A Budget Friendly Carry Optic
AMERIGLO Haven Red Dot Sight
Glock 19 and AMERIGLO’s Haven make a perfect combination for personal defense.
It’s really no big secret or surprise; in recent times, many law-abiding citizens have been concerned about personal safety. Whether it’s home defense or personal protection, our safety and well-being have been brought to the forefront of concern. With over seven million new gun buyers, concealed carry firearms have become prevalent in our society today. Along with the proliferation of firearms designed and geared for personal safety, a number of practical and useful options have quickly evolved. The ever-increasing presence of optics has prompted massive growth in this segment.
AMERIGLO, the American-made leader in tritium, fiber rod, and custom OEM iron sights, has recently announced their all-new AMERIGLO Haven red dot sight. I was fortunate to give this pistol optic a thorough, grueling test run recently at the G 2 Ranch in Texas. This new entry from AMERIGLO is designed from the ground up to accommodate the growing needs of law-abiding gun owners. The red dot optic is available in either 3.5 or 5.0 MOA dot or as a Carry-Ready Combo, including optic-compatible iron sights for the GLOCK MOS system.
Mark learned a lot from two days of serious shooting. The Haven performed flawlessly.
The Haven is compatible with a variety of today’s IWB/OWB holsters like this Cross Breed pictured here.
Range Time
Along with four other gun writers, I was shooting a Glock 19 with the Haven installed. Over the course of two long days, we burned 6,000 rounds shooting from a multitude of real-world scenarios. All the Glock pistols running Winchester ammo performed flawlessly — and so did the Haven.
Living in a rural area, I don’t usually carry a concealed firearm daily. So, without having much experience in this area, the lengthy range sessions proved invaluable. I also see why many are gravitating toward optics on their EDC. The Haven’s large window and bright red dot made for a user-friendly unit. Thanks to advanced electronics and enhanced optomechanical design, the Haven is rugged and guaranteed to survive recoil from today’s most powerful handguns. I wouldn’t be a bit hesitant to mount the Haven on my GLOCK 40 in 10mm Auto.
During the rigid shooting sessions in Texas, all shooters were wearing CrossBreed Holsters. The Haven is compatible with most common IWB/OWB holsters commonly used today for concealed carry.
AMERIGLO’s Haven is a rugged, compact red dot sight ideally suited for personal defense.
Brightness adjustments can be changed by the +/- controls located on the side of the unit.
Key Features
This aluminum housed optic is specifically designed for the individual looking for the best options concerning personal defense. One of my concerns with red dot sights has always been battery life. The Haven runs on your typical CR2031 battery, fitting conveniently in a side-loading compartment. This battery can last up to three years on the low setting and one year on a high setting. Battery life is conserved thanks to the Haven’s Power Protect feature, which provides a 12-hour runtime and a 12-hour, motion-activated auto-on. It is not necessary to re-zero after changing the battery.
Another feature I appreciated was the flexibility of settings. The Haven incorporates 11 brightness settings, including two night-vision compatible options. This allows the shooter to adjust the brightness of the red dot according to conditions or individual preference. Once you’ve found the appropriate setting for your eyes and lighting, the optic’s proprietary Carry-Loc mode fixes the illumination and prevents unintentional button presses. This is a most welcome feature. Depress both the +/- buttons simultaneously for one second to engage or disengage. A reticle flash will indicate when this mode has been engaged or disengaged. The windage and elevation adjustments are precision-engineered at one click per MOA.
The Haven is compatible with a number of optics-ready pistols, including the GLOCK MOS, S&W’s C.O.R.E., Springfield Armory’s OSP, Beretta APX RDO, Walther Arms Q4/A5/PDP, CZ P10 F/C, Taurus G3C, and many others. I often hear shooters say, “Mounting options are confusing, and I want to mount an optic on my pistol easily.” The Haven uses the Trijicon RMR footprint for painless mounting on most pistols which makes life easy.
GLOCK 19 and AMERIGLO’s Haven make a perfect combination for personal defense.
Learnings
The first day at the range was a learning experience for me. To be honest, it took me a while before I could quickly find the red dot. This is not a negative on the optic itself but a testament to practicing with your EDC. We shot a lot of different stages, most of which were timed. Doing so got me out of my comfort zone, especially with some friendly competition among writers. These timed stages made for good training practice. After all, if we should ever have to protect ourselves or our loved ones, pressure and adrenaline would be full tilt.
By the second day of shooting, I became much more familiar and faster with target acquisition. Shooting steel plates against the clock and other shooters provides challenging and educational training. I had drastically improved and gained some much-needed self-confidence by the end of the day. I learned a lot, gained valuable knowledge, realized the importance of practice, and became familiar with my EDC. Your life may depend on it!
I’ll be mounting the Haven on one of my EDC pistols. The intuitive controls and reliability make this optic a solid choice. The Haven has a pocketbook-friendly price point and is loaded with features specifically designed for self-defense applications in a compact package. The 3.5 and 5.0 MOA red dot has an MSRP of $379, and the Carry-Ready Combo is $439.
