Trijicon SRO--Anyone else had problems?

[Naphtali]

I would not recommend this sight... I decided to function test my SRO prior to mounting it to my optics-ready VP9.

It worked fine just on the table (testing buttons / modes etc.), until I function tested the process of removing and installing a new battery. The battery cap removed fine. But the battery cap stripped the screw threads that are part of the body of the sight, as I was screwing it back in. Now it won't screw down fully and the sight will no longer turn on. And since the damage is on the sight body (not the cap's threads), I can't just buy a replacement cap.

FWIW, this was clearly not user error but a fundamental design flaw as I was testing this. I'd first read the manual, which made a weirdly big deal out of "don't cross-thread the cap" in a way I found overstated and odd. So I was being hyper-careful when I was replacing the cap. First, the cap just spun and spun without tightening down as I turned my screwdriver, and I realized that the rubber O-ring was thick enough that the threads won't even engage unless you apply more-than-mild downward force with your screwdriver. So I pushed down moderately with my screwdriver, but BEFORE I turned it, I was already nervous for 2 reasons:

1) The cap is mostly UNDER the aluminum housing surrounding the glass, and any screwdriver you use cannot extend straight up. You are off at least at a 15 degree angle with the screwdriver when it's engaged. So the part of the cap that is oriented under the direction of tilt of your screwdriver is unavoidably going to be receiving more downward pressure by the screwdriver. In other words, you can't help but tilt the cap when pushing down on it with your screwdriver, because the overhanging aluminum surrounding the glass blocks your screwdriver from going straight up / perpendicular to the cap.

2) Making #1 even worse, I tried to use my fingers to push down on the cap to compensate for the screwdriver creating an inevitable tilt when you have to push down at an angle. But it's impossible unless you have the fingers of a very small child, because the aluminum body surrounds the cap on the sides as well, and there is just no room to get your finger in there with a screwdriver engaged.

So I took some comfort initially when the manual said that cross-threading would be "obvious" by increased resistance when turning the cap. So I held my breath and began turning the cap with my tilted screwdriver, pushing down with moderate force to overcome the O-ring, VERY SLOWLY, and was relieved that it felt like there was zero resistance whatsoever. The little bit of initial tilt BEFORE turning appeared to resolve once the threads engaged.

After about 4 rotations of no resistance, and with the cap clearly getting lower as it was screwing down (and to my eye looked perfect - flat and flush with the body), I was feeling really good. Then I felt MILD resistance for 20 degrees of rotation (again, AFTER 4 full rotations of the cap visibly screwing down) and felt a "pop," and all the resistance went away. Now turning the cap was resistance-free for 340 degrees, except for the 20 degrees where the "pop" would occur as it reached the same point in the rotation. = obviously broken.

I removed the cap to visually confirm that the threads were damaged on the sight body, and the only explanation for how this happened is that the cap was cross-threaded. And now the sight doesn't work as the cap cannot tighten properly, so the battery cannot make contact with the body.

So this sight is designed to break itself in a way you can't avoid except by total luck. And every time you put the cap back on, you are playing this unavoidable Russian roulette game every time. I'm happy I just got the sight yesterday, as I'm returning it for a refund and would never buy another.

I say "total luck" above, because:

1) It is physically impossible to push directly down on the cap while installing it due to the overhanging housing. You have to be pushing at an angle, and that inevitably tilts the cap before the threads engage. Which dramatically increases the odds of cross-threading.

2) There is ZERO resistance if you are cross-threaded (contrary to what the manual claims), and you cannot see this either (again, I was HYPER paranoid as I was doing this, as I was extremely uncomfortable that I was having to angle my screwdriver). The first and only feedback you get that you've cross-threaded the cap is the "pop" of you just broke the body of your sight. So if you're doing anything wrong (which is very high risk), you will figure it out only the moment your sight breaks.

No wonder it's not for duty use. I knew (and had chosen to be ok with the fact) that this sight is destroyed if you drop it (which is why it's not for duty use). I just figured I would be really careful and not drop mine. But if you Russian roulette break the sight the first time (or 2nd time, or whenever you get unlucky) the battery needs changing, then it's not fit for any use at all.

Btw, I have 2 x RMRs installed on ACOGs and love them, but imo they are annoyingly small for use on a pistol to the point where I would rather use iron sights. I'd hoped the SRO would be the answer, but definitely not.

[Naphtali]

I have a theory on this problem - since all the sights ship with a new CR123 installed, and the battery lasts 1-3 years, and this sight is only like 1 year old, I bet the vast majority of owners have never touched their battery cap.

[Eyesquared]

Your post made me so curious that I had to take the cap off my SRO and put it back on just to see what it is like. I bought it used and judging by the finish wear on the battery cap, the previous owner did in fact remove and replace the battery cap. Fortunately, I did not cross thread the unit as I wouldn't expect Trijicon to warranty my used sight. I will note that it is definitely too fiddly to apply pressure to the top of the battery cap with your fingers and besides, it is totally unnecessary.

I laid the battery cap in place and turned my screwdriver backwards while applying gentle pressure downwards, feeling for the click as the threads passed each other. Then I just screwed it on normally. You shouldn't need to apply any real downward pressure to the top of a threaded item to get it to go, as if the threads are started, the threads will move the cap as you turn it. Once the threads are properly engaged it should be pretty much impossible to cross thread them by applying uneven pressure to the cap, as that would require the threads to literally skip past each other.

For anyone concerned about this, I wouldn't be.

[GJM]

Between my wife and I, we have changed a bunch of SRO batteries. Had one that we didn’t get the cap tight enough at first, but otherwise no cross threading issues. Coming up on a year of SRO use, across multiple copies. No pistol red sight is as durable as the best rifle red dot optics, and despite hearing of some failure reports from others, the SRO is far and away, the most durable gaming optic we have used. I am yet to need to return a single SRO, and that is a minor miracle given our past experience.

[Naphtali]

Your post made me so curious that I had to take the cap off my SRO and put it back on just to see what it is like. I bought it used and judging by the finish wear on the battery cap, the previous owner did in fact remove and replace the battery cap. Fortunately, I did not cross thread the unit as I wouldn't expect Trijicon to warranty my used sight. I will note that it is definitely too fiddly to apply pressure to the top of the battery cap with your fingers and besides, it is totally unnecessary.

I laid the battery cap in place and turned my screwdriver backwards while applying gentle pressure downwards, feeling for the click as the threads passed each other. Then I just screwed it on normally. You shouldn't need to apply any real downward pressure to the top of a threaded item to get it to go, as if the threads are started, the threads will move the cap as you turn it. Once the threads are properly engaged it should be pretty much impossible to cross thread them by applying uneven pressure to the cap, as that would require the threads to literally skip past each other.

For anyone concerned about this, I wouldn't be.

How did you get this to work? The combination of the battery on the bottom of the cap and the O ring made the entire cap sit where its threads were fully visible sitting above the sight body. In other words, I had to push down, or the cap's threads were just visibly spinning in the air, above the sight body by about one-half millimeter. It felt like there was some mechanism in the battery recess that "gave" downward like a spring when I pushed down on the cap, which then allowed the lowered threads to engage only during the application of that pressure.

If your battery cap required no downward pressure like mine, then that is a major fundamental difference suggesting that mine was out of spec in some way.

When I spoke to Trijicon about this, the guy said he recommended using fingers-only to put the cap back on. I told him I tried and it was impossible. My fingers are not large, and still they wouldn't fit in the thing to mess with the cap, even without the screwdriver. And the downward force requirement with fingers, plus rotation needed, was utterly impossible.

I'm returning this sight for a refund, but I'd consider buying another from another seller who also has a full refund policy. I'd probably try again with fingers only per Trijicon and see if that's hogwash. Regardless, one way or another I would take that damn battery cap on and off about 30 times in a row successfully, before I'd keep the sight past the seller's 30 day return period. I'll re-post results here, as I can feel myself caving to doing this experiment.

[Eyesquared]

I don't know if I could get the leverage to turn the cap with my fingers, it's such a tight space and IMO is only going to result in more fumbling and a higher chance of messing something up. The really important part is turning the cap in reverse until you know the threads are aligned. I think the battery cap has been revised with a different O-ring since the initial launch so that may account for some of the difference.

[mrozowjj]

People I am going to trust about red dots:

Hilton Yam, Scott Jedlinski, Aaron Cowan, and other verified SMEs, who have all demonstrated that the Type 2 RMR is in some cases more reliable than iron sights on a pistol.

Some random guy on a forum who shoots a little bit? Lol nah.

His Sage Dynamics red dot reviews are incredibly well done and the white paper he publishes and updates after reviewing them is the best commonly available source on pistol mounted red dots that exists currently.

The PDF is linked on his front page for those that are curious:
https://www.sagedynamics.org/

My key takeaways from his testing is the only red dot optic that will standup to the most punishing tests are the Trijicon RMRs. That weird shape to the hood with the 2 pointed ears was designed to take the impacts so they will just chug along. Surprisingly the second most durable optic out there is the Holosun 407/507 series with the newer Titanium models being the only other optic in production that have had no failures in his testing (The aluminum framed Holosuns had the glass crack but remained functional with a zereo'd dot)

The SRO is simply not a duty optic, in his video he states this over and over again just to hammer home the point that the SRO is simply too fragile to trust. The glass broke after a single drop which is something even more of the cheaper Chinese made optics didn't do. The SRO is for USPSA/IDPA and other shooting sports guns and range use.

[Gio]

My SRO broke already. 2 months in, less than 2000 rounds and it is so dim I can’t see it in the sunlight. Tried two fresh battery swaps before sending it back to Trijicon. New one should be here this week.

[Keith E.]

My SRO broke already. 2 months in, less than 2000 rounds and it is so dim I can’t see it in the sunlight. Tried two fresh battery swaps before sending it back to Trijicon. New one should be here this week.

Please post updates as to CS and service life of the new optic.

Thanks,
Keith

[JSGlock34]

For what it's worth I had to send a SRO back to Trijicon for an issue that was entirely my fault. Trijicon had a replacement optic on the way to me within two weeks. I've always been impressed with Trijicon CS.