SIG Sauer ROMEO-X Optic: Full Review

SIG Sauer has been on quite a roll recently, winning U.S. military contracts with their modular M17/M18 pistols and their XM5 and XM250 rifles. The company is also providing their ROMEO-M17 optics for their military pistols, and these red dot sights have proven to be battle-ready.

Recently, SIG announced the release of the ROMEO-X optic in both full-sized and compact versions, with many of the same features that made the ROMEO-M17 the choice for modern U.S. military sidearms. Unlike the ROMEO-M17, though, the ROMEO-X Pro (full-sized) and Compact versions don’t use the SIG-LOC mounting interface designed to fit M17/M18 and commemorative SIG pistols. Instead, the Pro version uses the standardized DeltaPoint Pro (DPP) footprint — compatible with SIG's ROMEO1PRO/ROMEO2 interface — while the Compact version uses the popular RMSc mounting footprint. The intention was clearly to make the optics appropriate for use with a wide range of firearms, not just SIG Sauer products, which is great considering the ROMEO-X optics are well suited for competition, duty, home defense, and concealed carry applications.

Combat Ready

To ensure consistent performance under the worst conditions the SIG ROMEO-X optic features a CNC machined 7075 aluminum housing that stands up to heavy use, a feature shared with the combat-ready ROMEO-M17. The ROMEO-X’s aspheric front lens is both durable and eliminates optical distortion. The unit's patent-pending beryllium copper flexure arm is simple and rugged, allowing for very precise adjustments and reducing the risk of failure. Too, the flexure arm design reduces the overall volume of required components housed beneath the lens. Paired with the side-mounted battery, the ROMEO-X's efficient architecture produces an overall very-low deck height, bringing the optic closer to the bore for intuitive sighting and allowing for iron-sight co-witness without the need for extra-tall sights.

It's ruggedly durable design is one reason that the ROMEO-M17 has been so popular with the military and why it was awarded a NATO stock number, reserved for service items in regular use. The ROMEO-X shares many of the same design features and manufacturing processes, making it one of the most durable red dots available today. ROMEO-X optics are 10mm Auto rated and are built to handle heavy punishment without a zero shift or failure, and they are IPX-7 waterproof rated.

The ROMEO-X comes with a 2 MOA dot and a 32 MOA circle. By operating the controls you can toggle between the single dot, circle, and circle-dot, which makes this one of the most versatile optics on the market since it lends itself to a variety of shooting applications. There are 15 brightness settings—12 daylight and 3 night vision—and the ROMEO-X utilizes SIG’s D.A.R.C. (Dark Adaptive Reticles and Coatings) that are adapted for use with GEN 3+ night vision equipment.

In terms of power, batteries in red-dot optics are better than ever before, and they offer long lives that may last thousands of hours. But if you’re using your firearm often for daily carry, duty, competition or in military service you’ll change the batteries more frequently. With many red dots that means trying to awkwardly remove a battery cap or, worse yet, requiring completely removing the optic from the gun and having to rezero the sight. As alluded to above, SIG’s solution to the battery change problem is to mount the battery compartment on the right side of the optic housing. This prominent position makes it easy to swap out the CR1632 battery that, on average, lasts 20,000 hours and the ROMEO-X features SIG’s MOTAC motion-activated technology which allows the optic to sleep when not in use and power up instantly in response to even the slightest movement. You won’t have to change batteries very often, but when you do the process is much faster and simpler than with other red dots.

With so much technology and so many robust features bundled into a red dot optic, you might imagine that ROMEO-X optics are heavy or complicated to operate, but neither is true. There are just two control buttons labeled with up and down arrows. The front (up) button serves to power the unit on and off, and the layout allows shooters to quickly scroll through the 15 settings to find the one that matches the conditions. The buttons are also used to alternate between reticle options. To adjust point of impact, rotate the elevation adjustment screw (on top of the sight deck) counterclockwise to raise point of impact. A windage adjustment screw is located just behind the up and down buttons on the left side of the optic, and rotting the adjustment screw clockwise moves POI to the left.

ROMEO-X optics are also extremely lightweight, with the full-sized Pro model weighing in at just 1.15 ounces while the Compact model weighs one ounce, and that’s a byproduct of using premium 7075 aluminum which has the durability of metal with reduced mass.

SIG engineered with ROMEO-X with a very low deck height, and that means it will co-witness with the sights on many handguns. There’s also a machined integral rear sight on the optic itself. The ROMEO-X is assembled in America, MSRPs are set at $449 for the Pro version and $399 for the compact.

On the Range

I first had an opportunity to test the ROMEO-X Pro and Compact models while filming Guns & Ammo TV and was initially impressed by both optics. The housing design is streamlined but very rugged with beveled edges and sufficient front overhand to prevent damage to the lens. The side-mounted battery compartment is pure genius, and that feature alone makes this one of the most appealing optics. But the battery compartment is just one of a long list of shooter-friendly features on this optic.

Height for both the Pro and Compact versions is just .94 inches, but both offer windows that are large enough to offer an ample field of view. The housing doesn’t distract or block the shooter’s vision, and the deck height is so low that a wide variety of sights should co-witness with the ROMEO-X.

After filming ended, I returned home and found that SIG had sent me a P320 XSeries XFULL pistol with the ROMEO-X pre-mounted. That pistol/optic combination was excellent, producing good groups as I ran through a range of drills using barriers to fire at paper and steel targets. With so many levels of brightness it was easy to find the proper setting that was instantly visible yet not so bright that it caused flaring. A generous 24mm front objective lens and trim housing made it easy to get on target quickly and made transitions from one plate to the next very simple. The P320 XFULL handles recoil effectively and it was possible to maintain sight picture while firing multiple rounds and transitioning among targets, a key to improving split times. This combination isn’t far removed from the military’s choice for a pistol/optic combination, and it isn’t difficult to understand why.

The ROMEO-X’s deck height is indeed quite low, and the P320’s standard-height X-RAY3 Day/Night Sights co-witnessed without issue. Despite the ROMEO-X’s durable design shooters will want a backup sighting option so the low deck height is a noteworthy feature. It’s worth noting that the P320’s rear sight and the integral sight on the optic matched up perfectly in height and sight channel width, a testament to SIG’s precise machining.

Windage and elevation adjustments are easy to perform and the optic tracks properly. There’s 80 MOA of travel on both the windage and elevation controls, so getting this optic on target is fast and straightforward.

SIG’s recent successes have not come by accident. This company has developed products that lead the market segment. That’s the case for the ROMEO-X, which is a close cousin of the military-inspired ROMEO M-17. You might not need a mil-spec optic, but having a red dot that has proven reliable in the harshest testing offers peace of mind that when you draw your sidearm your optic will function properly with every pull of the trigger.

SIG ROMEO-X Pro Specs

• Housing: Machined 7075 Aluminum
• Weight: 1.15 oz
• Reticle: 2 MOA Dot, 32 MOA Circle, Circle/Dot
• Brightness Levels: 15 (12 day, 3 NV)
• Battery: CR1632
• Battery Life: 20,000 Hours
• Travel/Click (MOA): 1.5
• MSRP: $449

SIG ROMEO-X Compact Specs

• Housing: Machined 7075 Aluminum
• Weight: 1 oz
• Reticle: 2 MOA Dot, 32 MOA Circle, Circle/Dot
• Brightness Levels: 15 (12 day, 3 NV)
• Battery: CR1632
• Battery Life: 20,000 Hours
• Travel/Click (MOA): 1.5
• MSRP: $399