Aimpoint just came out with the ACRO P-2 but before we get to the details of this new MRD (micro red dot), let’s go over the Aimpoint ACRO P-1 briefly to explain why this upgrade was needed.
Way back in 2019 Aimpoint took aim (lol, punny) at the handgun optics market and came out with the ACRO- now the ACRO P-1. It was the very first closed emitter optic designed intentionally for use on a handgun, at least the first one that I’m aware of. For those unaware, a closed emitter comes with several advantages. It doesn’t fog up as easily as an open emitter, nothing can get inside to smear the glass or diffuse the dot, and it’s more structurally sound. The downsides are limited… it looked like a mailbox on a handgun and some would argue that it made concealment harder.
All photos in this article are from the Aimpoint website.
ANYWAY! The ACRO quickly rose to infamy despite all the perks that a closed emitter came with. First and foremost the battery life was… ass. Despite having an advertised run time of 15,000 hours or 1.5 years on setting 6 (there’s 4 NVD settings and 6 daylight settings) many people were finding that at best they were able to get 6-7 months worth of battery life while turning the optic off while not in use/being carried. Others were finding that it was best to change the battery every month due to how inconsistent the run times were with the optic during testing.
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To get the ball rolling, yes, the new ACRO P-2 will use the same footprint that the older P-1 used. It retains the same dimensions as the ACRO P-1 while also bringing in some new features. Aimpoint opted to use the common place CR2032 over the
With the upgrade Aimpoint decided that they were going to use a CR2032 battery instead of the CR1225 to offer improved battery life. Unlike the predecessor’s 15,000 hour battery life, Aimpoint is claiming that the P-2 will be able to run for 50,000 hours on brightness setting #10 (which is daylight setting 6).
It’s also going with some improvements, such as the ability to have flip-up lens covers, including anti-glare ones for hunting purposes (I’m not 100% certain this was a thing on the P-1 but it’s still kinda neat).
Dot size is 3.5 MOA, windage and elevation is adjusted with the Aimpoint tool provided (though a similarly sized torx bit should work). Brightness can be adjusted next to the battery tray on the left side, elevation adjustments are done via the dial up-top, and windage is adjusted via the right side of the optic.
Speaking of the battery tray, you don’t have to remove the optic from your firearm in order to replace the battery… Trijicon could take notes.
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Anyway, the ACRO P-2 is going to become an industry favorite I believe, but it isn’t going to be knocking into the Holosun 509T’s market share quite yet. On Aimpoint’s website they have the ACRO P-2 listed for $600 which isn’t competitive at all, especially given the issues with the P-1 ruining the optic’s (and quite frankly, brand’s) reputation with pistol optics.