Primary Arms 1-6 scope

[lunchbox]

Is this for the 1-4, or the 1-6 (the topic of this thread)?

The 1-4, your right I should have stated. I don't want to come off as saying PA is bad, I was just saying the only problems I've ever had from PA was a scope.

[7.62WildBill]

Now that y'all have had these for a while, would you recommend them? How well does the reticle work?

[jesuvuah]

Funny that this thread just came back up. I was shooting mine yesterday and it died on the first mag. Most likely a lemon as many people have head better results. I am sure they will take care of me but it does not leave me with much confidence in the optic. The reticle set up is the best I have seen in a variable honestly. Everything you need and nothing you don't. I kinda was vortex made this reticle in their pst line, that would be great.

[MSparks909]

Now that y'all have had these for a while, would you recommend them? How well does the reticle work?

The reticle works well for me from close in to 500+ yards. It is very similar to the Eotech reticle and is quick to pick up. I ran my 1-6x yesterday in a Vicker's Basic Carbine class. My scope held zero perfectly and the magnification was nice to have in certain instances. I did not feel handicapped by the reticle during any portion of the course, but I did feel handicapped by the weight of my setup by the end of the day. The PA 1-6x + the LaRue LT-139 mount I'm running comes in at roughly 25 oz. (1 lb. 9 oz). The rifle the scope is mounted on is a DDV5 16" gov't profile barrel with a 12" quad rail. At the end of the class I handled several students rifles that were wearing Aimpoint T1's and Vickers personal super lightweight BCM middy, and the handling of their much lighter rifles was night and day different than mine. Needless to say it has me re-thinking my choice in running a variable optic on my 16" rifle. I may build a 18-20" rifle length gas/receiver setup and throw this optic/mount on that and install a T1 and some fixed DD irons on my DD. And maybe that new 13" BCM keymod rail (which is really light).

[Neville]

Any idea which the lightest 1-4 optic is?

[MSparks909]

Some of the Leupold models are pretty light. Can't think of which model off the top of my head.

[B Cart]

The reticle works well for me from close in to 500+ yards. It is very similar to the Eotech reticle and is quick to pick up. I ran my 1-6x yesterday in a Vicker's Basic Carbine class. My scope held zero perfectly and the magnification was nice to have in certain instances. I did not feel handicapped by the reticle during any portion of the course, but I did feel handicapped by the weight of my setup by the end of the day. The PA 1-6x + the LaRue LT-139 mount I'm running comes in at roughly 25 oz. (1 lb. 9 oz). The rifle the scope is mounted on is a DDV5 16" gov't profile barrel with a 12" quad rail. At the end of the class I handled several students rifles that were wearing Aimpoint T1's and Vickers personal super lightweight BCM middy, and the handling of their much lighter rifles was night and day different than mine. Needless to say it has me re-thinking my choice in running a variable optic on my 16" rifle. I may build a 18-20" rifle length gas/receiver setup and throw this optic/mount on that and install a T1 and some fixed DD irons on my DD. And maybe that new 13" BCM keymod rail (which is really light).

This pretty much sums up my experience as well. I have the PA 1-6 on my precision AR, and love it, but I run an Eotech and Aimpoint on my other 12" and 16" guns for weight savings.

As for the PA 1-6 with ACSS reticle, it works really well for close to medium range engagements, and I like the reticle much better than most other variable optics out there. I have shot mine effectively out to 600 yards with M855, M193, and heavier bullets, and the scope has performed as advertised. I have shot this side by side with other variable optics, including the Vortex PST 1-4, Burris MTAC, and SWFA 1-6, and the PA scope performed just as well or better than most. The glass on the Vortex and SWFA were slightly crisper, but barely noticeable, and super expensive high quality glass isn't as big of a game changer in a lower (4-6x) power optics in my opinion. You notice it much more in higher power optics, but for a low power variable optic, the glass in the PA 1-6 is very adequate, especially for $250.

I would say that the biggest downsides of the PA 1-6 are the weight, and the illumination isn't really daylight visible. Also, it is still a $250 optic, so it most likely isn't built as durable as the Vortex, SWFA, or some of the other high end $2,000 + variable optics. Mine has been flawless so far in an ADM Recon mount, for the couple hundred rounds I have on it, but I haven't shot with it enough yet to really test it's durability. But so far, for $250, it seems like a definite winner.

[glocktogo]

Any idea which the lightest 1-4 optic is?

None of the true 1-4 variables with 30mm tubes and illuminated reticles are very light. The closest I've found is the Leupold VX-R Patrol 1.25-4X, which weighs a mere 11.5 oz. By comparison, a 1" tubed Nikon M-223 1-4X with no illumination weighs 14 oz.

By comparison, the following 30mm illuminated 1-4's weigh:

Trijicon Accupoint: 14.4 (some complain of a "fisheye" effect with this scope, but it's very clear and bright)
IOR Valdada: 16 (1.1-4)
Vortex Viper PST: 16.2
Burris MTAC: 17
Bushnell AR: 17.3
SWFA: 17.5
Millett DMR: 18.4
Schmidt & Bender Short Dot: 18.7 (1.1-4)
Meopta ZD: 19.4

I don't see any of these that can compare when it comes to weight and balance. If you require true 1X capability and want a light optic, I'd highly recommend looking at the Leupold VX-6 Multigun. It's the same weight as the Trijicon Accupoint 1-4, only $57 more at SWFA and it's a 1-6X. Given the funds, it would be my hands down choice for a magnified optic on a 14.5-18" AR.

[44Dave]

Are there any updates to the long term durability of the PA 1-6?

[Singlestack Wonder]

Are there any updates to the long term durability of the PA 1-6?

Hasn't been out long enough for any long term durability data. Since it is yet another low end chi com optic, I wouldn't consider it for any serious use.