VortexOptics Viper Red Dot Sight - 6 MOA Dot

Excellent optic for pistol, especially Glock MOS.MOS SCREWS:Mine came with the screws for the Glock MOS. After reading other reviews that said to call and ask for them, I did, only to find out that once I received the MOS screws, they had already been included. They were not labeled in the original package, so I included a picture so that you can identify the MOS screws in case they are in your package (the screw on the penny is the MOS screw).MOS INSTALLATION:I read other reviews on various sites that discussed the need for a shim or gasket from UM Tactical and also filing down the tabs on the MOS plate number 1. Neither of these are necessary. Perhaps they were at one time, but they are not necessary now. Just mount to MOS plate. I used Blue Loctite 242 on the MOS plate and torque to 13 inch pounds. I used purple Loctite 222 and torque to 12 inch pounds. I think these are the recommended specs. No problems.OPTICThis optic is fantastic. It sits really nice and low without any distracting hood. The dot is a perfect size with a lot of adjustment.I tried a milled Glock 17 years ago with Trijicon RMRs and gave up because I didn't think the technology was there yet. I started with an RMR RM05G and the glass had some magnification and fishbowl effect and a really deep magenta tint. It really wasn't very clear at all. so, I sold that and tried and RMR RM06 hoping that the LED version would have less tint. It did, but it was still magnified and fishbowled and really blue tinted. The RMRs are supposed to be so reliable, but my RM06 would flicker in and out (very common if you read around). So, I tried the Trijicon sealing plate, and a tape shim, and still had issues. I just gave up and sold it all. I do love Trijicon and have some of their scopes, but feel this is a much better optic for a MRDS pistol platform.The optical quality on this unit is much clearer with much less tint. It also has a less distracting shape without the hood ears of the RMR poking up. It also has a bigger optical window for a more forgiving presentation and shot recovery. I like the Vortex Viper much better for a pistol optic.I also prefer the brightness adjustments on one side compared to up on one side and down on the other. When placed on two sides, it is difficult to remember which one is up or down under a timer or stress. When on one side, it is much easier to know that forward is up and back is down. Also easier to manipulate without much changing of the "thumbs forward" grip compared to buttons on each side. I have no need for an auto-adjust, as I really like to select dot brightness based on the application (speed, precision, transitions, etc.)I selected the Viper over the Venom because of its lower position on the side, as I feel that this makes it easier to use when coming from using iron sights.IMPROVEMENTSThe only thing that I think could be done better would be to relocate the windage and elevation locks so that they could be locked/unlocked without removing the optic or rear sight. They should be located on the side or top.

Great little red dot on my Ruger mk iv 22/45 lite

So this was perfect for what i needed, I wanted an optic that I wasn't afraid to scratch or break through duty use and EDC. Vortex fills this role perfectly due to its price point (not so expensive you don't want to use it, and their warranty is incredible, so if it does end up breaking during duty use I can get it fixed). It dosent have shake awake, which is unfortunate, but it does have a duty timer ( I think its 14hrs) so it is fine for edc as long as your brightness level is low enough. There are still 2 negatives to this product1)battery is loaded from the bottom, this means you have to take the optic off every time you change batteries, which, for edc, is at least once per year. So that means no locktite and a little bit of a headache because re-zeroing and installing this thing is a major headache, which is the second point2) This thing sucks to zero, I like the concept they were going for but the practicality of it sucks. In order to zero the optic you have to "unlock" the threads on the back of the gun they make it shock resistant. but if you have backup iron sights, or coewitness like my current set up, you cant access the shock threads on the back when the gun is mounted, so everytime you zero you have to take the optic off the slide, re-lock the shock threads, reinstall the optic, and hope your zero didnt change, it took me close to 30min to finally get a zero because it would move 1/4 inch left or right when i remounted.all in all its a great optic for the money, and I would recommend this optic overall others in this price point for edc.

The issue I had was the battery won’t stay in place while you attach the mounting plate I had to hold the product upside down and slide it into place a little aggravating, but I got it

I was fortunate to purchase the Vortex Viper at a lower price in February. Item was received within a few days and as far as I could see, it was an unopened box (new). Installation was easy using the Aecktech Handgun Sight Pusher (also reviewed) to remove the rear sight on my Springfield Armory XDe, installing a EGW red dot mount (also reviewed) and placing the Viper on top of it. True, the battery is a bit clumsy to install, but not a problem. Side buttons required a bit of effort to get the dot to engage / disengage and the sight was easy to sight-in and kept the dot locked in. On the 134th round the dot quit; sight was solidly mounted and the battery was good. Customer service was excellent; they asked a few questions and then they PDF'ed me a prepaid return label. Vortex kept me notified of receipt and status of the sight. 10 days later I received a new sight (noted a different serial number), installed it and back out to the range. I noted that with this sight that the side buttons were easier to use and responded faster. After over 500 rounds and two competitions later the sight is operating perfectly and stays locked in. I do not believe that the company is a fault for the initial failure as I had the same problem (after over 3 years of use) with the Burris Fast Fire III mounted on my Beretta 92. Both companies stand behind their product.