One of my favorite features has always been the iron sights that come standard on the pistol.
Thetritium/luminescent U-Dot sightpicture makes the perfect daytime and nighttime set of irons for fast target acquisition.
When defending oneself and others, milliseconds matter.
Holosun offers excellent optics for Springfield Armory pistols. In this review, the author tests the EPS Carry with some serious drop tests and more.
Since then, its been requested in many gun shops across the country.
There is a lot to like about these optics.
Each model offers several different options.
The EPS optic (left) is slightly larger than the EPS Carry (mounted). Visually, it’s not much different, but a larger acquisition window makes a difference.
Weight of the EPS is 1.4 oz., and the EPS Carry comes in at 1.23 oz.
Some of their biggest clients has been various federal law enforcement agencies.
There is no standard plate that comes with the EPS lineup that will fit directly to the Hellcat.
The Holosun EPS Carry mounts to the Springfield Armory Hellcat with simple hand tools and the C&H Precision plate.
Holosun has partnered with C&H Precision to offer a plate marrying these two powerhouses.
FixIT sticks and torque limiters are recommended.
Off and On the Pistol
There is a difference between the EPS, and EPS Carry.
The reticle is sufficiently large for fast sighting, and you can co-witness while being modified for user preference.
Holosun sent one of each for photos and examination.
The EPS we received did not have the solar backup system and featured a simple 6 MOA dot.
The EPS Carry did have the solar backup and a 2 MOA dot with a 32 MOA circle.
Shown is the Hellcat and Holosun after a drop test from chest height. There were minimal abrasions and minor damage to rubber components.
All options are available on both platforms.
Side by side, the EPS is slightly larger than the Carry in overall width and height.
While not a drastic difference on paper, it can make a difference on a micro-compact pistol.
After a dozen impacts, the EPS Carry wasn’t pretty, but it still functioned flawlessly.
The Hellcat is known for being one of the smallest micro-compact pistols with a larger-than-average capacity.
Due to the overall size, the EPS Carry was mounted to the Hellcat OSP.
No matter which optic was chosen, it would protrude over the side of the rounded slide edge slightly.
Not all CCW holsters are designed for use with pistol optics. Since the Hellcat was designed with a red dot sight in mind, most companies support optics in their Hellcat holster builds.
When mounted, a full view of the iron sights was still possible.
Drop Testing the Holosun EPS
7075 T6 aluminum makes up the overall housing on both models.
Theyre robust and lightweight without looking like a set of birth control glasses from the military.
Despite the look, the real test represents how they perform after a drop.
No optic is designed for excessive drops.
They will all fail at some point.
Firing two magazines seemed enough for the first accuracy test.
Physically, it appeared nothing was wrong with the optic, even cosmetically.
The reticle did not move.
No reticle movement was witnessed when firing.
It appeared as if the housing was even tougher than advertised.
From the Shoulder:The final tests came from shoulder height.
I test-fired the pistol and noted no reticle movement.
Next, the pistol was dropped on the compacted gravel roadway leading to the range from this height.
The exterior of the optic had some impacts, with slightly marred rubber pieces.
There was no intentional attempt to hit any specific area.
The entire test also caused some cosmetic damage to my personal Hellcat.
After the shoulder height tests, the optic didnt appear to have any issues with reticle movement.
Anodized coatings are great, but not impact-proof.
This minimal protrusion over the slide of the Hellcat is so small its barely noticeable.
However, not all holsters used were able to secure the Hellcat with the optic attached.
Some of these were just too narrow to even adapt that extra .09 inches of width over the slide.
EPS Carry Review Conclusion
Both the EPS and EPS Carry are excellent pistol optics.
The size, durability, and price are the perfect trifecta.
To me, an adaptive solar back-up takes the worry out regarding the battery performance.
For me, the real stand-out feature with Holosun is the solar back-up.
Ranging from an MSRP of $389 to $506, these Holosuns break the mold.
For the Hellcat, an additional adaptor plate from C&H Precision Weapons also adds $50 MSRP.
Overall, I think this makes for the perfect conceal carry combo.
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