TFB Review: Meprolight MPO-S Micro Red Dot Sight
Meprolight recently introduced two red dot sights, the MPO-S and MPO-F, both of which are open emitter sights. While I haven’t seen any official word on the “S” and “F” designations, I correlate them to “small” and “full size” (RMR footprint). Meprolight sent me both full-featured MPO sights to test out, but today we’ll focus on the Meprolight MPO-S, which features the RMSc footprint, side loading battery, three reticles, shake-awake, and an aluminum housing.
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This review is sponsored, however, I haven’t received any talking points or requests for a glowing review. I have not been paid by Meprolight.
MEPROLIGHT MPO-S REVIEW
The Meprolight MPO-S fits neatly into the Micro Red Dot Sight sizing like its competition, but it retains some angular stylization as seen on Meprolight’s other optics. The forward-swept housing isn’t just a fashion statement though, and acts both as a lens protector and a partial sunshade. The window shares the same rough size as the Holosun 407K, but the aluminum housing is much more robust around the glass.
The elevation and windage adjustments are easily adjusted with the tool provided in the box. The elevation and windage clicks are mostly tactile, however, if you go fast, it’s less perceptible, so if you need to fine-tune your zero, take time to feel the click.
The Meprolight MPO-S also features manual and automatic brightness settings. The automatic setting is assisted by a light sensor on the front of the housing, just under the window. The manual brightness, auto brightness, reticle options, and ON/OFF settings are controlled by the buttons on the left side of the MPO-S. One feature I love about the brightness settings is that the reticle will flash a couple times to let you know you’ve reached the brightest or dimmest settings. The Meprolight MPO-S also has two night vision settings. On the back of the MPO-S housing, there’s a photoluminescent stripe for sighting reference under low light conditions. This glow-in-the-dark stripe is quite bright with just a couple seconds of charge from a flashlight.
The Meprolight MPO-S has three reticle choices; a singular 3 MOA dot, a large 33 MOA ring, or a combination of the two which Meprolight labels as a bullseye reticle. Switching between them is done by pressing and holding the down (dimmer) arrow button for three seconds. To save battery life, the emitter shuts off after one hour of inactivity and turns on when movement is detected again.
FEATURES & SPECS
| Footprint | RMSc/JPoint® |
| Objective Lens Diameter | W: 0.80”x H: 0.60 |
| Reticle Type | 3-Segment |
| Reticle Size | 3 MOA Dot, 33 MOA Bullseye/Dot |
| Reticle Color | Red |
| Brightness Settings | 10 Daylight/2 NV |
| Auto Brightness | Yes |
| Manual Brightness | Yes |
| Battery Type | 1x CR1632 Battery |
| Battery Life | 20,000+ |
| Windage/Elevation Adjustment | 1 MOA |
| Windage/Elevation Travel | ± 30 MOA / ± 30 MOA |
| Operating Temperature Range | -4°F – +140°F |
| Waterproof | IPX7 |
| Fog Proof | Yes |
| Weight | 0.8 oz. |
| SKU | 901141171 |
RANGE TIME
Some of you may recall my review of the optics-ready Taurus 856 T.O.R.O. which includes a mounting plate for optics with the RMSc footprint. I ended up buying the 856 after my review, and at present, it’s the only handgun in my collection that supports that footprint. However, I really wanted to give the Meprolight MPO-S a tougher time than some .38 Special, so I also mounted it to my Remington 870 SBS for some more violent recoil.
The MPO-S handled well on the Taurus 856 and concealed comfortably on the Cyclops IWB holster from Harry’s Holsters. Even though the Meprolight MPO-S features a forward slant to the profile, it didn’t dig into my side while holstered. Subjectively speaking on the aesthetics point, that forward slant doesn’t quite catch my eye right, but objectively speaking, I love everything that it does from a practical point by protecting the lens from my grubby fingers and objects that might scratch the glass or coatings.
The 3 MOA reticle was a bit hard to see on my white targets but contrasted fine against anything darker. I found that the bullseye reticle with the 33 MOA ring around the dot added to the brightness without adding too much clutter. With the bullseye reticle at 15 yards, I was pleased with my double action work.
I actually liked the bullseye reticle enough that I just kept it the same when I mounted it to the shotgun. Although Meprolight lists the MPO-S under their Pistol Optics, it handled the 12 gauge recoil like a champ and I didn’t observe any adverse symptoms. The mounting screws provided in the box kept the MPO-S rock steady on the Picatinny mount.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Using a red dot sight on defensive firearms has been a great step in target-sight acquisition in general, but it’s great to see Meprolight’s entries are solidly built. The Meprolight MPO-S is a great option with plenty of great features.
The Meprolight MPO-S is a great option, and it’s competitively priced with an MSRP of $259.99. You can find the specifications page HERE, where there’s also a link to find where you can buy their products. You can also visit Meprolight.com to view the rest of their optics and sights lineup.
Check Prices on Meprolight MPO-S Sights
What do you think of the MPO-S micro red dot sight? Does this fit the bill for what you’ve been looking for? What is the feature you look for most in a micro red dot sight?
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Doug has been a firearms enthusiast since age 16 after getting to shoot with a friend. Since then he's taken many others out to the range for their first time. He is a husband, father, grandfather, police officer, outdoorsman, artist and a student of history. Doug has been a TFB reader from the start and is happy to be a contributor of content. Doug can be reached at battleshipgrey61 AT gmail.com, or battleshipgrey61 on Instagram.
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Stay away, stay far away. Mine shattered eight rounds into zeroing.
My other MPO, an F, randomly shuts off during range sessions, often mid-drill.
Junk optics
I put a MPO-S on my edc Hellcat. Bought it because I was looking for something that you don't need to remove when changing the battery and would co-witness the iron sights. It does that. Nicely built and solid optic. While I'm not going to torture test it, it sure looks like you can run drop it from height onto cement and it will keep on running. It has clear glass, reticle is very usable, and everything works as advertised.
Have around 200 rounds using it on the very snappy Hellcat with no zero drift or any other issues.
BTW, Meprolight says it will blink the reticle when the battery is low. I wonder if a low battery is the reason for the "random shutoffs".