When people hear Trijicon, most immediately think about ACOG scopes. However, they have also built a reputation for manufacturing top-quality red dot sights. The Trijicon SRO and RMR are two of their top-selling optics.
At first glance, they have roughly the same features. In this post, we’ll dive deeper and perform a detailed comparison of the Trijicon SRO vs RMR dot sights. After testing both red dots, I determined the Trijicon RMR was the best option for me. Read on to see which sight is best for your specific needs.
Which Is Best: Trijicon SRO vs RMR?
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HuntersHalt: #1 Choice
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Pros:
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Cons:
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- Very Durable - Thick Aluminum Housing
- Better Pricing Than SRO
- Compact Size Perfect For Concealed Carry Handgun
- Smaller Objective Window Size
- Only 1 Dot Size
- 3 Reticle Size Options
- Large Field Of View
- Premium Quality
- More Expensive Than RMR
- Designed Only For Handguns
In this comparison of Trijicon pistol red dots, I will be directly comparing the 3.25 MOA RMR vs the 2.5 MOA SRO red dot. I have run red dot sights from every major brand. Few make pistol red dot sights as reliable and accurate as Trijicon.
I tested just about every aspect of these optics to determine which optic was the best.
- Distance Performance: Short, medium, and long-range tests.
- Quality Tests: Toughness tested in various conditions.
- Lighting Performance: Bright & low lighting condition tests.
What Is The Trijicon RMR?
- Very Durable - Thick Aluminum Housing
- Better Pricing Than SRO
- Compact Size Perfect For Concealed Carry Handgun
- Smaller Objective Window Size
- Only 1 Dot Size
The Trijicon RMR is one of Trijicon’s premium red dot optics. RMR stands for “Ruggedized Miniature Reflex”. The thicker aluminum housing makes this micro red dot one of the most durable optics on the market. This design features brand-new windage and elevation buttons that make zeroing your red dot super easy. The modern settings on brands like Trijicon & EOTech make zeroing your optic easy!
What Is The Trijicon SRO?
- 3 Reticle Size Options
- Large Field Of View
- Premium Quality
- More Expensive Than RMR
- Designed Only For Handguns
The Trijicon SRO is a top-notch micro red dot optic. SRO stands for Specialized Reflex Optic. This optic comes in 3 different reticle sizes which makes it one of the best holographic red dot optics. With a battery life of up to 3 years and 8 different brightness settings, the SRO fits the use case for all types of shooters.
Test #1: Durability & Strength
When it comes to overall durability, I am going to give the Trijicon RMR the win. The RMR is known for it’s durability. This has been apparent in my other comparisons, such as deltapoint pro vs rmr red dot sights. The SRO has a larger window & optic housing. This alone makes it a bigger target to get caught in your bag or get damaged by something in the surrounding environment.
The combination of a small viewing window and thicker aluminum housing makes the RMR both tough and durable. I have used my RMR is all sorts of rugged conditions. I’ve even dropped it more times than I’d like to admit. Never had an issue. The durability of the RMR reminded me closes of the EOTech EXPS & XPS. Check them out if you’re interested.
Winner: Trijicon RMR
Test #2: Price Comparison
Both the RMR & SRO optic are priced similarly. These are premium optics and are priced as such. As of the day of this review, the RMR is about $20-50 cheaper. The Trijicon RMR was also much easier to get my hands on. For whatever reason, the SRO had limited availability online.
For me, the price difference is not significant enough to be a real factor. Compared to popular optics like the Holosun 507k & 407k, neither sight is considered cheap. But both are priced fairly in my opinion. However, the Trijicon RMR is the cheaper option & is the more budget-friendly choice.
Winner: Trijicon RMR
Test #3: Battery Life
The SRO & RMR both employ a CR2032 battery. In my opinion, this battery type is pretty much standard as far as red dots go. However, there are some differences when it comes to battery installation and removal.
- RMR – You have to physically remove the RMR from your weapon in order to swap batteries.
- SRO – The SRO has a top-mounted battery. For me, this is the preferred design because I do not need to remove the optic from my pistol slide to swap batteries.
Even though the SRO has the superior top-side batter design, I rated this category a tie. This is because the SRO top battery plate can be too easily damaged. At the end of the day, I rarely have to change my battery quickly out in the field. If the SRO battery plate gets damaged it can be quite difficult to get a screwdriver in there to open it. For me personally, the battery life category is a draw.
Winner: Draw
Test #4: Adjustability
At first, I was going to give the edge to the SRO. After all, it does have 3 different dot size options. But for me, the 3.25 MOA red dot is all I need on a concealed carry handgun optic. If you need to understand the difference MOA makes, check our post on 3 MOA & 6 MOA dots. It really comes down to personal preference.
The RMR can be used with a variety of different weapons. It’s compatible with shotguns, handguns, carbines, and more. The SRO is primarily a micro pistol optic.
Additionally, the RMR gave me the ability to install a co-witness sight in front or behind the optic. Most of the best red dots with rmr footprint have great adjustability.
Even though I don’t plan on moving my iron sights around, it is still nice to have the adjustability. We’ll explore more about that in the next section. The Trijicon RMR is the more adjustable optic.
Winner: Trijicon RMR
Test #5: Co-Witnessing & Backup Sighting
When it comes to co-witnessing and backup sighting I rated the Trijicon RMR as the clear winner. This is for two main reasons.
- Mounting Flexibility – You can mount the co-witness iron sights in front of or behind the optic. The extended hood on the SRO makes it impossible to mount the co-witness sight in front of the optic. Even though I generally stick to this guide on how to move rear pistol sights, I still like to have flexibility.
- Backup Sighting – In the event that your battery dies 0r breaks backup sighting becomes important. If the RMR sight is completely obstructed, I found that you can more easily aim at a target using the top of the housing. The SRO has a larger window and is more difficult to sight a target when the glass is obstructed.
Winner: Trijicon RMR
Test #6: Versatility
The SRO can be purchased in 3 different dot sizes: 1 MOA, 2.5 MOA, and 5 MOA. This makes means the SRO can be used to aim accurately from a variety of different distances.
However, the durability of the RMR-mounted red dot gives it an edge in a variety of different environments. This makes it effective in the rugged conditions of combat and the fast-paced situations of home defense. So even though the RMR only comes in the 3.25 MOA dot size I call it a draw. In my opinion, both the SRO and RMR are more versatile than cheaper alternatives like the Aimpoint T2 or Comp M5. You get what you pay for.
Winner: Draw
Test #7: Sight Size & Footprint
There is no double that the Trijicon RMR is the smaller optic.
- Length: 1.8″ [RMR]; 2.2″ [SRO]
- Width: 1.1″ [RMR]; 1.3″ [SRO]
- Height: 1″ [RMR]; 1.4″ [SRO]
- Weight: 1.2 oz [RMR]; 1.6 oz[SRO]
One benefit of the larger SRO optic is that it is compatible with suppressor height iron sights. Regardless, most concealed carry weapon owners value a compact optic. The Trijicon RMR gets the win.
Winner: Trijicon RMR
Test #8: Lens & Reticle Quality
I read reviews from some customers saying that RMR had superior lens and reticle quality compared to the SRO. After testing both for several weeks, I just don’t see a difference. Both of these are premium optics constructed with top-of-the-line aluminum and glass. When I sight in my target with both optics, I get a clear sight picture. I’ll call this a draw. At the end of the day, both these optics have better lens quality then competitors like the acro c2 vs p2 red dots!
Winner: Draw
Test #9: Ease of Use
For me, the viewing window on the Trijicon SRO makes it easier to use. The object window size is 25 x 22.5 mm which gives a crystal clear view of the target. For a beginner, I would say that the SRO makes it easier to find the dot, lock in on your target, and track follow-up shots.
Winner: Trijicon SRO
Test #10: Popularity
From what I can tell from talking to my friends and reading customer reviews, the RMR is the more popular optic. It is not shocking to me that the cheaper optic is more popular. However, after thoroughly testing both sights, I can see why more shooters opt for the RMR. It is a very durable and reliable red dot sight that can interface with a variety of weapons.
Winner: Draw
Trijicon Reputation
Trijicon is known to make top-of-the-line red dot & reflex sights. Hunters, weekend shooters, and even military special forces employ Trijicon optics.
The company was founded by Glyn Bindon & is headquartered in Wixom, Michigan. Unlike many other optic manufacturers, Trijicon sights are 100% made in the USA. Other optic brands are notorious for outsourcing low-quality manufacturing to countries like China & the Philippines.
How It Stacks Up To The Competition
There is no doubt that the Trijicon SRO and RMR optics are great. But we all have our own preferences when it comes to red dot sights. It all comes down to your use cases. For example, the best red dot sight for turkey hunting is going to be totally different than the best pistol dot sight.
Other brands make great optics so you should shop around and see which red dot works best for your specific needs!
FAQs – Trijicon RMR vs SRO
Do Special Forces use RMR?
Is RMR cut the same as SRO?
Has the Trijicon SRO been discontinued?
Does the Trijicon SRO turn on automatically?
Does the RMR and SRO use the same mount?
Is the SRO night vision compatible?
The Bottom Line
There is no double that Trijicon makes premium optics. The SRO and RMR are two of their very best. Hopefully, this detailed comparison helped your decision between the Trijicon SRO vs RMR even easier.
After testing both red dot sights, I determined that the Trijicon RMR was the best option for me.
At the end of the day, both optics are great and I don’t think you can go wrong either way! Let us know which optic you choose.
- Very Durable - Thick Aluminum Housing
- Better Pricing Than SRO
- Compact Size Perfect For Concealed Carry Handgun
- Smaller Objective Window Size
- Only 1 Dot Size
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