The firearm industry, each year, is dominated by new products, from ammunition products to new firearms, accessories and optics, with the latter indicating a trend taking shape in 2025. As technological advances often trickle down over time, it has become obvious to American Rifleman editors that thermal imaging has come to a more affordable, everyman price point. In addition, industrial progress now gives the consumer highly modernized and efficient optics that were once thought impossible to produce. Here are three new optics to look out for in 2025:
Armasight Contractor 320 Lite
Armasight added a new model to its Contractor line of thermal weapon sights earlier this year, the 320 Lite—with the “Lite” moniker being more indicative of the optic’s less prohibitive $2,499 price point compared to its fellow Contractors than to either a reduction in physical size or processing power. As its name implies, the 2-8X 25 mm Contractor 320 Lite features a 320x240-pixel display with a 60-Hz refresh rate (the image repaints 60 times per second) powered by the company’s proprietary 12-micron ArmaCORE thermal core, which allows detection of a man-size target out to a maximum range of 1,020 yards. The weather-proof 320 Lite offers a great deal of customization—including numerous color palettes and eight reticle options—via large, intuitive and easy-to-activate turret controls, and integral compass, inclinometer and stadiametric rangefinding functions can provide precise distances to objects of known size. —Kelly Young, Senior Executive Editor
EOTECH Vudu 3-9x32 SFP
EOTECH’s Vudu 3-9x32 SFP riflescope has little in common with the classic American deer glass that its designation suggests. The second-focal-plane scope measures only 6.8" in length and offers a hashmark reticle with 10 brightness settings powered by a CR2032 cell that lasts for 300 hours of operation. With a housing constructed of tough machined aircraft-grade aluminum, the optic is made to be fog-, water- and shock-resistant, and its design features an integrated base compatible with aftermarket mini-ACOG mounts. The 16-oz. scope features a 32 mm objective lens, 1.56" height above bore, 1/4-m.o.a. elevation and windage adjustments, and anti-reflective lenses. A model is offered with the company’s EFLX red-dot sight secured to the Vudu’s body with a special ring mount that can be positioned at top dead center or at a 45-degree offset for faster close-in shooting. —Brian C. Sheetz, Editor In Chief
Pulsar is your one-stop shop for all things thermal imaging, and the company’s Axion 2 XQ35 Pro offers a feature-rich, compact thermal monocular at an affordable price. Based around a 384x288-pixel Lynred sensor that is adjustable through three levels of sensitivity, the user can also change brightness and contrast to optimize the image for a wide range of temperature and weather conditions. Images are transmitted through a fast-aperture F35 lens and the monocular offers 2-8X digital zoom. Designed for the hunter who takes to the field in less-than-ideal conditions, all this tech is placed in a magnesium-alloy housing that is protective, waterproof and light to carry. Images can be captured as still photos or video and then transmitted via WiFi to a smartphone. Extended battery life allows for all-day usage and a quick start-up time means the XQ35 Pro can be turned off when not in use. —Jeremiah Knupp, Field Editor
