Review: Vortex Razor Red Dot

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Indiana

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • esrice

    Certified Regular Guy
    Rating - 100%
    20   0   0
    Jan 16, 2008
    24,096
    48
    Indy
    Back in February I first heard about Vortex coming out with a reflex-style red dot. With available 6- and 3-MOA dots, it appeared that they were going after both the rifle and the pistol red dot market. With a pricetag of $479 they were set to compete with the Trijicon RMR.

    To see how this review got started, and to see specs on the optic, check this thread: https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo..._vortex_optic_razor_red_dot_reflex_style.html

    When Alan (42769vette) at A&A Optics got his Razor Red Dot in, he was kind enough to send it to me for some T&E. What follows is a rolling review of the optic, as I will be shooting it several times over the next few weeks, and updating this thread as needed.

    Now my experience with red dots on pistols is very limited. My first experience was running a magazine through a Ruger MkII with a Primary Arms Micro on top. This was the first time I've ever shot a red dot on a centerfire pistol.

    What Alan sent me was the slide of his Glock 17L with the Razor mounted in a factory pistol mount. Essentially a mounting plate replaces the rear sight, and the Razor is then bolted to the mounting plate. Although this may be less ideal than the current standard of milling the slide down and bolting the optic to the slide directly, it is a very inexpensive method and it allowed me to begin to get a feel for the Razor and what it offers pistol shooting.

    b8025d9c.jpg


    2a49eb2a.jpg


    Inspecting the Razor I noticed several things.

    Its construction was much "harder" than I had anticipated. The body is aircraft-grade aluminum, and feels much like an AR-15 lower receiver. The hood is thick and looks like it could take some abuse.

    Its also smaller than I anticipated. And when it comes to pistol-mounted red dots, smaller is better.

    The lens has a special coating that is supposed to block reflections and enhance visual acuity. It may do those things, but it gives the lens a blue tint that I'm not wild about. Just a personal preference really. The curved lens does distort the sight image slightly when you look through the glass, however, and I don't like that. Rather than feeling like a true 1x red dot, it starts to feel like a magnified optic. This hasn't hindered my shooting to this point, but its worth mentioning.

    The Razor also suffers from what I don't like about ANY open-top reflex-style optic-- the dot projection can be blocked by dirt, water, mud, or anything that falls down on top of the emitter. Add to that the adjustment buttons are located right next to the emitter, and often my finger would block it while I was trying to turn it OFF or adjust its brightness, making the dot disappear entirely. As red dots are increasingly used on carry guns, this is a huge issue, and a reason co-witnessed back up sights are important in such a role.

    Battery life is listed at 1-year on its highest setting. That's great! However, it has an auto-shutoff feature that turns the unit off 6 hours after its turned on. That's no biggie for a day at the range, and I'd appreciate it saving my battery if I forget to turn it off. But what about using it for carry, when I need the dot to be ready to go at all times?

    The single dot reticle is quite bright, and the range of brightness settings kept me shooting in bright sunshine and at dusk. Although it never washed out in the sunlight, I did notice that, even on its lowest brightness setting, it was REALLY bright during night shooting. For the person mounting this on a carry gun it would be difficult to have one brightness level that would work well in all situations, from indoors to outdoors and daytime to nighttime.

    One feature that sets high-end optics apart from their cheaper counterparts is how fine their adjustment dials are. To me, nothing says "quality" like windage and elevation controls that click like a fine Swiss watch. So imagine my disappointment when I attempted to make some adjustments and was met with dials that were vague and mushy. At times I couldn't tell if I had rotated it one click or two or three. I'm also not a fan of using a tiny hex key to make adjustments. I prefer on-board controls so that I can make adjustments without a tool. At the rear of the sight body is another hex screw that is supposed to act as a "lock" to the windage and elevation controls. Again, it just seemed vague and didn't inspire confidence that they were actually locked down.

    But enough of that, on with the shooting. . . .

    f43ccec8.jpg


    e43b25ee.jpg


    I started the session attempting to zero it at approximately 15 yards. This quickly became problematic. I first tried shooting from a supported position, thinking I should eliminate as many variables (me) as possible. My hits were somewhat erratic, and I couldn't easily define where it was hitting. After awhile I decided to move up to 7 yards and go offhand. This is where I learned my first lesson in red dots on pistols-- it gets harder before it gets easier.

    I had to treat it more like a rifle, and less like a pistol. Both eyes WIDE open, focus on the target (not the front sight or dot), pull the trigger rearward without making the dot dance. I also had to change my head position somewhat, as I was now looking over the iron sights, not through them.

    Once I had that figured out the zeroing process came together. Before long I had wallowed out a 2" hole just to the left of center where I could send round after round with ease. A few more windage adjustments and I was golden.

    adb0a04d.jpg


    The dot showed EVERY trigger control issue I was having. I really had to buckle down and focus to make the hits. It was crazy how easy it was to get lazy and start missing-- especially when the dot "was just there a second ago!" :D

    The added mass of the Razor, regardless of how light and tiny it is, plus the longslide of the 17L gave me some issues when I was using some lighter-loaded rounds. I changed up to some hotter stuff and it cycled just fine from there.

    1f8a2ebe.jpg


    At first I wasn't sure how I would physically run the slide to charge the pistol. I could slingshot it, but the Razor still got in the way somewhat. I ended up getting comfortable with catching the optic hood on the edge of my support hand and running it back from there, almost like you would charge an AR-15. After a while it became quite natural. Obviously using a belt or a shoe or a table edge to refunction the gun during single-handed manipulations would be easily accomplished.

    Speaking of the optic hood, it did get hit with ejected brass frequently. It showed some minor dings but its not something I would worry about, even in the long term.

    b058899a.jpg


    One of the initial concerns I had was with "finding the dot" as the gun was brought up to eye level. Because a pistol isn't attached to your cheek like a rifle is, this can be problematic. I was pleasantly surprised that, with just a few repetitions, it wasn't an issue. The gun came up, the dot was there, the trigger was pulled.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmtWSRh5BDs

    Now that I've familiarized myself with the setup, I look forward to stretching out a bit and seeing if the dot improves longer range accuracy. I will say this . . . Midway through the session I walked over to the 50 yard range where we normally sight in rifles. Offhand, I took aim at an 8" round piece of Bobcat Steel. Paying close attention to my trigger I got a <DING!> on my very first shot! My jaw dropped. I couldn't repeat it on the next shot, but I did manage to hit it 3 times out of a 17-round magazine.

    While cleaning up I did notice the Razor had become loose in the mount. This was after 300+ rounds. Before the next session I'll be sure to hit the threads with some blue loctite and snug everything down.

    So those are my impressions after "Phase 1". I'm eager to get back out and shoot it some more! I'll save any final conclusions for when I get several hundred more rounds with it. Check back for updates!

    :ingo:
     
    Last edited:

    42769vette

    Grandmaster
    Industry Partner
    Rating - 100%
    52   0   0
    Oct 6, 2008
    15,222
    113
    south of richmond in
    Back in February I first heard about Vortex coming out with a reflex-style red dot. With available 6- and 3-MOA dots, it appeared that they were going after both the rifle and the pistol red dot market. With a pricetag of $479 they were set to compete with Trijicon RMR.

    To see how this review got started, and to see specs on the optic, check this thread: https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo..._vortex_optic_razor_red_dot_reflex_style.html

    When Alan (42769vette) at A&A Optics got his Razor Red Dot in, he was kind enough to send it to me for some T&E. What follows is a rolling review of the optic, as I will be shooting it several times over the next few weeks, and updating this thread as needed.

    Now my experience with red dots on pistols is very limited. My first experience was running a magazine through a Ruger MkII with a Primary Arms Micro on top. This was the first time I've ever shot a red dot on a centerfire pistol.

    What Alan sent me was the slide of his Glock 17L with the Razor mounted in a factory pistol mount. Essentially a mounting plate replaces the rear sight, and the Razor is then bolted to the mounting plate. Although this may be less ideal than the current standard of milling the slide down and bolting the optic to the slide directly, it is a very inexpensive method and it allowed me to begin to get a feel for the Razor and what it offers pistol shooting.

    b8025d9c.jpg


    2a49eb2a.jpg


    Inspecting the Razor I noticed several things.

    Its construction was much "harder" than I had anticipated. The body is aircraft-grade aluminum, and feels much like an AR-15 lower receiver. The hood is thick and looks like it could take some abuse.

    Its also smaller than I anticipated. And when it comes to pistol-mounted red dots, smaller is better.

    The lens has a special coating that is supposed to block reflections and enhance visual acuity. It may do those things, but it gives the lens a blue tint that I'm not wild about. Just a personal preference really. The curved lens does distort the sight image slightly when you look through the glass, however, and I don't like that. Rather than feeling like a true 1x red dot, it starts to feel like a magnified optic. This hasn't hindered my shooting to this point, but its worth mentioning.

    The Razor also suffers from what I don't like about ANY open-top reflex-style optic-- the dot projection can be blocked by dirt, water, mud, or anything that falls down on top of the emitter. Add to that the adjustment buttons are located right next to the emitter, and often my finger would block it while I was trying to turn it OFF or adjust its brightness, making the dot disappear entirely. As red dots are increasingly used on carry guns, this is a huge issue, and a reason co-witnessed back up sights are important in such a role.

    Battery life is listed at 1-year on its highest setting. That's great! However, it has an auto-shutoff feature that turns the unit off 6 hours after its turned on. That's no biggie for a day at the range, and I'd appreciate it saving my battery if I forget to turn it off. But what about using it for carry, when I need the dot to be ready to go at all times?

    The single dot reticle is quite bright, and the range of brightness settings kept me shooting in bright sunshine and at dusk. Although it never washed out in the sunlight, I did notice that, even on its lowest brightness setting, it was REALLY bright during night shooting. For the person mounting this on a carry gun it would be difficult to have one brightness level that would work well in all situations, from indoors to outdoors and daytime to nighttime.

    One feature that sets high-end optics apart from their cheaper counterparts is how fine their adjustment dials are. To me, nothing says "quality" like windage and elevation controls that click like a fine Swiss watch. So imagine my disappointment when I attempted to make some adjustments and was met with dials that were vague and mushy. At times I couldn't tell if I had rotated it one click or two or three. I'm also not a fan of using a tiny hex key to make adjustments. I prefer on-board controls so that I can make adjustments without a tool. At the rear of the sight body is another hex screw that is supposed to act as a "lock" to the windage and elevation controls. Again, it just seemed vague and didn't inspire confidence that they were actually locked down.

    But enough of that, on with the shooting. . . .

    f43ccec8.jpg


    e43b25ee.jpg


    I started the session attempting to zero it at approximately 15 yards. This quickly became problematic. I first tried shooting from a supported position, thinking I should eliminate as many variables (me) as possible. My hits were somewhat erratic, and I couldn't easily define where it was hitting. After awhile I decided to move up to 7 yards and go offhand. This is where I learned my first lesson in red dots on pistols-- it gets harder before it gets easier.

    I had to treat it more like a rifle, and less like a pistol. Both eyes WIDE open, focus on the target (not the front sight or dot), pull the trigger rearward without making the dot dance. I also had to change my head position somewhat, as I was now looking over the iron sights, not through them.

    Once I had that figured out the zeroing process came together. Before long I had wallowed out a 2" hole just to the left of center where I could send round after round with ease. A few more windage adjustments and I was golden.

    adb0a04d.jpg


    The dot showed EVERY trigger control issue I was having. I really had to buckle down and focus to make the hits. It was crazy how easy it was to get lazy and start missing-- especially when the dot "was just there a second ago!" :D

    The added mass of the Razor, regardless of how light and tiny it is, plus the longslide of the 17L gave me some issues when I was using some lighter-loaded rounds. I changed up to some hotter stuff and it cycled just fine from there.

    1f8a2ebe.jpg


    At first I wasn't sure how I would physically run the slide to charge the pistol. I could slingshot it, but the Razor still got in the way somewhat. I ended up getting comfortable with catching the optic hood on the edge of my support hand and running it back from there, almost like you would charge an AR-15. After a while it became quite natural. Obviously using a belt or a shoe or a table edge to refunction the gun during single-handed manipulations would be easily accomplished.

    Speaking of the optic hood, it did get hit with ejected brass frequently. It showed some minor dings but its not something I would worry about, even in the long term.

    b058899a.jpg


    One of the initial concerns I had was with "finding the dot" as the gun was brought up to eye level. Because a pistol isn't attached to your cheek like a rifle is, this can be problematic. I was pleasantly surprised that, with just a few repetitions, it wasn't an issue. The gun came up, the dot was there, the trigger was pulled.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmtWSRh5BDs

    Now that I've familiarized myself with the setup, I look forward to stretching out a bit and seeing if the dot improves longer range accuracy. I will say this . . . Midway through the session I walked over to the 50 yard range where we normally sight in rifles. Offhand, I took aim at an 8" round piece of Bobcat Steel. Paying close attention to my trigger I got a <DING!> on my very first shot! My jaw dropped. I couldn't repeat it on the next shot, but I did manage to hit it 3 times out of a 17-round magazine.

    While cleaning up I did notice the Razor had become loose in the mount. This was after 300+ rounds. Before the next session I'll be sure to hit the threads with some blue loctite and snug everything down.

    So those are my impressions after "Phase 1". I'm eager to get back out and shoot it some more! I'll save any final conclusions for when I get several hundred more rounds with it. Check back for updates!

    :ingo:


    good review, the optic coming loose is my fault. after you said someting about it i realized i completly forgot to put loctite on it before shipping it. the more i think about it my slide will probably end up on the mill to mount it in the near future

    like you i would not want this on my carry piece (thats why i put it on my long slide, no chance of carrying it). i think this sight is more geared toward the competition shooter.

    keep up the good work
     

    esrice

    Certified Regular Guy
    Rating - 100%
    20   0   0
    Jan 16, 2008
    24,096
    48
    Indy
    the optic coming loose is my fault. after you said someting about it i realized i completly forgot to put loctite on it before shipping it.

    Don't sweat it. It is what it is, and I thought it was worth mentioning. A pistol-mounted RDS like this is not just taking recoil-- its taking the force of a reciprocating slide! Its gotta be one tough dude!


    keep up the good work

    I really appreciate you sending it to me. Its been a blast to shoot.
     

    esrice

    Certified Regular Guy
    Rating - 100%
    20   0   0
    Jan 16, 2008
    24,096
    48
    Indy
    bet i know how that goes:D i think it will be closer than you think, but its got no chance of winning

    Nah winning isn't the point. Its how close the SPARC can get for half the price. That's an important factor for a lot of people. Eighty percent performance at 50% price would be a great value.
     

    Sylvain

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Nov 30, 2010
    77,313
    113
    Normandy
    Very nice detailed review as always, with nice pictures.
    I need to add the Glock 17L to my list now, thanks a lot!

    Also im not sure who would actually carry this red dot, so I dont think that the auto turn-off is a bad thing.
     

    GBuck

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    54   0   0
    Jul 18, 2011
    20,194
    48
    Franklin
    I agree with the auto-off feature being a huge downside. What is the point of carrying something for SD that turns itself off? The same goes for the brightness adjustment. Why have something that you're going to need in a split second, that isn't ready in a split second. Maybe I'm just partial because I see this as a range only type thing anyways.
     

    iChokePeople

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    51   0   1
    Feb 11, 2011
    4,556
    48
    I agree with the auto-off feature being a huge downside. What is the point of carrying something for SD that turns itself off? The same goes for the brightness adjustment. Why have something that you're going to need in a split second, that isn't ready in a split second. Maybe I'm just partial because I see this as a range only type thing anyways.

    You see a red dot on a pistol as a range only thing? Or THIS red dot?

    Great review, as always.
     

    esrice

    Certified Regular Guy
    Rating - 100%
    20   0   0
    Jan 16, 2008
    24,096
    48
    Indy
    Also im not sure who would actually carry this red dot, so I dont think that the auto turn-off is a bad thing.

    There is a trend for red-dotted carry guns, and its picking up momentum. Probably the most vocal proponent at this time is TSD/Suarez International.

    Home | TSD Combat Systems

    Although its very early on, I think red dots on defensive pistols is the wave of the future, just like they are with rifles now. They'll get smaller, lighter, and more integrated into the pistol platform.
     

    OneBadV8

    Stay Picky my Friends
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    52   0   0
    Aug 7, 2008
    54,919
    101
    Ft Wayne
    I agree with the auto-off feature being a huge downside. What is the point of carrying something for SD that turns itself off? The same goes for the brightness adjustment. Why have something that you're going to need in a split second, that isn't ready in a split second. Maybe I'm just partial because I see this as a range only type thing anyways.

    The only downside of the auto-shutoff that I see is for a HD gun while you're sleeping. It'd be nice if it was on already when I needed to grab it.

    However, as far as carrying I don't see this as a big deal. I think I could plan 6 hours ahead and periodically turn it off and back on to prevent the auto-shutoff.
     

    iChokePeople

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    51   0   1
    Feb 11, 2011
    4,556
    48
    There is a trend for red-dotted carry guns, and its picking up momentum. Probably the most vocal proponent at this time is TSD/Suarez International.

    Home | TSD Combat Systems

    Although its very early on, I think red dots on defensive pistols is the wave of the future, just like they are with rifles now. They'll get smaller, lighter, and more integrated into the pistol platform.

    +1.
     

    42769vette

    Grandmaster
    Industry Partner
    Rating - 100%
    52   0   0
    Oct 6, 2008
    15,222
    113
    south of richmond in
    for me with a 1 year of constant battery life the dot could stay on 24/7. for me its not a deal breaker but if i had my way it would always be on. vortex is very good at listening to the shooting community. if we want it they will make it happen.

    i just got a email a few days ago and the 5-20 razor will be comming out with high speed turrets because the shooting comunity wanted it
     

    Sylvain

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Nov 30, 2010
    77,313
    113
    Normandy
    There is a trend for red-dotted carry guns, and its picking up momentum. Probably the most vocal proponent at this time is TSD/Suarez International.

    Home | TSD Combat Systems

    Although its very early on, I think red dots on defensive pistols is the wave of the future, just like they are with rifles now. They'll get smaller, lighter, and more integrated into the pistol platform.

    Well im not a gun expert but I know that in most self defense situations with a handgun you dont even use your sights at all.
    You just draw and point at your target, even point blank shooting in many situations.
    That's why you see many compact carry guns that dont even have real sights on them since it can get caught in clothing and such, on top of not being used very often.

    I can understand a soldier using them to use his pistol for longer range shooting but I dont see the need for them as a civilian carrying for self defense.

    :twocents:
     

    iChokePeople

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    51   0   1
    Feb 11, 2011
    4,556
    48
    Well im not a gun expert but I know that in most self defense situations with a handgun you dont even use your sights at all.
    You just draw and point at your target, even point blank shooting in many situations.
    That's why you see many compact carry guns that dont even have real sights on them since it can get caught in clothing and such, on top of not being used very often.

    I can understand a soldier using them to use his pistol for longer range shooting but I dont see the need for them as a civilian carrying for self defense.

    :twocents:

    What if "your fight" turns out to be something like the one Evan posted a while back when he (gasp) left the nest? I'd love to see him run that same scenario again with a red dot. I'd bet burgers on the outcome.
     

    Sylvain

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Nov 30, 2010
    77,313
    113
    Normandy
    What if "your fight" turns out to be something like the one Evan posted a while back when he (gasp) left the nest? I'd love to see him run that same scenario again with a red dot. I'd bet burgers on the outcome.

    Sorry not sure what you are talking about.I must have missed this thread.
     
    Top Bottom