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Hi Andrew and welcome. An Optic is a Sight that sits atop the handgun and a Light/Laser fit on the accessory rail of a handgun. Example of an Optic is here: https://www.nrafamily.org/content/5-best-new-optics-ready-micro-9mm-pistols-for-concealed-carry/ ------------------------------------------ Example of a Light/Laser here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/174368536213 ---------------------- Example with both: https://www.acep.org/talem/newsroom/oct-2021/mrdo--micro-red-dot-optics--a-consideration-for-tactical-medical-providers

I could have been more thorough in my answer, an optic is an optical sight which refers to pretty much any firearms sight using optical glass be it a magnified scope, reflex sight/collimator, holographic sight, etc. excluding only "iron" sights like the sights that come on this pistol. A red dot can fall under multiple of those categories but for a handgun it is generally a single lens with a red dot projected onto it for faster acquisition of a target than is possible when lining up fixed sights. A Trijicon RMR is a common example, but there are a wide array of cheaper/different versions. A light would just be a flashlight which generally has buttons that you can reach with your trigger finger or off-hand while maintaining a grip on the firearm, and a laser sight is for projecting a laser dot at your target to aid in aiming. A Streamlight TLR-7 is one example of a light, and the TLR-8 is a light/laser combo. From my utilitarian perspective, an optic is helpful in aiming pretty much al

A red Dot is An Optic. You look through the glass and the Red Dot YOU see is what you will place on target. A Laser is actually projected out onto the target. Place it on where you would want to shoot.

Hi Andrew, an optic is a device you look through, like a scope or a red dot sight. You look through the lens. It mounts on top of the gun. A laser shoots a beam and you can see a red (or green) dot on your target, so there is no need to look through a lens. A light is, well, a light. A light/laser combo has both a light and a laser. Lights/lasers mount on the accessory rail below the barrel. A red dot is an optic. When you look through the lens, you will see a red dot. It is not like a laser, you can only see the red dot while looking through the lens. Stay safe & have a great day!

optics on top and you look through it laser or light on bottom of gun