Vortex Defender-XL™ 5MOA Red Dot Sight

If you have high standards or are like flashy red sights then the Vortex Defender-XL™ is most certainly the one for you! This red dot sight is intended for real steel firearms and is rated to withstand the recoil, additionally, it is also fully internally sealed with O-rings, making it dustproof, fogproof and waterproof rated IPX7.

With the Vortex Optics VIP Lifetime Warranty, there is peace of mind, the Defender-XL™ is covered for any form of accidental damage which affects the functionality of the sight, even being shot out by a BB. This is perfect for any clumsy skirmishers or for those who intend to buy one red dot to last them until the end of time. If you insist on treating your kit like it was issued to you but only like using the most premium parts, the Vortex Defender-XL™ is the way to go!

The Defender-XL™ is constructed from 7075 aluminium with a low-glare matt black anodised finish, this mitigates the glare produced from the shiny reflective finish many replica sights have, which can give away your position in bright conditions. 7075 Aluminium is much stronger than other alloys or aluminium used for Airsoft parts, accessories and guns, meaning the Defender-XL™ should resist scratches far better than alternatives and will withstand any rough handling or clumsiness.

On the top of the shroud, we can take note of the polymer insert, known as the ShockShield™. This piece is designed to absorb the shock from recoil and other impacts and prevent it from being transferred to the lens. The ShockShield™ is a great innovation from Vortex and will ensure your zero remains constant and that recoil forces are dampened to the extent that the lens will survive far more of a thrashing than any Airsoft gun can give it.

Surrounding the front of the objective lens we can find what Vortex terms as a Fast-Rack™ texture, designed into the Defender-XL™ to allow the sight to effectively be used as a charging handle when mounted to a pistol slide. This gives you more purchase on your slide and better control when racking, with less chance of slipping off in wet weather. The Fast-Rack™ texture is machined directly into the 7075 Alu housing for optimum strength and can even be used to rack your sidearm with one hand by bracing the sight on a pouch or belt with confidence that the Defender-CCW™ will stay mounted firmly, ready for action.

The objective lens measures 20x25mm, giving you a good-sized window for lining up those shots. This lens shape is known as "Aspherical", and is hard coated to provide a distortion-free view of your target and add strength to the lens itself. The red dot reticle is a 5MOA (Minute Of Angle) reticle, meaning it is sized as such that it will cover a 5-inch diameter circle on a target at 100 yards. This reticle size is great for Airsoft ranges, providing enough precision to take those important long-range shots while staying bright and easy to find after a quick draw.

The Defender-XL™ provides 10 brightness levels; 8 for different levels of daylight and the lowest 2 settings for use with night vision devices. The brightness controls can be found on either side of the sight, in the form of rubber buttons with raised arrow markings, indicating if they increase or decrease the brightness. To power up the Defender-XL™ you can press either of the two side controls and then to turn it off you will need to press and hold the down arrow for 5 seconds.

Both of the side controls sit slightly recessed into the housing of the Defender-XL™, minimising the chance that the controls will be pressed inadvertently during drawing or carry and also reducing the chance of snagging the sides of this sight on its surroundings. If you are still concerned that the buttons can be inadvertently pressed you can engage Button Lockout mode which locks both side controls for maximum security. Button lockout mode can be activated by holding the up arrow down for 3 seconds and will be indicated by the red dot sight turning off for 0.5 seconds and then back on. To deactivate button lockout mode simply press and hold the up arrow again for 3 seconds and the buttons will be active again. The Defender-XL™ will let you know the buttons are active once again by blinking on and off twice within 1 second.

Owed to its real steel lineage and intended role as an optic, the Defender-XL™ also has an auto-shutoff function and motion activation. The auto-shutoff mode can be activated by simultaneously holding both brightness controls down for 3 seconds. While the buttons are held down, the optic will cycle through the lowest to the highest brightest setting, and once it reaches the brightest setting auto-shutoff is enabled. This means the optic will power down after 10 minutes of being unused, saving your battery life if you accidentally forget to turn off tour sights after a skirmish.

After the Defender-XL™ red dot turns off automatically it will now be in motion activation mode, meaning it will turn on again as soon as the sight detects movement. While this is far more useful for real steel than Airsoft skirmishing, it is still a neat feature, elevating the Defender-XL™ above its rivals. It allows the sight to be primed and ready for quick drawing if your sidearm is needed suddenly. Turning the sight off manually will deactivate the auto-shutoff and motion detection feature, so if you don't want your sight turning on every time you touch your sidearm, make sure you turn it off yourself!

The battery compartment of the Defender-XL™ is located on the top of the sight, just behind the window/objective lens. Accessing the compartment is nice and easy thanks to the included Vortex adjustment tool, and to make things even better Vortex even includes a CR2032 button cell to get you powered up and ready. The cell insertion direction is indicated on the inside of the battery cap, avoiding any confusion. The advantage of having a top-mounted battery compartment is that you don't need to remove the entire sight to change batteries, removing the annoyance of having to re-zero your sight afterwards, making the Defender-XL™ far more convenient than many of its rivals.

The zero adjustment dials can be found at the top rear and on the right side of the unit, with the top dial controlling elevation adjustment and the right side dial controlling windage. These dials are very small, and as such require a specific adjustment tool to operate. Thankfully, the Vortex Optics Custom Tool provided with the Defender-XL™ has this covered, as well as battery cap removal and mounting the sight. The wings on either side of the tool are designed to interface with the dials, the cross protrusion between the wings is for the battery compartment and the Torx head at the opposite end is for mounting the sight to either its 20mm Picatinny mount or the slide of a pistol.

If you skirmish rough and like to go all in, you must know the pain of watching another red dot reach its final days! The Vortex Defender-XL™ promises to be the last red dot sight you will ever buy, offering unrivalled strength, being fully sealed from environmental factors and including the Vortex Optics VIP Lifetime Warranty which covers everything from a stripped screw to a BB straight through the lens! This red dot sight is at the top of the range when it comes to Airsoft attachments, seriously!

Features

• 5MOA Red dot
• 7075 Aluminium shroud - Exceptionally strong and lightweight
• Polymer ShockShield™ insert - Protects the lens by dampening recoil transferred through the shroud
• Integrated 20mm Picatinny rail mount - Ready to mount on any 20mm Pic rail
• DeltaPoint® Pro Footprint
• Fast-Rack™ texture on the front - Allows you to use the optic to rack the slide, even off a belt!
• 20x25mm Aspherical lens - Hard-coated for strength and perfect light transmission
• Recoil rated - Can withstand real firearm recoil, perfect for slide mounting on a GBB pistol
• Shockproof - Rugged 7075 Aluminium shroud and ShockShield™ insert to withstand recoil and impacts
• Dustproof - Internal O-rings prevent dust, dirt and debris ingress
• Fogproof - Designed to be operated in a wide range of temperatures and conditions
• Waterproof Rated IPX7 - Can survive being submerged in 1-meter deep water for 30 minutes
• Auto-shutoff after 10 minutes on - Saves your battery if you forget to turn the sight off
• Motion Activation mode - When Auto-shutoff is used, the dot will power back on when it detects movement
• Button Lockout mode - Locks the buttons out to prevent accidental brightness adjustments
• 10 Brightness settings - 8 for daylight use and 2 for use with night vision devices
• Parallax free - The dot stays on target despite head movements or imperfect alignment
• Night vision compatible - The two lowest brightness settings are optimised for NVG/NODs
• Low-glare matt black anodised finish - Professional and discrete looks, prevents glare from giving you away!
• Top-mounted battery - Change your battery without needing to remove the sight or re-zero afterwards
• Battery: 1 x CR2032 Button cell (included)
• Vortex Optics VIP Lifetime Warranty - Your optic is covered for all forms of accidental damage which affects function, even being shot out by a BB!

Package Includes

• Vortex Defender-XL™ 5MOA Red Dot Sight
  • Vortex adjustment tool
  • Glock MOS Adapter Plate
  • Various screws
  • Cleaning cloth
  • 1 x CR2032 Button cell
  • Rubber optic cover
  • User manual

Vortex Optics VIP Lifetime Warranty Cover

No matter who ends up owning this product, you do not need a receipt to make a warranty claim when going direct through VORTEX. The warranty is fully transferable and if you decide to sell the optic, the new owner can still make a warranty claim through VORTEX.

Alternatively, if you would prefer Patrol Base to handle your claim we would require proof of purchase from ourselves to avoid any delay. You do not need to keep a paper copy, we can find your original sale from your name and address.

Your new purchase is covered for absolutely any accident that impairs the operation of the product and any feature. This includes lens damage from BB impacts. Cosmetic damage that does not impair functionality is not covered.

If the product becomes discontinued VORTEX will replace your product with a newer version completely free of charge.

You are even covered if you decide to custom spray paint your optic as long as no paint has made contact with the lens.

Further details are available on the VORTEX Optics website.