Primary Arms SLx 3x MicroPrism: A Feature Rich Optic

Optic selections abound for contemporary rifles. In the event you can envision it, chances are high that somebody makes it. I particularly admire the optics that fill within the gaps between conventional rifle scopes and no magnification purple dots. The Main Arms SLx MicroPrism matches that description. What’s extra, Main Arms has tailor-made that line to suit shooters’ particular wants, with merchandise optimized for 7.62×39/300 Blackout and 5.56 NATO/.308 Winchester. Mine is the 7.62×39 model, so I’ll deal with that from right here on.

Kalashnikov rifles, with their prime mud cowl, have lagged behind fashionable optic developments. My Saiga AK-103 is amongst them, utilizing the side-mounted rail. And the mounts themselves may be heavy and clunky. Truthfully, a high quality mount virtually needs to be. I broke multiple low-cost mount earlier than studying that lesson. I all the time wished a low-power magnified optic, however I didn’t need the additional weight added to the rifle and the mount. So, I used a 1x purple dot or no optic in any respect.

However the SLx 3x MicroPrism modified my state of affairs for the higher. It provides me a light-weight, compact unit with simply sufficient magnification, with the added bonus of an etched, illuminated reticle. And the bullet drop and windage marks are optimized for my rifle’s 7.62×39 cartridge. Perfecto. So, let’s check out how this optic works and why I prefer it.

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SLx 3x MicroPrism: A Characteristic Wealthy Optic

Main Arms packs loads into the compact SLx MicroPrism. The plane grade aluminum housing is mild however sturdy. The uncovered elevation and windage turrets are low-profile and simply reached. Adjustment requires a instrument, which interprets to a Phillips head screwdriver or a coin. No huge deal. The dials are tactile and the .25 MOA clicks are audible if there’s not an excessive amount of ambient noise. The dials have a beneficiant 80 MOA adjustment vary.

The glass could be very clear and I’ve been happy by how a lot mild the unit gathers. The rear diopter ring offers most focus for the etched reticle, even for shooters with an astigmatism. I don’t have that individual downside, however my imaginative and prescient isn’t precisely stellar, so I like the additional focus potential.

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Mounting may be adventurous with some optics, however not with this one. The SLx MicroPrism features a strong Picatinny base with seven extra choices combining top and cantilever. It simply occurs that my choice for my rifle is the bottom mount with no different additions. However I like having these choices, particularly contemplating the Kalashnikov’s inherent challenges. And if I ever determine to alter my rifle’s size of pull for some purpose, which its Magpul Zhukov inventory permits me to do, I might want the cantilever functionality. The mounting system alone makes the SLx MicroPrism a really versatile optic.

The optic’s AutoLive motion-sensing function mechanically shuts off the illumination after 2 minutes of inactivity. Movement instantly reactivates it on the earlier brightness setting. This function engages mechanically while you activate the illumination. Nice solution to save your CR2032 battery. The battery compartment is definitely accessed as a part of the brightness dial.

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The ACSS Raptor Reticle

Main Arms equips the SLx MicroPrism with their Superior Mixed Sighting System (ACSS) Raptor reticle. The etched, illuminated reticle has 13 daylight brightness and three evening vision-compatible settings. 

The reticle itself is a chevron inside a horseshoe-shaped outer ring. The chevron and ring present windage and bullet drop reference for targets out to 300 yards. A “Christmas tree” under the chevron extends these changes in 100-yard increments out to 600 yards with accompanying 5 and 10 mph wind holds.

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The holds are optimized for 7.62×39 and 300 Blackout cartridge ballistics. Totally different masses, together with subsonic 300 BLK, will clearly have an effect on these holds, so that you’ll have to fine-tune for what you’re capturing. And let’s face it, capturing these longer distances with an AK is extraordinarily optimistic, to say the least. However making an attempt a number of pictures could possibly be enjoyable.

First Impressions

First, I just like the SLx MicroPrism’s compactness and that it doesn’t noticeably add weight to what’s already a reasonably heavy rifle in my AK-103. As soon as I received the attention aid proper, the reticle is giant and simply picked up, illuminated or not. The daylight settings work nicely, particularly with the chevron and horseshoe ring. It’s vivid close to the highest of the size and I’ve no downside seeing the illumination on sunny days.

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However I exploit the illumination selectively in daylight due to the etched reticle. I exploit it towards darkish backgrounds that wash out the etching or maybe when the goal is within the shadows. It’s invaluable at nightfall, which might come early within the mountains. And my out of doors membership’s rifle vary sits within the lee of a excessive wooded ridge that blocks the westering solar.

Operating The SLx 3x MicroPrism

The 3x magnification is ideal for what I do with my Kalashnikov, i.e. defensive drills from 10 to 50 yards, with occasional pictures out to 100, maybe 150. AKs are extra correct than some folks would have you ever imagine, however transitioning from 10 to 50 yards on the transfer is loads simpler with a low energy optic. My 50-yard teams with iron sights averaged anyplace from 4 to six inches. Higher accuracy required stopping to goal rigorously. The SLx 3x MicroPrism persistently delivers 3-inch teams whereas sustaining the tempo I would like, offered I do my half.

I don’t like capturing my AK from the bench. It appears unnatural. However within the curiosity of science, I did so to check the reticle’s holds. Being in a mountain draw, my vary has a protracted shot of 260 yards. I reliably rang 12-inch metal plates at 100, 150, 200, 225, and 260 yards utilizing the reticle’s holds. That’s ok for me with an AK rifle. There wasn’t a lot wind, although I’m assured these holds are correct as nicely. 

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The optic held zero by all our drills and the overall beating my AK takes. I like that rifle a lot, however I knock it round like no different gun in my arsenal. The optic has held up proper together with the rifle, together with having the mount frequently pulled off and tossed apart. Actually tossed apart. I assume that’s simply the Kalash life.

I virtually all the time use 122-grain Wolf steel-cased ammo, although I could also be pressured to alter in some unspecified time in the future what with the import state of affairs. However that’s what I used right here. These freedom seeds had been kindly provided by my pals at Ammo-to-Go.

Ideas On The SLx 3x MicroPrism

I’ve cycled by a number of optics for my AK, by no means discovering one that basically match. I believe my search is lastly over. The SLx MicroPrism is mild, compact, powerful, and correct. It compliments my rifle with out hindering what makes the rifle nice to start with. Someplace between a purple dot and a rifle scope. It’s what I’ve been on the lookout for since I purchased the rifle in late 2012.

I don’t at the moment personal or have entry to a .300 Blackout rifle however my exams impart confidence that the optic will work simply advantageous with that cartridge, adjusting for the load as obligatory.

I’ve usually complained about AK mounting choices, or lack thereof, however I don’t actually thoughts the quick-detach facet mount now that I’ve discovered a dependable model within the AK Grasp Mount. I can take it off and put it again on as I please, with the optic nonetheless on the mount, and never lose my zero. The SLx MicroPrism holds as much as that therapy.

I additionally love the optic’s efficiency. The reticle is evident, easy and optimized for the 7.62×39 cartridge. I just like the Christmas tree, however I like that it isn’t overwhelming. Some folks’s brains are like ballistic calculators. I’m not a kind of folks. However I can run this optic simply. In easy phrases, I shoot my AK higher with this optic than I do with out it. That’s the underside line.

If that sounds good, take a look at the SLx MicroPrism at Main Arms. In addition they make a 5x model optimized for five.56 NATO/.308 Winchester if that’s extra your pace. It is likely to be what you’ve been on the lookout for too.