As an FYI... I paid for this sight. There will be no throwing, intentional dropping, submerging (I'm not a SEAL), kicking or otherwise hateful actions towards this sight...for now...

I have never been much for pre-order and pray. It just didn't fit my belief system. So when I did that very thing for the Primary Arms SLx MD-25 I was a bit anxious.

After a few weeks of waiting on the factory to send the goods I got my ship notification and it arrived a few days later.



I have tried an early model Primary Arms (bought from the back of Marshals barbershop in Pearland, Texas many years ago) Aimpoint, a few SIG models, one Holosun, an ACOG, a Hi-Lux 1-4 and an Eotech and have never really been extremely happy with any of them except for the Aimpoint and Hi-Lux. So far all I could think was that at least the box was kick ass!

Contents:



Low mount, spacer, hex wrenches, low spacer, screws for mounting to various spacers, cloth, booklet, loctite...



Obviously the site and a higher mount piece to achieve lower 1/3 co-witness (already assembled)

Looking through the optic gave me an ever so slight blue tint that is exaggerated in the pic below. I have not noticed this tint when in sunlight, even if overcast. The LED emitter is noticeable but does not get in the way of your sight picture at all. The potential elephant in the room could be the large illumination knob hanging off the left. I do not feel as though this gets in the way of your ability to quickly and accurately aim at all. It sits between the eyes and your focal point is in front of it so unless you really want to focus on it, I doubt you will notice it.



The dot appeared normal until I was in a darker room where I noticed a slight starburst effect (cannot see it in the pictures). I thought that maybe I could just be getting older and possibly developing an Astigmatism. I had a few folks check it out and they saw the same thing. All of them were younger and declared themselves as astigmatism free. Either way, I think that for the quality of the optic so far I am willing to live with it the way I see it.

I installed the tall extra plate on the base mount to achieve the lower 1/3 co-witness as described earlier. This allowed for a better position while firing. It was very easy to disassemble the unit and install the taller plate.

One thing I really liked as I examined it before mounting is that there are three contact points on this mount as seen below:



Even before I secured the sight to the upper I could tell by shifting, or at least attempting to shift, the sight that it was not going to be moving anytime soon. It is one solid mofo!

Mounting was a breeze with the included T handle torx driver. Again, this baby is SOLID!



The exterior of the unit has an even finish that I have not managed to scratch yet. The extra material that forms what could be interpreted as a protective barrier around the tube definitely makes me think this thing will handle some shock. The adjustment turret caps are not tethered, but they do have a nub on them that can be used for adjusting for drop and windage. There is also an O ring inside each of the caps to aid in waterproofing (I would assume).



The last external observation before I started using this sight is that there is not an off position between each level of brightness on the left hand side illumination dial. I have not found this to be an issue. The sight is claimed to have 12,000 hour life on high, (1 year) and 50,000 hour life on medium (5.7 years). With a 1-11 setting on the dial and the first two being for night vision you will be forced to choose between 4 or 5 since 4 1/2 isnt an option. I have kept my sight on 9 the entire time I have had it with the exception of cranking it up to 11 during range trips. This Colorado sun is brutal as I shoot at approximately 9,000 ft asl.



Needless to say, after just over 1,000 rounds and five trips to the range this sight is holding it's own when compared to all the other offerings I have ever tried. The dot is really easy to pick up during full day sun, even on white targets. My longest engagement so far was standing at 370 yards with a hit or two on the torso. Definitely not what I bought the sight for but I am glad it is capable.

I am excited to try this out for the long haul and potentially add a magnifier to the mix in the near future.

I did do some video review here: My YT Channel

Thanks!

Good review  I love all the options right now for RDS and LPVO.  I really like my PA Raptor 1-6.

Most of what I like about the current state of optics is that a large portion of it was influenced by, what I believe, Marshal from Primary Arms. He pushed the envelope, demanded more for less money and really delivers on service. The big boys are falling in line now. The days of crap service, for the most part, are pretty much behind us.

Nice review Bruce

I enjoyed the video.

ahhh thanks... I figured I didnt retire at 43 to sit and get fat so I may as well do something fun.

And from a fellow Texan...

The first of 3 videos done on the sight so far.

My complements on your review!  As for the dot and questions about astigmatisms, cameras don't lie.  Take a picture of the dot.  If it's a clean dot, that's all you can ask for.

Thank you, and thanks to others for the compliments. While I cannot get the camera to pick up flare in the dot, I do have a few other red dot sights to look through and none of them do that. But, this is only an "issue" if I wanted to make it an issue. For $169 I have NOTHING to complain about with this sight. As staed, I only see it in my house when in a darker setting. Outside is a non-issue. But, I do admit that these things will start to occur since I am on the declining side of my 40s.

Good review with good content. I hope we can make the tech forums great again as I feel like we don't see high effort reviews much more.

Lots of people don't realize how much work can go into writing and photography and editing.

You beat me to the punch. I was about to write you a message as well. I didnt intend to stomp on your review. I dont frequent this section and posted before noticing you had already done so. I guess we probably speak to different folks depending on our style.
I agree with being able to articulate what we see and translate that for everyone. We need people that can give an objective view and be okay if someone disagrees. It seems these days everyone wants to bag on peoples opinions and name call as a way to share how they feel about a subject.
You have inspired me to take better pics though. I just used my phone (dont tell my wife, she just bought me a really nice camera). I just want to keep things light and fun.
Thanks for the comment, I really appreciate it and I look forward to longer term testing and videos from you.