Trijicon announced the new Specialized Reflex Optic (SRO) several days before the National Rifle Association Annual Meeting. Almost immediately, the internet exploded with speculation about what the SRO is and what it isn’t.
Many shooters see the SRO as a successor to the combat proven RMR. Trijicon reps were quick to refute that. Trijicon intends the SRO to fill the needs of competition shooters and intends the RMR to continue its position as their slide mounted combat optic.
I had a chance to discuss the new optic with Trijicon reps at the NRAAM. At first glance it is easy to see how the SRO could be mistaken for a RMR replacement. The SRO boasts the same black forged aluminum housing as the RMR. The SRO window has very similar coatings and the footprint of the SRO fits current RMR mounts and slide cuts.
The largest difference is in the size of the window. The SRO boasts taller and wider glass than the RMR. This should allow shooters to pickup the dot sooner and provide new optics users with easier dot acquisition. The SRO still retains the blue tint of the RMR’s coatings. However, the tint is not as dark and the gradient seems lighter. The lighter tint allows for a cleaner sight picture, but comes at the cost of battery life. This is due to more power required for the same apparent dot brightness. Trijicon states that the SRO will have approximately one year less battery life than the RMR in the same conditions.
The most appreciated physical difference between the RMR and the SRO is the top facing battery compartment on the SRO. The optic retains the same CR2032 battery, but allows shooters to change the battery without removing the optic from the slide. This reduces the chance for a zero shift and makes precautionary battery replacement less painful.
The physical appearance of the SRO is very similar to the RMR. The control buttons and the adjustment screws are in the same location. The most immediate difference is the forward shroud protecting the window. The window has been moved forward considerably to provide room for the top mounted battery cap.
While the SRO mounts on the same footprint as the RMR, the SRO will not work in all situations where the RMR did. The most notable of these is for Glock shooters with “irons forward” setups. In these situations, the rear sight occupies the area in front of the RMR cut that the SRO needs for the objective lens.
Trijicon currently does not recommend the SRO for combat applications. It was specifically intended for competition. This was reiterated to me several times during my conversation with Trijicon commercial and LE reps. That may be the case, but we were also told that during testing the SRO proved to be more durable than all other optics tested with the exception of the RMR. I was told the RMR placed first for durability with the SRO as second. Trijicon was tight lipped about who came in third.
When discussing the durability of the SRO versus the RMR, Trijicon reps stated that the SRO would withstand a shoulder high drop to concrete approximately 50% of the time without cracking the glass element. Of those times when the glass cracked, the optic was still usable without a loss of zero.
Although the SRO is designed for competition, it is likely that it will find service with Law Enforcement and civilians carrying concealed. The larger size of the SRO will cause some immediate problems for Law Enforcement.
Safariland is without a doubt, the most popular holster manufacturer with police officers in the US. The SRO will not fit in many of the red dot capable Safariland options without modification. Safariland told me that they are currently working on updates that will accommodate the forward placement of the SRO, but until then the current RMR capable models will require some minor modification.
Concealed carry should not pose much of a problem with the SRO. Many concealed IWB holsters leave the optic fully exposed and those that don’t may only need a little plastic trimming. The complaints that I have already heard focus on the larger size of the SRO. While this was a design feature, I don’t believe the added size will have a negative impact on concealability. The extra height of the optic is in a location that will end up right at the belt line. No matter if you are an appendix carry or behind the hip guy, the SRO should blend in just as well as the RMR.
After spending some time handling and looking at the SRO, I placed an order for one. The RMR will still be my daily carry, but the SRO has my interest.
If you are considering a Trijicon SRO or RMR, consider picking one up from EuroOptic and help support our site!