Is a Mepro 21 sight too high for an S-12?

[calin 0]

I have a low profile quick release side mount. I borrowed my EOTech XPS3 from my AR and found it to be too high for my S-12, or at least it was less than optimal. I'm more interested in a battery-less reflex sight for my Saiga anyway. The Trijicon RX30 looks nice and big and low, but it doesn't have the reticle options of the Meprolight and Trijicon won't replace the tritium when it goes dim, which Meprolight is willing to do for a charge that's substantially less than a new sight--at least that's what Meprolight told me. Most reviews say the Mepro is also less prone to reticle blooming and washout than the RX30. Finally, Meprolight advertises their sight as night vision compatible.

 

Although smaller than the 65 MOA circle in the EOTech, the 20 MOA I.D. / 30 MOA O.D. of the Mepro Bullseye reticle is appealing to me for my S-12 application.

 

Is anyone running a Mepro on an S-12?

 

Thanks for any information!

 

-Cal

Edited November 16, 2011 by calin

[sickness 89]

I have a low profile quick release side mount. I borrowed my EOTech XPS3 from my AR and found it to be too high for my S-12, or at least it was less than optimal. I'm more interested in a battery-less reflex sight for my Saiga anyway. The Trijicon RX30 looks nice and big and low, but it doesn't have the reticle options of the Meprolight and Trijicon won't replace the tritium when it goes dim, which Meprolight is willing to do for a charge that's substantially less than a new sight--at least that's what Meprolight told me. Most reviews say the Mepro is also less prone to reticle blooming and washout than the RX30. Finally, Meprolight advertises their sight as night vision compatible.

 

Although smaller than the 65 MOA circle in the EOTech, the 20 MOA I.D. / 30 MOA O.D. of the Mepro Bullseye reticle is appealing to me for my S-12 application.

 

Is anyone running a Mepro on an S-12?

 

Thanks for any information!

 

-Cal

 

Yep. I got one on my S12, sitting on a Chaos rail. I have some HK style picatinny mount sights on the rail, but they are a tad low to cowitness. Standard AR15 irons give a LOWER 1/3 cowitness with the M21. It is a high sitting sight, for sure. I haven't decided if I want to move to some type of AR15 irons, or bump up the HK sights up with risers. For me, I don't find it too high at all. I have a dragunov style stock with a cheek riser / rubber pad. I like that regardless to keep my shotty from punching me in the face too much with magnum loads. You may have issues if you don't have a riser.

 

Compared to the similar Trijicon offerings the M21 with the bullseye reticle blows them out of the water. I've tried the RX30 and the RX01. They just don't compare at all. I'm not sure if it is that the M21 has more tritium, and more fiber collectors (the M21 has a forward facing collector, and a collector around the top. The Trij offerings have either or, depending on model.) .. or if it is more of a matter that the bullseye reticle is nice and big and easy to pick up. Or combination of all three.. but whatever. It rules. I bought all three reflex sights from Midway, unboxed them and proceeded to test around the house and outside in various lighting conditions. The M21 is superior in every situation I've found. After about a week or so of playing around, the Trij sights got sent back. The Trij sights do sit a bit lower, but not enough to save you from a riser. So, you may as well get the better sight.

 

It's built like a tank. It does MOVE in its mount, and it is supposed to (it will return to zero). This is the shock absorbers at work. That freaked me out until I called Meprolight

 

In either case, it doesn't wash out or bloom as easily as the Trij products. But it DOES both in real world circumstances, for sure.

If you want to run a flashlight on your S12, you'll need cowitnessing irons, because a bright flashlight in a dark room pointed dead ahead will wash out the optic for certain.

 

If you're handy and creative, there are some possible solutions to all this:

 

Grind out the teeth of your pic rail, pull off the pic base of the M21, and screw the M21 directly to the rail. That should save you at least a half inch. Maybe a bit more. Might not save you from a riser, but it should be nicer.

 

From experiments that I have done, it is pretty easy to get a super bright LED pointing into the fiber collector to really light it up and avoid wash out even when pointing directly at a light source at a few feet away. Getting such an LED mounted rock solid w/o hacking into the sight is the trick. I have a few ideas, but haven't started work in that regard. Cowitnessing irons makes me feel better, but I'll probably give the project a go at some point, just for fun. Doubt I'd stake my life on it though.

 

Lastly, on my S12 with Remington sluggers if I zero the center dot of the bullseye at 50 yds, at 100 yds the bottom notch of the bullseye is the hold over point (roughly.. groups get sizable out that far, but it works well).

 

All in all it is a great shotgun sight, especially for a grab-N-go HD role. It does sit a bit high, but to me it is worth some of the hassles in that regard. Get yourself a cheek pad, and you'll be good to go.

[calin 0]

Thanks for the report, sickness. It's exactly the kind of quality first-hand information I was hoping to get.

 

> Grind out the teeth of your pic rail, pull off the pic base of the M21, and screw the M21 directly to the rail.

 

I thought about milling it down and doing just that. I doubt I'll ever want to mount another optic on the low profile side rail and, even if I do, they are quick release mounts and I can buy another one. It really makes sense to just screw the M21 directly to the mount.

 

I'll probably go for it and buy the M21.