Question re: Trijicon Reflex Optic Sight.

S

Still alive

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I bought a Trijicon Reflex 1x24 ACOG Tritium gunsight a year ago new but never mounted it.
I just got an AR and decided to try it on and see. I liked the no on/off switch feature.

Anyways, here's the problem...
The optic dot is clear in daylight and ok in dim light but just about completely disappears in the dark. You have to accustom your eyes to the dark then you can see a super faint little dot...maybe!
I took it back to my LGS and they even opened a new box and tried it in their backroom with the lights off and it was the same.
I called Trijicon and a fairly rude rep told me "of course it's dimmer!! Why would you want to be blinded by a bright dot in the dark?? Lots of LE and mil use it with no problems!"

So I think my Trijicon Tritium handgun sights are nice and bright in the dark. Why are the rifle ones NOT??!?
Is this normal for Trijicons or did someone F up? Anyone out there use this gunsight? And do you have the same issues? Or maybe there is some activating thing about these sights I don't know about or dimmer function?
Thanks for any help!
SA
 
Absolutely normal. The tritium is plenty bright when your eyes have adjusted to the dark. The sight is both day and night visible when the naturally diminishing light levels occur throughout the day. Going from lights on to lights off is a different story. Then again, if you're shooting in complete darkness you need to see your target before you see your sights, which means you need a light on your rifle. Even with the weapon mounted light, the reflex sights are not overly bright. The compromise there is that using a light on your rifle is intended for short(er) ranges where absolute shot placement isn't absolutely necessary. The reflex is a great sight but it does fall short of an electronic reddot in low-no light environments.

TW25B
 
TW25B said:
Absolutely normal. The tritium is plenty bright when your eyes have adjusted to the dark. The sight is both day and night visible when the naturally diminishing light levels occur throughout the day. Going from lights on to lights off is a different story. Then again, if you're shooting in complete darkness you need to see your target before you see your sights, which means you need a light on your rifle. Even with the weapon mounted light, the reflex sights are not overly bright. The compromise there is that using a light on your rifle is intended for short(er) ranges where absolute shot placement isn't absolutely necessary. The reflex is a great sight but it does fall short of an electronic reddot in low-no light environments.

TW25B
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Thank you for the info. I'm glad it wasn't just me. Your observations concur with my experience. I have a light on the rifle and it is exactly what you said...not very bright at all with the Reflex in the dark.
It is really not the best design for night shooting since you will lose your night vision once you turn on the WML and the dot disappears again! It is also bad for transitioning between light and dark scenarios. Anyone know if Trijicon's newer Reflex systems are brighter at night?
 
The dual illuminated RMR are better, but the Reflex sights rely on ambient light and a little tritium... Can't have your cake and eat it too!

I'll show you my Holosun 403g next time I have the Valtro out... It senses ambient light conditions and adjusts to them. In the dark the red dot is faint, but stands out as its dark. Turn the lights on/use your flashlight and the dot intensifies. Works pretty well for an inexpensive system.
 
Phat Eagle said:
The dual illuminated RMR are better, but the Reflex sights rely on ambient light and a little tritium... Can't have your cake and eat it too!

I'll show you my Holosun 403g next time I have the Valtro out... It senses ambient light conditions and adjusts to them. In the dark the red dot is faint, but stands out as its dark. Turn the lights on/use your flashlight and the dot intensifies. Works pretty well for an inexpensive system.
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Why do I sense my wallet getting lighter everytime you show up??
 
Still alive said:
Thank you for the info. I'm glad it wasn't just me. Your observations concur with my experience. I have a light on the rifle and it is exactly what you said...not very bright at all with the Reflex in the dark.
It is really not the best design for night shooting since you will lose your night vision once you turn on the WML and the dot disappears again! It is also bad for transitioning between light and dark scenarios. Anyone know if Trijicon's newer Reflex systems are brighter at night?
Click to expand...


Keep in mind that Trijicon primary makes optics for shooting people, that is military and LE uses. Generally speaking a soldier will be operating during the day and dusk. For night work they wouldn't be wandering around with a light turned on. Most likely they will be using NOD's and an infrared laser for aiming. For the indoor stuff you see where a white light is in use, a reflexive point and shoot method works well. For the LE users the reflex is not at it's best where they primarily use white lights and visible aiming devices.

TW25B
 
The downside to using fibre light pipes to illuminate the reticule, is when you are in shady area, aiming out onto bright daylight. Say like under a range shelter roof, but shooting out at targets that are bright summer day. Its called "wash out".

Its not just the Trijicons either, Mepro M21, which I believe is standard issue for the IDF soldiers on Tavors and X-95's, has this problem too: under some conditions there is not enough sunlight getting to the reticule for the bright terrain and target... but the tritium element is also way too weak to compensate. The Israeli solution? They basically took a keychain LED flashlight and mount it to the sight.

For owners of the ACOG 3.5x scopes, you can put an inner tube over the scope body, and put a micro keychain light, or maybe a AAA light, or even have one of those tiny chemlights that are one inch long.

One of the Trijicon types seems to have an inconvenient location for the light pipe, up front, seems to make mounting a light to it... complicated. Maybe. I'd try finding a solution but I don't have one of those.
 
Thank you TW25B and RickR,
The simplest solution for me is to take the Eotech off my other gun and mount it to the AR! I thought I would give the Reflex a try since I own it anyways but I'm not liking the dimlight issues. I'm taking a rifle course in the US soon and there may be day/dark transition drills. I think the Trijicon may be a hindrance here.
TW25B, I see what you mean about building sights "for shooting people"! However, Eotech and Aimpoint also make sights for "shooting people". I think Trij is loosing out with their dependence on the tritium issue, kinda like Beta and VHS.
At least I know my sight is functioning as it should!
Thank you!
 
Still alive said:
Thank you TW25B and RickR,
The simplest solution for me is to take the Eotech off my other gun and mount it to the AR! I thought I would give the Reflex a try since I own it anyways but I'm not liking the dimlight issues. I'm taking a rifle course in the US soon and there may be day/dark transition drills. I think the Trijicon may be a hindrance here.
TW25B, I see what you mean about building sights "for shooting people"! However, Eotech and Aimpoint also make sights for "shooting people". I think Trij is loosing out with their dependence on the tritium issue, kinda like Beta and VHS.
At least I know my sight is functioning as it should!
Thank you!
Click to expand...

Trijicon is losing out more on the LE side than mil for sure. You can't shoot what you can't see and running around with a white light turned on is plain suicidal. It is bit frustrating that the trit/FO setup washes out under some conditions. Aimpoint and Eotech are both battery powered which means electronics and that means risk of failure. Eotech has issues and not just with their optics shutting off, so they aren't a clean sweep either. Electronic reddot optics are great but they have their limitations as well. I think you'll be better served with a reddot.

TW25B
 
TW25B said:
Trijicon is losing out more on the LE side than mil for sure. You can't shoot what you can't see and running around with a white light turned on is plain suicidal. It is bit frustrating that the trit/FO setup washes out under some conditions. Aimpoint and Eotech are both battery powered which means electronics and that means risk of failure. Eotech has issues and not just with their optics shutting off, so they aren't a clean sweep either. Electronic reddot optics are great but they have their limitations as well. I think you'll be better served with a reddot.

TW25B
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I guess that's why all these optics companies exist and have LE and Mil contracts. Different strokes for different folks. I saw TVPP's thread on the Eotechs not holding zero in extreme temps.
Everything eventually fails. That's why we have BUIS!
 
Still alive said:
I guess that's why all these optics companies exist and have LE and Mil contracts. Different strokes for different folks. I saw TVPP's thread on the Eotechs not holding zero in extreme temps.
Everything eventually fails. That's why we have BUIS!
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Mechanical devices do fail, but Eotech has been failing frequently for over a decade. I would stick with Trijicon and Aimpoint. Out of curiosity do you know how old your Trijicon reflex is??

TW25B
 
TW25B said:
Mechanical devices do fail, but Eotech has been failing frequently for over a decade. I would stick with Trijicon and Aimpoint. Out of curiosity do you know how old your Trijicon reflex is??

TW25B
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Bought it new a year and a half ago. Mounted it on my Tavor but took it off when I noticed the issues in the dark. Been sitting in the safe till a week ago when I thought I'll give it a second chance. I have a Micro T1 on another AR and I absolutely love it. Light, bright and holds zero beautifully.

120ish,
The Elcan is on my list but not anytime soon. Too many bills and upcoming trips! I played with them for the first time at SHOT this year and was very impressed. Even the fixed power mag one the Brits are using was very nice.
 
Still alive said:
Bought it new a year and a half ago. Mounted it on my Tavor but took it off when I noticed the issues in the dark. Been sitting in the safe till a week ago when I thought I'll give it a second chance. I have a Micro T1 on another AR and I absolutely love it. Light, bright and holds zero beautifully.

120ish,
The Elcan is on my list but not anytime soon. Too many bills and upcoming trips! I played with them for the first time at SHOT this year and was very impressed. Even the fixed power mag one the Brits are using was very nice.
Click to expand...

I hear you, and thats fully understandable. I am very lucky to have gotten the deals I have, they are not at all a bargin priced optic, that is for sure!
 
onetwentyish said:
I hear you, and thats fully understandable. I am very lucky to have gotten the deals I have, they are not at all a bargin priced optic, that is for sure!
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Thanks man! I appreciate quality stuff as do guys like you, mikethebike and Dilli. A Colt Canada AR and Elcan may have to be in my future! I would love a PGW Timberwolf with a S&B scope too. Unfortunately, most of us here don't go by the name Caramel!;)
 
Still alive said:
Thanks man! I appreciate quality stuff as do guys like you, mikethebike and Dilli. A Colt Canada AR and Elcan may have to be in my future! I would love a PGW Timberwolf with a S&B scope too. Unfortunately, most of us here don't go by the name Caramel!;)
Click to expand...

Yeah. If we can get another friendly government for 4 more years, I might look at a DTA SRS A1 in .338 in the future. But thats going to be a couple years budgets.... :(
 
Reflex sight

I have had a Reflex sight on my 45-70 for a few years and it has never failed.I like the no battery's need part and not affected by the cold. Walking across the yard in the dark or getting home in the dark that red dot is always there if needed. In bright sun light on white fur it is very easy to see or a not as bright dot on white fur in the dark also very easy to see

stay safe
pounder

 
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