SOUSA R.A.I.D. Pistol Red dot sight
Courtesy SOUSA

SOUSA Optics, which is now part of the Texas-based CMC Triggers family, recently came out with a new pistol red dot, the R.A.I.D. It’s always good to see an RDS hit the market and even better when they look like they’ll bring some solid competition to the industry.

The R.A.I.D. is affordably priced ($179 MSRP), yet well-made and promises to cover the needs of a lot of gun owners out there (especially the newbie gun owners who just bought their first handgun say, last week, and are looking for a red dot that won’t break the bank).

The R.A.I.D. has a sturdy black aluminum housing designed to withstand the hits your carry gun is likely to take in the course of training or repetitive motions (because I hope you’re practicing working from the holster). To back up its ability to handle hard use it’s made with a geometric housing and a unique lens coating to improve clarity and protect the glass. SOUSA also made their new RDS with a wide lens for a broader sight picture and a thin, lightweight frame so that sight picture isn’t obstructed by metal.

Features of the SOUSA R.A.I.D. include a 3 MOA red dot with ten brightness settings — two for night vision — a 5,000 hour battery life when set to medium, and 4-hour auto shut-off. As for that shut-off, if you’re in LE and on duty or in an RDS pistol class and know you need it to run longer, just turn it off and back on again to reset the timer.

The sight fits RMR cut mounts which is a nice bonus as well. SOUSA backs the R.A.I.D with company’s Absolute Satisfaction Warranty meaning they will repair or replace the sight at no cost to you.

The SOUSA website lists the ASW being handled as follows:

SOUSA Optics designs and makes precision aiming devices and firearms accessories for the most demanding shooters and outdoor enthusiasts. Throughout the research, design, manufacturing, quality control, and testing processes we pride ourselves on attention to detail and unrelenting standards. We bring the very best to the shooting community at an affordable price and we stand behind our product with our ASW Absolute Satisfaction Warranty. If you experience any issues with a product that we make we will repair and replace it at no cost to you. We don’t need a box, receipt, or a reason for the failure. No matter what happens to your SOUSA product, we take care of it…period.

Specifications: SOUSA R.A.I.D pistol red dot sight

24mm OBJ DIA
3 MOA Dot
5000 hour battery life when set to medium
Unique lens coating does not block IR light, allowing use with NVDs
Geometric housing increases strength while reducing weight
4 hour auto shut off
2 night vision settings
Comes with low profile rail grabber
Fits RMR cut mounts
ASW guarantee
MSRP: $179

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26 COMMENTS

    • We are located in Fort Worth, Texas. Although we have product made in the USA, Philippines, Japan, and China, all of our design, engineering, QA, Customer service, and operations are done right here in Texas.

  3. Kat,

    Have you actually used this RDS?

    What kind of battery and how hard is it to change (yea, I know that 5k hours is a couple of years…even so it has to be changed…eventually)?

    Country of manufacture: (guessing) China?

      • Thanks for the heads up!

        Based in Changchun, China. Probably a good optic…however, I will probably purchase another Leupold Delta Point Pro (USA manufacture). my favorite LGS offers them for a very good price (not $179, but, very good for a Leupold).

      • Auto-off at 4 hours…a work year is considered to be around 2080 hours…throw in a few weekends…and you have to sleep occasionally…plus adding Finagle’s Factor wherein you’re probably using Rayovac (ugh) batteries. I stand by my projection of two years of EDC use and preemptively changing out batteries before the projected fail point is reached.

        …or, u can change yours out every 6+/- months if that is what u want.

        YMMV.

    • We took over Sun Optics USA a few years ago and started SOUSA. The new SOUSA brand’s products are high quality, well thought out products that meet the demands of todays shooters. Sun Optics USA is still here making the older legacy products such as mounts and scopes but SOUSA is a completely different approach to firearms accessories and optics.

      The RPD runs on a common CR2032 and the battery is very easy to change. it is a bottom mount battery and changes like most of the other pistol style dots on the market.

    • Out of curiosity, why is that?
      We value customer feedback. if you have suggestions on how to improve our products we would love to hear them!

      • 3 MOA is fine if you’re a Fudd at a range taking single, slow fire shots. Which appears to be your target audience with an automatic 4 hour timeout.

        If you’re getting a flash sight picture in an emergency of competing you want at least a 6 MOA.

        Also 5,000 hour battery life is a joke. I’ve had Holosuns go several years constantly on. Most of my RMRs I can push over a year with no issues constantly being on.

        Anyone carrying is going to want the optic to either be constantly on or shake away. 4 hour timeout is not acceptable for a self defense application.

        So youve made a Fastfire / Venom competitor.

        Anyone looking for something comparable to a Deltapoint, RMR or Holosun should look elsewhere.

        Given that those three are the gold standard in optics (and the only three to pass Aaron Cowan’s torture tests) most consumers are likely going to look elsewhere.

        • I appreciate the feedback. The 4 hour cutoff has been updated to 12 hr. As for the 5000 hrs being a joke, running the dot for 12 hours a day gives you well over a year of use on a single battery. We are currently working on newer technology that will increase that by quite a bit, stay tuned ;-). We have also found that, although it is 3 MOA, the brightness and clarity of the dot aid in fast acquisition more than dot size. Dimmer dots generally need to be larger so the eye can pick them up faster. The RPD is also extremely durable. It was not in the test that you mentioned but the customer reports as well as in house, and independent testing have proven it to handle abuse very well. We will continue keep working on improvements on our products and doing everything we can to make things that people want at a fair price. Thanks again for the feedback!!!

  6. No Sale!

    Claims to be a “family owned and operated” business. What family? What is this long lineage they claim to have? Provides zero info on where located, where the factory is.

    Previously known as “Sun Optics”. Based in Texas last 14 years.

    If a company refuses to be upfront about who they pay to make their stuff, Americans or Chinese Communists, they do not need my money.

    Or your money.

    • The Biegel family of Fort Worth Texas, the owners of CMC Triggers are who own it. They purchased it from another Texan in 2019 and then hired the former head of Vortex’s MIL/LE division, who is also a veteran, to develop the brand. The price is low not because of quality, but because it doesn’t need to be expensive just for the sake of it. It also has a 100%, no questions asked, lifetime guarantee.

  7. Though crowds here….I guess when I say I don’t care where it’s made, it’s the price that ruins it for me, you know exactly how fkn cheap I am lol…

    China……., because not everyone rakes in 20k per month…

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