Marines approve red dot optics for pistol qualification — under one condition

Marines can now complete their handgun qualification using a pistol equipped with a red dot optic, according to a policy change announced in a Marine Administrative Message last week. However, there is a caveat: the optic — an M17 Romeo red dot — must be purchased and issued by the Marine’s unit.

Exactly how many Marines will receive the optics remains unclear. Military Times requested comment from the Marine Corps’ Marksmanship Program Management team and Training and Education Command but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Over the past decade, pistol-mounted red dot optics have surged in popularity among civilian shooters and police. Today, most major handgun models offer optics-ready variants.

Experts say the system provides a clear advantage over traditional iron sights. Rather than aligning the front and rear sights, shooters can focus on the target while placing a projected aiming point over it — a literal red dot. It not only simplifies the shooting process, especially under stress, but affords quicker target acquisition.

The Marine Corps update follows a broader set of changes developed through the service’s Marksmanship Campaign Plan, an initiative launched in 2024 to overhaul training and improve combat lethality.

Additional changes announced in the March 12 message include:

• A shift from annual qualification to deployment-focused training cycles;
• Replacing “destroy” targets with “drill” targets during annual rifle qualification;
• Adoption of updated Lethality Factor scoring metrics at combat schools.

Similar to the red dot policy, a limited number of Marines will also be authorized to qualify with Glock pistols instead of the standard M17 or M18. That exception applies only to Marines assigned to Marine Forces Special Operations Command and embassy security duty, the only units in the Corps currently issued Glock handguns.

As the “M17” designation implies, the optic is designed for use with the military’s M17 and M18 handguns, both of which — along with the optic itself — are manufactured by SIG Sauer.

In October 2024, SIG announced that the Army officially endorsed the Romeo red dot by adding it to the Approved Accessory List for the M17. And a year before that marked another milestone, when the optic received a NATO Stock Number, or NSN.

As the company explained in a press release, an NSN identifies the product as a “standardized material,” which in turn “streamlines the procurement process for all NATO members and partner countries.”