Fastfire series has always been a prized possession of Burris. Under this banner, you will find many sights that have a number at the end of them. The numbers Mason, what do they mean? They stand for the version of the sight. You can also call them the model.
What’s the difference between one model to another? Appearance? Specs? Performance? Or nothing at all?
I know these questions have been bugging a lot of people recently. Now let’s find answers to these questions.
Without further ado, let’s talk about Burris FastFire 2 vs 3. Two sights that not only look alike but also perform quite similarly.
Burris FastFire 2/ 3 – Outlooks
Burris FastFire 2/ 3 – Specs
| Specs | Fastfire 2 | Fastfire 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Magnification | 1X | 1X |
| Weight | 1.5 Oz | 1.5 Oz |
| Waterproof | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | CR2032 | CR2032 |
| Adjustments | Automatic Brightness | Windage, Elevation, Brightness |
| NV | No | No |
Burris FastFire 2 VS 3 – Differences
- Fastfire 2 features automatic brightness. Whereas Fastfire 3 features automatic and manual brightness settings.
- Fastfire 2 has no click value. Fastfire 3 has a click value.
- Brightness setting reacts to the environment on Fastfire ii.
- The brightness setting can react to the environment or you can adjust from the 3 available brightness settings on the sight.
Quality
Burris Fastfire 2: The lens used here is not an ED glass. Yet, the clarity on low light is quite insane. But this is where the FF2 falls behind Fastfire 3 for the first time. This sight doesn’t have adjustable brightness. It automatically increases the brightness depending on what the sensor is feeding the sight. Which can result in some annoying moments. Other than that, the reticle is glass-etched and it’s fine. It gets bright when needed.
Burris Fastfire 3: This sight has both 3 adjustable levels of brightness and the same automatic sensor from Fastfire2. Together, they work like a charm. There is also windage and elevation adjustment present in this sight and they work. They are not there just for the shows.
Durability
Fastfire 2: Burris always uses good materials on their sight. Here it’s not different either. For housing, Burris went with high-grade aluminum. As it’s such a small sight, going with aluminum made more sense. Plastic or rubber this small will be fragile and can break easily. With aluminum, you don’t have such a risk.
It can easily outlast your pistol if you are being careful around it. Some random drops of water won’t do anything to it. As this sight is completely waterproof.
Fastfire 3: Just like the 2, Fastfire 3 is also made out of aluminum. It’s a high-grade aluminum. There is no constructional or anodization flaw present on the sight. You can feel how premium it is once you hold one in your hand.
It is made to last for a long time. If you don’t neglect this, it can very well outlast the warranty period.
Performance
Fastfire 2: While lacking behind the specs sheet by a lot, this sight certainly doesn’t lack behind performance that much. It still is underperforming compared to the Fastfire 3, but it’s not bad per se. It’s fairly accurate and can get the job done when you need it to. The reticle is bright enough to differentiate between target and non-target objects as well.
Fastfire 3: When it comes to performing on paper alone, this beats the FF2 by a long margin. Adjustable brightness is a huge plus for a sight of any size or shape. It is also highly accurate in short to semi-mid-range. That’s a good enough range for short-range hunting or tactical shooting. Specially on top of a pistol, it performs marvelously.
Size
Fastfire 2: The total length of Fastfire 2 is 1.8 inches. Not only this is lightweight, it’s also compact and small. It won’t seem too big on top of your pistol at all. A perfect size for a pistol or a rifle.
Fastfire 3: 3 outsizes Fastfire 2 by a small margin. It’s slightly longer than Fastfire 2. Total length of Fastfire 3 is 1.9 inches. It’s also pretty small and compact. The difference is so small that it doesn’t even matter. It’s absurd how similar they are.
Weight
Fastfire II: Funnily enough, both FF2 and FF3 have the same weight. That’s right, FastFire 2 weighs at 1.5oz. Due to using the same material and mold, these two sights share the same weight. That’s not rare among sights in the same family.
Fastfire III: As you can see, this sight also weighs at 1.5oz. A coincidence for sure, but welcome one. Weight balance is top-notch as usual. None of the sight feels toe or head heavy. That’s a good thing for pistol owners. As this sight also supports pistols.
Burris FastFire 2/ 3 – Videos
Burris FastFire 2 VS 3 – Summary
Throughout the Fastfire 2 vs Fastfire 3 review, Fastfire 3 has been outperforming in the field and on paper. That’s something we can’t say the same about Fastfire 2.
The obvious winner here is Fastfire 3. It’s a better-performing scope and it comes with better specifications.
But if your specific need is the lightest and smallest among the two, then you need to go for Fastfire 2. Other than that, just go for the 3.
Hi, I’m Brent Hansford. A writer turned hunter & now sharing my love for the sport through writing. As I practically breathe weapons, I firmly believe I’m capable of providing you with new knowledge about firearms and hunting. My mission is to help more people get better at hunting & master the weapons. Let me help with unleashing the beast within you!
