Gear Review: Trijicon RMR Type 2 3.25 MOA Red Dot

Check out the SGPT gear review for the Trijicon RMR Type 2 3.25 MOA Red Dot scope and you decide if it is good enough for your next gun.

The Trijicon RM06 is pretty much the gold standard in the RMR or compact, weapon mounted red dot world. RMR, if you didn’t know, stands for Ruggedized Miniature Reflex Sight, and this sucker is rugged.

Capable of being mounted on a RMR slide cut on a Glock, like I have mine mounted to my Shadow Systems slide, you can also run this on any Picatinny Rail, Weaver Rail, ACOG Add-On, Riflescope Add-On, Pistol, or Double Barrel Rifle (you will need an adapter for most of these loadouts). As tested, it was on a Glock 19 Shadow Systems optic ready slide.

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Let’s talk about features – so pull up a chair we’ll be here a while. The optic has 8 settings, and an automatic mode, including 2 NV compatable reticles, and 1 super bright. And I mean super bright. It halo’s if you’re not in direct sunlight at noon on a summer day. The 3.25 MOA dot is crisp, and generated from a LED. I really like the ease of adjustability. Like the Burris Fast Fire 3 – this has auto brightness mode, but you have 8 settings it will vacillate from. Also, after 16 hours it will automatically turn into auto-mode, adjusting to the ambient light. Bonus, if you have the RMR powered on between the 4th and 8th setting, you can expect up to four years of battery life from a single CR2032 battery.

The housing itself is super rugged at a scant 33 grams with the battery, with a military grade aluminum allow forged housing diverting impact and force away if you drop the weapon for whatever reason. It’s billed as being the most rugger mini red dot on the planet, and without completely beating it down, i’d be inclined to agree. It mounts simply and easily to the RMR cuts on my Shadow Systems slide, and was pretty close to zero when I took it to the range.

With the mounting plate in place, a little bit of blue Loctite, and some easy turns with a hex key this sight mounted right up to the slide with no play. What’s more, is this actually co-witnesses with suppressor height night sights like I have on here. Notice how low it sits on the slide – whereas a Glock 19 MOS with a Burris doesn’t co witness; this allows you to pick up the front sight, and the dot will be there, so the retraining phase is minimal. I recommend this highly, a lack of co-witness can create some “training scars” – although I think that term is thrown around a bit much. You should endeavor to be adaptable with every weapons system you own or will come into contact with.

As far as manipulation, two large buttons on either side of the optic will turn the dot up or down in intensity – down being on the left, up being on the right. If a G19 fits your hands like it does mine, you can actually turn the optic up or down one handed, although you will have to move your hand slightly our of the firing position.

As stated, you can click both at the same time, and turn it into auto-brightness mode, which will adjust to the ambient conditions.

This is great for my LEO or PMC readers, who want to leave there red dot on (why wouldn’t you with this, since you have a four year battery life) but have it ready an adjusted to ambient light. It’s a little more subtle than that of the Burris – where you only have 3 settings – and your dot can jump from super bright to almost imperceptible if you go from concealment to a bright sunny day. This will take some getting used to, but isn’t as apparent with the RMR.

Adjustments are easy and tactile with the 1 MOA dials for windage and elevation. I only needed a couple clicks each way and I was on target, and stayed on target. While running 5 shot strings from concealment I had one flyer – the rest were touching. While I fancy myself a decent shot, this definitely helps me shoot faster and acquire targets without having to line up sight pictures.

While when you’re shooting fast, especially competitively you should focus mainly on your target and front sight, with the RMR you just paint your target center mass and let it rip. The picture of the shoulder zone of this silhouette shows a 5 shot string at a decent cadence from 35 yards. I’ll take a 2 inch group at 35 yards all day.

The sight picture is clear, although the window isn’t as wide as other optics on the market. The Vortex Venom is slightly wider, but not as high, so it’s kind of a wash. As you can see, the dot is crisp, and trust me, the front and rear sights co-witness beautifully, it was just hard to get a shot to show it.

Overall it’s an outstanding RMR, and it should be – considered they run around the price of a new Glock. However, if you are serious about competitive shooting or want to mount a low profile optic to your pistol, rifle, or shotgun that can take a licking and keep on ticking – the Trijicon RMR is your jam. American made, with a solid warranty, this optic will take whatever you can throw at it.

Pros, what we like:

Rugged construction, awesome battery life and auto adjust features, NV modes, more versatility than red dots of the same size priced a bit less (See Burris and Vortex), and used by military and LEO agencies around the world.

Cons, what we don’t like: Window is a bit small, and the price tag is a bit hefty. But hey- buy once, cry once. It doesn’t make sense to have that tricked out Colt m4 with a $100 reflex sight on top.

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Why would you need a red dot scope?

A red dot scope is handy because it helps you aim better when shooting. It puts a red dot on the target, making it easier to point your gun at exactly what you want to hit. This type of scope is great for quick shooting, especially when you need to aim fast in situations like hunting or shooting sports. It’s also helpful for people with eyesight issues, as the red dot is easy to see and doesn’t require precise eye alignment like traditional scopes do. Overall, a red dot scope makes aiming simpler and quicker, giving you a better chance of hitting your target accurately.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex Castiglione lives in Atlanta, and is an avid outdoorsman and competitive shooter.

Where-abouts include getting after it in his garage gym, practicing martial arts, hitting the trails, or running CrossFit and Strongman competitions for his non-profit, Barbells for Bullies, which holds fundraiser fitness competitions dedicated to aiding Bully breed rescues, dog rescues, or other non-profits with similar missions.