I firmly believe the future of defensive red dots on defensive handguns will include enclosed emitter. Open emitters aren’t bad, but when we discuss handguns and reliability, we really like to maximize that reliability. Larger handguns have had enclosed emitters for years with the Aimpoint ACRO, the 509T, Sig ROMEO2, and many more. I was as surprised by everyone that Holosun was the first to release an optic aimed at micro-compact handguns. The Holosun EPS is brand new and has quickly found a place on my daily carry gun.
On more traditional optics, like the Trijicon RMR and Holosun 507C, the emitter sits out in the open. It throws your reticle onto the lens in front of you, and you’re good to go. That works in about 99% of situations. The problem is that nothing stops anything from getting between the emitter and the lens and disabling your optic. I never thought it was a problem until I shot in the rain. My Shield RMSx’s reticle disappeared as water found a spot between the emitter and window.
I live in Florida, and it rains all the time. Thus, I went on a search for an enclosed emitter for my P365XL. In about five seconds, I realized my options were limited to the Holosun EPS. That’s fine with me, as I’ve had nothing but good luck with Holosun optics. One order later, the Holosun EPS was headed my way.
Breaking Down the Holosun EPS
The Holosun EPS is basically a Holosun 509T, shrunk—kind of—the same boy shape, but smaller. Also, the footprint doesn’t require a plate. It fits a Shield RMSc footprint, and two screws at the rear pin it in place. It’s simple, and that’s all it needs to be. The Holosun EPS comes in a few varieties. Currently on the market is red and green variants with 2 or 6 MOA dots. A future model known as the EPS MRS will feature the multiple reticle system and 2 MOA dot and 32 MOA circle.
There is also a standard and Carry model. The Carry model is just slightly smaller. It’s fractionally smaller. I went for the smallest one possible. My model is the Holosun EPS Carry 6 with a green dot. This means it’s the smallest EPS and features a 6 MOA red dot. For a small handgun, I liked the bigger dot, and I’ve been coming around to the use of green dots. For someone reason, they seem more eye-catching to my eyes.
The Holosun EPS Carry model weighs 1.23 ounces and is 1.62 inches long, .95 inches tall, and 1.07 inches wide. It’s small and fits perfectly on my Sig P365XL. Like the original Holsoun 507K series, the optic even features a small rear notch that allows it to double as a rear sight in a pinch.
When Holosun first unveiled these optics, there was a solar panel, but that seems gone now. Is it needed? I’m not sure. It’s likely too small of a space for a very effective solar panel. The optic has two buttons, which predictably control the brightness levels. We have a total of eight daylight and four-night vision settings.
At the Range
With the optic properly torqued down and a box of ammo, I hit the range. Holosun includes a handy tool to both attach the optic and zero it. With the optic attached, I started at 10 yards and began the zeroing process. The elevation and windage adjustments offered tactile and audible feedback that made zeroing easy. A nice click and feeling at the tool makes it easy to track your adjustments.
Zeroing was quite easy. I’ve never had an optic be this close to zero at the first shot. It’s not a feature but a happy coincidence. A couple of clicks down and a couple to the right got me dead on. I was dropping 9mm into the X-ring of a B8 target. After 10, I zeroed at 15, then 25 yards.
The EPS provides a nice clear lens, but there is a noticeable blue tint. It’s expected and common on most optics. The dot is nice and crisp and quite bright. It’s not a perfect circle, and there is a little starburst, but not enough to make a big difference. The green dot can get uncomfortably bright; perfect for bright sunny days in Florida.
The big dot locks your eye in place, and it makes getting the optic on target simple. Handgun red dots make shooting addictive. Hearing the ding at 25 yards on a small steel gong is so satisfying. The EPS keeps things sharp and makes them easy to hit the target. The thin nature of the EPS makes it easy to see around with limited gaps in your field of view.
Blasting Away
I conducted a lot of shooting in the last two weeks with the EPS, with hundreds of problem-free rounds. I’ve got a stash of crappy steel-cased ammo that’s filthy dirty, and it got to the point the blowback clouded up the front lens of the EPS. Guess what? It didn’t matter. A two-eyes open, target-focus shooting style makes it irrelevant.
In all these hundreds of rounds, the little gun handled some defensive and NATO grade 124 grains, some subsonic 147 grains, and lots of 115 FMJs, and I had not a single optic malfunction. It remained zeroed without a single flicker. Due to the orientation of my range, I could test it live under all light conditions, but I could dry fire in various situations.
I dry-fired with the sun behind me, in front of me, and the left and right. My goal was to see how bright light affected the dot, lens, and general operation of the EPS. I never ran into any weird light situations the EPS couldn’t overcome. The reticle never washed out, and there were never any reflections or failures. You could attack me from any direction, and I could toss lead your way accurately, although I might be squinting.
In this bright light testing, I found the controls easy to manipulate and press. You can adjust the dot on the fly with your support hand thumb should you need to. I also practiced swinging the gun and EPS quickly from target to target and looked for stuttering and lag, and there was none.
All Gravy?
My biggest complaint is that the bigger dot made it a bit difficult in a niche situation. That situation was the target sitting in a shaded area and me sitting in a bright environment. This is always challenging, but especially so with the big 6 MOA dot. It’s odd but noticeable.
That’s my biggest complaint, and my second would be the slight starburst dot. Overall the Holosun EPS is a rock-solid optic. It’s reliable, easy to see, and clear, and it makes it easy to score accurate rounds on small and large targets at various distances. I couldn’t ask for more. Enclosed red dots are on the rise, and it’s nice to see a modern option for subcompact and micro-compact pistols.
