Pistol optics are the thing these days. And not just in “tactical,” duty, or home defense-size guns. Optics-readiness is increasingly a feature that people who carry every day want in their pistol and gun makers have responded to the demand. Just about every EDC semi-auto pistol you’re likely to consider buying or carrying now comes with an optics cut standard or as an affordably-priced option.
Optics makers, not being blind or disinterested in the profit motive, have acted accordingly, turning out a raft of excellent products in every footprint imaginable, giving those who tote a gat daily plenty of options in red dot illumination. Clearly among the best of the bunch that we’ve seen so far is SIG SAUER’s ROMEOZero Elite 1x24mm red dot sight.
The US-made ROMEOZero Elite is small and made for micro-compact EDC pistols like — surprise! — the ultra-popular P365. The ROMEOZero Elite is built on the Shield RMSc/J-point footprint which, naturally mounts on SIG pistols.
Because SIG is smart enough to know who’s buying what and for which guns, they also ship the ROMEOZero Elite with screws for the Hellcat OSP and GLOCK 43X MOS as well. You can, of course, buy adapter plates to mount the sight on pistols with other footprints like RMR, Docter/Noblex, whatever.
Unlike most micro red dot sights, the ROMEOZero Elite uses a coated glass lens. Glass is more scratch-resistant and generally considered to have better clarity and freedom from distortion over plastic lenses, but I haven’t seen a huge difference in my experience. That said, there’s no question that glass is generally preferable in a red dot sight.
No question, the ROMEOZero Elite is small. It’s made for use on micro-compact EDC pistols and its diminutive form factor makes that evident.
I don’t have a P365, so mounted the ROMEOZero Elite on SIG’s P322 rimfire pistol. The sight is just one inch wide and a fraction under one inch tall, perfect for use on everyday carry pistols like the P365, Hellcat, GLOCK 43X MOS…you name it.
The ROMEOZero Elite actually comes in two version. The first has a typical 3 MOA dot. The second model gives you a 2 MOA dot inside a 32 MOA circle. Think of the much-loved “donut of death” reticle popularized by EOTECH.
Because I couldn’t seem to get good photos of the reticle options, I’ve included SIG’s helpful graphic below.
The circle/dot model lets you choose between the 2 MOA dot, the 32 MOA circle, or use the together. My version is the circle/dot model and I tend to use the combination of both. The circle/dot model will cost you $17 more than the 3 MOA dot version.
Naturally, you’re likely to mount the ROMEOZero Elite on an EDC pistol. That means it’s most likely to be used a close range. But should the need arise, that circle/dot option gives you the the ability to stretch your effective range out further than you’d probably be able to with a standard 3 MOA dot alone.
The ROMEOZero Elite has SIG’s TAP (touch-activated programming) for adjusting the reticle type and brightness. There’s a small button just behind the glass. Hold it down for five seconds and the reticle with blink (you can use a finger, but I use a pen, a small screwdriver or something similar to get at it). You can then choose the brightness level you want by just tapping the housing.
If you hold the button down for over seven seconds, that shifts it into reticle selection mode. Again, tap the housing to get the reticle you want. Don’t touch the sight for five seconds after you get the brightness and reticle you like and the setting will be locked in.
SIG has added a rear index mark below a notch on the rear of the ROMEOZero Elite. It’s made of something they call SuperLuminova. It’s basically glow-in-the-dark paint that remains visible in low light for a couple of hours after exposure to light. If the battery runs own or the optic fails for some reason, you can easily use that rear index mark with the pistol’s front sight to get on target.
As a practical matter, battery life won’t be an issue for most users. The ROMEOZero Elite has SIG’s “MOTAC” motion-activated sensor that powers up the sight when it’s moved and powers it down when doesn’t.
That said, your battery isn’t likely to die on you with basic maintenance (i.e., changing your battery every year on January 1, your birthday, national talk like a pirate day, whatever). The sight is rated at 20,000 hours of use — that’s over two years — at low to medium intensity brightness using the dot alone. Using the circle/dot reticle will cut that down a little.
SIG says they’ve increased the toughness of the ROMEOZero Elite by mixing come carbon into the polymer material they use for the body. That’s an upgrade to the the base ROMEOZero model housing that’s a simply polymer.
In the highly unlikely event that the standard housing isn’t tough enough to stand up to the daily use you’ll be putting it through, SIG ships the ROMEOZero Elite with a supplemental steel “shroud” you can mount. It will add a little extra height and width to the profile of the sight.
I mounted the shroud quickly just to try it, and dropped the mounted with the steel shroud. All was well. If you’re paranoid about protecting your gear or regularly drop your gun for some inexplicable reason, the shroud might come in handy. For most of us, it will sit in a drawer.
I put the ROMEOZero Elite in a freezer and used it out in the rain. I shot it on the rimfire P322, carried it on a Hellcat and put a few hundred rounds down range with it mounted on a full-size P320. Nothing phased it.
Specifications: SIG SAUER ROMEOZero Elite Red Dot Sight
MSRP: $219.99 (retail about $199 or $189 for the 3 MOA model)
Ratings (out of five stars):
Features: * * * * *Â
A red dot is a red dot, right? Brightness, windage and and windage settings and that’s it. Not this one. The ROMEOZero Elite has mounting screws for three of the most popular EDC pistols, a steel shroud for extra protection and this model has the circle/dot reticle giving you dot, circle or circle/dot options.
Optics: * * * * *
Most red dots a this price point use polymer lenses. The ROMEOZero Elite uses aspherical glass that’s much more scratch resistant. It’s got good edge-to-edge clarity with a slight blue tinge.
Function: * * * * *
Combine its compact size and with the circle/dot reticle combinations and the TAP reticle and brightness adjustments and the ROMEOZero Elite is easy to use and very effective in just about any situation. And $200 for an American-made EDC sight with these features seems very reasonable for an optic that does what this one can do.
Overall: * * * * *
The more I’ve shot pistols with red dots over the last couple of years, the more I’ve become a fan of having one on my EDC gun. I hadn’t actually mounted one, though, until the last couple of months, though and this is the one I’m using. I’m a big fan of the circle/dot reticle in a compact sight of this size. I haven’t found another micro red dot that can beat the ROMEOZero Elite on my Hellcat.
american- made.
huh.
assembled?
Yes. I can’t imagine all the parts are made here.
yes, the sig romeo zero and the zero elite are both U.S. made and assembled. All Sig red-dot type optics are now.
But like all red dot optics today from any company they do contain parts of foreign origin.
All redots on the market use some amount of foreign made parts.
The parts are foreign made and either used directly from the foreign source – or imported by brokers in the U.S. and then sourced from the broker so U.S. origin can be legally claimed – or are rebranded by the foreign company for the U.S. company and shipped to them in the U.S. so the company can legally claim U.S. origin for the parts.
Its a loop hole in the ‘MADE IN USA’ thing.
Sig red dot optics are (legally) made and assembled in the U.S.A. All red dot manufactures in the U.S. do the same thing, they all use parts of foreign manufacture to some extent even though they claim made & assembled or made or assembled in the USA. Its legally true.
US assembled using import parts.
No BS lifetime warranty WITHOUT need for a receipt. Even for subsequent owners. If unrepairable, it’s replaced with a new item.
I purchased a Romeo4S and mounted it (ADM QD low mount) on my 50AE DEagle, totally expected it to fail. It’s held up to WAY over 1k rounds.
my .44 has dumb 11mm rail. i’d need an adapter, probably be more practical than the scope on there.
Can’t imagine 10mm or any 45super/460 Rowland experiments would be likely to do anything worse than what yours went through so item to consider at that price point.
As an early adopter of this red dot it has some decent features but they miss the mark for me. The illumated rear sight and the dual reticles are nice. I wish they would’ve done a battery slide plate and made the brightness button a but easier to use.
It’s too small for a side plate.
Tha5s what she said.
Mrs. Possum?
Could’ve gone with the top mounted door, like my R01 Pro. Hate having to re-zero every time I change batteries. Which never occurs at the range, of course ,and necessitates an unscheduled range trip.
Laser bore sighter with distance calibrated target helps with getting it most of the way there and only needing a few clicks next range trip to get it perfect.
Don’t have the need with top loader or side tray. Most of my laser bore sighters casually stroll around the A zone, some the C at best. On paper to be sure, but far from trustworthy.
Range still required.
Wild it can be that off on you for pistol ammo distance (did this for several Ruger pc9s up here). Chamber insert or bore insert type (bore insert for what we had).
Front sight. It always works.
…And it’s slower, while also requiring a perfect sight picture and presentation.
What with an RDS, doesn’t. Dot in the window, that’s exactly where the round goes, matters not whether in the center of the window or upper left, bottom right or elsewhere. Removing that momentary sight adjustment time means faster to rounds on target, and moments count in a fight, as you well know. They’re brilliant, you really should try one.
With a low profile version, or suppressor height sights, should the optic go down, you can still shoot off the front sight in an emergency. Or employ the optic frame like a big ghost ring. Plus, you can rack it off the frame, a giant advantage if your other hand/arm is, shall we say, occupied fending off an attacker, or otherwise incapacitated and you need to get your weapon back in the fight.
Most of them actually help breaking up the print outline when concealed too. Many good points to a dot, and no compelling ones against, except maybe price and value which isn’t your issue. And some finer minutiae about which is best fit for specific purpose.
Concealment/comfort are the limiting factors on my end otherwise would just need to practice finding the dot instead of the front sight (would probably be almost the same motion anyway)
AIWB? Use a sidecar style holster, dot falls directly between the mag and slide. Don’t have any prob with 3 to 4 o’clock myself. I don’t find that in infringes on comfort level any more so than simply carrying at all. That’s just, like, my opinion maaaan.
I prefer a subcompact to micro carry for concealed, because I’m absolute avg. height, and more often than not the former for a multitude of reasons. Perhaps that contributes to my thoughts on the subject, dunno.
Couple of the most important reasons being I cannot conceal a typical 17rd or higher count mag well for shit in super high humidity 110+ in the shade, sub-tropic summer garb. Or, I’d be carrying my 4sixty FNX-Tee everywhere, lol. And of course every bit of velocity I can get.
I’d go butt nekkid with a swamp fan strapped to my ass for most of the year if I wouldn’t get arrested for it. XD
Naked = without clothing.
Nekkid = no clothes, and up to something nefarious. *grins*
Yea, sorry. Get humorous when sleepy. All bs & jokes aside…
Longer than a subcompact + comp gets real uncomfortable for me in some positions, due to having to bend at the waist a lot at work which factors in heavily to my choices above as well.
As for finding the dot, if your draw includes high compress, you will pick up the dot immediately with just a tiny little bit of practice. If it does not, train high compress..
Anyway, I have to crash, so g’night.
12ish and business casual to semi dressed so micro grip on subcompact slide to not show at all and still be useful at 10 rounds (limited state). Will have to play around with the dots at some point as front sight point shooting has been a lot of years of mixed usefulness in practice.
All good, atrocious being limited to 10 per though. Roll with an extra 15 in the sidecar (and more) because level with uppermost point of gunm, breaks up outline and with RDS make a nice flat surface above the waistline with little opportunity for cloth to fall between.
No print with 15+1, comp, RDS and WML. More or less full size length (4.2″ extended barrel from 3.6, disregarding the comp), plus a bit of girth up front, with a short grip. Similar to your rig in principal, if a bit larger.
Does make shopping holsters an interesting proposition. Otoh, very speedy to settling back on target, most will never outrun it.
Romeo Romeo, where for art thou.
On the pistol on my hip!
FcknA
Tried the vanilla version on a P365XL. Was underwhelmed. No shake-awake and the button to turn it on is a real P-I-T-A. Just what you want at 3:00am when that front door crash wakes you up. Ended up swapping it out for a Swampfox Sentinel.
Anyone know if you can safely drill and tap the top of a non-optic ready pistol to accept a optic?
Asking for a friend.
Yes, it can be done, along with milling a portion of the slide flat. However, you need to know what you’re doing to make sure you aren’t drilling though an extractor or safety parts, so not a DIY for somebody without serious machining and layout skills.. There are lots of shops that specialize in it, and if you know what red dot you want, they can mill an exact fit without gaps or adapter plates. An alternative is to get an aftermarket slide that’s already milled.
This optic is a giant heap of garbage.
Even the instructors at Sig tell you not to buy the Romeo 0s.
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