Inside Trijicon: The Legacy of the ACOG

by
posted on June 3, 2020
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
American Rifleman TV is in Wixom, Mi., at the home of Trijicon Inc., detailing the Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight. Watch the above video for details.

Title screen for video that says, "American Rifleman, Trijicon: Legacy of the ACOG"

Little did he know, prior to 1981, that his “side job” of peddling gun sights would lead to a revolutionary concept with more than one million units sold. Millions of Americans, home defenders, peace officers and Soldiers have chosen to rely on Glyn Bindon’s Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG).

Patent drawing of an ACOG optic.

The marvel behind the ACOG design is the Bindon Aiming Concept (BAC) that enables its users to maintain target focus without loss of peripheral vision by allowing both eyes to remain open. The addition of a brilliant aiming point comprised of Tritium and fiber optics further set Trijicon’s ACOG into its own class.

Remote camera image of a man shooting a rifle with a tan scope attached.

The battery-free ACOG is a U.S.-made, fixed-magnification optic built from forged aluminum. Trijicon supplies premium glass within its ACOG and each unit is hand-fitted and tuned for function and reliability. The advantage to this combat optic is the use of radioactive isotopes that yields a radio-luminescent light source. The easy-to-use optic has been a complete game-changer for the U.S. Military as its Rifle Combat Optic.

Forged aluminum in the shape of a rifle optic.

As years advanced for Trijicon and its ACOG, line extensions came to market with magnification enhancements and the inclusion of battery-powered LED aiming. Furthermore, Trijicon branched off into manufacturing reflex sights intended for close-quarter engagement that eventually found place on military and police handguns, too.

Woman in a factory assembling a Trijicon optic.

The RMR is reflex sight built of aluminum with a specialized and patented housing shape to increase the durability of the small optic—it isn’t always about the looks. Whether battery or Tritium powered, Trijicon’s RMR features true-color, multi-coated lenses and an aiming dot that is easily adjustable and provides the shooter with increased target focus while improving accuracy.

Trijicon RMR aluminum housings lined up and tightly packed together.

Two optic lines wasn’t enough for Glyn Bindon and his team at Trijicon. The company has expanded and demonstrated its ability to engineer products that resonate with armed citizens, military personnel, police, hunters, long-range shooters, archers and hobbyists. Follow along with the American Rifleman TV crew for a behind-the-scenes glance at the manufacturing and legacy of Trijicon.

Latest

Robinson Armament Xcrl Gotw 1
Robinson Armament Xcrl Gotw 1

Gun of the Week: Robinson Armament XCR-L

One man, Alex Robinson, took it upon himself to address what he saw as several shortcomings in the AR-15 design. He consulted with special forces operators and asked what they wanted in a rifle platform. The result was the Robinson Armament XCR.

Maryland Bans Glocks and the NRA Responds

Legislation recently signed into law by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore essentially bans nearly every Glock and Glock-style pistol on the market from being sold within the state.

The Armed Citizen® May 29, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Federal Signs Agreement With U.S. Army to Improve Ammo Performance

Federal Ammunition announced this week that it has entered into an agreement that allows the U.S. Army to utilize its patented Peak Alloy ammunition case technology for use in multiple cartridges and weapon systems.

Four Armed Citizen Stories That Tell us a Lot

Each self-defense case is different. As we read them, we find ourselves wondering what we would have done, and then asking if the citizen made the best decisions possible in the worst-case scenario.

The Three Rs of Performance Shooting: Rise, Return & Realignment

Way back in the day, the three Rs of learning were colloquially known as "Readin’, Rightin’ and Rithmatic." In today's modern performance shooting, the three Rs become Rise, Return and Realignment, the core mechanics of recoil control.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.