Hey shooters! Welcome to my Swamfox Sentinel red dot review 2023.
Subcompact guns are becoming cooler with each passing day, and the need for more advanced micro red dot sights is increasing.
Swampfox Sentinel is one cool micro red dot sight designed for subcompact pistols. If you are into red dot sights, you might have heard this name, but today I will explain everything you need to know about this optic.
I have hand-tested the Swampfox Sentinel, like all other red dots I review, and this is my way of sharing my experience and research on this sight with you.
Let’s dive into it.
Swampfox Sentinel: Specifications
| Type | Micro Red Dot Sight |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Weight | 0.62 oz |
| Versions | Manual & Automatic |
| Battery Type | CR 2032 |
| Reticle Size | 3 MOA |
| Reticle Color | Red & Green |
| Footprint | RMSc |
What Comes In The Box?
- The optic with a rubber cover
- Manual
- A cleaning cloth
- A CR2032 battery
- Screws
- Allen key
Which Pistols Does It Fit?
The Swampfox Sentinel fits the following:
- Sig P365XL
- Springfield Hellcat OSP
- S&W Shield 2.0 Optics Ready
- Walther PPS M2 Optics Ready
- Canik TP9 Elite SC
How Does It Work?
The Swampfox Sentinel has 2 versions: automatic and manual. The automatic version is always on and has no buttons. To turn it on, you have to put the battery in, and the dot will appear on the lens. There is a sensor on the side of the optic that picks up the ambient light and adjusts the dot brightness accordingly. So, when you are in bright light, the dot will appear brighter, and when you move to a darker place, the dot will automatically adjust and become dim.
The manual adjustment has buttons on either side for increasing and decreasing the dot’s brightness. It also has a Shake Awake feature that turns the optic off after 4 minutes of non-movement and turns it back on when it senses movement.
Swampfox Sentinel: Features
Mentioned below are all the features of the Swampfox Sentinel in detail.
Size and Shape
The Swampfox Sentinel is an open reflex sight that maintains a small package. It weighs only 0.62 oz which doesn’t add much weight to your gun. It is 1.61 inches long, 0.91 inches wide, and 0.94 inches tall. Overall, it is lightweight and compact as a micro red dot sight should be.
Footprint
The best thing about this red dot sight is its footprint. The Swampfox Sentinel uses an RMSc footprint. Unfortunately, there is no universal footprint for red dot sights, which would have made our lives much easier. But, the RMSc is the unofficial standard footprint for micro red dot sights. This allows you to attach the Sentinel to most subcompact pistols directly.
Direct attachment gives a lot of benefits over using an adapter plate or getting your pistol modified. Firstly, direct attachment gives you reliability because an adapter plate can break. Also, a plate adds to the red dot’s height, making it difficult for you to co-witness factory sights.
The second option is getting your pistol modified. Some shooters don’t like to alter their pistols and don’t forget the added expense.
So, Swampfox Sentinel will save you from all this hassle in most cases.
Let’s Talk Durability
Swampfox does many things to make the Sentinel durable. The material it uses for its housing is 7075 T6 Aluminum; this is what high-end brands like Trijicon use.
It also has a curved front, which pushes the glass to the rear and gives more base to the optic’s frame. This way, it protects the glass from impact. You can test the durability of this optic by racking it against hard surfaces such as wooden barricades. I did a lot of one-handed manipulations with my Sentinel, which I have mounted on a Springfield Hellcat OSP, and it didn’t affect the glass.
But, one thing that will affect the glass is if you drop your sight hard. No, I have not done a drop test with my red dot sight. Like most reviewers, I will also rely on Sage Dynamics testing of the Sentinel for a final verdict on its durability. In Aaron Cowan’s testing, the Sentinel survived many one-handed manipulations off different hard surfaces but could not survive a shoulder height drop. The lens broke on the first drop. Yes, these tests are rigorous, but no one can guarantee that you will not drop your pistol in a defensive situation. So, it is your call if you want to use this optic for concealed carry or home defense. But it’s better to go for a more durable option like the Holosun 507kX2 when it comes to safety.
Lens and Reticle
Swampfox uses the same glass they use in their long-range scopes, so it has good quality. It is a clear lens with little distortion.
What about the dot? The dot in this sight is good quality 3 MOA dot; it does not have a flicker and works well in various lighting conditions.
Some shooters prefer a bigger dot on a pistol to hit big and up-close targets because subcompact pistols are not for long-range, where you will need accuracy. Swampfox could have also come with two different versions of dot sizes, like the Trijicon RMRcc.
The Sentinel also comes in both green and red colored dots. So, you can pick a dot color according to your liking.
Choose Your Adjustment Option
This optic is an end to all the struggle of choosing between a manual and automatic version. With the Sentinel, you can choose between the two versions according to your preference. Some people like the automatic version, but others want complete control of their brightness. So, choosing between two options is an advantage over other red dots that come in only one version.
Battery Life
The battery life on both versions is good. The Sentinel A is always on and gives a run time of 2 years, while the M version with its Shake Awake features gives a runtime of 50,000 hours.
Shake Awake
The manual version of the Swampfox Sentinel or Sentinel (M) has a Shake Awake feature. It turns the optic off after 4 minutes of non-use and turns it back on when it senses movement. This feature helps in two ways: it helps prevent battery wastage, and you don’t have to remember to turn your optic off every time you use it.
Brightness Adjustment
There are no buttons on the auto version of the Sentinel; it is constant on and adjusts itself according to the ambient light. The manual version, however, has 10 brightness settings. You can choose the right setting according to your lighting condition. The buttons for adjustment are recessed with the optic’s body preventing accidental changes in brightness if you bump your optic or carry it in a holster. Also, you have the adjustment increase button on one side and the decrease button on the other. Having buttons on two sides makes manipulating them easier.
How Well Does It Hold Zero?
The Swamfox Sentinel holds zero well. I have completed 500 rounds with my sight, and it still holds zero. Also, to make my testing more rigorous, I manipulated it off hard surfaces, but it still held zero.
What About The Price?
The price of an optic is a deciding factor for many people. You get the Sentinel for under 300 dollars; this is an affordable option compared to other red dots in this category. You will get the manual version for a few dollars less than the auto version.
What Needs Improvement?
Like most micro red dot sights, Swampfox Sentinel has its battery compartment underneath the optic. You must remove the gun’s sight to install a new battery.
But what’s wrong with that? When you remove your optic from your gun, you have to go through all the hassle of re-installing your sight and re-zeroing it. You could have been saved from all this hassle if Swampfox had included a side battery tray like the Holosun 507kX2 or a top-loading battery compartment to this sight.
But, the good news is that with a long battery life of 2 and 5 years on the automatic and manual versions, you don’t have to go through that hassle often.
Another beef I have with the Sentinel is that it doesn’t have a built-in rear sight cut, and you cannot co-witness with your iron sights without using suppressor height sights.
Also, the windage and elevation turrets don’t have a tactile click, making adjustments difficult.
What Is It Good For?
I use Swampfox Sentinel as my range optic. I don’t use it for concealed carry or defense because there are more durable options for these purposes. But, you can make your decision if this optic is good enough for your defense or not.
So, the best uses of the Swampfox Sentinel are target shooting and competition.
Swampfox Sentinel Pros And Cons
Pros
- Most accepted footprint
- Good quality dot
- Long battery life
- Good quality material and design
- Affordable than other options in this category
Cons
- Inconvenient battery change
- It doesn’t come with a rear sight cut
Swampfox Sentinel Alternatives
Let’s look at the alternatives to the Swampfox Sentinel.
Holosun 507kX2
The first alternative to the Swampfox Sentinel and an optic that can give Sentinel tough competition is the Holosun 507kX2.
The area in which Holosun 507kX2 is better than the Sentinel is durability. It is more durable than the Sentinel and is fit for all defense purposes, including concealed carry.
But, the Holosun 507kX2 doesn’t have an RMSc footprint; its footprint is a modification of the RMSc. So it would not fit most subcompact pistols without modification or an adapter plate.
Shield RMSc
Another red dot in competition with the Swampfox Sentinel is the Shield RMSc.
Shield RMSc and Swampfox Sentinel share the same footprint, so it’s easier to attach them to most subcompacts.
But, the Sheild RMSc comes only with an automatic brightness adjustment, while the Sentinel comes in both manual and automatic versions. Some shooters prefer a manual mode because it gives them more control over their dot brightness. So having both options is better than just one.
Final Verdict
Swampfox Sentinel is a quality red dot with an RMSc footprint, making it accepted by most subcompact pistols. The best part about this red dot is it comes with both automatic manual and adjustment versions. This way, shooters can pick according to their preference.
Also, it has durable housing and a clear lens. Both versions have good battery life, and it is one of the most affordable sights in the micro red dot category.
What I don’t like about this red dot is that you have to remove the optic from the pistol to change the batteries, and it doesn’t have a rear sight cut.
FAQs
What footprint does the Swampfox Sentinel use?
The Swamfox Sentinel uses an RMSc footprint.
Is the Swampfox Sentinel waterproof?
Yes. Swampfox Sentinel has IPX7 waterproof rating.
Does Swampfox fit on Hellcat?
Yes. Optic-ready Hellcat pistols use an RMSc optic cut, so Swampfox Sentinel fits directly to them.
Is Swampfox made in the USA?
No. Swampfox products are made in China.
