It’s no secret that red dots have become one of the most popular upgrades for modern handguns. Faster target acquisition, simplified aiming, and improved accuracy make them a go-to for defensive shooters and competitors alike. Crimson Trace has stepped into that space with their RAD Series — the Rapid Aiming Dot lineup — designed to fit everything from pocket pistols to rifles.
Compact Power: The MicroPro
The RAD MicroPro is a micro-sized red dot built specifically for compact and subcompact handguns. On guns with short sight radii, the red dot provides a clear aiming solution — simply place the dot on your target and press the trigger. Its small profile keeps the gun easy to carry while still offering a crisp, visible aiming point. Despite its size, it holds zero exceptionally well and delivers repeatable accuracy. In testing, even rapid fire at 45 feet kept rounds exactly where the dot was placed.
Stepping Up: The Pro
For those running full-size or competition pistols, the RAD Pro offers a larger window and more robust housing. It’s equally at home on a duty pistol or a bedside home-defense setup. The bigger lens makes dot acquisition faster, especially during high-stress shooting, while maintaining all the same intelligent features as the MicroPro — motion activation, auto-brightness adjustment, and extended battery life.
Going Big: The Max Pro
At the top of the lineup, the RAD Max Pro expands into rifle and shotgun territory. Its wide field of view and integral Picatinny mount make it an easy choice for tactical carbines, home-defense shotguns, or even a turkey gun. Built tough, with quick mounting capability, the Max Pro gives shooters a versatile optic that bridges platforms.
Smart, Durable, and Easy to Use
All RAD series optics share thoughtful features that make them ready for real-world use. Motion-activated “shake awake” technology turns the sight on when moved, and automatically powers down when stationary to preserve battery life — up to 20,000 hours on the MicroPro and as high as 50,000 hours on the Pro and Max Pro. Auto-brightness sensors adjust the dot intensity based on ambient lighting, keeping it bright in daylight and dim in the dark to protect night vision.
Zeroing is simple and intuitive. Crimson Trace includes an adjustment tool, and clear directional markings make dialing in your point of impact fast and frustration-free. If you want your shots to move right, turn right. Need to go up? Turn up. It’s as straightforward as it sounds.
Final Thoughts
The Crimson Trace RAD series brings the reliability and innovation shooters have come to expect from the brand, wrapped into optics that fit every firearm category. From a micro red dot on a concealed-carry pistol to a larger optic on a competition rig or shotgun, there’s a RAD model for every shooter.
It’s fast, smart, and — in the words of anyone who remembers the 80s — totally RAD.
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