Trijicon RMR vs MRO [Which One is The Right Optic For You!]

Trijicon makes great pistol and rifle sights, there is no denying that. When Trijicon first made RMR back in 2017, it stormed the market with a huge hype. It’s a reflex sight that isn’t huge and can sit on almost any type of gun. As a canted sight or as the main sight.

People loved the compactness and durability of it. Soon after they released another contender in the same market named MRO. It’s obvious people started to ask who is the better one; Trijicon RMR VS MRO. Which one is the better one? And why is it better?

Let’s try to find out about these sights in detail and see just why they are still quite hyped in the community.

5 Key Differences Between Trijicon RMR and MRO

• RMR is way lighter than MRO.
• RMR is smaller than MRO.
• MRO has a bigger objective lens than RMR.
• MRO uses 7075-T6 forged aluminum. It’s more durable than regular forged aluminum used in RMR.
• RMR is available in more variants than MRO. Almost 3x or more variants.

Related Articles: Fastfire 3 & RMR

Head To Head: Trijicon RMR VS MRO Showdown

Design

Trijicon RMR: It is a reflex red dot sight. It looks a lot like holographic sight but isn’t one. There is a MOA red dot reticle on the dead center of the objective lens. As it’s a reflex sight, the eye relief is huge here.

It’s designed to be light and easily be used on top of pistols or top of another scope. You can do both. As this sight doesn’t come with a mounting plate, you can use your mounting system to mount it on your preferred gun.

Trijicon MRO: It is a 1x sight that looks a lot like riflescopes. It has a miniature tube that holds a fully multi-coated lens. The lens has a 2MOA red dot reticle etched in it. It can get bright depending on the brightness level you are on.

From a designer’s perspective, this one looks better than RMR. But this one is not that suitable for short pistols. It’s viable for pistols like Optima.

In terms of design, it’s completely your preference. They both look good to me. They perform equally well as well. After all, what you like the look of is completely up to you.

Size

RMR: The length of RMR is 45.72mm. That’s quite short for a reflex sight. After all, it was made with all sorts of guns in mind. The width of this sight is 27.94mm and the height is 25.4mm. Making it perfectly compatible with pistols, canted sight, etc.

MRO: The length of MRO is 66.04mm. The width is 43.18mm and it’s 50.8mm tall. In all aspects, it’s quite bigger than RMR. Like almost 3x bigger. The size difference is quite noticeable.

Due to this huge difference, it’s quite not possible to use MRO as a pistol sight on all pistols. The weight and size distribution will make the pistol a bit bulky.

Durability

Trijicon RMR: It uses forged aluminum to make the construction. Forged aluminum is highly durable in any environment. RMR is also waterproof and submergible. That doesn’t mean you should go to the pool with your sight. I mean, you can, but don’t.

Trijicon MRO: Constructed from 7075-T6 forged aluminum. When comes to durability, it’s on par with any high-end scopes you can purchase right now. Finessed to perfection with high-quality machining, Trijicon deserves a pat on the back for it. Rest assured, it can last you longer than you are thinking of.

There is no doubt both of these sights are built excellently to the point where you can’t find flaws in construction. I mean, you are paying a good money for them. And in return, you are getting more value than ever.

Performance

RMR: It’s a small reflex sight that can be used on all sorts of guns and pistols. You can even use it as a secondary canted sight. The lens on this one is fully multi-coated. It’s clear and vibrant. You won’t miss any targets seeing through this.

When it comes to adjustments, you can adjust it without any tools. The adjustment is defaulted to 1MOA per click. Which is easy to keep track of and not go overboard.

MRO: This thing is the closest to the scope you will get on a reflex sight. It has a tube that holds the fully multi-coated objective lens inside. There is a red dot reticle in the middle of the sight. It will help you determine the bullseye and hit the perfect bullseye every shot.

For performance, this thing is good on any gun. Not good on every pistol. You can use it on almost any mounting rails you want.

Just from Performance alone, MRO VS RMR is a heating battle. Both of them are solid at their job. While RMR is versatile enough to support any type of gun, MRO can’t do the same. That’s why if you are a pistol user, the winner for you is obvious. And for the rifle users out there, I think MRO will support you tons better.

Weight

Trijicon RMR: Earlier I said RMR is lighter than MRO. That’s the truth. From the specification chart, you can see that RMR weighs at 1.2oz only. That’s super light. You won’t even feel like it’s there. It was surprising how Trijicon managed to make a reflex sight this light. Rest assured, there was no cost-cutting in terms of the lens or the construction.

Trijicon MRO: MRO came out later than RMR and it had a chance to improve things from RMR. It’s bigger than RMR. The weight was also heavier. It weighs at 4.1oz. Almost 3x heavier than RMR. Pretty heavy for a small sight.

Does the weight difference make a difference? Absolutely. MRO is not compatible with most pistols out there. That makes the RMR a clear winner when it comes to pistols.

Summary

While both of these sights are from the same brand, you can see the differences among them. Both of them are not catered towards the same crowd either. In short, MRO VS RMR is quite a hard battle to direct.

MRO has the better ground with more durable build quality and arguably a better lens. That makes the MRO the winner.

But RMR has its spot in the pistol community as well. For pistol, Trijicon RMR is the clear winner here. Now, I don’t know what sort of guns you have. Depending on that, take the one that will fit on your gun.