Crimson Trace has been the leader in laser aiming devices for a long time. In the past years, they expanded their offerings to include scopes and weapon mounted lights. Now they’re offering the first Crimson Trace red dot, the CT RAD!
Crimson Trace Red Dot Details
CT RAD (Rapid Aiming Dots) are a whole family of mini red dot sights (RDS). They’re good to go for carbine and shotgun use, but like most mini RDS they appear to be primarily for pistol applications. The Crimson Trace red dot sights have several models available, and you can choose between a red or green aiming reticle.
CT RAD Micro Features
The first Crimson Trace red dot is the CT RAD Micro. The Micro is available with either a red or green reticle. Red dots have a 3 MOA dot, and the green dot optic has a 5 MOA dot. All the Micro sights have a rear iron sight integrated into the sight body to co-witness the front fixed sight. Additionally available is the Pro version of the CT RAD Micro. The Pro has all the same features as the standard Micro, but adds a shake-away feature. This detects movement in the gun/optic and automatically turns the dot on. All the Micro series dots adjust brightness automatically, and run off a single CR1632 battery. The CT RAD Micro dots use the same footprint as the Shield RMS sight for easy mounting options. The Micro’s battery access is located under the dot to keep the size as small as possible.
CT RAD Optic Features
The flagship of the new Crimson Trace red dot series is the full size CT RAD. This optic uses the same footprint as the Docter optics. If you’re not familiar with that, don’t worry – it’s the same footprint as the very common Burris FastFire2 and Vortex Venom. That means that you’ll have plenty of mounting options right out of the gate with the CT RAD. Similarly to the Micro, the full size CT RAD is available with red or green reticles. Furthermore, they’re the same size on the CT RAD. 3 MOA for red, 5 MOA for the green dot. Additionally, the full size optic has a Pro version and a standard. Both the Pro and the standard use one CR1632 battery, which is accessed on the top of the optic. This means you can swap batteries without having to re-zero the red dot. Like the Micro dots, the CT RAD red dot has a claimed 20,000 hour battery life as well as automatic brightness. The green reticle uses a lot more power, shrinking the battery life to 7,000 hours.
CT RAD Optic Pricing
Crimson Trace red dots are priced reasonably. The Micro starts at $225, with the Micro Pro running $275. Green reticle versions run $250 and $300 for the standard and Pro. The full size CT RAD starts at $250 for the standard and increases to $300 for the Pro. Green dot standard is going to set you back $275 and $325 for the Pro. There’s a third option, called the CT RAD Max that comes mounted to a Picitinny rail mount. It’s beefier than the pistol dots, since it’s intended for carbine and shotgun use.
It’s nice to see a company with such an excellent reputation entering the market. Crimson Trace red dot sights look like an affordable option with lots of features. These will sit well on a competition or concealed carry pistol.
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