Trijicon never ceases to amaze with its meticulously crafted optics featuring breakthrough inventions.
This review will focus upon one of their amazing developments in the firearms optics market. The Trijicon RMR Type 2. An enhanced version of the famous Type 1 and introduced on the market in 2017. With features like four years of battery life, auto-brightness adjustment, and 20 meters of waterproof capability.
Let’s see what the hype is all about.
Trijicon RMR Type 2 Specs
The RMR Type 2 is a compact and very tough reflex sight that uses a single CR2032 battery and delivers an amazing battery life. The sight features a 3.25 MOA red dot with adjustable brightness.
- Eye Relief: Unlimited
- Adjustment Options
- Parallax: Virtually Free
- Windage: 150 MOA (1 MOA clicks)
- Elevation: 150 MOA (1 MOA clicks)
- Type of Reticle: Red dot
- Reticle Image:
- Magnification: 1x
- Objective Lens: 22x16 mm
- Field of View: Unlimited
- Weight: 1.2 ounces
- Battery Life: Four years at setting #4
Photo credit: thefirearmblog.com
Pros
The RMR 2 is a very popular reflex sight among civilian and defense users. The sight offers some great features that make it admirably different from most other options available on the market. Let’s find out what these are:
Rugged and Waterproof Construction
The RMR 2 is a compact reflex sight with an open design. The housing is high-grade aluminum that’s used for manufacturing weapons. Making it extremely durable and impervious to forces like shock and recoil.
On top of that, the sight is also submersible underwater up to a depth of 20 meters or 66 feet. This is something you can only expect from military-grade equipment. That’s Trijicon right there for you!
Good Dot Size With Adjustable Brightness
This RMR 2 model features a 3.25 MOA red dot. The size of the dot is neither too fine for long-range applications, nor too big to suit only close-quarter uses. The dot size is balanced to suit almost every situation you can tackle with a red dot sight.
The dot offers eight adjustable brightness settings with a plus and minus button located on the left and right side of the housing. The brightness can be set to automatic or manual adjustment modes.
Photo credit: trijicon.com
Great Battery Life & NV Compatible
Trijicon RMR 2 uses a single CR2032 battery and claims a battery life of four years with continuous use at setting four. Since the sight uses an LED for illumination and Trijicons are renowned for their long battery lives. This is absolutely not an exaggeration.
The sight also features an automatic brightness setting that self-activates after 16.5 hours of inactivity and brings the brightness level respective to ambient lighting conditions. Additionally, the sight is also compatible with night vision devices.
Cons
The RMR 2 is a great reflex sight. But it’s still prone to a few cons that can be general or subjective to every individual user.
Hectic Battery Replacement
The RMR 2 requires to be dismounted from the firearm for replacing the battery. While this is deliberately important to keep the waterproof capability intact. Plus, the battery life is long enough that you do not need regular replacements. But we’ll still count it as a probable con for lazy people.
Expensive
Good things come at a price. Trijicon’s are expensive and this one is too. This sight will cost you what a good quality variable magnification scope costs from another reputed manufacturer. The price is enough to discourage all low-budget buyers.
Installation Considerations
While not a general case. But some users reported that the sight would not fit their handgun and should’ve come with the specific mounting/sealing plate and screws(like for Glocks). Some handguns will require a bit of customization for mounting this optic. Which can be simple or complex.
Best Uses for the Trijicon RMR Type 2
The RMR Type 2 is a versatile, rugged, and ultra reliable reflex sight that suits every application you can think of for a red dot sight. It is almost bombproof and can be used for CQB tactical engagements where a tough and dependable sight is extremely imperative.
Photo credit: tactical life.com
The RMR Type 2 is also appropriate for EDC and CCW uses. Especially when Trijicon offers mounting accessories (sold separately) to suit different handguns. This specific model offers a 3.25 MOA red dot that is great for close, short, and medium-range engagement with handguns.
The sight features an automatic brightness control function which makes it usable for longer durations without worrying about battery consumption. Additionally, the sight also offers two night vision compatible settings. Making it suitable for tactical operations. Or maybe home defense too.
Talking about home defense, the dot glows exclusively bright at the highest setting (#8). Offering clear and crisp aiming reference in absolutely dark situations. The 3.25 MOA dot offers very quick acquisition and accuracy even when you are in a jiffy.
The turret adjustments are extremely easy and the sight holds its settings no matter what. It is a perfect sight for duty use and EDC. Given its effectiveness in real-life defense encounters.
The RMR Type also has the potential to be used as a backup sight. Which is in fact used as with Trijicon ACOG scopes. Additionally, this sight is also a great pick for competitions. Where speed and accuracy are imperative.
As far as hunting is concerned, this sight can withstand the most unforgiving environmental conditions and is perfect for use on your backup sidearm. However, you can also use it for hunting (like gobblers) when mounted on a rifle/shotgun.
Is the Trijicon RMR Type 2 Compatible With Rifles Also?
The Trijicon RMR Type 2 is a very compact reflex sight that offers a very versatile mounting mechanism ranging from handguns to shotguns. While it is mostly mounted on handguns and considered suitable for them. It is also a great pick for rifles for some specific applications.
As far as rifles are concerned in particular. The RMR Type 2 comes with a Picatinny rail mount that allows it to be added to any rifle. Since the eye relief and FOV of a reflex sight are unlimited and it’s virtually parallax free. These sights work really well with rifles for close-range encounters.
Photo credit: tacticalgunreview.com
The 3.25 MOA dot with eight brightness settings and easy turret adjustments makes the sight easy to use and suitable for pinpoint accuracy within a range of 50 yards. Or maybe 100 yards but not with such pinpoint accuracy (as the dot will cover some of the targets).
The sight is very compact and can be mounted on any rifle big or small. Plus, the durable housing and shockproof design ensure that the sight is impervious to recoil. However, due to the nature of a reflex sight, the RMR Type 2 will work best with sporting/combat rifles like the AR-15, MP5, Sig 516, pistol length rifles, and similar long guns.
What Do I Need to Know About Mounting the Trijicon RMR Type 2?
The RMR Type 2 is a low-profile sight that delivers amazing co-witness with iron sights. As far as mounting goes with handguns. Trijicon offers a wide range of mounting adapters relevant to different handguns models ranging from Glocks to Sig’s.
The battery compartment is located beneath the sight’s housing. So every time you need to replace the battery, the sight has to be dismounted.
The sight can be switched off when not in use. However, if you forget to turn it off, it automatically goes into power conservation mode after 16.5 hours of inactivity.
Since the eye relief is unlimited and the optic allows you to shoot with both eyes open. Hence, the positioning of the optic on the top rail doesn’t really matter much. In cases where the optic is mounted on a rifle. You can use it with adjustable stocks and without worrying about the cheek weld positioning.
The brightness adjustment buttons are positioned on the left and right side of the housing for easy settings.
Trijicon RMR Type 2 vs Type1: Comparison Overview
Before Trijicon introduced the Type 2 version, the RMR Type 1 was already a very popular optic on the market. The RMR Type 2 was introduced on the market with upgraded electronics that showed better resilience towards recoil and shock when mounted on a slide.
The first new feature added in this new optic was the battery saving feature. This minimizes the power consumption when the optic is sitting idle and is automatically activated after 16.5 hours of inactivity (available in LED and adjustable LED RMR only).
The next add-on in Type 2 is a button lock-out mode. Upon activating this feature, the sight works in automatic mode to adjust brightness pertaining to ambient lighting conditions. The new RMR lens is also bluer than the previous version resulting in better power efficiency.
One major problem with the Type 1 RMR was the flickering of the red dot due to the improper seating of the battery. So the user had to use an aftermarket sealing plate. Trijicon resolved this problem in the Type 2 version by adding an extra tab inside the battery compartment.
Apart from these features, the RMR 1 and 2 are very similar in dimensions and handling.
Photo credit: bigtexoutdoors.com
Who Should Not Buy a Trijicon RMR Type 2?
The RMR Type 2 is a great reflex sight, but it is also an expensive sight. So if you’re low on budget, this won’t fit the bill. The sight has a 3.25 MOA dot that means it will cover 3.25 inches of the target at 100 yards.
Hence, you shouldn’t expect groups the size of a quarter at such range. The sight is great for close-range uses but not perfect for longer distances. You should rather go for the 1 MOA version for such applications.
Photo credit: trijicon.com
Conclusion
The Trijicon RMR Type 2 is an upgraded version of the Type 1 model with an important problem resolved and some extra features added. The RMR Type 2 has a battery conservation feature and button lockout mode. The sight is very rugged and waterproof up to a depth of 66 feet. A great optic for CQB engagements, home defense, and competitions.
People Also Ask
Check out this brief FAQ section with answers to some obvious questions lingering inside your mind.
What Kind of Warranty Does the Trijicon RMR Come With?
The RMR Type 2 is covered by a limited lifetime warranty. The electronics are warranted for five years from the date of manufacture.
Is Trijicon RMR Always On?
Unless you turn it off or remove the battery, yes. However, the RMR Type 2 features a battery conservation feature that brings the brightness to a minimal level after 16.5 hours of inactivity.
Photo credit: trijicon.com
Does RMR Type 2 Need a Sealing Plate?
No. Trijicon addressed this problem from the Type 1 series pretty well and the Type 2 doesn’t need any sealing plate.
How to Tell if a Trijicon RMR is a Type 2?
For superficially visible inspection, Type 2 has a bluer lens than Type 1. Plus, the battery compartment has two tabs to hold the battery in place instead of one tab in Type 1.
