Short version: the Leupold if you can afford it. The Burris if you can’t. The Simmons if you REALLY can’t. Any of these 3 will be very good.
I have a lot of pistol scopes, but not yet have I had the current production Weaver. With what else I have used in the market, I don’t expect that to change.
The Burris are low on my list for the limited internal adjustment. I wish they would have opted for a standard mil-dot for their 3-12x AO, as I don’t care for the BDC reticle. But the option of variable parallax is unique in a handgun scope, so I have a handful of them on long range revolvers and specialty pistols. I’ve coupled them with Burris Signature Zee rings to give me access to as much internal adjustment as possible. Very lazy on Burris’s part to give it such little adjustment, but they’re great scopes for the money.
The Simmons are inexpensive, so a guy can’t expect the best coatings nor all of the bells and whistles of some other models, but I can attest they’re as durable as anything else on the market, and as clear. One of my Pro-Hunter’s has ridden over the top of thousands of 1300-1400fps 300grn 44mag, a couple thousand 454c, and hundreds of 475line. Very happy with it, and I’ve really struggled to fault it against the Leupold VX3. For the money, it’s a fantastic optic. I’ve not noticed worse glare or fogging than anything else, but I’m pretty mindful of my set design for sun position. They hold zero. The click adjustments aren’t as positive as I would like, but I really haven’t found any of pistol scope to really be on par with a rifle scope in that regard.
The Leupold VX3, when found, is a great handgun scope. I’m not s huge fan of the FX-4x, but only because I find it to be “stuck” in the middle of uselessness, too much for offhand, but not enough for bench work. I’be absolutely hammered VX3’s with 454’s and 475’s, and they’ve all smiled back. If you can find older M8’s, snatch them up. The Leupold VX3 is my go-to handgun scope. Now if they would build me one in mil-dot, VX3i, with side focus!!
I got a pair of Bushnell Trophy handgun scopes last year to demo, the Simmons appears a little more refined, and there’s the slightest bit of lensing around the periphery at low magnification, but they’ve held up well and are very clear - and remarkably good coatings for the price point. One has been on top of a 44mag, only about 500rounds through it, the other was on top of a .243win Stryker pistol until I sent it for a new stock, now it’s on top of a .17HMR Taurus Tracker. For its price point, I’m very happy with them, but I do think the Simmons is a little better value.
The Nikon handgun scopes, like most any Nikon I have owned, just aren’t quite there. I often find myself smiling once when buying Nikons, because the prices are sometimes very good, but then I do a lot of crying... The quality and clarity is good, but the lensing edge effect induced as magnification increases really isn’t acceptable to me. If you don’t spend much time in the scope on each day, you’d be ok, but I usually end up with a pretty wicked headache after a day at the range with them. My eye fatigues quickly from trying to rectify the edge effect, and then I find myself with an ice pick digging through my brain. So no recommendation for the Nikons from me. Very well built scopes, decent tracking, good finish, but the most important part is visual quality. I don’t like to own scopes where I can’t use all of the magnification range without lensing...
If you’re open to red dots, take a long and hard look at Ultradot sights. They’re lacking the magnification of a telescopic optic for the longest range shooting, but despite a larger reticle subtension, precision certainly isn’t an issue for the Ultradots.