EOTech G43 vs G45: which magnifier belongs behind your holographic sight?

By the OpticVerdict Editorial Team.
Research-based comparison · Updated 2026-10-02

How this comparison was made: a research-based comparison built from EOTech's own product pages, its magnifier overview, its warranty page and its 2021 and 2023 announcements about these two magnifiers, plus all 16 reviews on the G43 listing and the 71 reviews on the G45 listing at OpticsPlanet. We have not bench-tested either magnifier; the verdict is our editorial opinion and owner ratings are shown attributed to their source. See how we evaluate.

Side-by-side specifications

Specifications are EOTech's unless a row says otherwise. Two figures need care. EOTech publishes the G45's field of view as 4 degrees on its product page and 4.4 degrees in its 2023 announcement, so we print neither as the answer; EOTech is consistent that the G43's view is the wider one. EOTech's G43 page gives a single weight without saying whether the mount is included, while its G45 page lists the magnifier with and without the mount, so the two weights are not a like-for-like comparison. A few fields in the retailer's G43 table do not appear on EOTech's G43 page, and we leave them out. Owner ratings are for each listing as a whole, which sells black and tan, with and without the mount.

What actually differs: magnification, length and field of view

EOTech puts it plainly in its 2023 announcement: the two magnifiers have similar specifications, and the biggest difference is magnification. The G45's extra 2x allows precise aiming at greater distances; the G43, at 3x, offers a slightly wider field of view for better situational awareness at mid-range distances. EOTech closes that paragraph by saying the choice comes down to the user's preference.

The second difference is length. At 3.1 inches the G43 is 0.8 inches shorter than the G45, which matters on a short barrel or a rail already carrying a light, a laser or a backup sight. EOTech calls the G43 a miniaturized version of its G33 and one of the most compact, lightweight magnifiers available. Owners on the G43 listing say the same in their own words: one who pairs it with an EXPS3 on a 9 inch gun writes

“The size is perfect for shorter guns.”

RP (OR), OpticsPlanet reviewer, G43 listing

The third is how forgiving the picture is. A 5x image is bigger, and the field you see through it is smaller. On the G45 listing, several reviewers who have used a 3x say they prefer the 5x, while one found the G45 a bit much at short to mid range and the G33 more forgiving on eye position. On the G43 listing, one reviewer running it behind an Aimpoint T2 takes the opposite side of that argument:

“not a fan of the 5X variants, I find them useless. 3X is all you need.”

Jimmy james (PA), OpticsPlanet reviewer, G43 listing

Neither view is wrong; they describe different rifles. Another G43 reviewer, happy with the 3x, writes that their next purchase is the 5x version for a 16 inch gun, and a G45 reviewer says the G45 was their first 5x after a G43.

What is the same

Almost everything else. Both are fixed-power magnifiers that sit behind a 1x sight and swing out of the way when you want 1x back; EOTech describes switching from 3x or 5x to 1x on the quick-transition mount, and says you can flip between views without losing zero. Both fit a 1 inch Weaver or MIL-STD-1913 rail, both are 2.3 inches wide and 3.3 inches tall, both are rated water resistant to 33 feet with fog-resistant internal optics and a -40 to 140 F operating range, and both are assembled in the USA. EOTech's 2023 announcement lists tool-free vertical and horizontal adjustments and an adjustable diopter on both.

EOTech also makes a claim for its own sights that applies to both: a holographic weapon sight's 1 MOA dot stays crisp at 3x or 5x. In the 2023 announcement its director of product management, Mark Miller, explains that the target enlarges while the dot stays 1 MOA, unlike a red dot whose dot grows with the target. That is the maker's statement, not something we measured, and it is the main reason both magnifiers make most sense behind an EOTech. EOTech lists both as compatible with all of its holographic weapon sight models.

Both are covered by EOTech's 10-year limited Prestige Warranty in North America: free repair or replacement for the first five years, then repair of defects for a nominal bench fee from year five to year ten. Both launched together: EOTech showed them at SHOT 2020 and says shipping began on February 1, 2021, and it announced Flat Dark Earth versions of both for 2023.

The video is a short animated product showcase of the G43.STS, the version with the Switch-to-Side mount; the G43.NM comes without a mount. Its on-screen callouts name the durable rubber armor, the adjustable turrets and the quick-detach mount, and it shows the mount flipped to the side. There is no presenter and no live-fire footage.

What G43 owners report

Of the 15 reviews on the G43 listing that show a star rating, 12 give five stars, one four, one three and one one star; the listing's 16th review, featured as most helpful, does not show its stars. Clear glass is the most common praise, named in seven reviews, and many reviewers pair it with an EOTech holographic sight: the EXPS2, EXPS3, XPS 2.0 and XPS-3 all appear. One reviewer sums up the pairing:

“Sits perfect behind EOTech holo. Glass is clean and bright, exactly what I hoped for.”

Gary (NV), OpticsPlanet reviewer, G43 listing

The review the listing features as most helpful, from a reviewer running it behind an EXPS2-300, praises both the eye relief and the size: “the shorter size is perfect to fit small rifle without needing to bridge onto hand guard.” Two more reviewers call the eye relief fine or decent, one of them adding that the eye box is forgiving.

The criticism is specific. The only one-star review finds the 2.5 inch eye relief too short:

“Have to shorten your length of pull or crane your neck forward to use.”

Unsatisfied customer. (TX), OpticsPlanet reviewer, G43 listing, 1 star

One reviewer notes that it “can get in the way or a rear back up iron sight”, and on our EOTech EXPS3 review a reviewer of the HHS VI kit, which pairs an EXPS3-2 with the G43, says they had to remove the rear iron sight to make it work. A four-star reviewer rates the glass and toughness highly but lists it as heavier than other magnifiers, and a three-star reviewer titles their review “over priced”, writing that the “vortex 3x micro is a better bang for buck” and that they bought the G43 to keep it EOTech with their EXPS3.

What G45 owners report

The G45 carries the bigger owner record, 4.8/5 across 71 reviews, and our full EOTech G45 review covers it in detail. The short version: reviewers praise the clarity and the build, and several who have used a 3x prefer the 5x. Eye relief is the argument there too. In the 71 reviews we could read, at least four reviewers find the G45's eye relief too tight, including both one-star reviews, while at least six report no trouble with it. At least seven call it heavy or chunky, and at least nine name the price as a drawback.

Which version: no mount or Switch-to-Side?

Each magnifier is sold four ways, and the model code tells you what is in the box. The G43 listing leads with the G43.NM, the magnifier alone. The prices below are for the black versions.

Buy a .NM version if you already own a magnifier mount or want a third-party one; one G43 reviewer runs theirs on a Unity FAST FTC mount, and at least nine G45 reviewers mention a Unity mount. Buy a .STS version if you want one box that goes straight onto the rail behind an EOTech sight. Tan versions (G43.NMTAN, G43.STSTAN, G45.NMTAN, G45.STSTAN) are on the same listings. Compare like with like, a no-mount version against a no-mount version and a mounted one against a mounted one, because the Switch-to-Side versions cost more than the magnifier alone.

Who should buy which

• Short rifle, SBR or crowded rail: the G43. It is the shorter of the two by 0.8 inches, and G43 reviewers single out the size on shorter guns.
• Mostly close to mid range: the G43, for the wider field of view that EOTech says gives better situational awareness at mid-range distances.
• Identifying and hitting targets farther out from a stable position: the G45, for the bigger 5x image.
• A rear backup iron sight you want to keep: check placement before you buy either; one G43 reviewer says it can get in the way of a rear backup iron sight, and an HHS VI kit reviewer removed theirs to make the G43 work.
• A red dot that is not an EOTech: both will magnify it, and one G43 reviewer runs theirs behind an Aimpoint T2, but EOTech's point about the dot staying 1 MOA applies only to its holographic sights. Our best red dot magnifier guide covers 3x magnifiers built around red dots.

Trade-offs, plainly

• G43: the one-star review finds its 2.5 inch eye relief too short, and a reviewer reports it getting in the way of a rear iron sight.
• G43: one reviewer titles their review “over priced” and points to a Vortex 3x micro as better value, and another lists it as heavier than other magnifiers.
• G45: a narrower view than the G43 by EOTech's account, and at least four reviewers find its eye relief too tight.
• G45: the longer body takes 0.8 inches more rail, and at least nine G45 reviewers name the price as a drawback.
• Both: the Switch-to-Side versions cost more than the magnifier alone.

What else to consider

• The G45 on its own: our EOTech G45 review goes deeper on the 5x and its eye relief argument.
• Buying the sight and magnifier together? The EOTech EXPS3 review covers the HHS V kit (EXPS3 with the G45) and the HHS VI kit (EXPS3-2 with the G43).
• Want the G33 or a cheaper 3x? See best red dot magnifiers, where the G33 is our EOTech pick.
• Magnifier or LPVO? See LPVO vs magnifier and our best LPVOs.
• Choosing the sight first? Read best holographic sight and red dot vs holographic sight.

FAQ

More: EOTech G45 review · best red dot magnifiers · EOTech EXPS3 review · EOTech XPS2 review · best red dot for an AR-15.