The video introduces the INFITAC OWS-32 “Third Wave” as a new style of red dot that does not fit neatly into typical reflex or holographic categories. Traditional reflex sights use an LED emitter projecting onto a coated glass surface, while holographic sights rely on multiple internal mirrors and an etched reticle. The OWS-32 instead uses waveguide technology, likened to an old overhead projector that channels light through a small aperture and then expands it onto a viewing surface. This approach is miniaturized for a closed-emitter red dot format. The hosts emphasize that, despite its unconventional internals, the optic still presents a familiar red dot sight picture while using a different method to deliver the image to the shooter’s eye.
INFITAC has not finalized pricing, but the expected range is roughly $400 to $500. The optic is listed at about 1,500 hours of runtime when powered by a CR123A battery, likely measured at a mid-level brightness setting. It ships with two rechargeable 16340 lithium-ion cells, though their real-world runtime has not yet been tested. The OWS-32 includes a shake-awake style feature to conserve power. It offers 20 daylight brightness settings, which is more than many competing optics, and a dedicated night vision button that accesses 10 night vision brightness levels. Auto-brightness is available for both daylight and night vision modes, allowing the optic to adjust illumination automatically within those environments.
The OWS-32 resembles an EOTech in general layout, but with a taller viewing window that is roughly 10–15% higher, providing additional vertical field of view. Width is similar, with only a slight increase. The optic is rated IP67 for water resistance. It offers seven reticle configurations, including a roughly 2–2.5 MOA center dot, a 65 MOA outer ring, and crosshair options. These elements can be combined or used individually, such as a simple center dot for rifles, a 65 MOA ring for shotguns, or crosshairs with or without the dot or ring. Edge-to-edge clarity is described as good, with minimal distortion, which is notable because waveguide systems often show some edge warping. INFITAC claims the optic is parallax free, a point the hosts plan to test further at the range.
The hosts note a few concerns with the OWS-32. The front glass is angled and lacks a protective shroud, raising questions about durability if the optic is dropped or bumped against barriers. Because the system uses two panes of glass, certain lighting angles cause noticeable reflections, allowing the shooter to see shirt patterns or moving fingers reflected in the rear of the window. Another observation is a visible refresh-rate flicker at lower brightness settings when the optic is moved quickly. This flicker appears with all reticle choices, not just complex patterns. Increasing brightness significantly reduces or nearly eliminates the perceived flicker, especially when the reticle is bright enough to bloom slightly. These issues are presented as tradeoffs to be weighed against the optic’s feature set.
At the range, the OWS-32 is mounted on a rifle and sighted in before running drills. The hosts fire an initial three-shot group, make adjustments, and then fire another three-shot group to confirm the point of impact. The goal is to establish a solid zero and then evaluate whether the optic maintains that zero through subsequent training. They plan to revisit the target at the end of the session to check for any shift. The optic is mounted on a riser, which will factor into the offset drills that follow, allowing them to see how the reticle and point of impact align at closer distances with the chosen height-over-bore setup.
The primary drill used to evaluate the optic’s handling is based on a Clint Smith offset exercise. A cardboard target is marked with reference points at the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions. Because the optic is on a riser, the shooter must account for mechanical offset, sometimes aiming above or to one side of the desired impact point depending on distance and optic height. One person calls out a clock position, and the shooter engages the corresponding area of the target. This drill is intended to reinforce understanding of where to hold with the OWS-32 at close range while moving between different aiming points. The hosts use this progression to see how quickly and consistently the reticle can be applied under changing directions and offsets.
During the range session, the rifle is also run with a CAT 5.56 K suppressor. The hosts note that the suppressor noticeably reduces the sharp report of 5.56, even on an 11-inch barrel, taking some of the bite out of the sound. On the target, impacts generally land below the exact point of aim when the reticle is held in the center, illustrating the expected close-range offset with the optic on a riser. The shooter often aims at a specific reference point and observes hits slightly lower, reinforcing the need to understand height-over-bore when using the OWS-32 in similar configurations. These observations are used to evaluate both the optic’s consistency under fire and how it pairs with a short-barreled, suppressed 5.56 platform.
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