I asked Sig to send us the Romeo 4 after a question for posed on a closed forum, and no one had any information on the performance or availability of this red dot. The internet information is pretty sparse still, with Sig’s own website giving enough information to convince an interested buyer that it’s worth a trip to a local retailer.
I had the opportunity to use the sight extensively with an M4 platform, and at this point know of several agencies which chose to equip their patrol rifles with it.
The expectation that the Sig Sauer reliability should apply here is not unfounded, and the sight proves that it can take a beating in a light, slick package, with some very functional features. What’s more unexpected, is the fact that you can find the Romeo 4 for under $300, and still get the quality and performance expected from the brand.
The first impression lays the foundation that the sight is easy, and intuitive to use. It comes with an integrated quick-detach mounting platform, which is secure, and really easy to place on and off the rail. I was surprised how easily it achieved co-witness.
The only other tool you need to manipulate the sight comes with it, and chances are once you have it the way you like it, you will not have manipulate it too often. If regular furniture can be described as fang-shui, then the Romeo series of red dots should be also. It’s certainly very ergonomic and esthetic.
The fact that the Romeo 4 doesn’t take up a lot of room on the rail is a plus not only in regards to the appearance, but also functionality. Clearance for other optics, magnifiers, and back-up sights, and the ability to manipulate it all under stress and in gloves, is exceptional.
The view finder is a nice and open, easily-acquired window, which enables quick acquisition and consistent placement. It leads to a reticle which can be set to either a dot or a dot and circle. It’s easily adjusted with a rubber, tactile-friendly “+” toward the front of the sight, and “-“at the rear. After several repetitions this adjustment becomes instinctive.
Our Romeo 4 was a 4B model 1×20 mm (1x magnification and 20mm lens), with 2MOA on the red dot, and 65 MOA on the circle. My personal preference is for the basic dot. The Romeo 4 is parallax free, with unlimited eye relief. Sig’s product specs explain this as
“… point-of-aim is point-of-impact and the red dot remains parallel to the bore of your firearm, no matter what your viewing angle is relative to the optical axis of the sight. Unlimited eye-relief allows you to acquire the aiming point and the target regardless of the position of your eye behind the sight.”
I say, you have an accurate and consistent target acquisition regardless of where your cheek weld and eye end up. The optic proved as effective with close quarter drills, as in a longer range precise target shooting. However the intent in design and function definitely leans toward the CQB dynamic.
While this Romeo4 was powered by a CR2032 battery, others have an option of an integrated solar panel (models 4S and 4T), which appear to be awaiting official retail release. I would be curious to see how that performs overall, and how the battery kicks in when solar charge is unavailable, such as in consistent night time operations. The battery life on a regular Romeo 4 model is said to last about 5000 hours.
What helps with that, and is a truly nice feature especially at this price, is what Sig calls “MOTAC”. It stands for Motion Activated Illumination System. The optic shuts down after the weapon isn’t in motion, and turns back on when the motion is detected. Again, a great feature when you go from nothing to call ready. It seems that even after days of not being used, the Romeo 4 will still turn on when picked up.
The sight is very light, made of CNC aluminum. While some would argue this isn’t critical, it is certainly a nice feature when you find yourself being stuck in one position either ether stalking your game, or becoming part of someone else’s.
The Romeo 4 is waterproof to approximately 10 meters, which is handy if your frogman buddy ever decides to borrow your rifle and stalk gators. It’s just nice not to worry about it, when your sunny hunt turns into a torrential downpour, or you work in a typical Midwestern climate and move from a snow storm, to a structure or a squad, only to have it all melt on top of your equipment.
So far I have seen the Romeo 4 stand up to daily abuse of rattling squad cars, lockers, and range time. It would be interesting to see it stand up to edges of MRAPs, deserts and sand. Building on historic quality of Sig Sauer, with the lower price point than many currently deployed optics, the Romeo 4 presents a solid, simple and very functional option for those who count on their rifle as a recreation, or life. You can find Romeo 4 at a retailers listed on the manufacturer’s website, or here:
Material Disclosure
I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer via Spotter Up so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based off my personal experience with the product.
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