electro-optic tech

created in 1995
Ann Arbor, Michigan

• 1972 University of Michigan
  – Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM)
• 1986 ERIM presented holography weapon (electro-optic) sight prototypes to the US Army for use with helicopter gunships and anti-aircraft artillery
• 1995 ERIM as incubator, subsidiary EOTECH created to apply holographic technology to small firearms sights
• 1996 EOTECH introduced the first holography weapon sight (HWS) at SHOT Show in conjunction with Bushnell
• 1996 won the Optic of the Year Award
• 2001 introduced military and law enforcement HWS models
• November 2004 archery sight was discontinued
• 2005 EOTECH acquired by L-3 Communication (now L3Harris)
  – one of the world’s largest defense contractors
• 2015, the U.S. Government sued EOTECH for civil fraud
  – EOTECH settled for $25.6 million
• 2016 EOTECH introduced VUDU precision rifle scopes
• 2018 Golden Bullseye Optic of the Year award
• 2020 EOTECH officially separated from L3Harris
• 2020 purchased by American Holoptics

 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 500,000^th 4×32 ACOG scope produced
• 2017 produced the 1,000,000^th ACOG\