As this Trijicon RMR review will demonstrate, it’s almost as if the manufacturers of this red dot sight know only too well that if you’re looking for a red dot sight of this kind, you’re doing so more out of necessity than anything else. The Trijicon RMR 6.5 Adjustable LED Red Dot Sight can also be used for target practice, but since you’re likely to want to use it more practically for self-defense purposes, the question shifts to whether or not it’s worth its price.
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Design & Features
The RMR 6.5 MOA enjoys an unmistakably different physical appearance because of its unique body shape, which is apparently patented. In trying to find something a little bit more useful than unique appearance however, we discovered that the inverted arc shape of the lens housing-unit actually adds a whole lot of durability to the device in that the lens is protected through the force of any shock being redistributed to the less fragile parts of the sight’s body.
You get your regular multi-coated lens as well — something you’d probably come to expect in a red dot of this price, no parallax to contend with and a very cleverly managed fluctuation in the color of the target area. This is actually what multi-coated lenses should do — something which is often overlooked by manufacturers who are quick to highlight the fact that their lenses are indeed multi-coated. If the transmitted light isn’t as wide as it is with this Trijicon, multi-coating in the lens is purely academic.
Check out this video overview of Trijicon RMR sights:
Functionality
What the RMR 6.5 MOA has going for it
Who is the Trijicon RMR 6.5 MOA for? If you really want a red dot sight to use with a typical self-defense piece, like an FNX or FNP tactical, the Trijicon RMR 6.5 MOA is probably worth the price, but mostly because you probably won’t find many red dot sight alternatives. You could look beyond red dot sights just this once however and perhaps go for a the much cheaper option of an internal light or laser guide, in which case you wouldn’t have read this far down this particular review.
For practical purposes associated with the use of this red dot sight, open-eye (both eyes) use will give you extremely quick target locking, even in the worst of conditions such as having to move quickly from outdoors to indoors (or vice versa). This is when the auto brightness adjustment feature earns its stripes, especially since it can be manually overridden by those who prefer to have more control of the sight’s brightness. The aluminum used in the device’s body is as good for its light weight as it is for its durability, but at this price you’d naturally ask yourself if there aren’t any cheaper but equally good alternatives.
You’ll have to re-sight each time you change the battery though because it’s located at the base of the sight, but even though it doesn’t have a base cover, the battery is surprisingly secure. Since this sight can handle the recoil of a rifle, it can definitely take a shotgun’s recoil and you’d then typically mount it on firearms such as the 930 SPX Mossberg Auto or basically any 12 Gauge Shotgun with no problems at all. You can even mount it on a P226 Sig Sauer, so you’re not limited to shotguns and rifles, as long as you mill the slide to accommodate the sight’s base-plate.
To expand a bit more on the parallax-free nature of the sight, it’s always great not to have to line the dot up — simply pointing at the target will hit the target and that’s perhaps one of the major reasons which justify this sight’s upper-end price.
In a nutshell, if you are a practical gun user this is the sight for you and we’re talking uses that even spill over into the likes of training for firearm competency. Yes, it’s that reliable, extending to uses such as self-defense as well and periodic target-shooting. This Trijicon RMR deservedly features on our review list of the best red dot sights for AR 15s. This sight could easily be sold as a considerably better class competitor of both Sightmark’s Ultra Shot Digital Switch sight (also featured in our top red dots list) and definitely Truglo’s budget Red Dot Tru-Brite Open-Dot sight. It costs way more however, but you get the value to match every dollar spent.
Pros
- Auto brightness adjust feature
- Easy-to-adjust elevation which coincides with 1 MOA for each click (no need for specialized tools)
- Works extremely well in the worst of conditions
- Unique, patented design that adds to its durability by cleverly diverting impact forces away from the lens
- Very decent LED (6.5 MOA, with eight brightness settings
- Features a super-bright setting + 2 Night Vision modes
Cons
- Quite Expensive. The Trijicon MRO is a slightly lower-priced option from the same brand.
- Red dot expands beyond the size of a bullet you’re likely to be using in any self-defense firearm (but only at about 95+ yards)
- Needs re-sighting each time you change the battery
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The Verdict
This Trijicon Red Dot review duly highlights the sight as a solid performer which is definitely worth its price. No question about the durability and it’s merely a case of getting everything you pay for, particularly if you plan to use it relatively heavily, as you would with a range of semi-auto firearms and other practical guns.
