By Chad Adams
I’m an AR guy at heart, the virtues of the platform brainwashed and beaten into me as a Marine. A well-trained rifleman can produce lethal results with iron sights from CQB to 500 yards, all day long. But along the way, we learned adding an optic becomes an immediate force multiplier, especially when running and gunning.
So I obviously cut my teeth back in the day running Trijicon optics. The ACOG proved both Marine-proof and devastating in 0311 hands, dropping would-be bombers from Iraq to Afghanistan. But the optics market has since matured seemingly a hundred fold. Since not everyone needs the battle-tested ACOG, there’s room for an improved red dot design at the mid- to upper-level tier. For duty, defense, hunting or sport, the new Trijicon MRO SD brings exactly that for serious trigger pullers.
The 1×25 MRO SD delivers a lightning-fast platform with the DNA to handle all the abuse most civilians could ever throw at it. The 2 MOA LED dot employs eight different brightness settings. In my initial range session atop the S&W Response, I needed several of those settings. The shooting altered between a shaded sight-in bay shooting through those ridiculous safety tubes before getting out on the flat range in the bright sun. Two extremely different environments begging for optic adjustability.
Trijicon MRO SD & 3X Magnifier Setup
The MRO SD paired nicely with a 3X Magnifier on a quick-release flip-to-side mount. A little bit of overkill for the 9mm Response; this setup will find a better home on a 5.56 AR soon. But it nevertheless reenforced the validity of the system.
With the overwhelming plethora of 1-8 and 1-10X optics out there today, you can make a solid argument against the 3X magnifier behind a 1X red dot. But when you start rocking the MRO SD behind a quick, nimble carbine, it makes a hell of a counterpoint.
There’s no arguing, however, the bombproof design from Trijicon. The optic rides in a forged 7075 aluminum housing, fully sealed to protect against any element. The recessed, capless elevation and windage adjustment dials eliminate loss of zero from snags or bumps. The no-tool system enables dialing with a coin or case rim.
MRO SD Improvements
Trijicon touts a bunch of improvements with the new optic. A reengineered objective lens with advanced coatings delivers a clear sight picture for target identification and acquisition. Long-lasting battery life up to 2.5 years ensures it’s ready when you need it. The unit fully co-witnesses to AR iron sights for when Murphy does rear his ugly face.
I ran this optic hard for a few hundred rounds, and it told me exactly what one would expect going in. The MRO SD is a legit red dot.
Cost: $1,472 (with 3X Magnifier and mount); $855 (solo)
Pros: Fast, easy to install, zero and dial. You can fight for two years with this bad boy, which also pairs with NVGs, if the Iranians or Zombies finally come.
Cons: It’s certainly pricey compared to other options in its class. But the Marines don’t use Chinese knock-offs, and neither should you.
