Is the Trijicon MRO really the Eotech Killer ? That is a challenge that I undertook after I sent my Eotech model 512 in for replacement recently. As you most likely know Eotech admitted to falsifying results during field trials on their holo sights. Part of this admission of guilt was that Eotech voluntarily chose to buy back all holo sights from users who felt their optics were faulty. I chose to send my Eotech 512 holo sight in for replacement for a host of reasons, aside from the noticeable point of impact shift in sub freezing temperatures. I also have a big issue with being lied to by companies.
I have previously wrote an article outlining several potential replacements for the Eotech, and threw a series of events with overtime at my “day job” I decided to upgrade now while I sat and waited the 8-12 weeks that Eotech said it would take for them to send me the refund of the purchase price. I chose the Trijicon MRO and opted to mount it on the same short barrel rifle the Eotech 512 was on previously.
The Trijicon Miniature Rifle Optic as it’s officially known was released to the public in the late Spring of 2015, months after SHOT Show. The optic was released on the heels of the largely unpopular and problematic Trijicon SRS (Sealed Reflex Sight). Which worried some in the firearms industry. The SRO however shares very few features with it’s larger and more expensive brother, and has been well received by shooters. When Trijicon released the sight it was clear to many of us, they took aim at the market shared that was largely dominated by companies like Eotech and Aimpoint.
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Name : Trijicon Miniature Rifle Optic (MRO)
- Housing Material: 7075 T6 Anodized Aluminum
- Place of Origin: Wixom , Michigan, United States of America
DIMENSIONS (Without Base)
- 2 Inches Tall
- 1.6 Inches Wide
- 2.6 Inches Long
- Weight 4.1 Ounces
- Front Lens Diameter: 1.26″ (32 mm roughly)
- Objective Lens Diameter: Just under 1″ (25mm)
- 2 MOA Dot
MISCELLANEOUS SPECIFICATIONS
- Waterproof to 30 Meters (100 Feet)
- Lifetime Warranty
- Illumination Settings (Six Visible , Two Night Vision)
- 5 Year Battery Life
- Available with two different mounts: Low Mount and Lower 1/3 Co-Witness
- Uses one CR2032 battery
UNBOXING AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS
When I picked up the sight from my local Sportsmans Warehouse, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Trijicon like many other optics manufacturers ship their products in what is now fairly standard weathertight boxes with plenty of padding. That being said I did feel a huge amount of excitement when I picked it up, since this was to be my first test and evaluation of a Trijicon Optic and I was dieing to see if Trijicon products lived up to the hype I have heard for so long.
The inside of the box is bull of the usual grey egg carton style foam, and an assortment of paperwork and instructions that I quickly tossed aside. Trijicon does include a lens cloth, which is a nice touch. Once I discarded the paper work I was finally able to pick up the MRO and give it a closer inspection. My first thoughts as I picked up the MRO was that it was an odd looking sight, and wasn’t sure if I made a good choice. The idea of a $500 mistake when it comes to optics is enough to make my stomach turn, and my wallet spasm.
Readers will have to remember that I was switching to this optic from the Eotech 512, which is a completely different animal all together. The shear dimensions of the Trijicon MRO compared to my previous optic was playing serious mind games with me. I think one of the strangest attributes of the MRO, which is also its biggest asset is the large nearly 1.25″ Diameter front lens. As I spun the MRO around I noticed that the front lens has a noticeable red tint to it. I was hesitant about the much smaller 25mm objective lens until I mounted the optic to my AR15 SBR and began to see things differently.
CONTROLS AND MOUNTING
Mounting the Trijicon MRO is easy and only requires an allen wrench which Trijicon of course provides. If you have ever mounted an accessory on a picatinny rail then you possess all the necessary skills to successfully attach a Trijicon MRO to your rifle. This is where a nice option that was provided comes into play, the MRO comes with two choices of mounting heights. The one I chose to use and by all accounts the more popular is the lower 1/3 style mount. This mount raises the MRO up roughly 1.1 Inches over the top rail of the rifle. Allowing a very easy to navigate lower 1/3 cowitness when using my Troy manufactured folding sights. Trijicon does also provide a low profile mount that is featured in the images above. I found this mount to be too low to be effectively used.
The controls for the MRO are well marked and easy to use. The illumination control dial is located directly on top of the optic and clearly seen in the above image. I actually really like the way Trijicon chose a mid range position for the off setting. It might sound odd but I found the 1, 2, and 3 settings to be too soft for my liking in daylight, the 4 was perfect. So I quickly learned that when I was drilling with my rifle and this optic that one click from the off position was perfect for low light and two clicks was my preferred setting for daytime. A nice and simple set up that feels tailor made for me, and required minimal thinking on my part.
The windage and elevation controls are also clearly marked on the MRO. Each click the dials will adjust the point of impact 1/2 MOA at 100 yards. What that means in simple terms is that the point of impact moves 1/2 Inch per click at 100 yards. The Windage control dial is located on the right side of the optic while the elevation control is located on the top, directly behind the illumination control.
My initial thoughts on the Trijicon MRO were mixed but the more familiar with this optic I become the more I appreciate how well designed and built it is. The 7075 T6 Anodized Aluminum case that forms the outer shell of this red dot optic is rated in excess of 74,000 psi tensile strength. This is the same material that many well known firearms manufacturers such as Sig Sauer use to build their AR15 rifles and will provide almost any potential user of the Trijicon MRO with a lifetime of protection even in most harsh conditions imaginable.
We are about to embark on a 1000 round extended evaluation period using this optic on several different patterns of rifles chambered in .223, .300 Blackout, and 7.62x39mm. During the test and evaluation period we will post periodic updates and photographs, listing all the variables and specific rifle types used. We will also be listing atmospheric conditions and temperatures so that you our readers will have a more complete view of what the Trijicon MRO can endure. Part of this period will extend into a typical Alaskan Winter that I will use to test the sub zero properties of the MRO.
If you have any questions or suggestions for tests you would like us to perform on the Trijicon MRO, just type the comment into the section below and we will take it under advisement. Just for the sake of full disclosure, I have to say I will not intentionally destroy this optic just to test it’s durability. I know there have been bloggers and gun reviewers that have shot their Trijicon MRO‘s with shotguns, to show it’s toughness, but I will not follow their lead.
Thanks for visiting The Arms Guide, stay tuned for more exclusive reviews of new products coming in the near future. We also are bringing on more authors with a wide of military and civilian skill sets. Each one of them brings something unique to the team. We also have some older authors who have agreed to come back to the site and bring new content with them.
Rick
