Enclosed-emitter red dots have always carried a "buy once, cry once" price tag and becoming the go-to for most people.
The Holosun EPS Carry runs around $330. The Aimpoint ACRO P-2 is closer to $600.
Primary Arms just put a fully enclosed pistol dot on the market for $179.99 and right now it's $150 on pre-order!
That's the CLx Enclosed Reflex Sight, and I've got one mounted before most pre-orders have even shipped.
Why We Tested It
Our good friends at Primary Arms hooked us up with a CLx before launch to check out and do a review on, so full disclosure this was provided to us.
Nobody has published a real hands-on review of this optic yet, so consider this the first look — and I'll keep updating it as the round count climbs.
What Is the CLx Line?
CLx is Primary Arms' new entry tier, sitting below the SLx line most shooters already know.
The June 2026 launch included four optics: a push-button red dot, two prisms, and this enclosed reflex sight.
You keep the lifetime warranty, nitrogen-purged housing, and night vision settings.
You give up the ACSS reticle options and some of the glass budget the SLx and PLx lines get.
If you've read my reviews of the Micro Reflex Sight or Mini Reflex Sight, this is the same brand DNA with the emitter sealed away.
First Impressions
The packing is your normal heavy foam with accessories you get with Primary Arms Optics, the CLx comes with 3 different sets of mounting screws but no specialized plates.
In my opinion the best play for the CLx is getting it for a gun pre-cut with the RMSc pattern so you can mount directly to the slide, which is what I did on the Smith & Wesson Shield X.
The included tool is a must and so far I haven't needed anything for the CLx outside of what's included in the box.
At 0.98 ounces and 1.61 inches long, this is a genuinely small optic for an enclosed design.
Size wise it's similar to the smaller Holosuns and even the PA Micro Reflex sight.
Build Quality
The housing is 6061 aluminum with a hardcoat anodized finish, and the whole unit is nitrogen purged.
Worth being upfront about: some competitors in this space use 7075 alloy, which is stronger on paper.
Whether that matters on a pistol slide is something only round count will answer, and I'll report back as mine climbs.
Everything feels up to the quality you'd expect from Primary Arms, not built like a tank but still feels solid. The push button membrane pads work well and the autolive functions as expected.
Enclosed vs Open Emitter: Why It Matters
On an open reflex sight, the LED emitter sits exposed at the rear of the window.
Pocket lint, rain, sweat, and holster debris can block it — and when the emitter is blocked, your dot is gone.
An enclosed design seals the emitter inside the housing, so the stuff that kills an open dot just wipes off the outside glass.
For a range toy, that's a nice-to-have. For a carry gun that lives in a holster against your body, it's the whole argument.
That protection is why enclosed optics have historically cost $300 and up — and why a $180 entry is a big deal.
Glass and Dot Clarity
The window is 21 by 17 millimeters with multi-coated lenses.
The CLx has an orange tint on the front glass it doesn't catch my immediate attention, which is good and shooting in full sun the dot is still bright and visible with no issue. The best part for me is the clarity, dots aren't always super clear for me so I was excited when this dot was crisp and easy to see.
AutoLive Motion Activation
AutoLive is Primary Arms' motion-sensing illumination — the dot powers on when the pistol moves and sleeps when it sits still.
It's the same idea as Holosun's Shake Awake or Sig's MOTAC.
Primary Arms credits it for the rated 21,000 hours of battery life on a medium setting.
AutoLive has worked flawlessly since I started using the CLx the only critique I have is the brightness does not auto adjust, but for a $150 enclosed red dot I feel like asking for that would be greedy.
Brightness Settings and Controls
You get 10 brightness settings — 8 daylight and 2 night vision compatible.
Buttons work great, might be a little tricky with gloves on but the buttons make a clear tactile click when pressed and the brightness is quick and responsive to the adjustments.
The best part is I was shooting at high noon on one of the hottest days of the year so far and had no issues seeing the dot.
Mounting and Footprint
The CLx Enclosed uses the RMSc footprint, and it mounts directly to the slide — no adapter plate.
That covers most of the popular optics-ready carry guns: the Sig P365 XL and X-Macro, Springfield Hellcat OSP, S&W Shield Plus, and Glock 43X and 48 MOS.
One thing to be clear on: RMSc is the slim-slide footprint. This won't drop onto an RMR-pattern cut like a Glock 19 MOS.
Primary Arms specs mounting torque at 12 to 15 inch-pounds with blue threadlocker.
I mounted this to the S&W Shield X and one of the sets of included screws worked perfectly. It was a dead simple install, just used my fix-it-sticks torque driver and it was on in minutes ready to go.
Battery Life and the Side-Load Tray
The CLx runs on a CR1632 in a side-loading tray, which means battery changes don't require pulling the optic off the slide or re-zeroing.
I'd be sure to keep a Combo Battery Vault on you so you can be sure you have a replacement and don't ruin your range day.
That's a feature plenty of $400 optics still don't have.
The rated life is 21,000 hours on medium — call it a couple of years with AutoLive doing its job.
Honest comparison: the Holosun EPS Carry is rated at 50,000 hours. The CLx clearly trails here.
My take is that on any carry optic you should be changing the battery on a calendar schedule anyway, not running it to empty.
The Built-In Backup Sight
There's a backup rear sight notch integrated into the housing.
If the battery dies or the emitter fails, you can still index the front sight through the window.
Personally, it does nothing for me because the iron sights sit high enough to clear the built in backup sight and can still be used through the CLx on the S&W Shield X.
At the Range
I've got between 210-300 rounds through the Shield X with the CLx on it and so far I haven't had any POI/dot shift. The dot has been strong and the orginal adjustment and dial in was very easy and only took about 2 minutes.
I didn't do the most systematic zeroing process I just kinda winged it. Should a few rounds at 10 yards and started making adjustments.
I know, I know, not scientific but I was ready to start getting some rounds on it so I made it quick.
The dot is very easy to find in the window and it tracks really with even through recoil. I'm able to pick up the dot extremely quickly even with it being a smaller optic.
Primary Arms CLx vs Holosun EPS Carry
This is the comparison everyone is going to make, so let's make it properly.
The EPS Carry is the benchmark enclosed carry optic — 50,000-hour battery, multiple reticle options, an IPX8 rating, and a track record.
It also costs around $330, and the multi-reticle versions push toward $400.
The CLx gives you the core benefit — a sealed emitter on a native RMSc footprint — for $180, with a lifetime warranty behind it.
What you give up is battery life, reticle choice, and the years of durability data Holosun has banked.
| Optic | Dot | Battery Life | Footprint | Street Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Arms CLx Enclosed | 3 MOA red | 21,000 hrs | RMSc (native) | $180 |
| Holosun EPS Carry | 2 MOA / 32 MOA circle | 50,000 hrs | K-series, RMSc adapter included | $330 and up |
| Steiner MPS | 3.3 MOA | 13,000 hrs | ACRO | Around $400 |
| Aimpoint ACRO P-2 | 3.5 MOA | 50,000 hrs | ACRO | Around $600 |
If your budget covers the Holosun, it's still the safer pick for everyday carry purely on track record.
But if $330 was the reason your carry gun still wears an open emitter, the CLx just removed that excuse.
We've also reviewed the Holosun HE509 if you want an enclosed option in the larger footprint class.
Price and Value
At $179.99, the CLx Enclosed is one of the cheapest fully enclosed RMSc optics you can buy from an established brand.
It's roughly half the price of an EPS Carry and about a third of an ACRO P-2 or Trijicon RCR.
Value is the entire thesis of this optic, and on paper it delivers, on the range it delivers, time will tell how it delivers on durability.
Warranty
Primary Arms backs the CLx with its lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.
Each unit is hand-inspected in Houston before it ships, per Primary Arms.
That warranty network is a real part of the value case at this price — budget optics from no-name brands don't come with anyone to call.
Who Is the CLx Enclosed For?
Buy it if you carry an RMSc-cut pistol and want enclosed-emitter protection without spending Holosun money.
Buy it if it's your first dot on a carry gun — the price of admission finally matches the category's entry point.
Pass if you want a duty-proven optic with years of hard-use data, a 50,000-hour battery, or reticle options beyond a single 3 MOA dot.
And pass if your pistol has an RMR-pattern cut — this footprint isn't for you.
For the broader landscape, our best pistol red dot guide covers both open and enclosed picks.
Final Thoughts
I love what Primary Arms has done with the CLx they have brought an enclosed emitter design to the budget price range before nearly anyone else.
It's a quality red dot and the only thing it doesn't have going for it is a proven track record for durability, but I look forward to it getting that over time because I think it will.
The CLx Enclosed doesn't have to beat the EPS Carry to matter.
It has to make enclosed-emitter protection affordable, and at $180 it does exactly that.
