A DEVGRU Operator's Carry Pistol, Red Dot and Ammo Choices

In a video from Mike Ritland, the former Navy SEAL sits down with a guest described as a DEVGRU operator to talk through his everyday carry pistol setup, optics choice, and ammo preferences built around real-world reliability concerns.

Key points

• Pistol: The operator carries a Glock 45, a 19-length slide paired with a 17-length grip, after switching from appendix carry to strong-side around the 3 o'clock position; he says a 19 is not underpowered, and praises the Glock 43X with a Shield Arms steel magazine for stuffing 15 rounds into a compact gun, though he notes the magazine springs are stiff to load.
• Red dot choice: He runs an Aimpoint Acro and is about to try a milled slide for a Holosun 509T, both enclosed-emitter optics he prefers over open designs like the RMR because rain and snow can flood an open emitter and wreck the sight picture.
• Battery life tradeoff: He says the Acro needs a battery swap roughly every six weeks despite a one-year rating, but doesn't consider that a dealbreaker since it holds zero through a swap; he expects the Holosun to last longer and is testing one to judge durability.
• Ammo picks: He names Black Hills and Buffalo Bore as his carry ammo, calls Speer Gold Dot and Federal HST reliable, and argues solid-copper "external hollow point" rounds are the future because they penetrate barriers like car doors without deforming.
• Training habit: He does a few minutes of daily dry fire at awkward angles, since he says most shooters lose the dot on off-angle shots rather than standard square-up presentations.

Quick take

This is a working operator's gear logic, not a sales pitch: enclosed emitters for weather, penetration over expansion for ammo, and dry fire to fix the real failure point most owners never practice.

Watch the full video: Mike Ritland