Innovation in the firearms space comes from creative individuals, engineers, and companies willing to take risks and think outside the box. When we defy convention, it can be intimidating because of the uncertainty that comes with introducing a new product to the market.
For years, few companies have truly challenged the status quo of pistol-optic design. The technology has continued to evolve and become more refined, but the fundamental concept has remained largely unchanged. Then, at last week’s SIG NEXT event, SIG Sauer challenged that status quo with the new XRAY5 pistol optic.
What We Need to Know
- The XRAY5 is built around solid-state construction, meaning it has no moving parts within the optic itself. Removing the manual adjustment turrets eliminates physical components that could wear or drift over time and potentially contribute to a loss of zero.
- A 225-pixel red-dot matrix allows users to digitally zero the optic through the XRAY5 companion app. During the zeroing process, the dot matrix allows the user to select individual pixels, creating a precise zero for the shooter.
- SIG’s digital-zeroing technology allows users to create, save, and recall multiple zero profiles through the companion app. The optic also features a digital round-counter function.
- The XRAY5 is a completely enclosed optic constructed from T-7075 aluminum and features a Grade 5 titanium hood designed to protect the optical lens.
- SIG’s engineering team designed and patented its proprietary Zero Distortion Optic, or ZDO, system. The technology is designed to remove image warping and parallax issues found in traditional pistol optics.
- Lightfight technology allows the XRAY5 to communicate with SIG’s new FOXTROT2R Lightfight. The technology uses Bluetooth to allow the optic and weapon light to communicate with one another, automatically brightening or dimming the red dot when the white light is deployed.
The Details
Key Features
From SIG Sauer’s website
- 7075 aluminum housing with Grade 5 titanium lens shield
- Ruggedized solid-state construction with no moving parts
- Patented Zero Distortion Optic (ZDO™) system
- Digital zeroing with simple app-guided setup
- Ability to store and instantly recall multiple zero profiles
- MOTAC™ motion-activated illumination
- Side-loading CR2032 battery with a 10,000-hour runtime
Who Is This For?
The XRAY 5 is designed for a broad range of users, including law enforcement, military personnel, civilian shooters, competitive shooters, and others looking for a modern pistol-optic platform.
Price & Availability
MSRP:
- XRAY5 PRO — $549
- XRAY5 Compact — $599
- XRAY5 SIG-LOC PRO — $599
- XRAY5 SIG-LOC Compact — $549
Availability: Coming Soon
The Bottom Line
SIG Sauer has taken a risk by challenging our ideas and expectations of what a pistol optic can be by ditching physical adjustment components and adopting solid-state construction within the optic.
This is new technology, and we don’t yet know what potential failure points may emerge outside of SIG’s own evaluation and testing. We are entering unknown territory with this completely digital approach to a pistol optic.
The XRAY 5 is ambitious and defies convention. Only time will tell whether that approach will prove successful.
For more information on the XRAY 5, head over to Sig Sauer’s website.