Chris from Cali from United States, KS Public Profile

These mags feature a patented mag block that limits them to five rounds for hunting in restricted states. That limiter can be removed.

Not as crisp or bright as I would like, but it's a $200 optic. Glass clarity is better than probably most at this price range, with minimal edge distortion and extremely low tint (for those that don't know, the more blue the tint, the longer the potential battery life with a RED dot, so it's not all bad). Being a green dot version, mine has almost no discernable tint. So low, in fact, that it may not even be tint, but some other artifact that my brain is perceiving as tint. Center clarity is slightly less than my Holosun and Trijicon optics, but edge distortion is markedly less than with any of my Holosuns, and on par with Trijucon SRO.

I haven't had this long enough to ascertain longevity, as I only have 400rds through it as of this writing. I will say the various included screws did not meet my needs and I had to find some elsewhere, as the tiny m4-40 screws compatible with my slide only came in a short length, and I needed longer. Minor issues, and not a huge fault of Gideon optics, though the deck height is rather tall on this guy, which might be part of that. Overall, seems like a good buy for the price range.

This product is not for people who lack the willingness to retrain. It actually requires a different muscle memory to use effectively, but once you retrain, there's literally no way a milspec AR style safety can be as fast. This guy allows you to choose not only between 60 and 90 degree throws, but the orientation, and therefore control surfaces, of the paddles. Once installed, you can place your thumb over the top, with the joint of the thumb directly over the axis of the safety, and rock the safety back and forth. No longer do you need to pull the lever back into the "safe" position. It's SO FAST now to switch between "safe" and "fire." Being a 19/2011 shooter used to "riding the gas pedal" (safety) helped me wrap my head around this. It isn't for everyone, that's for sure.

Machining quality, fitment, and precision of the threads were all impeccable, and it is indeed light weight. Charging handle (Radian Raptor) and milspec BCG glided smoothly in their respective channels. Face was true, so didn't need any truing; I've assemble nearly three hundred uppers in the past couple years, and every single one, with the exception of VLTOR's MURs, needed truing to some degree, so this was a pleasant surprise. The material itself is claimed to be some wonder alloy, but I can't speak to the veracity of the manufacturer's claims. What I can tell you is that the coating doesn't play well with the alloy, or the upper was not cleaned properly prior to anodizing, and it wears much faster than it should. With that being said, as awesome as this unit is in theory, I don't think the price is justified, unless you just REALLY want to flex on your friends. In which case, flex away.