TFB Review: Meprolight MPO PRO-F Direct Mounting Plates
Do you have an optics-ready pistol and want to mount an enclosed red dot sight? Do you want to avoid the headache of trying to find the right optic, optic plate, and screw combo? If so, Meprolight may have you covered. Meprolight has introduced a direct mounting plate for their MPO PRO-F enclosed optic. The optic plate is pistol-specific for Glock MOS, FN509, HK VP9, and IWI Masada pistols.
The direct mounting plate allows you to mount your enclosed MPO PRO-F optic low to the slide, with minimal mounting plates. You mount the optic plate to your slide, mount the optic to the optic plate, and that’s it.
Full-size enclosed pistol optics generally require a mounting plate. The optic itself is fully enclosed, so there is no way to access screw holes in the middle of the optic. For this reason, full size pistol optics generally clamp onto a plate. We are beginning to see manufacturers and third parties direct milling slides for enclosed optics, which is technically stronger and more secure, but does have a few downsides that aren't often discussed.
If we're comparing optics plates to direct milling, nothing beats the peace of mind of your slide staying in your possession at all times. There's no need to ship your slide and stress that it might bust out of the package on the mail sorting conveyor belt. Aside from the wait time and mailing issues, there's also no need to refinish your slide after milling. You can keep your factory coating, which is a big plus to me. You also have the freedom to change the plate to a different optics pattern. In ten years, there will probably be some new optics on the market that you might get the itch to try out, or you might get a new gun and want to swap optics around. It's nice to have the freedom.
The real elephant in the room for direct milling is cost. The value proposition from Meprolight is to buy an MPO PRO-F with an MSRP of $360, buy a $35 direct mounting plate and slap it on. With a little bit of shopping around and coupon stacking, you’ll probably be able to mount a PRO-F for half the cost of the direct milling option. Don't think for a second that the low price is an indicator of a bad optic either. This optic was built to meet the demands of military and law enforcement. If you're unfamiliar with Meprolight, their optics have been used in combat and war scenarios.
The plates are CNC machined out of 6061-T6 aluminum and boast a matte black Type 2 Hard Anodized finish. The plates also come with new screws, with pre-applied Loctite.
The MSRP for the optics plate is currently $34.99, which I think is a great deal. It sounds great on paper, but is it any good?
Meprolight sent out their plates to include in this article, and I tested one on my personal VP9. The plate fit perfectly to my VP9 optics-ready long slide. It fit the VP9’s lugs correctly, and the plate lay true and flat to the slide.
The screws that came with the optics plate were a perfect match to the VP9’s slide and felt to have enough pre-applied Loctite. As a general rule, I usually apply a little bit of removable Loctite to anything I screw into a firearm, but for testing's sake, I did not add any extra. The optic plate has stayed tight through the few hundred rounds I shot during testing.
The plate allowed the optic to sit low enough to have a lower third co-witness with my factory VP9 Long slide sights. The plate held tight to the slide, and the optic held tight to the plate.
I honestly can’t find a complaint. I’ve been happy with the optic setup, and the pistol is pulling home defense duty.
So what do you think? Are you running an enclosed optic, an open emitter optic, or sticking to iron sights? Let us know in the comments below.
I’ve previously reviewed the optic, and you can check out the article in the link below: TFB Review: Meprolight MPO PRO-F Closed Emitter Pistol Sight
For even more Meprolight at TFB, check out these articles:
- TFB Review: Meprolight MPO Pro-S vs MPO Pro-F | thefirearmblog.com
- TFB Review: Meprolight MPO-F Red Dot Sight | thefirearmblog.com
- TFB Review: Meprolight M22 Self-Illuminated Reflex Sight | thefirearmblog.com
- TFB Review: Meprolight MPO-DF Open Emitter Pistol Sight | thefirearmblog.com
- TFB Review: Meprolight MPO-F Open Emitter Pistol Sight | thefirearmblog.com
The MPO PRO-F Direct Mounting Plate can be found on Meprolight’s website at: MPO PRO-F, Direct Mount Plate - Meprolight.
Lifelong firearm enthusiast with a passion for shooting handguns. 12+ year concealed carrier. Shooting competition enjoyer.
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