Trijicon SRS Review

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So I normally don't post reviews on TGO so I apologize if I'm a bit all over the place with my format.   

 

I picked up a Trijicon SRS02 back in April after selling off an TA31 ACOG which I very much loved.  My needs had changed and I really wanted a dedicated cqb optic for work, I am a Police Officer.  At the time there was not a lot of information on the SRS but I figured Trijicon had served me well for the past few years with the ACOG on my duty rifle as well as in Iraq (10th MTN) using another ACOG.  So when the SRS showed up at my door I was instantly excited.  Here is my impressions: Some good, some critically bad.

 

Upon initial inspection I noted the FOV is excellent.  I have used H1/T1s, M68s, and Acogs.  Of the group I feel the fastest with the SRS.  There is no tube effect, shooting both eyes open is easy, and the dot was small (1.75) and crisp.  The glass also appeared flawless as most Trijicon glass does.  I used this optic in a Gunsite carbine course and really found snap shooting to be a breeze.  However, the problem that seems to be prevalent in most other reviews of the circuit board being projected onto the reticle did occur.  When it did occur it was bright enough to obscure the red dot and render the optic useless.  Research led me to the killflash to fix the issue, which I purchased for an insane amount of money (I think $75-85) given the price of the optic at around $850.  This did fix the issue and I could not get the circuit board to interfere at all, but now that crystal clear glass is a screen door.  I got over this and tried to stay optimistic because I really forget the killflash is there when shooting.

 

The weight and size people generally complain about does not bother me.  I generally prefer full size optics and that is what I compare this against.  It does appear really big in pictures online but I think it has to do with the mount that came with it and the size of the objective lens.  I will concede it is on the heavier side but not absurd.  When holding the optic it feels built like a tank and leads me to believe the housing is indestructible much like an ACOG.

 

The next issue arose when the optic was dead when I pulled it out of my bag day 3 of training.  I figured no big deal it must have been an old battery Trijicon sent me, so I threw in a new battery and went back to training thinking all is well.  However, two days later that battery was dead.  The manual says approximately 3 years on battery alone.  I was averaging 3 days, a little short of their estimate.  So I threw in another battery and figured I will just keep the optic off when not in use, not optimal but doable.  I thought this was working, but I have since pulled the optic out and it was dead despite being left off in a gun case.  So, this last week I was qualifying some Officers on handguns and decided to check my zero.  What do you know the optic was dead.  So I put in another new battery as I have learned to keep a large stock of them with me.  I started checking my zero and the optic went out.  I pushed the buttons and it came back on.  Then a few shots later went off again and would not come back on.  Put in a new battery and started working again but then shut off but automatically came back on once more during recoil.  Needless to say this is unacceptable for an optic that someone is trusting their life to and for an optic in this price range.  My Primary Arms MD-06 has been more reliable and I bought it just for a range gun.

 

In conclusion the optic is on its way to the Trijicon factory as we speak.  I requested a refund or exchange for another product as I have no faith in the SRS, which I doubt Trijicon will go for.  It is a shame because I really wanted to like the optic, I am a Trijicon fanboy at heart (although now just an ACOG fanboy).  If it was reliable I would much prefer it over full size Aimpoints and ACOGs for my current needs.  I most likely will get an Aimpoint Pro because given the amount of money I sunk into the SRS I cannot afford to replace it with the ACOG I sold to get it.  In a perfect world I would have the ACOG Ecos in FDE but out of my budget now after this. 

 

Currently as a replacement I am using a Leupold 1.5-4x Mark AR Mod 1 Green Firedot SPR reticle that I had bought for a DMR rifle.  It is nice for the price point, but not what I am wanting to run on my primary.

 

Hope this helps with anyone looking at the optic.  Trijicon could have had a winner on their hands had they paid attention to the details.