Hey Freedom Gorillas today we are going to dive into the Holosun 509 ACSS Vulcan and the Holosun 509T.
When looking at photos online it seems like these optics are almost identical, however the truth is when you hold them in person they are quite different.
What are the main difference between the Holosun 509 ACSS Vulcan and the Holosun 509T?
As we are sure you know, the 509 ACSS Vulcan has the ACSS Vulcan Reticle and the 509T has the MRS reticle. Here are the most important differences.
- The most important difference is that they have different mounting footprints. The 509 ACSS Vulcan will not fit on a 509T Adapter plate and vice versa. They are close, but it won't work.
- The second most important difference is that the 509T is made out of Grade 5 Titanium and the 509 ACSS Vulcan is made out of 7075 T6 Aluminum. While the 509 ACSS Vulcan is strong, the 509T is stronger.
- The 509 ACSS Vulcan is longer than the 509T as you can see in the photos and videos.
- The 509 ACSS Vulcan is slightly lighter than the 509T.
- The 509T comes in a red dot, green dot, and in FDE colors. The 509 ACSS Vulcan only comes in a red reticle and has either an RMR footprint model or a Glock MOS footprint model. Company's like CHPWS do make aftermarket 509 ACSS Vulcan adapter plates for other pistols if you wanted a dedicated plate.
Front View
Top View
Rear View
Side View
Weight Comparison
What are the similarities between the 509 ACSS Vulcan and the 509T?
Now that we have the differences out of the way, what's similar about these two optics?
- They are both enclosed emitters.
- They both have solar failsafes.
- They both have side removable batteries.
- They both have the same deck height.
- They both have the same window sizes and buttons.
- They both have similar battery life, however the 509T battery will last longer if you were to use the "dot" only.
So which is better? The 509 ACSS Vulcan or the 509T?
Here at Freedom Gorilla we don't think one is better than another. In fact we don't believe these optics are that similar even though they look like they are twins!
In our opinion the 509T is a duty optic. It's made from Grade 5 Titanium to take abuse. That means getting dropped, banged, racked on solid surfaces etc.
The 509 ACSS Vulcan to us is just an enclosed emitter optic that has the ACSS Vulcan Reticle. Could it be used for duty use? Sure, however we don't think that is it's primary purpose. We think it is more for someone who really needs that ACSS Vulcan chevron + circle and also wants the added reliability of the enclosed emitter.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a hard use enclosed emitter optic, the 509T is the way to go. If you are looking for something with an enclosed emitter that you can carry and compete with and that has the ACSS Vulcan reticle than the 509 ACSS Vulcan would make a great choice.
We hope you found this information helpful and informative, and if there is anything we can do to help you out further, please reach out to us.
Thank you for reading!
