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

Shortage
Shortage

Suppressor Demand Outpaces Production

The demand for suppressors is setting new records. National Firearm Act (NFA) item purchases in September—primarily suppressors—more than doubled compared to the same month in 2025.

Book Review | Five Decades of a Fabulous Firearm: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beretta 92 Pistol Series

In this wide-ranging book, you’ll find a history of Beretta, discussion of developments leading to the Model 1951/951 Brigadier, its evolution into the Model 92 and the U.S. military’s adoption of the platform (as the M9) in 1985.

Review: Galco Revenger Holster & SB7 Gun Belt

For those who choose to carry a finely finished, K-frame revolver, Galco offers one of its finest concealed-carry setups in the form of its Revenger holster and SB7 gun belt.

Rimfire Power: The Primary Arms CLx 1-6x24 mm Riflescope with ACSS 22LR G2 Reticle

Low-power variable optics have become popular options for today's AR-15s and other modern sporting rifles, and Primary Arms now offers an option tailored for rimfire versions of those same guns.

Gun of the Week: Walther Arms PDP F-Series Pro-X PMM

One of Walther Arms' recent introductions combines the features of several other PDP handguns, meaning the Walther PDP F-Series Pro-X PMM is packed with a number of different design elements.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 30, 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.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.