Burris Fastfire 3 Vs Trijicon Rmr
By When it comes to buying sights, I am not particularly picky. So long as it works, it’s fine with me. However, while helping my friend look for a secondary sight, I was confronted with the question of whether to buy a Burris or a Trijicon. I could not answer right away. Thus, I began digging and comparing the two.
Burris has almost half a century of experience. It was started in 1971 by Don Burris. It is a leading company that introduced a lot of innovations in the industry, including the famous Zee Rings in 1991. On the other hand, Trijicon was started in 1981 by Glyn Bindon. He was first a salesman for gun sights made by his brother’s friend. In 1985, Glyn introduced the first tritium reticle riflescope. Two giants are pitted against each other. It’s going to be a fun review.
Burris Fastfire 3
The Burris Fastfire 3 is claimed by the official website to be the best selling red dot sight from Burris. It comes in four different options. First, you may choose between a 3 MOA or 8 MOA red dot, then you may choose to include a Picatinny mount or purchase just the red dot sight.
Features
No matter what option you choose, the features are the same. The lens diameter is 21x51mm with unlimited eye-relief. The click value is 1 MOA. The elevation adjustment is 115 MOA at its maximum capability, while wind adjustment is at 86 MOA. It is matte-finished.
The Fastfire 3 is parallax-free. It is 1.9 inches long and weighs 0.9 ounces without the mount. With the mount, it weighs 1.5 ounces. It has 3 manual brightness levels and has an automatic reactive setting to your surroundings.
Operated by a CR1632 battery, it can last up to 5,000 hours. It has an automatic shut down feature that activates after 8 hours, thus helping extend battery life to 5 years. The battery can be accessed at the top of the sight.
The Fastfire 3 utilizes high-grade optical glass with Hi-Lume multi-coating. The sight is waterproof and can withstand the recoil of a .50BMG. It costs $230 on the website and the suggested retail price for dealers is $287 to $299.
Perhaps the best part is that this prism scope is covered by the Burris Forever Warranty. The company promises to replace or repair any unit with damages or defects. But, the warranty does not cover theft, loss, and deliberate or cosmetic damage that does not render the sight useless. The warranty is transferable to future users.
Review
Wilburn Roberts posted his review of the Burris Fastfire 3 in the blog Cheaper than Dirt. He has used his sight mostly on handguns, but he also had his share of use on several long guns. He was most surprised with the sight’s accuracy and reliable speed, as it was vital for personal defense use. The fast acquisition with shotguns is equally useful with pistols, where the sight hovers in front of the eyes. He has no problems with his sight whatsoever, and that is either promising or worrisome.
Trijicon RMR
Trijicon Ruggedized Miniature Reflex Sight, or RMR, has three models with a wide range of options to choose from. The three models are the Type 2 Adjustable LED Reflex Sight, the Type 3 LED Reflex Sight, and the Dual-Illuminated Reflex sight.
Features
For this optic, I will be reviewing the Trijicon RMR Type 2 LED Red Dot Sight, priced at $649. Aside from the common features, its notable feature is that the housing is made out of forged aluminum. Beyond this paragraph, the features are all found in the three models of the Trijicon RMR.
The lens is multi-colored to create a wide-band light transmission, thus minimizing the change in the target area. The turrets for windage and elevation adjustments are found on the side and top of the sight. The Trijicon RMR may be mounted on rifles, shotguns, or carbines, or may be used as a secondary sight.
Trijicon offers different warranties for the models. For the LED models, the electronics are covered by warranty up to 5 years from the date of manufacture, while for the dual-illuminated model, the company ensures that the tritium lamp will illuminate even after 15 years from the date of manufacture.
Once you’ve made your decision on what model to buy, you can now choose between a 3.5 or 6.5 MOA red dot. After that, you may choose to buy the sight alone, or with either a Picatinny mount, a Weaver mount, or an RM36 ACOG mount. Finally, you may also choose the color of the sight finish. The price ranges from $649 to $844, depending on the options I enumerated above.
Review
Norman Turner of The Gun Zone notes a particular feature that while the sight is compatible with all RMR sight mounting solutions, you may have to purchase a mounting kit in certain situations. He urges his readers to make sure the sight will fit before buying since there is a lot of guns in the market. Other than that, he has nothing but praises for the sight.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that Burris Fastfire 3 is cheaper when compared to the Trijicon RMR, however, it is important to note that the Fastfire 3 relies on wrenches for its adjustments. The Trijicon eliminates that problem with its easy rotary dial adjustments.
It all boils down to your preference. For me, I would go for the cheap red dot sight since I do like the challenge of adjusting manually. I won’t be using the sight for anything else other than a few shots at the gun range, so I don’t need the pricier sight. However, if you need it for quick adjustments, go for the Trijicon. It does help with the hassle of adjusting.
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