Trijicon RMR Dual-illumination Reflex Sight
TRIJICON Ruggedized Miniature Reflex (RMR) sights have a proven track record of reliability. Made from 7075-T6 aluminium and weighing only 43 grams, the RMR is a reliable after-market sight system that has definite advantages. The main one being that it speeds up target acquisition while using both eyes, which in turn provides the shooter with maximum situational awareness.
The RM08 sight that we tested is the dual-illuminated version which has no battery, and which, using fibre optics, automatically adjusts the reticle brightness to ambient light during the day, and illuminates in low or no light conditions using tritium. Windage and elevation can be adjusted.
The RM08 has an amber 12.9MOA triangle. Versions with a green triangle, or green or amber circles of various sizes, are also available. The triangle can be used in two ways: the tip of the triangle offers a fine aiming solution for precision shooting or shooting at distance, or, the entire triangle can be used for rapid acquisition at close range.
If you have an optics-ready pistol, the sight bolts directly to the slide, but for standard pistols you can use a baseplate (bought separately) which slots into the rear sight dovetail. I was supplied with a baseplate for a Glock and ordered another for my CZ75.
Initially, just using the RMR triangle without the help of iron sights (the back sight is no longer there and the front sight is too low) proved to be a difficult task and I soon learned that there is a trick to using a reflex sight. You should deliberately try not to search for the reticle but rather bring the pistol to target the same way as you have always done. This should automatically get the triangle in view. This means that your fundamentals of bringing the pistol on target should be perfect and consistent from shot to shot.
It took me a while to master but I still had too many occasions where I was hunting the triangle – something that’s not ideal for defence shooting. I decided to use a taller front sight on my CZ and stuck a small white triangle (cut from a sticker) to the back of the RMR. This meant I could use the front sight and sticker at the back to align for the shot. This simple solution helped me to align the sights consistently and instantly pick up the triangle.
For longer shots of about 15 metres and more, I was definitely able to shoot quicker as a result of faster target acquisition, and I scored better. At closer range, my time was marginally slower than with the iron sights. However, this should easily be improved with more range time.
For ageing eyes struggling to get the front sight in focus, the RMR is a good solution, on condition you can learn to pick up the triangle immediately. With the RMR there is nothing to get in focus and no parallax, you simply place the always-in-focus triangle on the target and shoot.
With the dual-illuminated system I found it hard to pick up the triangle when shooting from a shady spot or from inside a building at a target in bright sunlight. However, moving into the light resulted in an immediately bright reticle that was very easy to pick up. In semidark or dark conditions, the tritium-generated light was enough for pin-point shooting. If, like me, you find the reticle hard to pick up under certain conditions, then the battery-powered RMR is probably a better option.
The unit is small enough to be comfortable and unobtrusive when carrying, adding very little weight to my daily carry package. Moreover, with the RMR fitted, I was still able to use all my daily carry holsters.
Trijicon RMR sights are high quality products with a proven track record. Mounting options for various platforms, including rifles, are available. Selling online from about R11 300 they are not cheap, but you get superior quality for the price.