founded in 1981
Wixom, Michigan
“Tritium” the key element in the company’s innovative illumination technology, and “icon”
Additionally, the “iji” in Trijicon mimics the “three-dot” design
- founded in 1981 by Glyn Bindon as Armson USA
– 1972 aeronautical engineer at Ford Motor Company
– worked on the U.S. Navy’s F-8U Crusader - 1981 visited South Africa, met a guy who made gun sights
- Imported the Armson OEG
– occluded-type gunsight, used tritium and fiber optics
– manufactured in South Africa
– popular for rifles and shotguns - 1985 reorganized as Trijicon
- 1985 began manufacture of night sights
- 1987 4×32 Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG)
- 1988 Trijicon Night Sights were adopted by the FBI
- 1996 1×24 Reflex Sight
– adopted by the U.S. Special Forces
– for the SOPMOD M4 Carbine kit - 1998 AccuPoint 3-9×40 dual-illuminated riflescope
- 2002 TriPower, first triple-illuminated reticle
- September 2003, Glyn Bindon died in a plane crash in Alaska
- 2007 launched Trijicon Red Dot
- 2009 500,000th 4×32 ACOG scope produced
- 2017 produced the 1,000,000th ACOG\
About Trijicon
Trijicon is a privately held American maker of sighting systems, headquartered in Wixom, Michigan. The company began in 1981 when Glyn Bindon set up Armson USA as the sole U.S. importer and distributor of the Armson OEG, a South African occluded-eye gunsight that used tritium and fiber optics so it could be seen without batteries. In 1985 Bindon reorganized the business as Trijicon and began making tritium night sights for pistols, a product line that remains a standard upgrade for duty and defensive handguns.
For gun owners, the name is most closely tied to the ACOG (Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight), introduced in 1987 as the TA01 4×32 and later fielded widely by U.S. forces. Trijicon’s catalog has grown to include the RX01 reflex sight, the AccuPoint and TriPower riflescopes, night sights and night vision equipment. In January 2010 ABC News reported that Trijicon was marking scripture references on military ACOG sights; the company ended the practice and sent kits so existing units could have the markings removed. Trijicon remains in business in Michigan as of 2026.
Key Facts
- 1981: Glyn Bindon founds Armson USA to import the Armson OEG sight
- 1985: Company reorganized as Trijicon; begins making pistol night sights
- 1987: TA01 4×32 ACOG introduced for the U.S. military
- January 2010: ABC News reports scripture references on ACOG sights; the company later discontinues the markings
- Headquarters: Wixom, Michigan
Sources
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