Over the years I have used several different brands and models of red dots. They all have their place and uses and so far I have not found the perfect red dot sight. The Trijicon MRO is my first reflex sight from them and the first Trijicon product I have ever owned. The reason why I bought it was to see if my competition shooting results could improve in PCC (Pistol Caliber Carbine) overall and Steel Challenge (PCC) specifically. Not that I have a huge amount of experience with PCC and Steel Challenge yet, but shooting is shooting.

Below: The MRO comes in a rather large box.

Below: Trijicon MRO with the QDM-3001 MRO Mount and MRO Patrol Cover from Spuhr mounted on a B&T APC-9 SBR/Carbine (9×19 mm). The sight is made in the USA, the mount in Sweden and the gun in Switzerland.

MRO stands for Miniature Rifle Optic – it’s in the name! The Trijicon MRO fits perfectly on a Pistol Caliber Carbine, or a rifle/carbine and perhaps even a shotgun, but it’s not to be used on a handgun. The main attraction for me was a larger window than the Aimpoint H2 I was using at the time. The MRO has a 7 mm larger aperture than the H2, which is quite welcome when you’re shooting a plate rack at a close distance.

MRO 1×25 Red Dot Sight with a 2.0 MOA Adjustable Red Dot

For the record, I bought this MRO in a regular gun store locally at the list price, and the model name is MRO 1×25 Red Dot Sight with a 2.0 MOA Adjustable Red Dot. Spuhr helped me with a QD mount and an MRO Patrol Cover. The cover was developed to avoid accidental adjustment of the elevation and windage turrets.

Here’s how Trijicon describes the product:

The Trijicon MRO^® (Miniature Rifle Optic) is a sealed, miniature reflex sight intended for use on rifles, carbines, and shotguns to provide fast target acquisition. The large aperture and tapered light path maximize the viewing area and allows for better situational awareness and fast target engagement—especially from non-standard shooting positions you might encounter while hunting or in military or law enforcement fields. Combine all this with the ambidextrous brightness controls, sub-flush adjusters, advanced lens coatings and the fully sealed, waterproof, hard anodized forged 7075-T6 housing and you have the ultimate mini reflex sight on the market.

Here you can see the different multi-coatings and compare the size of the apertures.

Battery Life

Trijicon claims that the battery in the MRO red dot sight should last for 5 years. In my experience, it did not last that long, as it died within a year. I know how sensitive the battery capacity claims are for these types of products, and my aim purely to tell you about my experience.

Whenever I buy a red dot I use the battery supplied, and once I mount the red dot to a gun I store it turned on. I never use a high setting, on the contrary, I usually turn it down a little as it’s stored inside. In case of emergency, I’d like to have some kind of reference to aim with. The bottom line is that when I used the MRO at a Steel Challenge it died on me and it had to be replaced, and I was quite unprepared for that. I had then owned the MRO for less than a year, but I don’t know exactly for how long. The new battery has been replaced since about 6 months and is still working. I expect it to live longer than the previous one, but I have to admit I’m a little skeptical that it will live for 5 years. As a reviewer, we’re in a difficult spot, as no one wants to wait for 5 years to find out the results. One solution is to change the batteries on a set day, every or every other year and stop worrying.

As a reference, Trijicon claims (on their website) that the MRO Green Dot should last 1 year and the new MRO HD: 2.5 years for dot only.

Parts from Spuhr

The parts from Spuhr worked as advertised. The B&T APC-9 doesn’t really kick, but as you can see, the mount has recoil lugs to provide that extra safety. My only complaint really is the size of the Quick Detach lever, which builds to the side. I had no issues with ejecting brass hitting the lever. If you want other heights or non-QD versions there’s a variety of MRO mounts to chose from here.

QDM-3001 MRO Mount €99.95 + Taxes

The worlds most rugged Trijicon MRO mount. Our unique design incorporates recoil lugs front and aft allowing for a more secure hold on the sight.

Attaches to any Picatinny or STANAG NATO rail with the use of an adjustable QDP lever.

Height: 30 mm/1.18″
Weight: 65 g/2.3 oz

The MRO is made out of hard-anodized forged 7075-T6 housing.

Remember to put Loctite or similar thread locker on the screws. 

You can still zero the sight with Spuhr’s Patrol Cover on it.

A view from the top.

This is the recommended view, shooter’s position. Note that the red dot is much smaller in reality, it’s just the camera playing tricks. The settings are clearly visible on top.

Two B&T APC-9s with different solutions for red dots.

The suggested retail price is $579.00.

Conclusion

I bought the Trijicon MRO mainly to give me a larger viewing area when shooting steel at close range. I have not used it for any kind of long-range shooting, but I don’t see why it shouldn’t work. Did I find my targets any faster? Looking at the few results from last year it’s hard to tell, but the MRO certainly helped me on the plate racks where it’s possible to see more steel plates inside the aperture and move on to the next target. There are zero regrets from me, it works as advertised and I’m happy to recommend it to others. The MRO is staying on the B&T, but for my next PCC build, I have already bought something new and different that I’m very eager to evaluate.

The battery life concerns me a little, but I have no hard proof that it’s not going to last as advertised.

I wish Trijicon could have more versions with larger dots. If there was a 4 or 6/8 MOA version, I would probably buy that instead for my competition needs. Other people may have other needs, but it’s only with the new HD version that you get a different kind of reticle (adjustable 68 MOA).

There’s a direct link to the Trijicon MRO Reflex Sight here.

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