Trijicon picks up $7 million SOCOM handgun reflex sight contract

The contract was awarded for a handgun sight to be used “for rapid day and night pistol target engagements in confined spaces, while prisoner handling, or in extremis after the primary weapon malfunctions.” (Photo: USSOCOM)

The U.S. Special Operations Command awarded Michigan-based Trijicon on Wednesdaya $7.62 million contract for handgun sights. The firm-fixed-price contract for what the military terms as a Miniature Aiming Systems — Day Optics (MAS-D) Handgun Reflex Sight (HRS) is set to run over a five-year period.

According to the award, the sight is “a low profile, wide field of view, passive sight for rapid day and night pistol target engagements in confined spaces, while prisoner handling, or in extremis after the primary weapon malfunctions.”

The U.S. military in recent years has embraced ruggedized miniature reflex-type, or RMR, sights on handguns. The winner of the Army’s Modular Handgun System contract, variants of the Sig Sauer P320 adopted as the M17 and M18 pistols, include a removable top plate for an RMR system.

As far back as 2016, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command identified a need for “low vis” optics-ready Glock 19 handguns with the slide cut to accept a red dot sight, a separate requirement from the MHS program. At the same time, the service identified a need for at least 12,592 handgun RMR sights for use across Army, Marine, Navy and Air Force special operations units.

The competitive contract awarded to Trijicon is classified as “indefinite-quantity” but the 2017 MAS-D-HRS solicitation stated an estimated maximum of 14,350 units would be needed. Military contracting authorities report they had two other offers received. Each competitor had to submit 16 samples for review as well as 10 front and rear suppressor-height sights that enable “absolute co-witness.”

Trijicon’s RMR mounted on a Glock 40 10mm (Photo: Trijicon)

Trijicon’s RMR offerings are substantial with adjustable LED, LED, and dual-illuminated variants of their Type 2 sight currently cataloged, although it is not disclosed which model the military has accepted. The contract was issued through the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana.