The Sig Romeo-X Compact: Why Everyone Is Talking About This Red Dot?
About a year and a half ago, I switched my EDC pistol from the Sig P365 to the Glock 43X so I could use a red dot on my daily carry. After about 6 months, I switched to the Smith & Wesson Shield Plus. For the past year, I have used a Riton X3 Tactix MPRD 2 red dot on it. Initially, I got the Riton to test it out, but I liked it enough to leave it on the gun. Recently, I decided to upgrade to the Sig Romeo-X Compact. Let’s talk about why I call it an upgrade.
About the Sig Romeo-X series
The Romeo X series is based on the Romeo M17 which was developed for the US military to use on M17 and M18 pistols. The X is a streamlined version of it, developed for the civilian market. It comes in 2 sizes, the Pro size and the Compact size. The Pro versions fit the Delta Point Pro/Sig Pro footprint and is designed for full and compact versions of the P320, P226 and P229 pistols. The compact uses the popular Shield RMSc pattern and is designed for sub-compacts like the P365 and Shield Plus.
Purchase the Sig Romeo-X Pro here.
Construction and Features
The Romeo X compact is a sturdy red dot. The housing is forged 7075 aluminum, the same material as most AR-15 receivers. It is tough and durable. Sig says the sight has a distortion-free aspherical lens, which explains the lack of distortion in the sight picture. The window is 24mm, reasonably generous for a compact sight. The coating on the lens does give it a noticeable blue tint. I say noticeable because it’s pretty evident, but in practical use, I stop noticing it when I’m not looking for it.
The Romeo-X has a side-mounted battery compartment, making battery changes super easy, barely an inconvenience. The brightness adjustment buttons on the left side are recessed. This makes them less likely to be accidentally adjusted during carry or use, but they are still very easy to manipulate when you want to adjust the brightness. This red dot has 15 brightness settings, including 3 night vision.
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Another feature of the Romeo X is its low platform height, allowing standard height sights to still be used with the red dot. Some versions of the sights have fiber optics integrated into the rear of the red dot. I chose the version called the Blackout, which does not have fiber optics because my Shield Plus already has excellent night sights on it. The Blackout version also comes with a 3 MOA dot, which is my preferred reticle. The standard Romeo-X compact comes with a choice of a 6 MOA dot or a 2MOA dot with a 32 MOA circle (aka the Donut of Death). The Pro version has both of those choices, as well as the 3 MOA.
Purchase the Sig Romeo-X Compact Blackout here.
Installation and Zeroing
Installation was simple…once I had the correct screws. Every gun company seems to want to be a special snowflake, so the screws for red dots can be a pain in the behind. Different lengths and different screw sizes complicate it. Then add in different pitches for the screw and it starts getting a little frustrating. The Sig screws would not work in my Smith and Wesson pistol and the Smith & Wesson screws weren’t long enough for the Sig red dot. Calling both Sig and Smith & Wesson customer service didn’t help. Smith sent me out more screws that were too short and Sig sent me ones that were too fat. Eventually, I had to buy screws from a third-party vendor.
With the correct screws, the installation was easy. Some Blue Loctite and a torque screwdriver were all I needed. Zeroing was done using an included T6 torque wrench. I did a 10-yard zero on this one. The first shots were only about 1.5 inches high and about ½ inch to the right, so zeroing didn’t take long.
Purchase the Sig Romeo X Compact here.
Using the Sig Romeo-X Compact
The red dot left me wanting nothing. The dot was crisp and clear. There was no discernable flicker. Through the first 200 rounds, there was no shift in zero and I don’t anticipate any as the round count climbs.
Presenting the pistol gives me a good, clear sight picture every time. It is a very easy red dot to use. The Riton X3 is an auto-adjust pistol, meaning that the red dot decides the appropriate brightness. While I never had an issue with the auto adjustment, there is a potential for a conflict when you are in a lower light area, but your target is in a brighter lit area.
Another upgrade is that the sight is motion-activated. Sig calls this feature MOTAC and it is a great feature. The Riton had an auto-off feature that could be inconvenient from time to time. The Romeo X doesn’t suffer from that. You pick up the gun and the dot is there. No lag. No delay.
Read about the Sig Romeo 7S for rifles.
Co-witnessing with a red dot is a hot topic for some people. Some shooters prefer an absolute co-witness (dot and iron sights overlap each other). I prefer a lower 1/3 or lower 1/5 witness. But co-witness is not an absolute requirement for me depending on the use. (Go ahead and tell me I’m tempting death in the comment section). The low deck height of the Romeo-X makes the debate moot. It will give at least a lower 1/3 for standard height sights on most pistols.
The Verdict
I could tell you that I give the Sig Romeo-X Compact 2 thumbs up, but the fact that I am using it on a daily basis to protect myself and those I love should be a bigger endorsement.
I’ve seen some durability tests where Guntubers hammered a nail with a Romeo X. That’s great. I don’t have their budget (and I own a hammer) so I won’t be trying that, but it’s nice to know that it’s durable. And the red dot is covered under Sig’s excellent warranty.
If you’re looking for a durable, feature-packed red dot at a reasonable price point, I would recommend you look at the Sig Romeo X series. It punches above its weight, and I think you will be pleased with it.
