Reptilia ROF “Piggyback” Miniature Red Dot Sight Mount (MRDS)

The days of your father telling you that a red dot sight will get you killed in a gunfight are almost over. The fact is miniature red dot sights (MRDS) have become so durable and reliable that many operators have chosen to remove iron sights from their carbines all together in favor of a top-mounted or offset MRDS. For perspective, the Aimpoint T-2 has a battery life of 50,000 hours when left on in a daytime brightness setting. That is over 5 years.

In 2016, a small military group had recently transitioned to Vortex Razor HD II 1-6x Low Power Variable Optic (LPVO) scopes on their primary carbines. This increased magnification had a profound effect on the soldiers’ lethality at longer ranges, but came at the cost of slower acquisition of close-range targets. Simply put, it’s very difficult to engage a moving target at 10 yards with a scope dialed up to 6x or more.

Additionally, many snipers and RECCE troops are tasked with vehicle interdiction operations which require accurate shooting from unstable helicopter platforms. Acquiring a sight picture through a non-magnified red dot for aerial shooting is far easier than trying to utilize the magnified day optic.

To solve this problem, the end user requested Reptilia manufacture a replacement top ring for their Geissele Super Precision scope mounts. The specific request was to mount a Trijicon RMR or Leupold Delta Point Pro on top of the 30mm Vortex scope, and thus the Reptilia ROF-90 was born.

Vortex Razor HD II 1-6 with Reptilia AUS 30mm Mount and Reptilia ROF 90 for Trijicon RMR piggyback MRDS.

While most shooters prefer the 90° position due to the simplicity of a vertical head movement, we understood that other scopes with higher turrets would also be utilized. As such, we created the Reptilia ROF-45 that tucks the MRDS neatly at the 45° position between the windage and elevation turrets.

Reptilia 30mm ROF-SAR for Trijicon RMR/SRO mounted to Vortex Razor HD II 1-6. Photo credit: Reptilia Corp.

For shooters who prefer the 90° position, we also make 2.5mm and 10mm risers to clear taller turrets.

Reptilia ROF-Riser for Trijicon RMR & SRO in Flat Dark Earth.

As the 30mm ROF-90 for Trijicon RMR grew in popularity, we started to receive requests for other MRDS options, diameters, and heights. The most common request was from customers seeking an “enclosed emitter” optic such as the Aimpoint Micro T-2, Aimpoint ACRO, Steiner Optics MPS, and more.

For shooters not using Geissele or Reptilia AUS mounts, the Reptilia ROF-SAR clamps directly to the scope tube for near universal compatibility.

Reptilia ROF-SAR for Trijicon RMR/SRO in Black.

In 2020, Reptilia launched the most interesting ROF product to date: the 34mm ROF-Diving Board. Designed at the request of a US DoD customer, the ROF–Diving Board allows the user to mount a laser range finder (LRF), laser designator, or MRDS at the 12 o’clock position above their magnified optic. Optimized for the NightForce 7-35x ATACR and Wilcox RAPTAR, the Diving Board is compatible with the Geissele Super Precision and Reptilia AUS family of mounts.

Reptilia ROF-Diving Board 34mm for AUS & Geissele Super Precision Mounts in Flat Dark Earth.

In 2021, Reptilia released the AUS unibody scope mount, which is not only backwards compatible with all ROF products, but has additional modularity, allowing for attachment of 45° offset MRDS mounts directly to the body of the AUS. With attachment points at both the front and rear of the body, this is not only the most modular, but also the most compact offset MRDS mounting solution possible.

Reptilia 30mm AUS Scope Mount, 1.54″ Height in Flat Dark Earth

So how do you choose the best MRDS mounting solution for you? Talk to your friends, watch some YouTube videos, but most importantly, go shoot your guns and figure it out for yourself. If you need any help or advice, drop a comment below or shoot an email to [email protected]!