Officially announced in March 16th, 2023, the Vortex Optics Defender-CCW micro red dot sight, available in a 3 MOA and a 6 MOA variant, was designed and is manufactured specifically for concealed carry, defensive pistols.

Extremely compact and lightweight – standing in at barely 4 cm / 1.59" and weighing in at 26,9 g / 0.95 oz – the Vortex Defender-CCW micro red dot sight is built around a 7075-T6 machined aircraft-grade aluminum alloy chassis with a full low-glare black hard-anodized finish and a Shield RMS/RMSc footprint that makes it compatible with most optics-ready slides and eliminates costly retro-fitting, extra plates, drill and tapping.

The Vortex Optics Defender-CCW micro red dot sight is powered by a single CR1632 button-style battery, whose seat is located on top of the chassis, allowing replacement without forcing users to remove the sight from the handgun it's installed to. Two rubberized switches located on both sides allow the adjustment of red dot illumination on eight different levels; two 1-MOA-per-click, recessed dials provide windage and elevation adjustment, on a 105 and 110 MOA range respectively.

Depending on the selected illumination level, a single CR1632 battery can provide up to 9500 hours of continuous runtime. The electronics of the Vortex Defender-CCW include a motion activation system, and an auto shut-off that activates after 14 hours to save power.

The single large hard-coated aspheric lens provides a wide, distortion-free and parallax-free sight picture. The single-piece chassis features a set of ShockShield polymer inserts, absorbing shock to protect it from everyday abuse, as well as an aggressive FastRack texturing on face of optic allowing the racking off the slide off any surface.

The Vortex Optics Defender-CCW 3 MOA and 6 MOA micro red dot sights are available in the US at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $349,99; no information concerning export availability or pricing has been disclosed so far.