VORTEX DFCCW-MRD3 Defender CCWTM Red Dot Sight Instruction Manual

: June 14, 2024
: VORTEX

DEFENDER -CCW™

RED DOT

SPECS	DFCCW-MRD3	DFCCW-MRD6
DOT SIZE	3 MOA	6 MOA
DOT COLOR	Bright Red	Bright Red
BATTERY TYPE	CR1632	CR1632
ILLUMINATION SETTINGS	10 Settings (8 Daylight, 2 NV)	10 Settings (8

DEFENDER-CCW™ RED DOT

Built compact and tough for everyday carry, the Deferider-CCW™ still offers a class leading window size, along with exceptional optics with minimal distortion for a truer sight picture. Adjustable brightness lets you find the perfect setting for your eye, while a button lockout feature prevents accidental adjustments while carrying. And with up to 9,500 hours of battery life and motion activation, you can be confident the Defender-CCW™ will be ready when you need it.

Images are for representation only. Product may vary slightly from what is shown.

VORTEX DFCCW-MRD3 Defender CCWTM Red Dot Sight B2

ShockShield™ Polymer Insert
Fast-Rack™ Textured Grip
Battery Cap
Up Button
Down Button
Elevation Turret
Windage Turret

BASIC OPERATION

Battery Installation and Replacement

Remove the Battery Cap using the Custom Tool. Install one CR1632 battery so the “+” lettering faces out and replace the cover. When replacing the Battery Cap, be sure it is fully tightened.

Power Up

To turn the Defender-CCW™ red dot on, press either the “Up” or “Down” button. To turn off the Defender-CCW™ manually, press and hold the “Down” button for approximately 5 seconds.

Auto-Shutoff

The red dot will automatically shut off after 14 hours. Powering down the red dot manually will disable the Auto-Shutoff feature. To turn on the Auto- Shutoff feature, press and hold both the “Up” and “Down” buttons for 3 seconds. During these 3 seconds, the dot will turn on at the lowest brightness setting and gradually increase to the brightest setting. Once the dot has reached its brightest setting, the Auto-Shutoff feature is now on.

Motion Activation

The Defender-CCW’™ is equipped with motion activation. This feature is only available when the Auto-Shutoff feature is turned on. By allowing the unit to shut off automatically after 14 hours, the dot will turn on automatically the next time you pick up your gun. Powering down the red dot manually will disable the motion activation.

Button Lockout

The Defender-CCW™ includes a button lockout mode to prevent unintentional setting changes. To turn on the button lockout feature, press and hold the “Up” button for 3 seconds. The dot will blink off for .5 seconds and then remain on. To turn the button lockout feature off, press and hold the “Up” button for 3 seconds. The dot will blink off 2x in 1 second to confirm the lockout mode has been disabled and then will remain on.

Brightness Selection

The Defender-CCW™ red dot sight offers 10 brightness settings: 8 daylight settings, and 2 night vision settings. Adjust the dot brightness by pressing the appropriate “Up” or “Down” button.

Battery Life

The Defender-CCW™ uses a CR1632 battery. The battery life depends on the brightness intensity of the dot. At setting 6, the battery life is approximately 9,500 hours.

Turret Adjustments

Turrets are used to adjust the bullet’s point of impact and are marked in Minute of Angle (MOA). There are two turrets on your red dot. The turret on the top of the red dot is the Elevation Turret and is used to adjust the point of impact up and down. The turret on the right-hand side of the red dot is the Windage Turret and is used to adjust the point of impact left and right.

Your Defender-CCW™ red dot features adjustable Elevation and Windage Turrets with audible and tactile clicks. Each click moves the bullet’s point-of-impact 1 minute of angle. 1 MOA closely corresponds to .15 inches at 15 yards, .25 inch at 25 yards, .5 inch at 50 yards, 1 inch at 100 yards, and 2 inches at 200 yards.

Example: At a 25-yard sight-in distance, it will take 12 clicks of the turret to move the bullet’s point-of-impact 3 inches.
To make turret adjustments:

Use the included Custom Tool to make the adjustments.
Turn the turret in the appropriate direction: up/down or left/right as indicated by the arrows.

Note: The red dot will move in the opposite direction of the turrets when dialed.

Elevation Turret
Windage Turret

Mounting the Defender-CCW™ Red Dot

To get the best results from your Defender-CCW™ red dot, proper mounting is essential. Although not difficult, the correct steps must be followed.

The Defender-CCW™ utilizes the same screw spacing and very similar footprint as the RMS and will work on any pistol that is cut for a RMS footprint. You may have to reference the pistol’s manual to see if any additional plates are required to mount the red dot. If a plate is required, mount the plate using the pistol or plate manufacturer’s recommendations.

To install the red dot, place the red dot on top of the pistol slide or plate matching up the screw holes and recoil lugs. Ensure that the red dot sits flush on the mount. Select the appropriate screw size from the screws included in the box with the Defender-CCW™. Tighten down the screws to 15 in-lbs without thread locking compound or 10-12 in-lbs with non-permanent thread locking compound. Thread locking compound is recommended to ensure the screws do not back out under recoil.

A 1-degree shim plate is included in the box that will angle the red dot down. This will help overcome any misalignment within the mounting system or pistol. Due to pistol/red dot combinations being a shorter-range system, it takes an extreme amount of travel to overcome any misalignments. Therefore, the 1-degree shim plate may be necessary to get sighted in at your desired distance.

If the shim plate is required, remove the red dot from the pistol. Place the 1-degree shim plate between the bottom of the unit and the pistol slide or plate. The thicker end of the shim should be closer to the shooter to increase upward travel.
If the screw needed is not included, please contact our Technical Dept at 1-800-4V0RTEX.

SIGHTING IN

After the red dot has been mounted, an initial sight-in at 15 yards is recommended. This should allow for the unit to have enough travel to overcome most alignment issues. If a closer zero is preferred, we recommend starting the zeroing process with the 1-degree shim plate already installed.

Following all safe shooting practices, fire a three-shot group as precisely as possible.
Next, adjust the illuminated dot to match the approximate center of the shot group. Be sure to read page 3 prior to making adjustments.
Carefully, fire another three-shot group and see if the bullet group is centered on the bullseye. This procedure can be repeated as many times as necessary to achieve a perfect zero.

Note: When you dial the turrets up, the dot will move down. If you dial down, the dot will move up. If you dial left, the dot will move right. If you dial right, the dot will move left.

MAINTENANCE AND STORAGE

Cleaning

Your Defender-CCW™ red dot requires very little routine maintenance other than periodically cleaning the exterior lenses. The optic’s exterior may be cleaned by wiping with a soft cloth. When cleaning the lenses, be sure to use products that are specifically designed for use on coated optical lenses.

Be sure to blow away any dust or grit on the lenses prior to wiping the surfaces.
Using your breath, or a very small amount of water or pure alcohol, can help remove stubborn dried water spots.

Lubrication

All components of the Defender-CCW™ red dot are permanently lubricated, so no additional lubricant should be applied.

Note: Other than removing the Battery Cap and Protective Cover, do not attempt to disassemble any components of the Defender-CCW™ red dot. Disassembly may void warranty.

Storage

If possible, avoid storing your red dot in direct sunlight or any very hot location for long periods of time.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Red Dot Does Not Illuminate

If the red dot does not illuminate, please check the following before returning the red dot for service:

Is the battery dead? Replace the battery.
Is the battery installed correctly? Be sure the battery is oriented with the “+” facing away from the unit.
Is the battery cap loose? Be sure cover is snug and contact points are clean.

Dot Moves Within the Window

This is normal function of any red dot that is parallax free. The placement of the dot within the window does not affect your point of impact. As long as the dot is on the target and zeroed, you will hit your target.

Dot is Blooming

An astigmatism may cause the dot to look clustered, linear, or starbursted. Lowering the red dot intensity to an appropriate brightness setting, focusing on the target and not the dot, and keeping both eyes open helps reduce blooming.

Dot is Stuck in Bottom of Window or Dot Will Not Move

If the dot is stuck in the bottom of the window, the red dot could be mounted backward. Turn it 180 degrees so that lens hood is towards the muzzle end.

Running Out of Travel During Sight-In

Elevation – Ensure that the dot is moving when the turrets are dialed. This can be accomplished by setting the red dot on a stable surface and aligning the dot on something that is stationary about 15 yards away. Dial the turrets without moving the unit. If the dot is moving off the stationary item, there may be an alignment issue with the pistol or plate. Use the 1-degree shim plate to help overcome any alignment issues. This can add 60 MOA of adjustment up or down in the travel depending on the direction that the shim is installed.

Windage – Ensure that the dot is moving when the turrets are dialed. This can be accomplished by setting the red dot on a stable surface and aligning the dot on something that is stationary about 15 yards away. Dial the turrets without moving the unit. If the dot is moving off the stationary item, it could be that there is an alignment issue with the pistol or plate. The 1-degree shim plate will not provide any solution for windage issues.

Red Dot Does Not Line Up with My Iron Sights

Iron sights are independent of the dot. You can have the iron sights sighted in and the red dot sighted in and they may not line up with one another.

Mounting Screws Coming Loose

Check to make sure that the mounting screws were torqued to proper specifications. Add a thread locking compound to the screw. Torque to 10-12 in-lbs with thread locking compound or 15 in-lbs without.

Bullets Are Not Grouping

Be sure all mount screws are tight. You should not be able to twist or move the red dot in any direction. Many times, problems thought to be with the red dot are actually mount problems.

NOTICE

Virtual Patent Marking Notice By Vortex Optics

This product may be protected by patents in the U.S. and elsewhere for Vortex Optics. http://vtx.legal website is provided to satisfy the virtual patent marking provisions of various jurisdictions including the virtual patent marking provisions of the America Invents Act and provide notice under 35 U.S.C. §287(a). Please visit http.//vtx.legal to view list of products that may be covered by one or more U.S./Foreign patents or published patent applications.

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VORTEX DFCCW-MRD3 Defender CCWTM Red Dot Sight B5