First Look: The Trijicon MRO (Miniature Rifle Optic)

The Trijicon MRO (Miniature Rifle Optic) is an all-American-made, rugged and fully sealed tactical reflex sight. It was developed with the intended use on rifles, carbines and shotguns. It provides a crisp 2 MOA red dot reticle via advanced electronics and lens coatings. The reticle position is adjustable in ½ MOA increments and provides 70 MOA of total adjustment in both elevation and windage.

The short overall length and large objective lens of the MRO provide increased situational awareness as well as fast target acquisition and engagement — especially from non-standard shooting positions.

The MRO provides eight brightness settings, two for use in conjunction with night vision devices, and one super-bright setting. On setting 3 (5 of 8), the supplied CR2032 lithium battery will provide five years of continuous-ON operation.

The top-mounted brightness control knob is specifically designed for ambidextrous usage. With a mid-position "OFF" setting, it provides quick and ergonomic adjustments.

The MRO features fully protected adjusters that maintain zero even during rough handling. The adjusters do not require caps, and can be manipulated without special tools. MRO's hard-anodized, forged, 7075-T6 aluminum housing is fully sealed and waterproof, providing the utmost durability in demanding conditions.

MRO Housing and Adjusters

The ½ MOA sub-flush adjusters are designed to prevent accidental adjustment. There are no caps or special tools to make adjustments. Even the rim of a spent case can be used to make an adjustment. There is 70 MOA of total adjustment, which allows the MRO to be used with any caliber.

The forged 7075 aluminum housing is a better quality aluminum than that used on most other micro red dot sights. It is 80-percent stronger than extruded 6061. The result is a housing that is shockproof and mirrors the same construction as the battle proven ACOG.

MRO Adjustment Knob

The illumination adjustment knob is fully ambidextrous. Unlike many other designs, the shooter does not need to break the firing grip or awkwardly reach over the top of the red dot sight in order to adjust the illumination intensity while in a firing position.

The knob features only 180-degrees of travel for a quicker throw in dialing up or down the illumination level. The knob has been given a coarse knurling for an easy, tactile grip. The knob is used to select one of six total visible illumination settings and two night vision (N/n) settings. They are marked in white and an "OFF" dot is placed between the "2" and "3" illumination settings for a faster turn-on time to a frequently usable red dot intensity level.

As with many red dots, the MRO offers shooters infinite eye relief, and advanced electronics affords a 5-year battery life.

MRO Lens and Reticle

The most readily apparent difference between the MRO and other red dot sights is the large objective lens, which measures 25mm. This results in reduced "tube effect," an unparalleled field of view and improved situational awareness. In fact, the MRO presents a viewing area that is 44-percent larger than that offered by similar products.

The multi-coated anti-reflective objective lens has greatly reduces forward emissions when compared to other red dots sights. Inside, the housing is fully sealed and filled with dry nitrogen giving it fog resistance and waterproof characteristics.

Projected onto the objective lens is the unit's 2 MOA red dot.

MRO Size and Mounts

The footprint of the MRO rivals the size of the most popular micro red dots. The optic measures 2.6 inches in length and weighs only 4.1 ounces. The mounting foot underneath the optic accepts Trijicon's optional low, lower 1/3rd and full co-witness mounts. Additionally, LaRue Tactical has already developed a throw-lever mount that will co-witness with most back-up sights and is sure to be a popular aftermarket accessory.

Pricing and Availability

The MRO is aggressively priced with an MSRP of $579 without a mount and $629 with a Trijicon mount, roughly $200 less than the MSRP of the Swedish-made Aimpoint Micro red dot sights. Availability is expected to begin in September. Most interested customers should find them in retail outlets by the 2015 holiday season with a re-launch expected to take place at the 2016 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Guns & Ammo has been afforded the exclusive opportunity to present the first look at the Trijicon MRO including technical fieldwork that took place in Texas last May (2015). You can read more about G&A's testing and comparison of several set-ups of the MRO as it compares to the new Aimpoint Micro T-2 in the October issue of Guns & Ammo magazine.

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