch of screws for mounting it to different firearms. The various screws were a nice touch.

Gowutar is using a 2 MOA dot size in the A17. I like the smaller dot size. Being 2 MOA it is easy enough for me to see, but still gives pretty good accuracy at a distance. The red dot inside the A17 is really clear. It also has 10 brightness settings, 2 of which are night vision compatible, so you can adjust it to your liking. To adjust the brightness, on the left side is the “up” button, and on the right side is the “down” button. Zeroing the A17 is easy enough, but the adjustments are just friction and not clicks. The window size on the A17 is 17 mm high by 21 mm wide. I’m guessing that’s where the A17 name comes from. The window size is also on par with other red dots in this class. The A17 is also one of the sight types that has a built in rear iron sight. I like this feature and surprisingly it lined up pretty well with my front iron sight. I was able to get decent hits at 10yds using the rear iron sight on the A17.

Construction and durability are always a question of mine, at least for these inexpensive red dots. The Gowutar A17 has an outer shell made from 7075 aluminum, so it’s quality stuff. Gowutar states the A17 is shockproof to 1800G’s. But is it? The first A17 I had started having problems after about 3 months and about 400 rounds of 9mm. It started going off after a shot was fired. Then you had to smack it pretty hard to get it to turn back on. I contacted Gowutar and they immediately sent out another one. The new one has been good so far, with close to the same round count. Since I now had an extra A17 that kind of worked, I proceeded to take it outside and drop it on the concrete from about 8 feet. I did this 7 or 8 times and the glass didn’t break. Now it wasn’t on a firearm, but it still says something about the durability. It even turned on after the drops. Because of this, I wouldn’t recommend it for a “Duty” use application, and Gowutar doesn't sell it as that. But for something you use at the range, it should be a good fit.

For an inexpensive micro red dot, the Gowutar A17 is better than I expected. Yes, it had problems, but Gowutar’s customer service was great. The A17 has all the features you want in a red dot, like Motion Activated Illumination and a standard mounting footprint. Plus, it can usually be had for just over $100. I was impressed with its value and features for a range ready micro red dot. If you are in the market for something like this, check out what Gowutar has to offer.