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Posted: 11/14/2025 11:49:56 AM EDT
[Last Edit: 10-8DoWork][Edited]
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I got my SMS Trinity about a week ago and have had a chance to put some rounds down range with it and do some shoothouse work with it as well. First, the good: It has plenty of performance. It blows our FP PEQ15's out of the water. It's on par with the FP EOTECH OGL's. Here are some other high points... * Adjustable illuminator controls feel good and are very responsive. It's a short but easy to use throw if that makes sense. The previous SMS HFXC had adjustable illuminator but you had to spin the dial A LOT to get it to adjust. The Trinity is quick to dial in throw/spill. * The included diffuser works very well going from directed IR beam to CQB spill * Fire buttons and power adjustment buttons feel good and tactile * There are 2 IR-aim/IR-illuminator positions that allow you to custom tune the power levels for laser/illuminator. Once set, you can swap back and forth between your saved power settings. I basically have a low and high-power setting that I made. * Finally, it holds zero after 500ish rounds so far and getting banged around a decent amount On to the not so good/bad: My Trinity worked fine out of the box when I tested it without ammo. * On day 1 after firing about 100rds during daylight, I tried the visible laser. It did not work, and upon a close visual inspection, it was actually "ON" but flashing very dimly when I hit the fire button. I turned the unit on/off and pressed power buttons. It "fixed" itself and I haven't had any more issues since. I think it's OK now but still a bad first impression. This happened a couple times over the course of a few minutes and the issue never came back. * On my device (which seems common for some other folks) is the first time you activate the laser, there's a little bit of delay from button press to illumination. If you hit the fire button quickly again, it comes right on. If you wait about 10 seconds, you get the delay again. It's not a huge delay but if you do a quick ready-up and activating the laser, the laser is not on until you're already on target. Not a detrimental issue but I did find myself already passing over the upper thoracic on an IPSC target at close range before the laser was on. FWIW, I've seen a couple other brands of lasers with a slight delay. Some research says that the onboard PCB goes into sleep mode after 8 seconds for battery life. I cannot confirm this, but it makes sense based on the behavior. * Lastly, the included diffuser is already tearing where it connects to the LAM housing. This is a known issue, and SMS is working a new version that will be sent to users for free. Bottom line: Still a promising unit and I'm going to keep using it for a while. I had hoped to replace a FP PEQ15 with this, but the reliability is still a big unknown for me. I've reached out to SMS Laser with these issues and awaiting a response/clarification. I'll update here when they respond. |
| Received mine on day 13. Have only tested visible green laser. At first was not super impressed, then read the directions to unlock full power. Yup, that will do. Impressive beam through the rain. Will thoroughly test IR functions against my Steiner D2 next week or two. |
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Originally Posted By getboth: Received mine on day 13. Have only tested visible green laser. At first was not super impressed, then read the directions to unlock full power. Yup, that will do. Impressive beam through the rain. Will thoroughly test IR functions against my Steiner D2 next week or two. Have you noticed that your power up/down adjustments are a little slow/finer? Just an observation vs. the SMS HFXC. |
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Originally Posted By 10-8DoWork: Have you noticed that your power up/down adjustments are a little slow/finer? Just an observation vs. the SMS HFXC. I dont have the hfxc to compare to, but what do you mean exactly? What should I be checking? There is a slight delay when first pushing the fire button after being in sleep mode for more than eight seconds as you have described previously. I dont think that it is enough to necessarily be a detriment. There are about 10 levels of variable power for the visible green laser. |
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Originally Posted By getboth: I dont have the hfxc to compare to, but what do you mean exactly? What should I be checking? There is a slight delay when first pushing the fire button after being in sleep mode for more than eight seconds as you have described previously. I dont think that it is enough to necessarily be a detriment. There are about 10 levels of variable power for the visible green laser. Sounds like the sleep mode/delay thing is normal then. Thanks for the update. As far as power adjustment, it's just an observation on the Trinity vs the HFXC. I'll get both out side by side to compare later this week. It just seems like if I press and hold power up on the Trinity, it takes significantly longer to cycle up power levels than the HFXC. It's not a bad thing. I think the HFXC has fewer power levels so each adjustment makes a bigger difference visually, but I will confirm and update this post. Really the only reason I noticed this, is I had my laser on low in the shoothouse and then later doing some things outside, I had to crank it up to see it. It wasn't as quick as the HFXC. The Trinity having 10 power levels is pretty awesome when you are fine tuning your laser on your 2 programmable IR laser/IR Illum settings. |
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Originally Posted By 10-8DoWork: Sounds like the sleep mode/delay thing is normal then. Thanks for the update. As far as power adjustment, it's just an observation on the Trinity vs the HFXC. I'll get both out side by side to compare later this week. It just seems like if I press and hold power up on the Trinity, it takes significantly longer to cycle up power levels than the HFXC. It's not a bad thing. I think the HFXC has fewer power levels so each adjustment makes a bigger difference visually, but I will confirm and update this post. Really the only reason I noticed this, is I had my laser on low in the shoothouse and then later doing some things outside, I had to crank it up to see it. It wasn't as quick as the HFXC. The Trinity having 10 power levels is pretty awesome when you are fine tuning your laser on your 2 programmable IR laser/IR Illum settings. Originally Posted By 10-8DoWork: Originally Posted By getboth: I dont have the hfxc to compare to, but what do you mean exactly? What should I be checking? There is a slight delay when first pushing the fire button after being in sleep mode for more than eight seconds as you have described previously. I dont think that it is enough to necessarily be a detriment. There are about 10 levels of variable power for the visible green laser. Sounds like the sleep mode/delay thing is normal then. Thanks for the update. As far as power adjustment, it's just an observation on the Trinity vs the HFXC. I'll get both out side by side to compare later this week. It just seems like if I press and hold power up on the Trinity, it takes significantly longer to cycle up power levels than the HFXC. It's not a bad thing. I think the HFXC has fewer power levels so each adjustment makes a bigger difference visually, but I will confirm and update this post. Really the only reason I noticed this, is I had my laser on low in the shoothouse and then later doing some things outside, I had to crank it up to see it. It wasn't as quick as the HFXC. The Trinity having 10 power levels is pretty awesome when you are fine tuning your laser on your 2 programmable IR laser/IR Illum settings. Was the ir able to get dim enough to use inside without being stupid bright/autogating and such? |
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I tested the Trinity next to my Steiner D2 this evening. I made sure to change the batteries, and start fresh with both units. The brightness of the unlocked full power Trinity was more than the D2 on all accounts. The green laser was adjustable and can get several times brighter. The IR laser was adjustable from dimmer than the D2 to several times brighter than the D2. The illuminator of the trinity was focusable into a much tighter beam than the D2. I adjusted it to full power and it was brighter than the D2 when both units were set to wide beam as well as when both units were tightened up. The illuminator adjustment slider is kinda stiff and became clumsy to use as the unit and my hands got colder through the night. I liked that the trinity has 2 programmable settings at the end of the dial. I set mine for lower power IR laser and illuminator for the last dial setting and high power illuminator and IR laser for the setting one up from that. I have not shot with it yet, but so far, I'm pretty impressed. I could buy at least 5 Trinitys for the price of a single D2. Will they hold up, I guess time will tell. |
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Gents, I just tried mine out last night. When I had the slide button all the way to the rear, none of the functions would work. Vis or IR. When I slid the button forward, they all worked. As soon as I got to 90% of the way back then, they would all stop working. Am I doing something wrong? |
3-7-77
Proud Member of the Leather Head Mafia
“In my opinion, the M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised” - George S. Patton
Proud Member of the Leather Head Mafia
“In my opinion, the M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised” - George S. Patton
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Originally Posted By TOTHEMAX: Gents, I just tried mine out last night. When I had the slide button all the way to the rear, none of the functions would work. Vis or IR. When I slid the button forward, they all worked. As soon as I got to 90% of the way back then, they would all stop working. Am I doing something wrong? Mine doesn’t do this at all. I would try to get with SMS. |
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Originally Posted By thebomber: I'm looking for a less expensive IR/VIS laser for my 300 BO or my Scorpion (Not sure). I already have a MAWL X1 and a full power Dbal. Do you think I'll be disappointed? Any further reliability/performance input? Still going strong and holding zero. Nothing has changed since my original post in this thread. I’ve run in the shoothouse a few times and on some callouts so it’s getting a decent amount of use. If yours works like this one, I don’t see why you’d be disappointed for $350. The main complaints are nitpicky things like the mode switch being kind of mushy. It works fine and is consistent, I just don’t like the feel. |
| I am debating getting one. This is my first foray into night vision, so obviously I am trying to be budget minded. However, I am debating a Holoson IRIS3. I will follow this post a bit more before deciding, but at half the price, the Trinity is attractive. |
f that noise...
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Still enjoying the Trinity. If you decide to go that route, go with the company Kombat Solutions since it’s in the US and they will help you out if you have an issue. The Trinity is going to blow the IRIS away on performance but there’s still something to be said about the quality of the Holosun products. Personally, I’m using the Trinity on my work gun. I do plan to get an Iris one day but not in a hurry at all. Mine has had slight drift, but no more than our issued PEQ15s. Cant speak to the latest ones like the OGL or other recent models, but generally lasers can drift a little bit. I’m talking like an inch or so at 100. Yet another reason to verify. |
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I don’t post much thought I’d add something Have a trinity on a 9mm PCC with a maxim roller delay and a super safety. It’s usually suppressed has almost no recoil but it’s well over 1000rpm on super safe. It’s due to a light bcg and no buffer. It vibrates rather than recoiling. The trinity lives at the end of a 8” Samson rail. Had no issues and no drift. I didn’t want to spend a whole lot of money putting something on a cheap PCC. It’s probably seen 1500rds by now. It did get really hot on top of the suppressor once and started to act up due to the kids mag dumping. Once it cooled off it was fine. I’m probably 30+yrs older than most on here and remember back when all this stuff, even US made was crap. This thing is surprisingly good. From a Leo perspective maybe not duty quality but not far from it. The IR illumination is very good on mine. |
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I'm glad to hear of the good reports for the Trinity as one of these is on my short list. From what I've read, SMS Laser does an excellent job of taking feedback and bringing products to market that people want. Does anyone know if they have ever talked about doing a pistol vis/IR light? It would be nice to have an option besides the $450 X300V and the $350 TLR-VIR with the dumb laser. |
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Originally Posted By NC_Parrothead: I'm glad to hear of the good reports for the Trinity as one of these is on my short list. From what I've read, SMS Laser does an excellent job of taking feedback and bringing products to market that people want. Does anyone know if they have ever talked about doing a pistol vis/IR light? It would be nice to have an option besides the $450 X300V and the $350 TLR-VIR with the dumb laser. Rovyvon has what you seek. |
Scepticism is an exercise, not a life; it is a discipline fit to purify the mind of prejudice and render it all the more apt, when the time comes, to believe and to act wisely. -- George Santayana
Never mistake a clear view for a short distance.
Never mistake a clear view for a short distance.
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I'm intrigued... Will it fit in a standard non-molded holster? Safariland duty type holsters? |
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Just received my Trinity and just going in the backyard once it got dark enough for NODS, I'm so far impressed. Need to play with it some more bit initially pleased. Especially the illuminator, first and foremost compared to the anemic neutered one on my ATPIAL-C. Next is to take it out to a big field with some objects at various distances. |
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Originally Posted By ray9101: Just received my Trinity and just going in the backyard once it got dark enough for NODS, I'm so far impressed. Need to play with it some more bit initially pleased. Especially the illuminator, first and foremost compared to the anemic neutered one on my ATPIAL-C. Next is to take it out to a big field with some objects at various distances. Where is best place now to get one of these? I see on SMS website they are listed as in stock and now shipping from CA. |
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I ordered one yesterday from KS. Hopefully it will get here quickly. For those of you that have one, I'm planning to mount it all the way forward on the rail (maybe hanging over slightly) and in front of a DD fixed front sight. I currently have a WL at the 11:00 position tucked up as close as it can go on an Arisaka in-line mount. I'm assuming this will have to move? Can I keep the light off-set and just slide it down further away from the top pic rail? Or will it have to move to the 9:00 position? |
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I got one too. Very impressed so far for being a <$500 laser. But my use has been limited so far… I’ve only done one night match with it so far. But it held zero, and everything functioned perfectly. Spotting/flooding the IR light really came in handy. I’ve shot a handful with it during the day with the visible laser. Same as night, held zero and worked as it should. I’ve probably only shot around ~600 rounds with it mounted to my rifle though. Rain- At the night match it started raining halfway through. Survived the rain with no issues. So too early for a final verdict, but very happy so far. |
I'm too drunk to taste this chicken.
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Originally Posted By Proto3: I got one too. Very impressed so far for being a <$500 laser. But my use has been limited so far… I’ve only done one night match with it so far. But it held zero, and everything functioned perfectly. Spotting/flooding the IR light really came in handy. I’ve shot a handful with it during the day with the visible laser. Same as night, held zero and worked as it should. I’ve probably only shot around ~600 rounds with it mounted to my rifle though. Rain- At the night match it started raining halfway through. Survived the rain with no issues. So too early for a final verdict, but very happy so far. How manageable was the brightness/bloom at different ranges? It feels like the hfxc is almost too much, and it’s the only thing holding me back getting one of these. |
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Originally Posted By Wattles: How do you program the two IRL settings? Unlock it so it goes into full-power mode. Put the selector on either of the two IRL settings, adjust your power level for illuminator and laser, and then leave it alone. Then switch to the other IRL setting and do the same thing. Then you can switch back and forth between the two. Provided you don't mess with the power levels in either mode, they'll be the same whenever switch to that setting. On mine, I set the first IRL setting (5:00) to low illum/low laser, and the second IRL setting (6:00) to a couple clicks up from low for both the illum and laser. From the little bit I've got to play and shoot with it, I've just used the setting with both on low. Out to 100 yds it was plenty bright and laser had minimal blooming. |
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Originally Posted By hodgescl: How manageable was the brightness/bloom at different ranges? It feels like the hfxc is almost too much, and it’s the only thing holding me back getting one of these. The adjustable power modes solve this problem. I was able to fine tune each of the programable modes for a low power/high power that works well with my tubes. My tubes are old Omni VI non-gated and can be a little sensitive to hot lasers/illum. I don't have any complaints with the trinity. The HFXC worked the same way but the Trinity has more power settings. |
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Originally Posted By NC_Parrothead: Anyone care to share how they're getting a light tucked close to theirs? I had to move mine to 9:00 and it sticks way too far out. wow that was a long winded response 
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Originally Posted By Wattles: I have a surefire m340 scout and an Arisaka inline mount. Arisaka makes inline mounts for other lights too. Couple of companies make cantilever type mounts too (even though some say not to extend beyond end of fore end). Guess this will also depend on your rail if you can mount at 1030 or have to use the 900 position. Surefire scout has that hinge system so mine is mounted on the 9 o clock and swings up. wow that was a long winded response I currently have an Arisaka in-line that I had to move from 11 to 9 oclock. I reached out to them and they recommended their side scout mount, so I'm going to try one of those. I'm partly hemmed up by having a KeyMod rail since there's fewer mounts made for them these days compared to M-Lok. But I'm not really looking to shell out more money just to mount a light. So we'll see how the side mount does. |
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Originally Posted By NC_Parrothead: I currently have an Arisaka in-line that I had to move from 11 to 9 oclock. I reached out to them and they recommended their side scout mount, so I'm going to try one of those. I'm partly hemmed up by having a KeyMod rail since there's fewer mounts made for them these days compared to M-Lok. But I'm not really looking to shell out more money just to mount a light. So we'll see how the side mount does. Originally Posted By NC_Parrothead: Originally Posted By Wattles: I have a surefire m340 scout and an Arisaka inline mount. Arisaka makes inline mounts for other lights too. Couple of companies make cantilever type mounts too (even though some say not to extend beyond end of fore end). Guess this will also depend on your rail if you can mount at 1030 or have to use the 900 position. Surefire scout has that hinge system so mine is mounted on the 9 o clock and swings up. wow that was a long winded response I currently have an Arisaka in-line that I had to move from 11 to 9 oclock. I reached out to them and they recommended their side scout mount, so I'm going to try one of those. I'm partly hemmed up by having a KeyMod rail since there's fewer mounts made for them these days compared to M-Lok. But I'm not really looking to shell out more money just to mount a light. So we'll see how the side mount does. Add a piece of pic rail and an adjustable mount https://monstrumtactical.com/adjustable-scout-light-mount-with-pivoting-mount-plate-compatible-with-surefire-m300-m600-series-streamlight-protac-series/ |
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Originally Posted By Master_Blaster: Are the reported zero shift issues a thing? I've seen the reports but I have yet to see this issue personally. A teammate of mine has one too with zero noticeable shift. These get used/shot a lot at work. They weren't just zero'd and put in a closet. |
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Originally Posted By hodgescl: How manageable was the brightness/bloom at different ranges? It feels like the hfxc is almost too much, and it’s the only thing holding me back getting one of these. Originally Posted By hodgescl: Originally Posted By Proto3: I got one too. Very impressed so far for being a <$500 laser. But my use has been limited so far… I’ve only done one night match with it so far. But it held zero, and everything functioned perfectly. Spotting/flooding the IR light really came in handy. I’ve shot a handful with it during the day with the visible laser. Same as night, held zero and worked as it should. I’ve probably only shot around ~600 rounds with it mounted to my rifle though. Rain- At the night match it started raining halfway through. Survived the rain with no issues. So too early for a final verdict, but very happy so far. How manageable was the brightness/bloom at different ranges? It feels like the hfxc is almost too much, and it’s the only thing holding me back getting one of these. It felt/looked fine for my one night of actual shooting. But I never adjusted in the middle of a stage. I think I would kind of set it to a mid range target and forget about it. |
I'm too drunk to taste this chicken.
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Originally Posted By NC_Parrothead: Anyone care to share how they're getting a light tucked close to theirs? I had to move mine to 9:00 and it sticks way too far out. For my surefire whatever light (can’t remember the model) using a haley strategic mount. I had to basically only mount the light using one screw and it seems fine. I would take photos but I’m out of town this week. |
I'm too drunk to taste this chicken.
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