AllOutdoor Review – Rival Arms X1 Micro Reflex Sight & X2 Reflex Sight
Adam Scepaniak 05.11.23
When it comes to shooting and the many disciplines we can participate in – hunting, recreation, defense, etc – we typically source our accessories through multiple manufacturers; especially optics. It is difficult to find an optic for your handgun with your discerning tastes and simultaneously locate one for your rifle that satisfies your demands, and all from the same company. A company we have not been strangers to, but recently have gotten to work with is Rival Arms. Their machining and craftsmanship abilities extend to pistol components, rifle parts, optics, and even rifle chassis. In fact, their mantra is “devoted to those who demand more… precision is everything.” We put that cultural mantra to the test when we got our hands on a Rival Arms X1 Micro Reflex Sight (best suited for handguns) and X2 Reflex Sight (best suited for long guns). So, today we will share our thoughts, experiences, and let you decide if this is a brand you want to dive in on. Specifically, the Rival Arms X1 Micro and X2 Reflex Sights. Let’s dive in!
Rival Arms Coverage on AllOutdoor & TheFirearmBlog
The Rival Arms X1 Micro Reflex Sight is an open-window design miniature red dot perfectly suited for modern handguns. It boasts an extremely common RMR footprint whether adapting to an array of plate systems or being mounted directly to a firearm (like we did in our testing on my personal, custom Glock). With automatic “awake” and “sleep” modes, you can preserve the absurd battery life of 50,000+ hours for literal years.
In the rare event that your Rival Arms X1 Micro Reflex Sight should ever need servicing or replacement, Rival Arms touts a Lifetime Limited Warranty. Also, you are not purchasing a foreign product with your hard-earned dollars. This is made in the USA. Everything from the cardboard the product comes in to the coatings on the lenses. It is all from the US.
The Rival Arms X1 Micro Reflex Sight has an MSRP of $379.99 putting it in competitive territory with other RMR footprint optics including the RMR itself. With a generous viewing window, a laundry list of impressive and desirable features, and an included Picatinny mount, this red dot is ready for service.
The Rival Arms X2 Reflex Sight utilizes the same motion sensing automatic on/off technology as its little brother – the X1 Micro Reflex Sight. You also get multiple Picatinny mounts inside the packaging (low and high – AR absolute co-witness) so you can run this red dot exactly as you want to. The Rival Arms X2 Reflex Sight is also waterproof, fog proof, and nitrogen gas-filled to withstand a bevy of environmental factors. The rest of the specifications for the Rival Arms X2 Reflex Sight can be read below:
The Rival Arms X2 Reflex Sight has an MSRP of $264.99 making it affordable enough to install on multiple firearms within your arsenal. Similar to the Rival Arms X1 Micro Reflex Sight, in the rare event that your X2 Reflex Sight should ever need servicing or replacement, Rival Arms touts a Lifetime Limited Warranty and has your back. Finally, with a smaller and more precise 2 MOA (Minute of Angle) dot size, you can engage targets at distance with confidence. On paper, this appears to be a quality red dot that we were excited to get out on the range with.
When it came to time in the field with both of these optics, the first thing we had to do was get them mounted to their specific host firearms. For the X2 Reflex Sight, I mounted that on my personal Bravo Company Mfg (BCM) RECCE-14 KMR-A 5.56 NATO/.223 Rem rifle. I brought the optic and rifle out to the range without zeroing or mounting it ahead of time. Everything I needed to properly mount this optic was already inside the box for me including tools to adjust for windage and elevation.
With the Rival Arms X1 Micro Reflex Sight, I worked in a similar fashion. I brought my personal, custom Glock to the gun range with me and the packaging that housed the X1 Micro Reflex Sight. Being as the X1 is an RMR footprint, I could simply direct mount it to my handgun. Even with my custom Glock slide – and unknown tolerances – the X1 Micro Reflex Sight mated up no problem; perfect fitment. It was also easily zeroed in no time flat.
Now, it was time to finally get some rounds down range. The X1 Micro Reflex had good brightness while we were shooting under a dimly-lit eve as well as when we were in the open with the sun reflecting off of bright surrounding snow. The window size was also nice because you could intuitively point your handgun and instantly pick up the dot. Moreover, it was a perfect window in that it did not overhang the slide of the pistol too much yet it afforded us an ample viewing area for the dot.
While engaging targets with X2 Reflex Sight, we had good glass clarity to hit our mark at both near and far distances. The dot never “bleed” within the glass. It constantly remained crisp so we had a clear, concise picture whenever something was receiving our ballistic attention. The X2 also adjusted well from dimly-lit to brightly-lit areas similar to the X1’s performance.
Here at AllOutdoor, we’re not going to abuse any product we review or any of our personal firearms either. Yet, we have the mentality that much of what we use is a tool. A very simple mindset. So, we allowed the X2 rifle optic to bump into my metal belt buckle, hit an ammo can, brush against my “cheese-grater” serrated Glock slide, and other subtle dings, hits, bumps, and whacks. Overall, we want to see – in a compressed period of time – that normal use is not going to throw off a zero or be the breaking point of a product. With what we would call “active use,” the X2 Reflex Sight held up just fine. We never lost a zero and all of its functions kept humming along.
The Rival Arms X1 Micro Reflex Sight got the same loving treatment and came out on the other side un-phased. I’ve been known to rack my pistol against wood posts, tables, and basically anything I can for the fun of it. I mean… who doesn’t want to chamber a round off a 2×4 and then clap steel at the gun range? All that being said, aside from running the optic over with a truck, it performed the same from the moment we took it out of the box until we left the range and the abuse fun ended.
Both the Rival Arms X1 Micro Reflex Sight and X2 Reflex Sight performed exactly as one would expect. Clear glass, crisp dots, unshakeable zero, easy to mount, intuitive to sight in, and generally affordable. There isn’t much else you could ask an optic to do for you. For our complete reaction and fun at the range, check out our video below:
So, what are my final thoughts on both the Rival Arms X1 Micro Reflex Sight and X2 Reflex Sight?… Overall, I fail to find something to complain about. Would it be awesome if they were cheaper? Of course. Who doesn’t love free stuff? But, let’s be rational. These are quality optics, made in the USA, and they carry a great warranty (which is more and more rare everyday). So, the MSRP of $264.99 for the X2 Reflex Sight and $379.99 for the X1 Micro Reflex Sight is very reasonable. I am embarrassed to admit I’ve personally paid more for optics that did not perform to the level of these Rival Arms optics. So, for anyone looking for an optic for their rifle or pistol, the X1 and X2 are great options.
In closing, I want to say thank you to Rival Arms for allowing AllOutdoor and myself the opportunity to try out their Rival Arms X1 Micro Reflex Sight and X2 Reflex Sight. That is greatly appreciated. Also, we would like to know what all of you guys and gals think? Do you believe that the Rival Arms X1 Micro Reflex Sight and X2 Reflex Sight is something worth spending your money on? Would you put one on your AR-15 or your personal handgun? As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
All of the quality photography and videography for this review was completed by the versatile and gifted Jens Kallgren of High Shine Media while the photo editing was accomplished by Savannah Pierson of Savvy Photage.
