Trijicon is known amongst law enforcement, the military, and civilians alike for setting a high bar for many optics in the industry today. The Trijicon RMR (Ruggedized Miniature Reflex) is known as the gold standard for micro red dots on handguns.
Oppositely, the Trijicon ACOG (Advanced Combat Optic Gunsight) has been used by our military, and others throughout the world, for decades.
Today, we are going to set our gaze on a different optic though: the Trijicon MRO SD with a 3x Magnifier.
Build Quality & Features: Trijicon MRO SD with 3x Magnifier
The Trijicon MRO (Miniature Rifle Optic) has had a few different iterations over the years, and shooters have expressed constructive criticism about changes they would like to see. Trijicon has heard those thoughts and looked to culminate that input into a final MRO that would be everything that everyone has asked for. That product is now the MRO SD.
Specifications – Trijicon MRO SD with 3x Magnifier
This new Trijicon MRO SD touts a reengineered objective lens with advanced lens coatings for the most clear and crisp presentation of a red dot possible on your chosen firearm.
Additionally, Trijicon has deployed enhanced windage and elevation adjusters for improved zero retention under direct impact and heavy recoil. The rest of the prominent features that you are going to want to know about the MRO SD with a 3x Magnifier are listed below as presented by Trijicon:
- Length x Width x Height: 2.9″ x 1.7″ x 2.1″
- Weight: 4.8 Oz
- Magnification: 1x
- Objective Size: 25mm
- Reticle Pattern: 2.0 MOA Dot
- Reticle Color (Day/Night): Red
- Illumination Source: LED, 8 Settings
- Power Source: (1) CR2032 Lithium Battery
Some traits that have been retained from prior models into the new MRO SD are the ambidextrous brightness controls, and a fully sealed, waterproof, hard-anodized forged 7075-T6 housing. That “bulletproof” like design is part of what has built the legendary reputation of Trijicon over the years.
- Battery Life: 3 Years of continuous use at Day Setting “3” (setting 5 of 8) at 70°F (21°C)
- Adjustment: 1/2 MOA Per Click
- Adjustment Range: 70 MOA Total Travel
- Eye Relief: Infinite
- Mount: Full Co-Witness Mount
- Housing Material: 7075-T6 forged aluminum
- Finish: Matte Black
- Submersion Depth: 100 Feet
As a set direct-from-the-factory, the 3x Magnifier and the MRO SD are a perfect pairing for any of your tactical-use long guns. Throughout this review, you will see that we tested the MRO SD with a 3x Magnifier on one of the new Springfield Armory SAINT Victor V2 rifles that have been debuted in the past month.
Performance & Reliability: Does it have What it Takes?
To test the Trijicon MRO SD with its 3x Magnifier I fired several types of ammunition – not that the ammo is going to allow me to specifically discern new information by introducing varied ammo types – rather, because I was simultaneously testing the SAINT Victor V2 rifle alongside the Trijicon MRO SD with its 3x Magnifier.
So, that being said, these are the different ammo flavors that this optic pair was subjected to:
While a small variance in grain weight across a given cartridge like .223 Rem/5.56 NATO isn’t going to introduce wildly differing recoil impulses, I can confidently state that the MRO SD still maintained a clear, crisp red dot presentation throughout the different ammunition types.
Accuracy: Can It Hit its Mark?
While shooting the 3 different ammo flavors previously mentioned, I established a zero for each and would conduct a series of shooting drills before moving onto the next ammo type. Every time I repeated this procedure, the dot maintained a solid zero (once established) and had a consistent, constant brightness. No flickering or poor refresh rate of any kind.
The shooting I did could be lumped into 2 major categories: close-quarters and mid-range. For close quarters shooting, I was shooting at plates that were 3″ to 5″ in size at distances of 10 yards to 75 yards. This was conducted around barricades, barrels, and various obstacles in the fastest manner possible that remained safe on the range. While the targets were small-ish, I was also pretty close and had no issue hitting them or quickly picking up my red dot.
For what I would call mid-range shooting, I transitioned to a different part of the range to shoot at larger gongs and silhouette steel targets from 100 yards to 300 yards. While the targets for these intermediate distances were larger (and presumptively easier to hit), they were also quite a bit further away. For this type of shooting a crisp, definitive dot is important so its not covering up too much of the target, and the MRO SD shined in this capacity as well.
Close Quarters: How Good is this Combo in Tight Spaces?
Where the Trijicon MRO SD with a 3x Magnifier really shines is in CQB work. I was more than satisfied shooting this combo at distance, but if I wanted even better results over long ranges, I would simply opt for a riflescope from Trijicon. This pairing was clean, quick, and consistent for any and all shooting under 100 yards – whether I was using the magnifier or not.
If I was working off of a shooting board as seen in some photos or around other types of barricades, it didn’t matter if my target was partially obscured by something, my sight presentation of being clear with a hard, crisp dot remained the same.
In this review, I wasn’t looking to destroy this optic setup (you’ll need to go elsewhere for annihilistic behavior like that), but I also didn’t baby this optic combo whatsoever. To me, these are all tools: for defense, honing shooting prowess, hunting, etc. So, if I slammed into a barrel or abrased the side of the optic, so be it – and the optic better keep on runnin’ (and it did).
With Trijicon utilizing recessed windage/elevation adjusters, I never had concerns about my established zero being knocked out of place throughout all of the LARP-ing and range games I was subjecting this red dot to.
Room for Improvement
So, overall I have been incredibly impressed with the MRO SD, thus far. It is a very sharp, crisp dot whether I’m shooting near or far, and it is a fast sight presentation; easy to pick up. Also, a point of constructive criticism in the past in the MRO HD is that the dot-circle reticle in those models was so strong that you’d get reflection or feedback in the glass. In this newest iteration of the MRO SD, that does not occur at all.
I fail to find an authentic piece of constructive criticism or any type of failing at all in the new Trijicon MRO SD with a 3x Magnifier other than the price. The MSRP for this combo is benchmarked at $1,472 making it quite expensive, but my own internal devil’s advocate would say, “Quality ain’t cheap.”
Final Verdict: Is this the Last Red Dot Combo You’ll ever Need?
So, is this red dot combo worth its asking price of $1,472? I’ll answer that with a caveat: if you do a lot of close quarters shooting, then yes. The quality is worth the price tag. If your range shooting or intended use is more varied, then I would recommend a more general optic from Trijicon like an LPVO (low powered variable optic). Something that is more generalized and a bit of a do-all piece of glass.
As a whole, I like red dots a lot. When they’re executed well like the MRO SD, they’re a delight to shoot with and they’re simple. Put dot on target, pull trigger, IMPACT! That’s the kind of simplicity I want in all of my shooting. When you couple in a magnifier as well, that union becomes even sweeter and can extend your ranges out to 300 yards or more like I accomplished.
Trijicon is a paragon of quality in the gun community, and to be super blunt, I don’t own a ton of their products for the simple fact that I’m frequently too poor when I find myself in need of something. So, I’m incredibly grateful that Trijicon has allowed me to play with a product of theirs yet again.
As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
Where To Buy
Read full article here