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PRIMARY ARMS Review thread (Page 1 of 3)
Posted: 12/22/2010 3:14:44 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Zhukov][Edited]
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Due to the frequency of people asking about PA sights, I'm going to make a consolidated thread to serve as a focal point for people looking for info. Please keep posts helpful and informative and cut down on idle chit chat. Don't forget to check in the Primary Arms Industry Forum as well. There are review threads already for the M3 sight the Micro Dot, and Micro Dot (gen 7), |
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I run a Primary Arms M4-style red dot on my Spike's ST-22 trainer. The included mount is the perfect height to cowitness with irons. I've left the rifle and sight in a hot trunk in the summer with no ill effects - the sight held zero and there's no indication parts came loose from the heat.
It has an adjustable reticle, but I only use the plain dot which looks to be a little bigger than the 2 MOA dot in my Aimpoint ML3. The dot is plenty bright (seven brightness settings, IIRC) and is visible in bright, midday daylight. Zeroing was easy with tactile clicks. I chose the M4-style for two main reasons: the integrated mount and the AA battery. I don't leave the sight on but I've been running the same lithium battery in it for a year and half with several thousand rounds through it. The only negatives I have to say about it are the slightly blue-tinted glass, chintzy lens caps, and the mushy rheostat. The mount does not allow for quick-detach or repeatable zero, but most mounts like this do not offer that, nor is the item advertised as such. When I ordered it, I did receive the item very quickly in fewer than five business days. It was well packed. I would certainly buy another one of these sights and I would recommend it to others. |
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Join the Nebraska Firearms Owners Association today! http://www.nebraskafirearms.org/
Join the Nebraska Firearms Owners Association today! http://www.nebraskafirearms.org/
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Review of PA 4-16X44 Illuminated Scope
The optical clarity of this PA scope is extremely good for the price point, easily matching or surpassing the quality of my old Nikon Buckmaster 16x scope. Light transmission is also good; I was able to clearly see 1" grid patterns on a target posted at 100Y on a overcast/foggy day. No optical distortions can be seen along the edges. Overall, I would rate the optics on the PA 4-16x44 much better than my Bushnell Banner, on par/better than my Nikon Buckmaster scope, slightly worse than a Nikon Monarch, and nowhere close to a Zeiss mil scope. (Subjective opinions) The reticle is nice and crisp. However, the illumination is fairly useless if there is even a little bit of light out. I have yet to shoot with the scope in dusk/dawn situations, so this opinion may yet change. Eye relief is fairly forgiving up to about 13X magnification, but starts to degrade past 13X; from 14X-16X, the scope is still very use-able in terms of eye relief, but is constrained to a window of about .5" Build construction is on par with any of the $200-400 scope range. Solid, but a bit heavy. Turrets have are tight but not stiff, and have a very positive click when turned. Resetting the turrets to 0 can be a bit tricky though... The value of this scope is excellent. At $159.99, this scope would make for a great scope for a range gun, or bush/hunting rifle. The quality is easily on par with scopes costing in the $300-$450 range. Highly recommended. This scope is mounted on my Savage Edge in .308 WIN. Used to a maximum of 200Y thus far [at 200Y, easily able to spot, identify, and hit 10" steel targets]. |
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My PA compact flashlight arrived with a tail cap that didn't work. I called PA and was immediately shipped another tail cap...it now works fine with the replacement tail cap. Note: I have 2 of them; the other has worked fine from the git go.
I have their 1-4x scope and deluxe extended AR mount...they work fine; clear and sharp scope. I really like the mount, as it uses steel mounting screws and nuts. I have their 3-9x scope; looks just fine, clear, and sharp; have not used/mounted it on a firearm yet. Bought the deluxe non-extended AR mount for it. Like the mount. I have their M4 red dot clone. After the year warrantee was out, the red dot started shutting off while shooting. Turning the switch off and tapping the sight with my finger and then turning it back on, it would work for a few shots before shutting down again. I took it off the AR and haven't used it again...just too aggravating. I liked it while it worked. Liked the fact that changing the reticle did not cause the bullet impact point to shift. Edited to add: VERY fast shipping!!! |
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I recieved the Micro Dot Green Dot(mini)
I used this for a lite weight .22 pistol build. I was concerned it would set too low mounted on the rail. And it may for some but it worked for me. I could get a mini riser from YHM to set it up 1/2" and still may. My goal was to use the small green dot and still have a set of usable BUIS. I used a set of M.I. low profile BUIS and was easily able to see the green dot with the sights folded shut. At the same time, when the sights were deployed, they were high enough to clear the green dot. The PA green dot sighted in easily but is very sensitive, meaning you don't have to turn the adjusting screw much to move the dot a lot. Once set, I secured the lock down screws to keep the adjusters in place. The dot was bright but not too bright. It is self adjusting and I had no problem seeing it while standing in a dark room looking into a light room, or the opposite. It automatically comes on when the snap on cover is removed. I fired 200rounds and the dot stay where it was set. I had one screw up which I later found was my error. The dot did not look sharp. It had the comma look which I attributed to my astigmatism. I even called Marshall and asked if he had any complaints about it. He had none. Couple days latter I was looking at the pistol and happened to look at the lens. It had a big finger print on it. I cleaned it off with the supplied cloth and the green dot was as sharp as I could ask for. I like this optic. Very easy to aquire a target, very fast. At $80 you can't go wrong. 
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Originally Posted By WholeBunches:
My PA compact flashlight arrived with a tail cap that didn't work. I called PA and was immediately shipped another tail cap...it now works fine with the replacement tail cap. Note: I have 2 of them; the other has worked fine from the git go. I have their 1-4x scope and deluxe extended AR mount...they work fine; clear and sharp scope. I really like the mount, as it uses steel mounting screws and nuts. I have their 3-9x scope; looks just fine, clear, and sharp; have not used/mounted it on a firearm yet. Bought the deluxe non-extended AR mount for it. Like the mount. I have their M4 red dot clone. After the year warrantee was out, the red dot started shutting off while shooting. Turning the switch off and tapping the sight with my finger and then turning it back on, it would work for a few shots before shutting down again. I took it off the AR and haven't used it again...just too aggravating. I liked it while it worked. Liked the fact that changing the reticle did not cause the bullet impact point to shift. Edited to add: VERY fast shipping!!! We have a new design battery cap that should take care of the M4 issue. Shoot me a email and I will send you one. Marshall |
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I have a Gen2 Microdot mounted in a DD 1 o'clock offset mount on my 18" Larue Stealth. I have found the dot to be more round, the glass less distorting, and the ability to retain zero to be unparalleled by any other "budget" red dot sight. Unlike many other budget RDS sights, it just works, every time, all the time. The battery life has been thus far stellar, and my only complaint is the bikini cover is ill fitting and usually comes off when the rifle is cased, which is a minor complaint at best. I also find PA to be wonderfully responsive when it comes to service and questions.
I still cannot bring myself to make it a primary optic choice on any of my rifles, but I have never had such a good experience with any other brand of budget optic. |
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<This is a review thread only. I added the link to my OP though - thanks. - Z> |
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My Primary Arms experience:
1. I owned a Micro for about a year, the first model Marshall did on a riser. I wanted to see how I liked the Micro form factor before I dropped coin on a T1 with the idea that if I liked it I'd keep the PA Micro for one of my .22s. It worked very well; it never went down or flickered, battery life was good and the riser was well designed. My only complaints had nothing to do with PA but instead were with the concept of a Micro, even from Aimpoint; IMO, the tube diameter is too small for fast target acquisition and the inability to use flip-ups is a pain. I'm glad I was able to find out Micros weren't for me before I spent $$$ on an Aimpoint! I'd have no problem buying another Micro for a different application or recommending them to others. 2. I currently own two M3 clones, one mounted in a LT-150 on my dedicated .22 AR and the other in a PA medium ring (shortly going in a LT-152) on my 522. These are the dog's yarbles! The brightness range is very good, they're nice and solid and are a perfect RDS for rimfire use. I have airsoft rubber covers on mine for a little additional protection. I'd buy another if I ever needed one, it's a stout sight for the money. I'm a big fan of Primary Arms gear for their intended purpose. Would I put one on a duty weapon? Probably not, but Marshall is the first to tell you that's not his market; instead he's making a decent quality inexpensive optic option for fun guns. Another thing they're great for is proof-of-concept - I personally have a hard time leaping into a $500+ optic without first trying the design concept with something very similar but much less expensive. |
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So far, I've been very happy with everything I've bought from Primary Arms. Marshall and his staff have been great at answering questions. P/A M3 clone - no issues at all after about 800 rounds on my Stag AR Bought 2 of his quad rails...the only thing I haven't liked about them is the screws supplied are about 2mm too long. Trip to the hardware store fixed that issue. PA Weapon light - the thing is amazing. Super bright spot and easy on batteries. Used it several times sailing at night - great for spotting channel markers on the ICW. Tac Force discreet soft case - does exactly what I wanted and at a better price than anywhere else. Magpul stuff - his prices are consistantly better than other places, unless they're running a sale. I've recommended PA to several friends and they've all been happy. I'll continue to send him my business. |
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I bought a M4 red dot from them. $89
I found it a piece of crap. It was NOT defective and was just a cheap airsoft copy. maybe suitable for a .22 It taught me a lesson in that I should not rely on reviews. Primary had great cust service and I returned it. Before you buy some cheap copy, think about saving your pennies and buying the real deal. So it takes you a year to save up, it is well worth the wait to own something you will be proud to own. |
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I used my M4 clone from PA for the first time today mounted on my M4gery. It's a very solid feeling device and has worked just fine - that's to be expected for first-time use. The iron sights are lower 1/3 cowitness just as described. I love the AA batteries after having continuous problems with Aimpoint clones that use the button-cell batteries; on those sights, the dot keep flickering off because the batteries do not make good contact. This seems to be an issue that gets worse with age. The elevation and windage adjustments provide very positive clicks and are hard to turn - not a bad thing, IMO. The reticle selection dial doesn't have positive stops, and that's kind of a bummer. It would be beneficial to have a positive detent to make sure the reticle is centered where it's supposed to be. The outer circle of the circle-dot reticle is too small and not as useful as on an EoTech. The last minor complaint is that the rubber retention rings on the elevation/windage adjustment covers are crap. The disadvantages are fairly minor though overall. The brightness adjustment range (7 steps) seems just fine; I was able to find a perfect brightness setting for a cloudy day to reduce dot blooming, and the brightest setting is fine for bright sunny days. My biggest concern in the long run is that the sight stays zeroed and that the battery continues to make good contact to avoid the flickering. I'll post updates much later if anything develops, but for now I'm very happy with it. |
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I own four Gen 1 and 2 Micro dots, two on 10/22s and two on ARs, purchased several years ago. I have been very happy with them, all are on original batteries. One of the AR risers did not lock properly and Marshall sent me a replacement mount without any questions. Itching to try the new gen with the emitter on the side, but I don't have a host gun yet, all of my earlier gens run fine. |
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General education should not be mere training of the hands to work, but training of the mind to properly reason. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/classed.php
General education should not be mere training of the hands to work, but training of the mind to properly reason. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/classed.php
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Guys Marshall at Primary Arms (http://www.primaryarms.com/category.sc?categoryId=5) was good enough to let me t&e one of his new generation of Micro dots (Aimpoint T1 clone) sights before they were released. Here is what I found. 8-29-10 I mounted the sight you sent me on my Larue Stealth in an off set mount. I took the micro that was on it and put it on my Benelli. The new sight you sent has a smaller sharper dot and it made more sense to me to put it on a rifle. What I like. The dot is very sharp and intense. (seems brighter than previous generation sights) The adjustments were not nearly as course and sighting in was easy as cake. Marhsall has a real winner with this new sight. As far as function (shooting) it seems every bit the equal of my T1. Here are some groups I fired with it on my Larue at 50 yards during sight in.   Date 9-6-10 Took the micro out again today and compared it with a Aimpoint R1 and an older 2nd gen micro. The dot is as bright as the aimpoints much better than the earlier generation of your sight. It was a very sunny day today and the new sight was much brighter than the older model and equal to the aimpoint. You are making me want to replace my older blem models with this new generation. What is the price going to be on this new Gen. I accidentally left the sight on one day and checked my rifle 8 days later and the sight was still on and working. The biggest single improvement as I see it over older generations is the dot brightness. It can be seen even on the brightest days. On the older models they were harder to see on bright days. The new sight also has much better adjustments. The clicks seem consistent and repeatable. I will try to post some pictures of some in the scope shots with the new generation micro vs my T1.  I really like this new sight and I plan on purchasing 2 more. 1 for my new Noveske three gun rifle (in a larue off set mount as well.) and another for my AK or for my Spikes 22 LR steel rifle. I can't say enough good about this new generation from Marshall. A lot of good things have come together on this sight. I am sure this new sight is not as tough as an Aimpoint but I believe its a good lower cost alternative. I also prefer it to the Fast Fire and it costs less than half of what the Fast Fire does. At $90 is hard to go wrong. I was skeptical of these sights at first since they are made in China but I have had good luck with them. This new model corrects all the things I did not like with the earlier generations. Applications for three gun would be as a side sight on an open rifle or as a primary sight on a pistol or shotgun in open or as a primary red dot on a limited rifle. It would also serve well on training guns in .22lr and 5.45x39. I even mounted one of the older models on a friends .308 AR10 and its still holding zero fine. Its not an Aimpoint and for a defense rifle I would stick with a Aimpoint T1, R1 or H1. But for competition or for range use or plinking this sight is a winner.       <Non-relevant pics removed - Z> |
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Below is a review of the Green Micro Reflex that I did on youtube.
So far I'm pretty impressed with the PA. I have used Jpoints and C-More in the past on my shotguns, rifle and handguns. I like the Aluminium body of the PA better than the plastic of the Jpoint, also the lens seem to be clearer that the JPoint and the dot is certainly brighter. I used to run 2 2016 batteries in the Jpoint to get the intensity that I liked, but the also caused a good amount of flaring, which made hard shots more difficult. Compared to the C-more STS. the lens is bigger and just as clear. The Dot on the C-more is more orange than red and I was never able to pick it up at speed as well as I hoped, especially with the smaller screen. So far the green has been sharp and has great brightness/contrast and I can tracker it very well. There is a little bit of flaring on the PA, not as bad as the Jpoint with 2 batteries and it only seems to be an issue when the sun is directly facing the sensor. The one thing I like about the C-more is the off/auto/max switch. One bright days you just leave it on max. The wife had an issue once with a Jpoint shutting down when shooting through a barrel in the shade. Now, I believe these sights never actually turn off, but they will dim enough so that if you are shooting into a lit area, the dot may not be visible. If you remain in the dark and are shooting at a target in the dark, the dot is slightly brighter than trijicon night sights, so you can aim well, but still have your ability to see. I'm hoping to get the PA on one of the shotguns this week to give it a good test. I have had Jpoints fail on my 11-87, So I will start there. Here is a link to the review http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX-Y-OW1RGg |
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I ran about 100 rounds through the PA Green Reflex today. No issues at all. Even in the bright sun with glare off the snow, the dot was easy to find and plenty bright. No flickering or disappearing dots issues during recoil.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W8ZzbX-dQY |
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I have the Gen 3 on an MI rail for my AK that will soon be going to my brother. I have put about 700 round rapid fire through that rifle and heated it up really good, and it has not malfunctioned at all.
I run it on a higher brightness setting that some of my "super serious" optics, but even after leaving it on for hours on end accidentally it was bright enough to go shooting again and again. The clicks on the adjustment nobs and brightness control are also positive and not very mushy. It also has held its zero which is not something I could say about other similar priced optics. I may be purchasing more in the near future 
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I have bought many items from PA; magpu sling, QD magnifier mount, flip over magnifier mount, eotech XPS0 and a few other items.
PA excels at: extremely quick shipping great CS response time great prices PA mounts have all been rock solid. I will soon be buying a PA 1-4x scope for my 3 gun and mount. |
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I ordered a M3 on a sunday night and paid for the cheapest shipping they offered.
The next moring I had an email that my item was shipped and then I received it that Wednesday. That is by far the best shipping service I have had. The item was well packaged and looked nice right from the box. I have an Aimpoint for my 223 AR but this was going on my Tactical Solutions dedicated 22Lr upper for trianing and fun. Well I am sure that this PA is not built up the Aimpoint but I am so far impressed with what I have paid for. The glass is bright and clean and the red dot brightness is about 75 to 80 percent of the Aimpoint. the canted mount is of a softer aluminum and I am sure the weak point to this set up but on a 22 I expect it to be fine. As mentioned in other post the brightness switch rotates round and round. I do wish it had a stop. UPDATE.. Went to the range to sight the m3 in it was a breeze.. first 5 shots were on paper at 25 yards only low and to the right by 2 inches. a few clicks later and I was good to go. the inside range was not super well lit so I only need a setting of 4 for shooting. I am immpressed with this clone and I think it is well worth the money for my 22 trainer. Thanks for the value in this Product PA. |
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I purchased an M3 from PA about a year ago. I placed it on my son's Ruger SR22.
I ordered the wrong mount and of course...Marshall took care of that within minutes (actual time was minutes...) I shoot a standard Ruger 10/22 with 4x fixed..my son uses the M3. 48 year old eys benifit from 4x
We have a ball with the M3...mounted firm and stayed put the whole summer. Seven brightness settings work well, we keep it around #4 for our weekend plinking. I'm learning to shoot with these sights...keeping both eyes open, focusing on the target (primary), and then placing the red dot on POI. Great fun with a cool look for a fun gun. Pic below shows the non fwd cant mount. I had Magpul BUIS installed on the SR22 but found the front did not repeat based on Rugers front hand guard design...may try to set them up again this spring. 
Just received the M4 for my soon-to-arrive Spikes mid length...I'll update. |
Be Prepared!
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I received a M3 and the latest generation Micro Dot from Marshall after his usual rocket-fast shipping. As far as the M3 - I haven't had a chance to try it out, but like the M4 I already have it looks to be a very solid sight. It's going on my SAR-1 AK with side rail mount. Of primary concern for me was the quality of the battery compartment, as I detest the LR44 battery type. In previous Aimpoint clones, they have always given me problems with the dot flickering off and on. In the end, I decided to go with the M3 anyway due to good reports from others not running into the same problem. The spring in the battery compartment is very strong, and I feel that will mitigate a lot of problems down the road. The brightness adjustment knob is nicely marked and has positive clicks. The Micro Dot now resides on my GSG-5. Even though I figured it was small, it ended up being smaller than I expected. It sighted in fine, and I have no reason to expect that it would lose zero. The brightness adjustment knob is very difficult to turn; I don't know if it's par for the course, but it's certainly not a big deal. The only other problem is not with the sight itself - I have a first gen GSG-5 with a claw mount, and the sight ends up putting the dot right on top of the front sight hood. When I mounted the sight, I thought it would be more of a problem, but it ends up not being a big deal. I'll update the thread as I get more usage out of them. |
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I've bought and used the PA M3, Reflex Green, and two different Red Dot Micros. I've come to the conclusion that Primary Arms is the best bang for the buck in this price range, plus I always find more stuff to tack onto any order based on their competitive pricing. I haven't tried any of their more traditional optics but I will soon. It may seem strange to put an 89$ optic on on $95 larue mount but I'm not ashamed to say I've done it.
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<This is a review thread only - Z> |
Saiga 12 FS: http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=122&t=830987
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Moss 500A FS: http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=93&t=828588
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Review of my PA Micro reflex sight and it's issues.
For those wondering what the micro dot will look like on a MI rail with US palm topcover, here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iWbWhSh4i0 PA micro reflex review I was planning on doing the followup review this weekend and combining the videos, but the replacement sight isn't here yet. I'll follow up once it comes in. edit to fix link |
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Originally Posted By Prometheus:
Review of my PA Micro reflex sight and it's issues. For those wondering what the micro dot will look like on a MI rail with US palm topcover, here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iWbWhSh4i0 I was planning on doing the followup review this weekend and combining the videos, but the replacement sight isn't here yet. I'll follow up once it comes in. Made your link hot. It looks like the included batteries were undersized in a recent shipment. We will be check for that now and including Sony CR2032s if there is a problem Marshall LINK |
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Been running mine for quite some time. I very much enjoy it. The last time I qualified with it, other officers were inquiring about it, and it's price. They were all amazed at how well it was made for the price. Mine in particular takes a hell of a lot of abuse. I keep it in a soft case and throw it between trunks regularly (almost daily). I've even droppped it a few times, and removed it and it always retained zero. Been running mine since '09  |
In my opinion, any plan that starts with you having to get your weapon back from someone who wants to kill you is a bad plan, John_Wayne777
| I just got mine this morning. I know absolutely nothing about red dots, so this may be normal, but is it normal to see a very light red box around the reticle on the higher brightness settings? I just tested it by pointing it against my wall, and its fine on the 1 and 2 setting, but it gets progressively worse on levels 3 to 7. |
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Guess I made a redundant post in general AR discussion and just saw this thread. just copying from my original post.
Just wanted to post a quick review after getting a little experience with the Primary Arms M4. Let me preface this by saying as I'm sure many others have. I'm aware its not a combat optic, and I'm not saying its as good as one. I do have an ACOG TA31F, an Aimpoint H-1, and an old N-Cell Eotech as far as my own first hand experience to compare it too though. If it matters, I've got it mounted on my beater/ATV gun/truck gun AR. A CMMG 14.7" w/ pinned A2, RRA lower, RRA upper. I've had it about 3 weeks, has been turned on the entire time on the original battery. While compared to an Aimpoint it's nothing. For a chinese optic on an AA battery, I'm impressed. Of the 4 recticles available on it, honestly the single aimpoint like dot isn't bright enough for full daytime use. The recticle that basically mimics the eotech on the other hand is perfect. Either is fine in a darkened environment. I don't have much of a desire to use the other 2 recticles (cross hair and a crosshair with open circle in the center) adjustments have nice positive clicks, and works perfectly. I had it zeroed in about 5 rounds. Just as a test, I then moved it off zero, and returned it an equal number of clicks. Right back to zero, so they are pretty well graduated. So far it has taken a small amount of abuse and has stood up well. It gets banged around in an ATV gun rack a good bit, and in the bed of my truck which the rifle fell off of last weekend and landed right on the optic. Some dings in the finish but no worse for wear, it retained zero fine. I also had it bounce out of the ATV rack, and land in a rocky creek bed going about 15 mph, fully submerged for the minute or two it took me to stop and go back and get it, good to go. No loss of zero and no moisture in the optic. it was powered on the entire time. Like I said this is a beater AR. So there is my short review. I'm VERY happy with it as a cheap optic to be placed on a plinker type rifle and think it will be hard to beat. Impressed me enough that I'll be getting one of their Micro dots to put in an offset mount as a companion to my ACOG on my LMT. between the ACOG and BUIS I don't think I'd ever have to really rely on it...but I think it would hold up fine even if I did. |
"Stand rigid, for the next battle. Peace means reloading your guns"
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Originally Posted By MALT0SE:
I just got mine this morning. I know absolutely nothing about red dots, so this may be normal, but is it normal to see a very light red box around the reticle on the higher brightness settings? I just tested it by pointing it against my wall, and its fine on the 1 and 2 setting, but it gets progressively worse on levels 3 to 7. Normal reflection when turned up inside. Mount it and go shooting. In bright light at the higher settings the ambient light will drown out most of any reflection but the reticle will not wash out. Also focus on the target with both eyes open. Don't look into a red dot like you do a scope. Marshall |
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Follow up to my first review:
Primary Arms Micro Reflex followup review |
| I recently bought two of the micro red dots with the fixed bases to mount on my GSG5pk and Draco. Both are constructed well and perform as indicated, however, I just can't get past the dark green-blue lens tint––it annoys me. My T-1 has a slight tint and it's acceptable, but I'm finding the darker lens tint on the PA micros cause me to squint. Fine and inexpensive, not cheap, red dots, but just not to my liking. |
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Here is a link to a Micro Dot review that a customer recently sent me.
LINK |
| I just ordered the micro green dot reflex site from you. While I have not had a chance to use it yet (I will this weekend and will post a review), I can say this about the company... I ordered on a early Saturday evening. By 8:00pm that same evening I had a confirmation my order had shipped. I received the unit on Monday morning! That, my friends, is service! It's like Marshall was there waiting on my order to come in on Saturday! I live in Southern Georgia btw. If the actual product is of half the quality of the service, I'll be satisfied! |
the mount held up beautifully, and is still going! purchase with confidence.
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Primary Arms M4 Style Red Dot review
I've owned the Primary Arms M4 Style Red Dot for roughly 4 or 5 months now. It's a great bargain red-dot and will serve its purpose if you're a range warrior and not in the market for a real 500-600+ dollar Aimpoint M4. With the Aimpoint Pro now out that's a tempting option, but back to the M4 clone. Pros: It's durable for the cost. It holds its zero fairly well for what it is. It mounts fairly sturdy for what it is. That being said, yes it is sturdy, and holds on my rail tight. I can hold 1 inch groups with it or under with it using the right technique and ammo from 50 yards and 1-1.5 inches (2 max, but only if it's a bad day) at 100. I am using a 3x Magnifier as well though. Primary Arms' customer service is beyond words awesome! They've already helped me out twice now and I've had excellent turn around time with them being over a thousand miles away (2-3 days averaging 2). Battery life is great and accepts AA's roughly 1,000 hours. Has lower 1/3 cowitness. Red-Dot adjustable brightness. 4 different cross-hairs to select from for your shooting style. Cons: Not many, but the flip caps are a little cheap, but I'm sure for what they are the Aimpoint caps aren't too much better. The rubbery o-rings to hold the caps on for the windage and elevation are more for show than practical (I think Marshall noted that somewhere) anyway mine ripped, but no big deal. I use rubber o-rings now just so the caps don't scratch the metal. Overall I can't think of too many more cons and Primary Arms customer-service as well as Marshall and Scott have more than made up for those cons. I think it's a great bargain optic if you can't afford a real Aimpoint or your job does not depend on it. This optic does not supplement an actual aimpoint, but for the cost to product ratio you're getting it exceeds itself. For me this optic has worked great and I will continue to use it for some time. Would I rely on it if I was Law-Enforcement or Military? No, but as stated before it's not meant for that purpose. Do I think it's durable enough to withstand some abuse? Yes. In short, good product. I hope my review is helpful. |
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I just received a latest version Primary Arms Micro Dot w/ removable base and a QD AR riser. This is not my first Primary Arms optic - to date I've owned a M4 style RDS, a 1-4x illuminated scope, a 4.5-14x illuminated mil-dot scope, a 1st gen Micro Dot w/ riser, a 4-16x illuminated mil-dot scope, and now this new Micro Dot. I still own all but the M4 style RDS (a friend talked me out of it at a time when they were out of stock) and the 4.5-14x scope (replaced by the 4-16x scope). All have seen plenty of use and all are working as they were when new.
The new Micro Dot is a definite improvement over the first version - this goes for the new riser vs old as well. The dot is more crisp and a bit smaller. It's also brighter at highest setting than the first gen version and easier to see in bright sunlight. Having the emitter at 4:30 does indeed improve view of iron sights over the earlier version in which the emitter is located at 6 o'clock. The first version of the AR riser was initially intended to function as a QD mount but the lever did not work as intended. This wasn't a big deal for me though. I purchased the riser to get a feel for what running an Aimpoint T1 on my AR would be like (despite the weight disadvantage I much prefer an EOtech - PA made discovering this process a lot less expensive). The first Micro Dot has seen a lot of use atop a .22LR pistol the last year or so. The new Micro Dot will mostly be used for plinking with a Ruger 10/22 rifle. The riser was cheap and I wanted to see how well the new versions QD mechanism works. I'm happy to report that it works very well mechanically. I'm going to zero the new Micro Dot for my AR first and then check to see if the QD riser allows for a return to zero with repeated removal and re-mounting. I'll post the results here after I've tested this. I also plan to test battery life at a brightness setting of 7 once I have a spare battery on hand to test with. Assuming this sight is as solid and dependable as my 1st gen Micro Dot I expect that it will provide years of trouble free use. |
| I have two of the micro red dots: one on my ST22 and the other on a Browning Buckmark. They are fantastic for .22's. Also ran one on a lightweight carbine a built to see if I would like using a T-1 optic. They are incredibly well made and perform without a problem. It held up to 500 rounds of 5.56 flawlessly. |
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Originally Posted By jercdevil:
Just purchased the Micro Dot. It came with the PA mount. I would like to get a Larue or DD. What is the best option for CW and keeping it zeroed? Our Micro sits higher than a T-1 so the cowitness is not the same. The DD won't work but the LaRue LY-751 will. Since this is a review thread if you need more details shoot me a email. Thanks Marshall |
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UPDATE ON MY PREVIOUS REVIEW: I've had some more time with the micro sight on the GSG-5, and all is well. Holds zero (shouldn't be an issue with the .22), and the dot is still nice and bright. No problem. I had a chance to sight in the M3 sight on my AK mount, and it was difficult to sight in due to the turrets being very difficult to turn. Maybe I was using too small of a screwdriver which increased the felt torque. I definitely don't want to blame the sight right now (nor do I want to muck with the adjustments now that I've got it dialed in). After sight-in, I busted some clay pigeons and it hit where I aimed at. I've also had a M4-type sight on my AR, and it has been very reliable as well. I initially complained that the circle around the dot reticle was too small, but shooting it some more today made me change my mind. I like the bigger circle of the EOTech, but the M4 sight's reticle is very good too. Love the AA battery too. I'm very satisfied with all 3 sights, and would not hesitate to buy another if the need arose. I'll keep adding comments as the round count goes up. |
Daddy loves you. Now go away.
Originally Posted By PAEBR332: Congratulations. This post has a created a stupidity event horizon from which no logic, reason or science will ever escape.
Originally Posted By PAEBR332: Congratulations. This post has a created a stupidity event horizon from which no logic, reason or science will ever escape.
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REVIEW: Primary Arms M3 Multi-Reticle Red Dot Sight
I want to preface this review by saying the Primary Arms M3 Multi-Reticle Red Dot sight is the first sight I have personally owned, but I have used other sights before. It is mounted on my Stag Arms Model 2T which is the first firearm I have owned, but I have fired many others before. My review is based on my experience with firearms and sights which is a little above novice level. I am no expert in anything firearms related. When I purchase something, I like to purchase a product that is extremely reliable and high quality for the price...maximizing my cost/quality/performance balance...so I do a ton of research before buying. The same is true of my purchase of the PA M3. I have now been using the product for several weeks and I am extremely happy with the quality and performance which I got for the price. I find the product to be of higher than expected quality, reliable, accurate and of great value. It holds zero even after hundreds of rounds and me taking it on and off the firearm each visit to the range. My rounds stray no more than +/- 2 inches at 25 yards (indoor range limit) visit after visit...I have not had to adjust zero since I first dialed it in. Plus, it looks pretty damn cool. Of equal quality is the Primary Arms customer service. Pre-sales, purchase and post-sales support have been amazing: great response times and extremely helpful. I even received a reply on this board right from the CEO directing me toward a post on ballistics when I had trouble getting my zero right (my fault due to a lack of understanding of the flight path of the 5.56x45 round). I couldn't possibly have asked for a better experience. As someone who has no intention of using this firearm for anything other than target shooting and maybe emergency home defense, I have no need to look any further for the best red dot in its class. http://www.mikebrito.com/images/222.jpg http://www.mikebrito.com/images/111.jpg |
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This is not a review of a PA scope but of my excellent experience with the company. I had more or less decided I wanted a Nikon M223 3-12X42 for the 16 inch midlength HBAR RRA rifle that I assembled a couple of years ago. At that time it was more expedient to build it than to get into the waiting line. After going through a cheap red dot and two cheap scopes I still did not feel that I had seen what this gun could do from the bench. I wanted to mount the scope and a Magpul MBUS that I had bought earlier on the rail if possible.
After exchanging some email with Jason at PA I showed up at their shop late one weekday morning. My plan was to get the scope and an appropriate mount, mount them, and go to the Bayou Rifles range down the road and sight it all in. Jason was very helpful. He showed me the scope, the Nikon mount, the PA extended mount, and the PA standard mount. We installed the the PA standard mount and it was the best fit for what I wanted to do so I bought the scope and mount and headed for the range. Jason had been very helpful and patient with me and I left the shop feeling good. On the way to the range I picked up a sandwich because I had not eaten anything that day. I ate the sandwich and read the literature that came with the scope. Then I mounted the scope and started sighting it in at 35 yards. I did not do the plumbob thing but I think I got the scope lined up fairly well. As expected the elevation was quite low but the windage was only off by about an inch. Once I got that sorted out I moved to 70 yards and fired three rounds and moved over to the 100 yard range. I left just in time to avoid the brutal evening Houston traffic and my targets had scattered tight groups because I was learning the scope and twisting the knobs but some of the groups were much better than I have ever accomplished. Thanks to Jason and the way PA does things my day went very well despite the fact that it was not a very reasonable way to do this. So far I am very pleased with the scope and mount I bought. The scope may appear to be rather forward but this scope provides four inches of eye relief which makes it work. Next time out I will dismount the scope at the mount and sight in the MBUS, remount the scope, sight it in again, and move on to longer ranges. I will post a review of the scope when I know more about it but at this point I expect it will be a very positive review. 
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You can't recall a turd or a fired round
PRIMARY ARMS Review thread (Page 1 of 3)
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