I finally got my Meprolight Tru-Dot RDS Pro yesterday. This is essentially the full-blown IDF Meprolight M5 reflex sight, now available in the USA through The Mako Group:
http://www.themakogroup.com/
Mepro RDS PRO MIL-SPEC Red Dot Sight With 1.8 MOA
This thing ain't cheap, $695 regularly. I got mine for 30% off during a Black Friday sale making mine $486.50 with free shipping. The Mako Group is still running a 15% off sale on everything through the end of 2015. This price puts the RDS Pro nearly head-to-head price-wise with the Aimpoint Comp M4s:
Aimpoint - CompM4s
On to the goods...
No retail packaging here... Just a shipping box with a plastic bag inside:
The sight comes in a well-made pouch embroidered with the Meprolight logo. The closure is hook-and-loop on the front flap and the opposite side has dual belt loops:
Inside you'll find the sight, owner's manual, blower brush and microfiber cloth, and an Energizer Industrial AA battery. There are reports of this battery not delivering the expected life in this application (as well as leaking in some cases) so I'll be chucking it in favor of a Duracell Lithium. Reports have been good with this battery, at least with the other Mepro RDS models which precede the Tru-Dot RDS:
Battery installs from the front. Any worries about recoil momentarily interrupting the circuit (as on some EOTechs thus leading to re-orientation of their batteries to sideways) are soon dismissed as the thread-on cap (sealed by an O-ring) holds the battery against a long and heavy coil spring:
Here are several close-ups. Construction is hardcoat anodized forged aluminum upper and lower halves with polymer hood. Yes, polymer. I know this will disappoint many but the hood seems very rugged and durable and is (supposedly) what the IDF uses on their weapons. Polymer resists impacts and is resilient, unlike aluminum. And having the color molded in rather than anodized means the hood will stay black in color after some major abuse. One notable difference between this and the Tru-Dot RDS is the 5-position switch knob. This one is wider and highly serrated for a good grip. Settings are 0-4 with 0 being off and 1, 2, and 3 being decreasing brightness with 4 being night vision mode (which still yields a barely-visible red dot in a dark environment:
Underneath, mounting hardpoints (fixed side and quick-release side as well as top of rail) are steel. The full-width recoil lug is the only forged alloy part which contacts the weapon's rail:
1.8 MOA red dot at brightest and dimmest settings... Not as bright as the Aimpoint PRO or Comp M4s I've looked through but seems bright enough with no bloom or distortion at the brightest setting. Brightest setting is more than enough when viewed point blank against a white wall illuminated with my 630-lumen Streamlight TLR-1 HL weapon-mounted light.
Let's dispel another myth about these Meprolight RDS... Multiple sources say these have a single-element prism. They do not. Careful examination will reveal at least three pieces of glass: the front and rear windows and one in the main body above the emitter. This glass is absolutely crystal clear and the field of view is far superior to any Aimpoint or EOTech I have ever seen.
So, how does it look on my Tavor? Form follows function with Israeli-made gear so I'd say pretty badass:
And, of course, the co-witness is perfect with my Tavor's backup irons. This is out-of-the-box; I have not adjusted the RDS yet:
Here are the specifications pages from the owner's manual. The one-year warranty is far surpassed by Aimpoint's ten-year warranty. The red dot blinks to warn of impending battery failure:
Is this sight worth the money? Only you can decide that. Personally, I'd not normally spend $700 on a red dot. I'm not a soldier or a soldier wanna-be. But I do want a dead-reliable sight I can depend on when it counts most and the IDF pedigree ensures a battle-proven performer and with a hefty discount bringing the price under $500 shipped, I can justify the expense. I can't say what distinguishes this from the much more economical Tru-Dot RDS ($400 before discount) other than the hood and control knob. For most, I'd say that sight will do the job just fine and for $280 during Mako's Black Friday sale and $340 until the end of this year, it's a no-brainer. But if you've got the coin and you want the very best in Meprolight's RDS line, the Tru-Dot RDS Pro is it.
I'll update this post after I get to the range. I also plan to add the MX-3 magnifier to my rig. When I do I'll add to this post as well.
http://www.themakogroup.com/
Mepro RDS PRO MIL-SPEC Red Dot Sight With 1.8 MOA
This thing ain't cheap, $695 regularly. I got mine for 30% off during a Black Friday sale making mine $486.50 with free shipping. The Mako Group is still running a 15% off sale on everything through the end of 2015. This price puts the RDS Pro nearly head-to-head price-wise with the Aimpoint Comp M4s:
Aimpoint - CompM4s
On to the goods...
No retail packaging here... Just a shipping box with a plastic bag inside:
The sight comes in a well-made pouch embroidered with the Meprolight logo. The closure is hook-and-loop on the front flap and the opposite side has dual belt loops:
Inside you'll find the sight, owner's manual, blower brush and microfiber cloth, and an Energizer Industrial AA battery. There are reports of this battery not delivering the expected life in this application (as well as leaking in some cases) so I'll be chucking it in favor of a Duracell Lithium. Reports have been good with this battery, at least with the other Mepro RDS models which precede the Tru-Dot RDS:
Battery installs from the front. Any worries about recoil momentarily interrupting the circuit (as on some EOTechs thus leading to re-orientation of their batteries to sideways) are soon dismissed as the thread-on cap (sealed by an O-ring) holds the battery against a long and heavy coil spring:
Here are several close-ups. Construction is hardcoat anodized forged aluminum upper and lower halves with polymer hood. Yes, polymer. I know this will disappoint many but the hood seems very rugged and durable and is (supposedly) what the IDF uses on their weapons. Polymer resists impacts and is resilient, unlike aluminum. And having the color molded in rather than anodized means the hood will stay black in color after some major abuse. One notable difference between this and the Tru-Dot RDS is the 5-position switch knob. This one is wider and highly serrated for a good grip. Settings are 0-4 with 0 being off and 1, 2, and 3 being decreasing brightness with 4 being night vision mode (which still yields a barely-visible red dot in a dark environment:
Underneath, mounting hardpoints (fixed side and quick-release side as well as top of rail) are steel. The full-width recoil lug is the only forged alloy part which contacts the weapon's rail:
1.8 MOA red dot at brightest and dimmest settings... Not as bright as the Aimpoint PRO or Comp M4s I've looked through but seems bright enough with no bloom or distortion at the brightest setting. Brightest setting is more than enough when viewed point blank against a white wall illuminated with my 630-lumen Streamlight TLR-1 HL weapon-mounted light.
Let's dispel another myth about these Meprolight RDS... Multiple sources say these have a single-element prism. They do not. Careful examination will reveal at least three pieces of glass: the front and rear windows and one in the main body above the emitter. This glass is absolutely crystal clear and the field of view is far superior to any Aimpoint or EOTech I have ever seen.
So, how does it look on my Tavor? Form follows function with Israeli-made gear so I'd say pretty badass:
And, of course, the co-witness is perfect with my Tavor's backup irons. This is out-of-the-box; I have not adjusted the RDS yet:
Here are the specifications pages from the owner's manual. The one-year warranty is far surpassed by Aimpoint's ten-year warranty. The red dot blinks to warn of impending battery failure:
Is this sight worth the money? Only you can decide that. Personally, I'd not normally spend $700 on a red dot. I'm not a soldier or a soldier wanna-be. But I do want a dead-reliable sight I can depend on when it counts most and the IDF pedigree ensures a battle-proven performer and with a hefty discount bringing the price under $500 shipped, I can justify the expense. I can't say what distinguishes this from the much more economical Tru-Dot RDS ($400 before discount) other than the hood and control knob. For most, I'd say that sight will do the job just fine and for $280 during Mako's Black Friday sale and $340 until the end of this year, it's a no-brainer. But if you've got the coin and you want the very best in Meprolight's RDS line, the Tru-Dot RDS Pro is it.
I'll update this post after I get to the range. I also plan to add the MX-3 magnifier to my rig. When I do I'll add to this post as well.
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