View Full Version : Primary Arms?
In my efforts to find the perfect optic I have looked at eotech, aimpoint, trijicon and many others. Then a guy shows me an m3 clone made by primary arms. Has anyone had any experience with these? After looking at the website the price seems to be TO good at around 70 dollars USD for the optic. He seems to like it, but anything that is a "clone" much less "made in china" makes me nervous. Just hoping to get some reviews before i try one out.
Those cheap Chinese units will likely work fine for awhile, aren't likely to be in it for the long haul. If you only shoot a few hundred rounds a year, aren't going to use it to take any carbine training courses, aren't going to get it wet, and don't depend on your rifle to save your life, those cheap RDS at Primary Arms may well work just fine for you.
Primary Arms optics don't belong on a defensive rifle. They're fine for plinkers and range toys where if they fail it's just a bummer. If you intend to use your rifle for anything serious spend the money on a quality optic.
I currently have two Primary Arms M3 clone RDS and sold a third Micro off last year.
They're probably the best of the various inexpensive RDS out there. I use them on a pair of .22LR rifles, one an AR and the other a SIG. They will hold up to a moderate amount of centerfire use, and will probably last years on a light recoiling rimfire. They hold zero well in this usage.
However, I have no illusions that they are appropriate for a duty rig or even a self-defense gun. The owner of Primary Arms is very up front about these being intended for recreational use only. Failures are uncommon, but they do happen - and they are nowhere near as durable as an Aimpoint.
One thing they are very good for (IMO, anyway) is proof of concept. I bought one of their Micro clones with riser back when they first came out to try the concept of a small body RDS before I took the plunge with a T1. I toyed with it on several carbines with the intent of leaving it on a rimfire if the concept worked out for me. As it turned out, I do not care for the smaller diameter RDS - but I was only out a few bucks after I resold the PA. I would have lost a lot more if I had bought the T1 without first trying the functionally equivalent PA Micro.
Clone sights aren't inherently evil, but they have a very specific place.
Well said. I am looking for an RDS for one of those "evil" 16" DPMS rifles that is used for range time and small varmint hunting use. Is it a Defensive rifle? Um...no. My Defensive rifle is a shotgun! Anyhow, I will get one and see how it works and will post the results. Thank (you) for the positive feedback.
Whootsinator
01-02-11, 10:21
You hear what you want to hear. You want to hear us say that it is a great idea to not get ripped off by Aimpoint for a lesser product, that it's fine to buy a cheap Chinese clone of an Aimpoint because it will do just as well if not better.
It's not the truth... but it doesn't matter, because you've already made up your mind. Don't waste our time if you don't care.
All of that aside, Primary Arms makes a decent optic for being a Chinese clone. As previously mentioned it doesn't belong on a hard use duty carbine, but it would do very nicely on a .22lr training upper, or as a cheap alternative on a non 'go-to' carbine.
EDIT - previous posts in this thread by various users have been deleted by the moderating staff, and my post now seems pretty unwarranted. I assure you it was justified.
HeavyDuty pretty much nailed my thought process on the PA. I wanted to see if I liked the micro rds before dropping the coin on a T1 too and haven't been disappointed with the PA.
So far it's held zero after 1k or so rounds of .223. Now I'm saving up for a T1 and the PA will move over to my Tac Sol .22 upper.
GLOCKMASTER
01-02-11, 10:24
The OP asked an honest question about an optic. No need to drag anything else into this thread.
I bought one just to try it out. I got it zeroed then took it off my rifle, threw it on the ground, kicked it around in the dirt, Put it back on the rifle and it held zero. Your not gonna be able to be as rough on them as you would an Aimpoint, you can't leave the batteries on because the battery life will never be up to par of an Aimpoint (But still better than my EoTech). The dot isn't quite a dot more of an oval shape. The brightness settings are plenty bright even in direct sunlight. The mount seems pretty sturdy. It is what it is. It's a cheap knock off of a Micro BUT it is the highest quality knock off your gonna find. Get one try it out, if you really like it then save your cash and buy the real deal.
I have the multi reticle m3 since it has a 2 moa dot and it works very well. Over 1000 rounds and still no loss of zero and no issues at all.
Thank you for the productive feedback!
One thing you may want to consider if you get a PA M3 clone is upgrading from the PA mount to something better. The PA mount works well and is solid, but it isn't QD and isn't really designed to RTZ.
If you think you're likely to purchase an Aimpoint at some future date you'll need an aftermarket (LaRue, ADM, Bobro, etc.) mount anyways.
It hurts a bit to put a PA RDS into a LaRue mount that costs more than the sight, but there it is. One of mine is in a LT-150, and the other is going in a LT-152 when it gets here - both were picked up used to save a few bucks.
I will stay out of the debate but do want to clarify one thing. None of our PA branded products violate any current patent or have a fake logo.
Marshall
The company as a whole is VERY easy to deal with and has outstanding shipping service in my experience. Their warranty isn't bad either.
I have the M3 clone and Im plenty happy with it so far. Though honestly, I haven't thumped mine really at all. Mostly just slung over my back tromping through the woods. Its held zero while on the gun, but had shifted once after taking it off and putting it back on. But thats more of a mounting issue if I had to guess. I use the cantilever mount. I don't put my life behind the carbine its on so I don't worry too much about it failing.
I, like what has been said, like the concept of trying cheap before you dive into a 400+ optic. I'll more than likely pick up a genuine Aimpoint if for nothing else than warranty and battery life.
I just happened to have made a video of mine mounted on an 6920 earlier today out of sheer boredom. This will give a decent idea and closer look at it mounted.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqDkedXHLcY
I have three, two micros and on M3. All work very well for their intended purposes. One is on a dedicated .22 upper, one is on a game AR and one is on an 18" AR at 1 o'clock just for matches(this one has a magnified optic as primary and BUIS as backup for regular use. For these uses they're really hard to beat.
For serious use, I have two Aimpoint Micro's.
One thing they are very good for (IMO, anyway) is proof of concept. I bought one of their Micro clones with riser back when they first came out to try the concept of a small body RDS before I took the plunge with a T1. I toyed with it on several carbines with the intent of leaving it on a rimfire if the concept worked out for me. As it turned out, I do not care for the smaller diameter RDS - but I was only out a few bucks after I resold the PA. I would have lost a lot more if I had bought the T1 without first trying the functionally equivalent PA Micro.
Exactly right.
i never used a red dot before and was interested in trying out the concept before I took the plunge for my 6920. I put a primary arms micro on my SW AR15-22 and loved it. Just bought a R1 on closeout to mount on the 6920. Now my practice rifle is configured as my battle rifle is going to be. Makes for a great training tool.
Fuzzy-Reticle
01-04-11, 16:16
I have purchased two optics from PA (Micro Clone and a 4X) and both worked as advertised. PA makes no bones about it that these are not "Bet Your ASS on them" optics but perfect for recreational shooting. They are quailty and work very well. PA is a stand up company and stands behind their products. Easy to deal with and they firmly believe in customer service.
If anything Aimpoint should thank PA for making them. I know Aimpoint makes bombproof optics but I wasn't sure I would like one and was not ready to spend mega bucks to find out only to go through the hassle of selling it if I didn't like it. Turns out I did and I bought one after getting the PA.
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