Editors’ Picks 2019: Leupold Freedom RDS

posted on March 27, 2019
** 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. **
edpicks17.jpg

Leupold’s Freedom RDS is the embodiment of rugged reliability. A 1X 34 mm tubular red-dot sight, the Leupold DNA is obvious in the optic’s aesthetics—including the gold ring—and more importantly in its durability. A friend at Leupold made no bones about the fact that the Freedom RDS is so tough that the company’s heavy-recoil testing apparatus, nicknamed “The Punisher,” would likely break down before the red-dot if the two were paired in an endurance duel to the death. The scope comes ready for use in a robust rail mount that would be equally at home atop an AR rifle platform or a big-bore revolver. It features a 1-m.o.a. red, illuminated-dot reticle with eight brightness settings—controlled by the left-side activation button—and 1/4-m.o.a. adjustments for windage and elevation are facilitated by a capped turret and exposed, target-style dial, respectively. Leupold will also offer the Freedom RDS with a custom bullet-drop elevation dial calibrated for the .223 Rem. cartridge. The RDS is powered by a 2032 battery, and energy is conserved with Leupold’s proven motion-sensor technology which automatically turns the dot on and off based on movement. Best of all, the base model for this do-anything red-dot has a suggested price of just $299. leupold.com

Latest

Franchi Momentum MULE rifle
Franchi Momentum MULE rifle

New for 2026: Franchi Momentum Mule Rifle

Franchi’s do-it-all MULE rifle is designed as a general-purpose carbine.

New for 2026: Smith & Wesson Spec Series M&P9 and R Handguns

Smith & Wesson expands its Spec series with the Spec Series IV M&P9 M2.0 Metal Compact pistol and the Spec Series R revolver.

New for 2026: Henry Provider and Protector Rifles

For 2026, Henry adds two new product families, one designed for hunting, the other for protection.

Gun Of The Week: Daniel Defense DDPCC 9 mm Carbine

Daniel Defense's pistol-caliber carbine, the DDPCC, offers AR-15-style operation in a more budget-friendly caliber.

The Armed Citizen® Jan. 23, 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.

New for 2026: Stoeger STR-45 Combat Pistol

For 2026, Stoeger adds the .45 ACP chambering to its Combat line of STR handguns.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.