Primary Arms Micro Red Dot W/ 3x Magnifier Review

[Gooch_]

Hey guys I'm wrapping up my first AR15 build and I needed to decide on an optic. I wanted close range, fast target acquisition capability but didn't want to be completely limited when shooting at distance. The rifle will mostly be used at the range and plinking. It will however be used to hog hunt from time to time. The farthest shot I can see myself making is 150 yards for now. I was between the red dot and a 1-4x scope but decided against the scope since I'm on a budget and didn't want to get into the scope game on the low end of quality.

I decided on a micro red dot complimented by a long eye relief 3x magnifier from primary Arms. First off let me say they're customer service is amazing. My experience with them has been excellent.

I purchased they're Micro Dot with removable base Gen 2 model: MD-RBGII
And they're 3x long eye relief magnifier Gen 3 model: PA3XLERGENIII
I paid $160 for the combo and in that price was a high rise mount for the micro red dot and a QD flip to the side mount for the magnifier. Setup is for lower 1/3 cowitness.



Finish looks great, feels sturdy, and the glass is very clear and multi coated. They both came with bikini covers(magnifier covers are clear) they are both waterproof and fog resistant. The red dot is 2.4" long and the magnifier is 4.8". Roughly 8-8.5" setup depending on the space in between. The red dot weighs 3.8oz. And the magnifier weighs 7.3oz. A whopping 11.1oz.

The red dot

1/2 MOA click value
2MOA dot
Parallax free past 50 yards
11 brightness settings
Night vision compatible on 1-2
1,000hr battery life on daylight setting
CR2032 included

Here it is on 6 brightness outside on a rainy overcast day


Here it is on 11 (much brighter in person)
The dot is sharp and smaller on lower brightness settings.

The magnifier

2.8" of eye relief
Field of view 42.6'/100yards
30mm tube
Internal adjustment for el/win to center dot
Diopter for focusing



11 brightness through the magnifier
at 20yds(give or take)


Red dot at 100 yards (give or take)

Red dot with 3x magnification at 100 yards (give or take)


All in all..... I'm happy with it. On they're website it states that they are not aimpoint grade but I think it will work well for my purposes. I'll post a range report when I can.

Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.
-Robert E. Howard

[Airhasz]

Enjoy, inexpensive way to start enjoying you rifle with optics.

[GH41]

The finish on that thing looks like paint. Look at the dull edges in pic 3 and 5. If you think you will never be able to afford an Aimpoint I guess this is an option. If you can afford to wait, save and buy the PRO. Buy once cry once. There is more to value than price.

[sadmin]

It's a good start but upgrade someday, I've broken 2 and I'm a regular joe. More importantly though, great review!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Gooch_]

The finish on that thing looks like paint. Look at the dull edges in pic 3 and 5. If you think you will never be able to afford an Aimpoint I guess this is an option. If you can afford to wait, save and buy the PRO. Buy once cry once. There is more to value than price.

It's a good start but upgrade someday, I've broken 2 and I'm a regular joe. More importantly though, great review!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks, I did this partly because I couldn't find a lot of sight pictures of the primary arms stuff. I'm pretty impressed with the quality for the price.

I probably could afford an aimpoint if I really wanted. I know "you get what you pay for and all that" but I'm not going to Afghanistan with it. I wasn't even sure what I wanted for optics. It was between a red dot and a low power variable scope. This will do for my purposes for now. I know a good scope would work perfectly for what I'm going to do with this rifle since scopes are something I have experience with. This is my first AR15 so I figured I would see how I like red dot sights until I can decide/save up for a scope. I'm gonna use it and if it breaks then I'll decide if I'm in love with magnified red dots or if I'm going to get a scope.


Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.
-Robert E. Howard

[Voodoo_Man]

Thanks for posting...


How many rounds have you shot with this combo on your AR?

Zero at what distance? Top of dot? Middle? Do you see zero shift with magnifier? At what Distance?

How fast is the acquisition with and without the magnified? Field of view changes with magnifier?

[Gooch_]

Thanks for posting...


How many rounds have you shot with this combo on your AR?

Zero at what distance? Top of dot? Middle? Do you see zero shift with magnifier? At what Distance?

How fast is the acquisition with and without the magnified? Field of view changes with magnifier?

All good questions....to which I will have will give you an answer once my rifle is complete. I'm almost done. I'll be picking up the last of the parts from the UPS center tomorrow.....it feels like the night before Christmas.

I'll be sure to post a range report the first chance I get. I plan to zero it at 50 yards and figure out my holdovers from there. I'm not sure if a 100 yard zero is a good idea but I might try it and see.


Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.
-Robert E. Howard

[MBtech]

Thanks, I did this partly because I couldn't find a lot of sight pictures of the primary arms stuff. I'm pretty impressed with the quality for the price.

I probably could afford an aimpoint if I really wanted. I know "you get what you pay for and all that" but I'm not going to Afghanistan with it. I wasn't even sure what I wanted for optics. It was between a red dot and a low power variable scope. This will do for my purposes for now. I know a good scope would work perfectly for what I'm going to do with this rifle since scopes are something I have experience with. This is my first AR15 so I figured I would see how I like red dot sights until I can decide/save up for a scope. I'm gonna use it and if it breaks then I'll decide if I'm in love with magnified red dots or if I'm going to get a scope.


Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.
-Robert E. Howard

I'm in the same boat, I'm trying out some cheaper options just to find out what I like best first....
then I will "buy once cry once". Makes no sense to me to go all out right off the bat and find out you don't care for it.
I've never had a red dot sight before, this looks like something I'd get just to give one a try for that price.

[Gooch_]

I've never had a red dot sight before, this looks like something I'd get just to give one a try for that price.

This ^

I've got a two year old who doesn't care what kind of optic I put on my ar15.......she wants to go to
"Mickey's Merry Christmas" .....so primary arms it is.


Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.
-Robert E. Howard

[Charlie Don't Surf]

It's a good start but upgrade someday, I've broken 2 and I'm a regular joe.

Two of the same optic as the OP? If so how did they break?