Aimpoint COA and Glock Pistol Review

There are hundreds of red dot sights on the market, but Aimpoint’s collaboration with Glock on the new Aimpoint COA isn’t just another repetitious optics launch. The COA, which is only available as a package deal on Glock pistols, is the culmination of the most desirable features in a pistol optic . It has an enclosed emitter, sits low in the slide, and features a rock-solid mounting system. We’ve had the chance to test the COA on two different pistols over the past months, here’s why we love it.

Aimpoint COA Specs

• Footprint: A-Cut
• Color: Red
• Dot Size: 3.5 MOA
• Battery: (1) CR2032
• Battery Door: External, T10 Torx
• Elevation and Windage adjustment: T10 Torx 
• Brightness: +/- buttons on left side, night vision compatible
• On/Off: Press +/- button, hold – button

Key Features

• Clamp-in mounting, no screws through the optic
• Easy-access battery door
• Intuitive brightness controls
• T10 Torx screws for both zero adjustments and battery access
• Rugged enclosed emitter

The World of Pistol Red Dots

To understand what we like about the Aimpoint COA, it helps to consider other red dots. Look at where past and current models fall short.

Open vs. Closed Emitter 

A pistol red dot sight presents the reticle or dot as an aiming point to the shooter by projecting light onto a front glass lens. It’s a simple concept that works well. The most common pistol red dots are open-emitter sights. This means that the emitter, which projects the light onto the lens, isn’t sealed off from the atmosphere. These sights often have a low profile and they use a single lens. Good examples are the Trijicon RMR and Shield RMSc. 

The issue with open-emitter sights is that lint, dirt, water, and debris can easily get onto the rear of the lens or, worse, pack into or obscure the emitter altogether. For many applications, this isn’t a deal breaker, but enclosed-emitter optics have become increasingly popular because of their resiliency in adverse conditions.

Enclosed-emitter red dots have a sealed housing around the emitter and both a rear and front lens. These often look blocky and large, but they can easily be wiped off if they get dirty and offer better durability.

Mounting Systems and Footprints

When it comes to mounting red dots on pistols, compatibility is anything but straightforward. There are a variety of mounting layouts or “footprints,” and most guns aren’t compatible with all optics. Some guns feature a direct-mount cut, which only works with one particular footprint, limiting you to optics that use it. With these, the optic is fastened directly to the slide, usually using two small screws.

The most common method for making guns adaptable to different optics is an adapter plate system. These vary by manufacturer, but generally have a variety of plates that can be attached to the same pistol slide — usually via two screws. Then the optic is fastened to the plate itself. Common issues with these systems are loose screws on either the optic or mounting plate, and screws that can be easily stripped or broken. Another downside is that many adapter-plate systems elevate the optic higher above the bore, which slows sight acquisition.

The Aimpoint COA Represents the Future of Red Dots

Though the new Aimpoint COA might look like just another enclosed-emitter pistol red dot, its design and mounting system embodies the things that make red dots more reliable and intuitive.

The mounting concept for the Aimpoint COA is really where the magic happens — not only is it more rugged but it also improves shooter speed and accuracy. 

The optic cut in the slide, called the A-Cut, features a notch at the forward end, into which the front of the optic fits. The middle has a longitudinal raised portion that mates with a mirror-image cut on the optic body, preventing any torsional or lateral movement. The optic — which has no screw holes, and is not fastened to the slide directly, fits into this cut just like a ski boot in a binding. At the back end, the rear sight doubles as a wedge to secure the sight. It’s fastened with two T10 Torx screws, clamping the rear of the COA into place. 

The mount is rock solid. Because the clamping rear sight is supported at the rear, and the back end of the optic itself is also supported partially by the slide cut, shear force on the screws is greatly reduced compared to traditional plate models. We have tested two different Glock pistols with the COA, a G19 and G48, over the past couple months, and have seen no signs of the sight loosening.This new A-Cut and COA combo is simple and (so far) unyielding to the punishment of hundreds of rounds fired. 

A Low-Sitting Optic

One of the most desirable goals in pistol red dots and their attachment systems is getting the sight as low as possible. Lots of progress has been made with thinner-based optics and mounting plates. Overall, sights have all been improving in these areas. The Aimpoint COA is the best iteration yet. Many pistols have optic cuts that allow co-witnessing iron sights. That means being able to see and use your iron sights through the optic lens. However, most must employ taller sights to accomplish this. The COA and its A-Cut allow co-witnessing of the standard-height sights that come on the gun. This provides the best chance of speedy sight acquisition for the shooter.

The Aimpoint COA Has an Unprecedented Sight Window for its Size

One of the downsides of many current enclosed-emitter sights is that they’re big, blocky, and present a cluttered sight picture. Though their field of view might not actually be smaller than many open-emitter sights, the thick side walls and top of the housing reduce peripheral vision of the target and can slow the shooter down compared to an open-emitter sight with a thin lens housing. 

The Aimpoint COA has virtually the same sized sight window as their popular ACRO, but the top and sides are thinner — .96 inches vs 1.25 inches. This helps reduce the overall size which is nice for concealed carry, but it improves target acquisition too. Sitting so low in the A-Cut, the window appears tall, generously allowing the shooter to pick up the dot quickly, and keep the dot in the sight window during the recoil cycle. 

Final Thoughts on the Aimpoint COA

I’ve doted on the qualities of the Aimpoint COA that make it an appealing blend of optimal red dot concepts. But it also brings Aimpoint’s ruggedness to the table. It’s a dot that can be used hard and relied upon. After the embargo on other manufacturers lifts in early 2026, I expect and hope that others will offer the A-Cut. We will likely see some variants of this concept but will also, hopefully, see some simplification and homogenization of mounting patterns and methods in the greater pistol red dot ecosystem. Ultimately, this is a huge step in making red dots more simple, rugged, and effective.