Colt’s move into optics is getting noticed. In a recent New Product Highlight, the team at Pew Pew Tactical took a first look at the new Colt Optics lineup and came away impressed, noting that “early signs look extremely promising.”
For generations, the Colt name has meant one thing above all: the gold standard set by the service rifles and pistols that defined the U.S. military. Now that legacy is moving into new territory – precision glass and aiming systems built for the same professional users. Meet Colt Optics.
The debut lineup makes a serious first impression: a flagship carbine red dot, a 3X magnifier, a family of first-focal-plane rifle scopes, a compact pistol red dot, and a professional-grade laser aiming device. Here is a closer look at the optics now carrying the Colt name.
“Colt is hitting the optic market with an extremely strong opening haymaker.”
– Scott Murdock, Pew Pew Tactical
Colt CSQ-1 Red Dot
Most shooters will start here, and for good reason. The CSQ-1 is a duty-ready, fully enclosed carbine red dot with a beefy aluminum housing and one of the largest viewing windows in its class. The red CSQ reticle pairs a center aiming dot with a speed ring for fast focus and elevation holds for longer shots, and you can run the 1.5-MOA dot on its own when you want to keep things simple.
Eight daylight and four night-vision brightness settings cover everything from bright sun to work behind night vision, with glove-friendly buttons up top and a dedicated button to jump between daylight and night-vision modes. The sight shakes awake in your last-used setting and powers down after 10 minutes of inactivity to preserve the battery.
- Magnification: 1x
- Objective lens: 32 mm
- Reticle: CSQ (red)
- Illumination: 8 daylight, 4 night vision
- Battery: CR2032
- Weight: 8 oz
- Country of origin: USA
- MSRP: $824
Colt C3X-1 Magnifier
When positive identification or a longer shot is on the table, the C3X-1 3X magnifier pairs in behind the red dot. Its standout trait is generous eye relief – roughly 3 to 3.3 inches – which makes it one of the easier magnifiers to get behind without shifting your head position. Windage and elevation turrets let you center the CSQ-1’s reticle inside the magnifier without affecting your point of impact, and when magnification isn’t needed the C3X-1 flips to either side.
- Magnification: 3x
- Eye relief: 75-85 mm (3-3.3 in)
- Mount: flip-to-side, crossbolt
- Weight: 6 oz
- Country of origin: USA
- MSRP: $604
VMR Rifle Scope Family
The lineup also includes the VMR family of rifle scopes, spanning close-quarters speed to long-range precision:
- VMR 1-8×28 – LPVO
- VMR 3-18×44 – DMR scope
- VMR 4.5-27×56 – long-range precision scope
All three share first-focal-plane MRAD reticles, 0.1-milliradian adjustment values, and 34 mm tubes.
Colt LP5X-P Aiming Laser
Colt hasn’t forgotten that it built its name in the business of combat. The LP5X-P laser aiming device brings together a visible green laser, an infrared laser, an adjustable IR illuminator, and a flood IR illuminator in a single compact unit, with an MSRP of $2,700.
Colt MRS-1 Pistol Red Dot
Rounding out the line is the MRS-1, a rugged, enclosed-emitter pistol red dot built on the industry-standard ACRO footprint, with two large brightness buttons on top of the optic for fast, glove-friendly adjustment.
Taken together, it is an impressive first move into the optics market – and a lineup worth watching. For more information, visit www.coltoptics.com.
This product highlight is based on independent coverage by Pew Pew Tactical. Read Editor and Senior Review Analyst Scott Murdock’s full write-up, “New Product Highlight: Colt Optics,” at pewpewtactical.com.
About Colt Optics
Colt Optics was established in 2024 in Michigan, USA, to produce precision sighting and targeting products built to meet the real-world demands of professional users. For 190 years, Colt has defined reliability, precision, and battlefield-proven performance. Colt Optics is combining that heritage of craftsmanship with cutting-edge optical technology. Built for the professionals who stand on the front line, our optics are engineered to answer a growing demand for mission-ready clarity and uncompromising performance. Colt Optics is a member of Colt CZ Group SE.
Contact for Media
Colt Electro Optics, LLC
Jared Pollock
Email: [email protected]