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Colorado-based Burris Optics turns a whopping 50 years old this year, having been founded in 1971. For many old-school hunters, scopes like those of Burris’ venerable Fullfield series often get mentioned in the same breath as icons of yesteryear such as Weaver and Redfield. From their half-century history, Burris lays claim to some industry firsts, including the first US-made scopes with multi-coated lenses, the first Scout-style scope, and the first variable-power handgun scope. While they still offer current versions of some of those classic optics types, they also produce some more modern offerings as well. At TFB and TFBTV’s GunFest 2021, Burris came to discuss three such pieces.
First up was the RT-1, which Burris intends “for competition and tactical shooting.”
The first red dot Burris brought for GunFest was their RT-1 model. According to their 2020 catalog, “The RT series was designed for competition and tactical shooting”. The RT-1 is a 1x micro-style optic with a 2 MOA red dot reticle. It comes with both high and low base mount options, so you can play with the height over bore on your particular setup without having to spend extra money on different mounts. Bearing a $359 MSRP, the RT-1 measures 2.75″ long and weighs in at 4.8 ounces, with power coming from a single CR2032 battery.
The FastFire 4 departs from their previous pistol red dots in a few ways – most noticeably, with the optional enclosure cover you see here.
Next up was the FastFire 4 pistol red dot. With a $299 MSRP, this newest version offers a number of interesting updates and upgrades from Burris’ previous FastFire 2 and 3 models. One of the most readily apparent is the 4 now includes multiple reticle options that you can toggle between at the push of a button. You can choose between a 3 MOA dot, an 11 MOA dot, an 11 MOA dot with a “donut of death” outer ring, and the 3 MOA dot flanked by a pair of horizontal wings inside that same outer ring. Also worth noting is the FastFire 4’s inclusion of a removable shielding enclosure, which you can use to protect your optic from dirt and weather if you so choose. This little pistol dot measures just 1.9″ long and tips the scales at 1.6 ounces, and it should fit most optics-ready handgun models.
The FastFire RD is a minimalist’s red dot – no extraneous contrivances here, just throw it on a gun and go.
Last, but not least, came the FastFire RD. The “RD” designation simply stands for “Red Dot”, and that same straightforward, no-frills attitude is reflected in the optic itself. It runs on a single basic AAA battery, has a Picatinny rail mount integrated into the housing, and uses a standard 2 MOA dot reticle. There’s not a lot to mess with – or mess up – on this particular model. It’s intended to provide no-nonsense essential functionality at a wallet-friendly and cost-efficient $299 MSRP price point. At 2.8″ long it takes up a similar amount of space as the RT-1, but the RD carries a bit of extra weight at 6.4 ounces.
