Pistol caliber carbines, or PCCs, are a ton of fun. What other weapon offers you cheap ammo, near-universal range access, an easily suppressed platform, and a varied platform? ARs are great, but doesn’t an MP5 or CZ Scorpion really spice things up? The PCC has become a popular option for defensive use, as a suppressor host, and for competition shooting. Like most guns, they can greatly benefit from an optic.
Admittedly the red dot rules on a PCC, but we are going to dive deep into not only red dots but a few options that might surprise you.
Holosun 510C
One of Holosun’s more affordable and complex options comes in the form of the HS510C. It’s absolutely chock full of features and well-priced. The optic is an open emitter design with a big wide window and thin walls for a clear view devoid of the walls of the optic. It comes ready with an integral mount and sits at an AR height plug-and-play performance. The 510C series has been seen on plenty of top-level PCC competitors’ guns, and for a good reason.
For a few hundred bucks, the HS510C offers three different reticles, including a donut of death-style option as well as a precise, crisp, and clear 2 MOA dot. A solar backup allows the battery to run dry without you losing power. The HS510C packs great ergonomics, two big buttons, and a nice clear view. It’s easy to use and perfect for the close-range nature of PCCs.
Trijicon Accupoint 1-4X Triangle Reticle
An LPVO on a PCC seems crazy, but that’s just because you are only thinking 9mm. Guns that shoot 10mm, .357 Magnum, 44 Magnum, and more can benefit from a little magnification. The old-school Trijicon Accupoint with the triangle reticle is just perfect for a more powerful PCC. The big triangle reticle and second focal plane are perfect together. At 1X, it’s nearly red dot fast, and at 4X, you can still hit targets quickly out to 100 yards.
The clarity is outstanding, and it makes it easy to see and engage small targets. Magnum-powered lever guns are perfect for hog hunting and in swamps, dense brush, and similar environments. You can see through the terrain, zoom in, and engage if necessary. A forgiving eye box and decent eye relief blend well with snap shoots and rapid follow-ups.
Primary Arms SLx 1X MicroPrism Gemini 9mm Reticle
Red dots rule on PCCs but don’t overlook the prism idea. The Primary Arms SLx 1X MicroPrism is as small as a red dot and packs a nice wide eye box and decent eye relief for a prism optic. The prism design and etched reticle work with those suffering from astigmatism, and if the battery dies, you still have a reticle. That reticle is large, bright, and even provides holdovers out to an optimistic 200 yards for 9mm.
The reticle design also allows for height over-bore compensation at super close ranges. It’s perfect for a 9mm carbine, SBR, or large-format pistol. Each prism comes with a variety of mounts to allow it to sit low and high and somewhere in between. Like all Primary Arms optics, they are well made and have an unbeatable warranty.
SIG Romeo3XL
At first glance, the Romeo3XL looks like a pistol optic, but once it’s in your hands, you actually realize it’s a very small rifle optic. It uses the open emitter design and thing, lightweight nature of a pistol optic with a 35mm lens. It’s big and bad and perfect for close-range shooting. The open nature keeps things fast and makes it natural for competition shooting. SIG made the optic entirely from aluminum with glass lenses and a drop and waterproof design.
The Romeo3XL encourages a two-eyed open shooting style, and the design ensures it works really well with night vision. It luckily has night vision brightness settings, so you’re covered. The thin, light design keeps things minimalistic without compromising durability or quality. The Romeo3XL combines the benefits of a full-sized dot with a pistol-sized optic for a natural PCC design.
Meprolight Foresight
The Meprolight Foresight might be the future of optics. It’s a high-tech red dot design that can wirelessly interact with Android and iOS devices. This allows you to customize your optics, zero your gun, as well as build profiles for various guns, ammo types, or whatever. Handgun ammunition varies quite a bit, and there is a zero shift between 147 grain and 115 grain 9mm, and you can zero your gun for both with the Meprolight Foresight. Switching profiles is simple, and with a few clicks, you’re ready to rock and roll.
The optic’s various reticles allow you to be quite picky. The screen provides a heads-up display with a built-in compass, level, and battery monitor. Future updates are promising a round counter as well. The Foresight is a bit big, but it does fill a specific niche for the PCC.
Eotech XPS2
If you want a professional grade, then EoTech certainly provides it. This holographic optic tends to be extremely clear and encourages a rapid, target-focus shooting style that works wonderfully with PCCs. The XPS2 series is the smaller EoTechs that cut weight and size for a more compact package without sacrificing window size. The famed donut of death reticle is incredibly versatile for shooting at 5 yards, 50 yards, and beyond.
The holographic design has a number of benefits. The optic can work with a broken lens, tends to be clearer for astigmatism sufferers, and just looks crisp and smooth. The downsides are shorter battery life, but it’s something you can work around. The EoTech XPS2 provides pro-grade optics with a decent price point.
SIG Romeo5
If you just need something that works and doesn’t break the bank, then the SIG Romeo5 is going to be tough to beat. It’s as simple as a red dot can be. The circular optic is compact and comes with an AR height riser. The Romeo5 comes in a few varieties, and the normal 2 MOA red dot variant will work for most shooters, but bonus points if you go with the XDR variant.
The XDR offers the donut of death reticle for a few dollars more. The Romeo5 series is plain in its features but robust and well-made. They are reliable for thousands of rounds, and if you are shooting on a budget, they won’t steer you wrong. SIG’s a large company, and they back their optics with a solid warranty.
Pew Pew With PCCs
Pistol caliber carbines are all the hotness, and it’s easy to see why. They are cheap to shoot, often break the AR mold, and are quite easy to suppress. There are tons of benefits to having a PCC, and like most long guns, they benefit greatly from a little optic love. Luckily, PCC optics are fairly simple due to their short range, and hopefully, you leave here today a little more prepared to outfit your favorite PCC with one optic or another.
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