Today we're doing a head-to-head of two of my favorite pistol optics: The Holosun HS407C and the Swampfox Justice.
First off I want to say that I have not had any issues with either of these optics holding zero or flickering or anything like that. Both have been 100 percent reliable every time I go to pick them up.
Now, let's take a look at some specs on the two contenders: first, we have the Holosun 407C. It measures 1.78 inches long, 1.24 inches wide, and 1.14 inches tall. The reticle is a 2MOA dot with 10 levels of brightness adjustment, as well as 2 levels of nightvision-compatible brightness. The 407C has a body made of 7075 T6 aluminum, with a glass window. It is IP67 waterproof which means it will survive under a maximum of 1 meter of water for a maximum of 30 minutes. It weighs in at 1.5oz. and uses the Trijicon RMR mounting footprint. MSRP for the 407k about $290, and you can find it on Brownells for a little under that, about $245.
The similarly recent Swampfox Justice meanwhile is one of two Swampfox full sized pistol optics. The Justice has with dimensions that are very similar to the 407C. It measures 1.78" long, 1.24" wide, and 1.04" tall. This means it is essentially the same size as the 407C, with just a touch more height. It has a 3MOA dot projected onto its 27mm window, with 10 brightness levels available. It is IPX7 water resistant, so it will also it will survive under a maximum of 1 meter of water for a maximum of 30 minutes. Just like the Holosun, it uses the same footprint as the Trijicon RMR, and it weighs 1oz without the battery. The body itself is made of 7075-T6 aluminum, with a glass window. The Justice carries an MSRP of $240, but can almost always be found for less than that. Brownells currently has them for just a hair over $200.
So just looking over the specs, we can see some differences already. The Holosun is a half ounce heavier than the Swampfox, which I think is due to the body being thicker at the top of the optic. The more notable difference though is the resistance rating. The Holosun is rated IP67, while the Swampfox is IPX7. The difference is that the Holosun is rated dustproof while the Swampfox is not. This could be important for those of you that live in dusty and windy climates like in the southwest United States, for example.
Now, on to battery life. The Holosun is powered by the included single CR1632 battery, which is mounted a tray on the side of the optic. This means that the battery can be replaced without having to remove the optic from the weapon, which means that it doesn't subsequently need to be re-zeroed with every battery change like some other optics. The Holosun can deliver up to 50,000 hours of life on setting 6. Aiding this battery life rating is the shake-awake feature. This means that the optic turns off automatically after a certain amount of time (that the user can specify) to save battery, but as soon as it senses any small movement it turns back on.
The Swampfox uses an included single CR1632 battery, which loads from the top of the optic. Just like the Holosun, this means that the battery can be replaced without having to remove the optic from the weapon. The Swampfox also has the "shake awake" feature that the Holosun does. The Swampfox is rated to deliver up to 4500 hours of use at the lowest setting, or 1 year of "real world" use.
Comparing the two, I think that they're very similar. The only difference here for me is the actual battery loading mechanism. I find the Holosun drawer system to be easier to use than the Swampfox top-load system. Battery life for me would be a wash, since I replace my optic batteries every year to make sure they're fresh. (BTW, have you replaced your optic batteries and magazine springs this year? You should!) So while the two companies rate their products with different scales, I think that both of these should easily make it a year in real world use.
Now to reticle and brightness controls for each unit. The Holosun reticle is a 2MOA dot with 10 levels of brightness adjustment, as well as 2 levels of nightvision-compatible brightness. The brightness of the reticle is controlled by buttons on the side, which are flush-mounted to reduce the possibility of them being actuated by accident. There is also a lockout feature which disables input from the buttons to eliminate this possibility altogether. The 407C also has what Holosun calls a solar backup mode. This mode allows the optic to keep working even if the battery dies through the use of this solar panel on the top of the housing. The optic will use sunlight it collects as a way to power itself. This also functions as an ambient light sensor for the automatic brightness adjustment feature. The brighter the ambient light, the brighter the optic sets the dot. As lights dims, so does the optic.
The Swampfox has a 3MOA dot reticle with 10 levels of brightness adjustment. The brightness of that reticle is controlled by these two buttons flush mounted on the side of the unit. You can also shut off the optic completely by holding down the + button.
Comparing the two, the reticles are very similar in both layout , size, and available brightness. The difference is the number of features that the Holosun has, and in how the controls are laid out. I don't use them actively, but the solar backup and automatic brightness controls are great features to have. Where the Holosun starts to really set itself apart from the Justice for me is with the brightness controls. The Holosun has that lockout feature that makes sure that accidental presses don't adjust settings, which is something that the Swamfox lacks. I practice with both of these on an almost daily basis, and it feels like I am always bumping the brightness on the Swampfox lower and lower as I use it. I have to stop practice and tap the brightness back up frequently so I can see the dot. The Holosun doesn't have this problem, because I have the brightness locked to my preferred level and it won't change no matter how much I bump the button. Adding a bit of salt to this wound is the fact that the Swampfox has buttons that are mounted much further apart than the Holosun, which for me makes them even more likely to catch an inadvertent press.
Finally I wanted to talk about zeroing and adjustment. The Holosun has two turrets for adjustment, one for elevation on the top and one for windage on the right side. Each of these turrets has a 1MOA per click adjustment, and they make a nice audible click so you know when you've adjusted them. Holosun claims that the 407C comes zeroed at 25 yards from the factory, and I found this to be pretty much true. I installed it onto my weapon and it took only a few clicks of elevation adjustment to zero. From there I didn't need to adjust at all.
Meanwhile, the Swampfox has two turrets for adjustment, one for elevation on the top and one for windage on the right side. Swampfox says that there is a total of 45MOA of windage adjustment, and 90MOA of elevation adjustment available. They don't specify a "per click" MOA rating which I found a bit frustrating as the Swampfox needed more adjustment out of the box to get zeroed than the Holosun did. I've zeroed multiple pistol optics before so it didn't affect me too much, but I can see this being an issue for someone who has never done it before. I think that a per-click MOA adjustment rating is the second big Swampfox shortcoming and would definitely be beneficial here.
So overall what do I think? Is the Holosun worth the extra 50 dollars? In a word, yes. Three things stand out that make it worth the extra money: value adders like solar backup, button lockout and a better battery tray design; a better water and dust resistance rating, and better build quality in the adjustment of the turrets. Having a 25-yard zero from the factory is a nice bonus as well. The Swampfox is very good for the money, but the Holosun just edges it out. It's pretty easy to see why these are so popular.
So that's the PT head-to-head between the Holosun 407C and the Swampfox Justice. Throw me a like if you appreciate what I'm doing, and let me know in the comments if you like optic reviews and what optics you would want me to cover in the future. I'll leave links to both the 407C and the Justice in the description for you if you want to pick one up. Next week we have an awesome video on the basics of revolver handling for beginners, so if that interests you I recommend you make sure you're subscribed and you've got that bell rung. That's all I've got for you this time, so until next time, stay safe!