Adam Scepaniak 11.15.25
It was roughly 1 year ago that I was made aware of a new optics and accessories company within the firearms industry from our very own “Curious Relics” Senior Writer, Samuel Schaust, and that company is AT3 Tactical. Known for providing good customer service and selling a slew of firearm products at reasonable prices, they also have their own in-house line of optics as well. The first optic that I ever handled from AT3 Tactical was their ARO-MINI 3 MOA Red Dot, which I did a full review on our sister-website of TheFirearmBlog.com. This time around we are going to take a look at something new in the AT3 Tactical NANO Polymer 3 MOA Red Dot here on AllOutdoor. Let’s dive in!
AT3 Tactical Coverage
Specifications – AT3 Tactical NANO Polymer 3 MOA Red Dot
The new AT3 Tactical NANO is a polymer-housed red dot that doesn’t even tip the scales at an ounce (officially weighing in at 0.656 ounces). It is a standard micro footprint (Shield RMS/RMSc) making it perfect for all of your popular, optics-ready carry pistols like the the Glock G43x, SIG Sauer P365, Springfield Armory Hellcat, and numerous others. Additionally, the AT3 Tactical NANO Red Dot boasts their AT3 Transferable Lifetime Warranty. The rest of the important specifications you will want to know are listed below as presented by AT3 Tactical:
- Footprint: RMS/RMSc/Shield
- Dot: 3 MOA, Red
- Brightness Settings: 6 Manual brightness settings | Auto Brightness – single button controls
- Activation: Shake awake – 15 minutes auto off – wakes up on movement
- Weight: Less than 1 ounce weight (0.656 ounce with battery and battery cover)
- Construction: Polymer
- Warranty: AT3 Transferrable Lifetime Warranty
- Battery Life: 50,000 hours
- Battery: CR2032
AT3 Tactical makes several models of red dots for carry, competition, and recreation. For clarity, we are reviewing the lil’ guy today – the AT3 Tactical NANO Red Dot. All of their models are listed below if you are interested along with their suggested pricing:
In the rare event that you should ever need service for your red dot, AT3 Tactical has a Lifetime Warranty that stands behind all of their products.
“All AT3 Tactical Brand Products carry a lifetime warranty against manufacturer’s defects. This includes AT3 Red Dot Sights, Handguards, Iron Sights, and any other product that carries the “AT3 Tactical” or “AT3™” name. In the event that your AT3™ product becomes unusable, we will repair or replace the product at no charge to you.”
A Word from AT3 Tactical on the AT3 Tactical NANO 3 MOA Red Dot
“The AT3 NANO solves the weight problem for carry pistol users who want reliable optics without the bulk. Its polymer construction and auto-brightness system eliminate the need for constant manual adjustments while maintaining durability standards that modern polymers deliver. The shake awake feature ensures instant activation when you need it most, automatically adjusting brightness before you can even bring the gun to eye level.”
What is the Elevator Pitch for the AT3 Tactical NANO 3 MOA Red Dot?
The AT3 Tactical NANO Red Dot is simplistic in its appearance, but it delivers on the little things. By all metrics on paper, this should be a reliable micro red dot with a bevy of features concealed carry advocates would desire. It touts the full AT3 Transferable Lifetime Warranty, a Shield RMS/RMSC footprint, and a 50,000-hour battery life with a CR2032 battery. So, what is the secret sauce for AT3 Tactical to set themselves apart from the rest of the “red dot pack?”
- 3 MOA red dot with 6 manual brightness settings
- Auto-brightness technology adjusts to ambient lighting conditions
- Shake awake activation with 15-minute auto-off standby mode
- Ultra-lightweight polymer construction at 0.656 ounces
What’s in the Box? AT3 Tactical NANO 3 MOA Red Dot
One of the most common and recurring questions I receive reviewing firearms and their related products is, “what’s in the box?” Meaning, what do you all get with your purchase. This is important because what you do and do not get will dictate what type of accessories you need to additionally buy depending on what you want your end-product or concealed carry setup to look like. All this being said, this is everything that you will receive with the AT3 Tactical NANO Red Dot:
- AT3 Tactical NANO Red Dot Sight
- CR2032 Battery
- Battery Cover
- Protective Cover
- 1 Degree Shim Plate
- Instruction sheet
- Lens cloth
- Torx Wrench for Mounting Screws and Allen Key for Windage/Elevation Adjustment
- Mounting Hardware
- Glock G43X/G48 | M4 x 0.7 | T10 Torx
- SIG Sauer P365 | M3 x 0.5 | T10 Torx
- Springfield Armory Hellcat | M4 x 0.7 | T10 Torx
- Smith & Wesson Shield Plus | 6-32 | T10 Torx
Range Experience – AT3 Tactical NANO 3 MOA Red Dot
So, how did this polymer-housed, micro red dot perform out on the range?… For starters, we had to get it mounted onto our pistol of choice, and for this review, I chose the new Springfield Armory Hellcat .380 ACP. Since AT3 Tactical sends you a host of different, common screws for carry pistols, I had all of the hardware that I needed right out-of-the-box. With the provided Allen key and Torx wrench, I added the AT3 Tactical NANO Red Dot in only a few minutes.
While shooting the red dot, I was in a covered handgun bay at my local gun range, which had varying degrees of bright light and shade. AT3 Tactical has stated that they had done a lot of work on the “low light side of things to ensure it was bright enough at low light, but not too bright at medium light,” and I could absolutely see that in action.
While shooting the red dot – not that .380 ACP has tremendous recoil – the red dot maintained its zero throughout all of my range sessions. Additionally, while coupled with the Springfield Armory pistol, this was a very accurate combo.
One of the last tests that I typically perform on red dots is the “Two by Four Test.” If you’re going to be willing to trust your life to a carry dot on your EDC pistol, it should be able to pass a durability test. And, that test is: can I rack the slide of my pistol on a piece of 2×4 lumber repeatedly? To execute this test, I jacked the red dot against a 2×4 at the range probably a dozen times in a row. To my surprise – or maybe I shouldn’t have been – the red dot never wavered and never broke even for being a polymer-housed red dot.
Final Thoughts
So, how did the AT3 Tactical NANO Red Dot perform overall out on the range?… For a polymer-housed red dot that only costs $129.99, I was impressed that it works as well as it does for as affordable as it is. This red dot passed all of the basic handgun optic standards that I have in order for me to trust it for carry:
- How is its presentation? Can you catch the dot quickly?
- Is the picture clear? Is there distortion?
- Is it easy to mount? Does it have a standard footprint?
- Is it reliable?
So, in sum, if you want an affordable micro red dot that flatly works and won’t break the bank, I can confidently recommend the AT3 Tactical NANO Red Dot. In closing, I want to say thank you to AT3 Tactical for allowing AllOutdoor and myself the opportunity to try out their AT3 Tactical NANO Red Dot. That is greatly appreciated. Also, we would like to know what all of you guys and gals think?
Do you believe that the AT3 Tactical NANO Red Dot is something worth spending your money on? Would you take one with you hunting? Shoot a league or competition? Potentially deploy it for EDC (everyday carry)? As always, let us know all of your thoughts about AT3 Tactical and their NANO Red Dot in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
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