• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Advertise
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Subscribe
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Leadership
    • Are performance evaluations worth the effort?
      Leaders — the good, the bad and the horrible
      How not to fail as an outside chief
      Setting ethical expectations early in an officer’s career
      Go that extra mile with a smile
  • Topics
    • Leadership
      • Are performance evaluations worth the effort?
        Leaders — the good, the bad and the horrible
        How not to fail as an outside chief
        Setting ethical expectations early in an officer’s career
        Go that extra mile with a smile
    • Editor’s Picks
      • “Hold my beer”
        Are performance evaluations worth the effort?
        Code enforcement officers: The community’s frontline property...
        Cartel intelligence operations streamline cross-border drug smuggling
        Off duty, but never off guard
    • On the Job
      • Police chief: Officers likely prevented further violence in Minnesota...
        Policing and fatherhood
        2025 Top Cops
        What’s with all the gear?
        Reckless elegance
    • Labor
      • Dallas Police Department drops college requirement for police...
        Small Texas town left without a police force after firing its last...
        Port Authority Police Department welcomes 71 new officers
        The P.D. that wouldn’t go away
        Critical incidents and waiting woosah
    • Tech
      • How local police departments can combat cybercrime
        Your website is your front desk
        Telegram investigations
        Florida sheriff’s office deploys cutting-edge forensic tool to...
        A new chapter for Utah law enforcement
    • Training
      • Blind spots
        LPVOs are the next evolution of the patrol rifle
        Training vs. practice: Improve or maintain?
        Off duty, but never off guard
        Meeting training needs on a limited budget
    • Policy
      • Cartel intelligence operations streamline cross-border drug smuggling
        Michigan Supreme Court: Marijuana odor alone no longer justifies...
        Milwaukee P.D. and schools clash over SROs
        Seattle Police Department launches new plan to curb violent crime
        Buffer-zone law blocked in Louisiana
    • Health/Wellness
      • “Hold my beer”
        When empathy backfires
        Navigating retirement
        Keeping work at work and home at home
        Avoiding the road to burnout
    • Community
      • Police warn of growing “jugging” crime trend as attacks spread...
        Code enforcement officers: The community’s frontline property...
        San Diego Honors Fallen Officer Austin Machitar with Park Renaming
        Battle of the Badges baseball game to support injured Missouri officer
        Temple University Police celebrate 7-year-old’s support with...
    • Offbeat
      • Not eggzactly a perfect heist
        Pizza … with a side of alligator?
        Wisconsin man charged with impersonating Border Patrol agent twice in...
        Only in California?
        Durango, Colorado, police hop into action after unusual 9-1-1 call
    • We Remember
      • National Police Week 2025
        Honoring Fallen Heroes
        What’s with the white chairs?
        The pain and sorrow of loss
        A cop and his car
    • HOT Mail
      • The War on Cops Continues Unabated
  • On the Job
    • Police chief: Officers likely prevented further violence in Minnesota...
      Policing and fatherhood
      2025 Top Cops
      What’s with all the gear?
      Reckless elegance
  • Labor
    • Dallas Police Department drops college requirement for police...
      Small Texas town left without a police force after firing its last...
      Port Authority Police Department welcomes 71 new officers
      The P.D. that wouldn’t go away
      Critical incidents and waiting woosah
  • Tech
    • How local police departments can combat cybercrime
      Your website is your front desk
      Telegram investigations
      Florida sheriff’s office deploys cutting-edge forensic tool to...
      A new chapter for Utah law enforcement
  • Training
    • Blind spots
      LPVOs are the next evolution of the patrol rifle
      Training vs. practice: Improve or maintain?
      Off duty, but never off guard
      Meeting training needs on a limited budget
  • Policy
    • Cartel intelligence operations streamline cross-border drug smuggling
      Michigan Supreme Court: Marijuana odor alone no longer justifies...
      Milwaukee P.D. and schools clash over SROs
      Seattle Police Department launches new plan to curb violent crime
      Buffer-zone law blocked in Louisiana
  • Health/Wellness
    • “Hold my beer”
      When empathy backfires
      Navigating retirement
      Keeping work at work and home at home
      Avoiding the road to burnout
  • Community
    • Police warn of growing “jugging” crime trend as attacks spread...
      Code enforcement officers: The community’s frontline property...
      San Diego Honors Fallen Officer Austin Machitar with Park Renaming
      Battle of the Badges baseball game to support injured Missouri officer
      Temple University Police celebrate 7-year-old’s support with...
  • Offbeat
    • Not eggzactly a perfect heist
      Pizza … with a side of alligator?
      Wisconsin man charged with impersonating Border Patrol agent twice in...
      Only in California?
      Durango, Colorado, police hop into action after unusual 9-1-1 call
  • We Remember
    • National Police Week 2025
      Honoring Fallen Heroes
      What’s with the white chairs?
      The pain and sorrow of loss
      A cop and his car
  • HOT Mail
    • The War on Cops Continues Unabated
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
Search

Training

LPVO: The Goldilocks of AR optics

Warren Wilson Published February 21, 2021 @ 7:00 am PST

The author’s duty rifle with a Vortex Viper PST Gen 2 he got for $650. Warren Wilson.

The world of the AR-15 rifle has seen a lot of new members in the last several years. With that proliferation, we have seen quite an interest growth in the area of optics. Too many shooters believe the choice comes down to red dot sights or traditional scopes. Red dots are thought to be great for quick target acquisition, while rifle scopes are great for more precise shooting at distance with time permitting. Either of those are solid options, but one really does not have to choose between the two. I’m writing this because too many cops are failing to take advantage of the Goldilocks of AR optics.

Put the dot on the spot and squeeze

Red dot sights (RDS) are very popular because of their ease and use and relative cost-effectiveness. The most popular, quality RDS units run only $400 to $600. They’re easy to mount and use. Most are sold with mounts and can be installed with minimal brain strain. After that, it’s just a matter of choosing one’s zero range and sighting in. If the user wants magnification, they just add a heavy, bulky, flip-to-side magnifier for an extra $400. There’s nothing wrong with that option, but I believe there’s something better.

DMR

When some people think scoped AR’s, they think of the designated marksman rifle (DMR). A DMR is most effectively employed at distances between the effective ranges of a long-range rifle and carbine. The downside to the prototypical DMR is the lowest magnification is 3x or 4x power, which makes close- and quick-sighting a little more difficult than with a red dot (more on that later). Additionally, relative to RDS, rifle scopes can be quite expensive. The low-end of the fiscal scale on quality DMR scopes is about $800 and goes up into the thousands. Sure, there are some cheaper options, but none I would trust for serious stuff. Also, the quality of a scope’s rings is just as important as the scope itself. That’s an added expense. There’s also the slightly increased complication of mounting a rifle scope. (One doesn’t just slap the scope on the rings and crank on the screws for best results.) Even if you have the disposable funds for this purchase, do you want first or second focal plane? Which reticle? What magnification? Back-up optics? One can understand why most folks prefer the simplicity of “put the dot on the spot and squeeze.” 

Just right?

Is there a Goldilocks option? Yes, indeed. It comes in the form of low-power variable optics (LPVO). Granted, there is still the added expense of quality mounts and the complication of properly mounting the optic. Still, many will find the juice worth the squeeze. The prototypical LVPO is a 1x-4x or 1-6x variable power scope with a 24mm objective. However, there is at least one excellent 1x-10x24mm unit on the market. To oversimplify, the idea of the LPVO is to keep the scope at the true 1x power as a high-quality RDS until more magnification is needed. When/if needed, more magnification is just a twist away.

The concern I’ve always heard expressed about scopes on ARs is that they’re not as quick on target acquisitions as an RDS. When I was on my department’s SWAT team years ago, we would participate in statewide competitions. I couldn’t understand why so many guys from other teams were using scopes on their entry rifles. I do understand now. They were ahead of the game, and I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Having done my research and having put the work in, I’m solidly on team LPVO. With just a little experience and practice, I believe most will find a high-quality LPVO just as quick to sight at close range as a dot. In fact, it’s even possible to shoot up close with magnification — after a little work. It just takes some practice and familiarization; practice you should be doing anyway.

Quality

What is quality? Quality glass doesn’t necessarily mean incredibly expensive, but it doesn’t come cheap. Duty-grade glass uses every advantage, including the substance and process used to coat the glass and the internals of the tube. That, among other manufacturing processes, ensures the “eye box” (the position of your eye behind a scope) allows a full field of view, among other things. I’ll give you an example: My work carbine has Vortex Viper PST Gen 2 1-6×24 (see photo). It’s a duty-grade optic, which I got online using my law enforcement discount for about $650 with a mount. That’s not much more than the most affordable duty-quality red dots. For that few extra bucks, you get a great red dot sight plus the ability to crank up to 6x power magnification on demand. 

Try it

For all of you cops out there giving the “side-eye” to your buddies who have LPVO on their duty and SWAT carbines: just give it a try. I believe you’ll agree the Goldilocks of law enforcement optics in the low-power variable optic.

Warren Wilson

Warren Wilson

Warren Wilson is a lieutenant with the Enid Police Department in Oklahoma. He is a former SWAT team leader, current firearms instructor and writer. He has been a full-time law enforcement officer since 1996.

View articles by Warren Wilson

As seen in the February 2021 issue of American Police Beat magazine.
Don’t miss out on another issue today! Click below:

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Categories: Training

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • CARFAX for Police and NE-IAATI unveil vehicle crimes educational series
  • “Hold my beer”
  • NLEOMF’s 2025 Mid-Year Law Enforcement Fatalities Report reveals law enforcement deaths have decreased by more than 50% over last year
  • Are performance evaluations worth the effort?
  • Blind spots
  • Police warn of growing “jugging” crime trend as attacks spread across nation
  • Code enforcement officers: The community’s frontline property regulators
  • When empathy backfires
  • 2025 Mid-Year Law Enforcement Officers Fatality Report
  • National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Announces May 2025 Officer of the Month

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com | (800) 234-0056.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

“Hold my beer”

“Hold my beer”

July 12, 2025

Are performance evaluations worth the effort?

Are performance evaluations worth the effort?

July 10, 2025

Code enforcement officers: The community’s frontline...

Code enforcement officers: The community’s frontline...

July 07, 2025

Cartel intelligence operations streamline cross-border drug...

Cartel intelligence operations streamline cross-border drug...

June 30, 2025

Policies | Consent Preferences | Copyright © 2025 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close

Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.