The Classic Trijicon Reflex Sight

The Trijicon RX01 and RX30 are battery-free reflex sights powered by the sun and decaying hydrogen isotopes. Unlike a battery powered red dot which stops working when it runs out of battery, fiber optic and tritium powered optics like the Trijicon Reflex just don't work to begin with.
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Amazon affiliate links that have some tangential connection to the things discussed in this video:
amzn.to/3nGm0V0 - Meprolight M21, a current production successor to the RX01

[@davemichael4808]

These things were very valuable during my service on the Caspian Border. I remember getting a squad wipe on a team of Russians with it on my M4

[@walkercobb2808]

Geez, that's an impressive feat with the 3 Round Burst version. I can still remember seeing that radio tower fall.

[@JakobM16]

Hell yeah brother, I was there flying CAS ops in the F-18. Those Flankers sure gave us flyboys hell though.

[@62squad]

My service was pretty extensive on the Golmund Railway, us 19Kilos took a lot of ground at a heavy cost. Respect the hell out of you older guys, paving the way for the next generation.

[@seth1450]

Used one of these on my 240 bravo back in Paris. My hearing is still shot to shit but I can still hear the echoes of the screams

[@MosinManiac76254]

I used a similar setup during the famous Siege of Shanghai. Kept me alive and I still trust it to this day. Having to parachute off the center tower before it collapsed was the single most cool yet terrifying moment of my life.

[@BlueLoneWolf54]

The front of the RX01 reminds me of the stupid toys you used to get at the dentists' office with the plastic tops where you tried to move a ball through a maze. :simplemabs:

[@toddinfl]

Fiber Hoptic

[@NoNo_IStay]

So simple. So genuine. Nicely done ✔️

[@donewithmodernlife]

I love these GWOT-era gear dives. Nobody does them quite like you Hop. I also greatly enjoyed the Brass Facts/Hop/Risky Chrisky stream. I’m not normally a livestream guy but I happened to catch it at the beginning & thought I’d give it a listen. Turned out to be a lot of fun. You 3 should do another one soon.

[@slushbubs]

Which channel is it on?

[@donewithmodernlife]

@@slushbubs Brass Facts

[@slushbubs]

@@donewithmodernlife thanks

[@uncreativename9936]

Did he take it down? I can't find it on Brass facts channel (I came back to this comment and the other replies aren't showing up now :/)

[@2f5shooter]

I was in the Marine Corps at the start of OIF. I was infantry and not part of any special unit so all I had was a fixed carry handle A2. At that time our equipment was shit and we didn't have anything it all like they have now. I decided to take some of what little money I had at the time and buy an rx01. On mine, the only markings indicating a model were "ACOG" and "REFLEX". Along with it I got the gooseneck mount, the screw-in filter you discussed, and a similar screw-in kill flash. I paid a little over $450 for it. In addition to the three mounting screws, there were two very large stainless steel roll pins that worked as recoil bosses of sorts. The sight fit very snug on the mount but still did not hold zero very well. I tightened the bizarre detent locking toggle bolt thingy to the point that I was worried I would break it. That did not help much. It was still better than just iron sights though and I was glad I had it. I still have the whole setup and I'm thinking about making a replica of the rifle I carried. In the past six months I have seen two of the gooseneck mounts for sale on some local boards. One was very recently. If I see another one I will pass it on to you, that is if you really want one. It's not the greatest mount. GGG made a qd lower 1/3 mount which I bought some time during the mid 2000s. It's pretty solid.

[@REVOLVER_NOIR]

I have a gooseneck mount and an original A2 I’m trying to “part” with.

[@deancarr4507]

I recognize the Braco Co/ 2nd Co FAST logo anywhere. Semper Fi

[@f308gtb1977]

I wouldn’t know about half the old gun stuff in the world without Hop. Thanks man.

[@NGcCharlie]

Old stuff? I'm only 29 and I've owned both of these, making me feel old hahaha

[@f308gtb1977]

@@NGcCharlie “… relatively speaking.”

[@Michaelfirefoxx]

...only 29?

[@jtr82369]

Had the rx01 on that carry handle mount & it was amazing. I always had a bag of mini glow sticks & electrical tape so I could tape the stick to the front lol

[@aggrodkreg4321]

As a Trijicon fanboy, these things both scratch the itch of being Trijicon and being a vibe.

[@noahjames3361]

The rx30 was my dream optic for years. By the time i could afford one, it was obsolete. Cool to see a review in 2023

[@2IDSGT]

“I need an amber-lamps!”😂

[@CokeMan2423]

7:14 a man after my own heart

[@jake9705]

"Call the amber lamps! But not for me..." * old man faking a heart attack draws a .45 Longslide with motorcycle-battery-powered laser and old school Trij amber dots *

[@TonberryShuffle]

I just emailed Trijicon to refurbish my RX01 this week and they'll still service it for about $190 according to the email response from them. Also, the Meprolight M21 version also has an add-on LED illuminator that screws right to the optic to give you a third light source as a backup for your backup.

[@bakelite3691]

I've just sent mine in and they're looking at it, I'm waiting to get the verdict. Should just need the tritium.

[@bakelite3691]

Got it back. Was 187 total. They said they'd replace just the tritium but they also did the knobs and intake for free.

[@carvin112]

Love your vids on weird and odd optics, especially the early GWOT stuff from when they were just throwing stuff at the wall to see what stuck.

[@joshuaprice8171]

As a police officer / SWAT cop I used the RX30 from 2008 to 2023. I only replaced it for the MRO HD with magnifier because I was starting to get washed out when someone would turn on a bright flashlight. I also loved the 6.5 MOA dot but it was getting too dim over time. I think it has lost brightness but to be fair I did get 15 years of daily use out of it. Now I will have to learn to find my tiny little 2 MOA dot again like a savage. What drew me to it in the first place was never having to turn it on or worry about batteries. This was in an era when the battery life of most optics was not the greatest, so every time I watched my friends crying because their optics failed due to dead batteries I laughed and gave my trusty RX30 a nod. My other big like for this optic was the massive lens size. This made it super quick to find the nice big dot. Again, for my use as a city cop, it was exactly what the doctor ordered.

[@MyLonewolf25]

These things are such a vibe I can’t even express, Makes me way to build a m16a3 clone

[@badgeractual8881]

Hearing Hop say "Half-life" reminded me of his old gaming channel

[@Adam-zi5se]

The Examined Life of Gaming

[@scottdpugnificent]

He loves his gen2 g17 too much. After all he put on the HEV suit and started rubbing it with a crowbar.

[@toddinfl]

Is it still there?

[@M81_WOODLAND]

I remember my dad's Mini-14 having one of those Weaver Qwik Point dots back in the 80s when bubba-ing guns was the norm. Kinda wish I had that old dot and that folding stock Mini-14. While I'm at it, wish I still had my dad.

[@MrTwitchis]

I always enjoy your videos. They feel more like a buddy discussing the topic over coffee then some other KZbinrs that feel like a paid positive review. Great work as always Hop!

[@wiredtight]

WHOAAAA BLACK BETTY, AMBER LAMPS!

[@jacobrobinson462]

Beat me to it!

[@scherry9198]

The lineage to the Meprolight M21 was new to me. I still use an M21, albite with a battery powered illuminator for those low light to bright light situations. Ha! 7:14 Ol Hop gives us the f*ck finger!

[@hateferlife]

good catch!

[@schrodingersgat4344]

Whoa-oh Black Betty Amber Lamps Whoa-oh Black Betty Amber Lamps Black Betty had a sight Damned thing don't work in low light

[@pantagruel1066]

I will always associate this optic with the IDF. With the gooseneck mount. It's a slick look.

[@fromtheguncounter4140]

I've got an RX01 on a goose neck carry handle mount and it really shines in that setup. When the lighting gets unfavorable the irons are still right there.

[@unskilledlabor1]

I have this setup on my windham dissipator, it's surprisingly effective for an obsolete retro setup

[@TheLevitatingFleem]

Biiitch you gotta youtube channel?

[@beardly0121]

There was a guy on a Mongolian basket weaving forum I frequent who had one of these. It looked awesome on his setup.

[@awsomedude9111]

Thanks for looking into these optics, your doing a great job! I remember spamming a livestream maybe a month ago asking about these red dots.

[@l.robertvandyke4398]

Great. Thanks for all the videos

[@superchucksvd]

Had one of the small ones for 10 yrs plus and u r right about all of your points on it

[@johnqpublic2718]

I had a knock-off version of the RXO for my Crossman pellet gun way back in 1997. I remember being flat-out amazed about how it worked.

[@SatsuRyu]

I happen to have an RX01 and never really thought too much about it so I'm glad that Hop is the one to educate me about this GWOT classic.

[@Wolf_Avery]

I’ve gotten a chance to use one of those carry handle mounted models, I really liked it but it was a bright summer day. I think the color tint of sunglasses I was wearing also made the sight contrast more.

[@WarrHoll]

I've got 2 of the gooseneck setups, one with a round dot and one with the delta reticle. Gotta love em for retro builds

[@whiskey11niner]

I have an RX01 on a clone of the dissipator from the north Hollywood shootout, it’s a cool optic, but the design shows it’s age

[@Sam_Pillay]

Wasn't expecting a video on these, but a pleasant surprise. Hoping you'll also do a video on the SRS someday

[@dib0018]

Yeah brought back memories.

[@apocalypserisin]

Sent my RX01 back to trijicon a few months back for a complete refresh. They replaced the tritium and slapped on a new 12 year warranty (for a fee).

[@Tattlebot]

The largest vial on mixglo is $19 apart from the torch/mapreader.

[@zackaryk2000]

Awesome video, hop. Now I know what all these old optics in a locker at my work are.

[@Hoplopfheil]

Liberate the Reflexes!

[@williamflowers9435]

Set them free!! Let them fall off the back of a truck like so many of their liberated brethren. Freedom!!!

[@The-BCC]

Liking all the history info and old school vibes Hop.

[@Pattamatt1998]

Been waiting for you to review these, they're super cool optics. Kicking myself for not picking up one I saw on eBay for $300 a few years ago

[@offcourseoverland]

That's where I scored mine a few years ago. $250 with some exterior scratches and a S/N laser etched on the bottom.

[@asog3083]

Mexican marines love their rx01 on their service rifles, they just adopted quite a few MCX rifles. Also the GEO operators (grupo de operaciones especiales) use the mepro 21 on their galil ace 31 pattern rifles. But the ones who have acquired eotechs or sig sauer optics have never gone back since. Greetings from Mexico, big fan, I’ve been watching you for 2 years now thank you for the great content.

[@mustanggun]

I still use and love my reflex sites. Badass

[@94twentytwo76]

Really cool! I love the antiquated optics video’s 💯🍻

[@ryanweiss1721]

I bought a dual illum RMR about 10 years ago before I knew anything about red dots. I discovered the same thing about how good it works under nods a couple months back. It is quite pleasant if you have an astigmatism like me. I also agree you shouldn't go out of your way to buy a dual illum for passive aiming but if you have a spare one laying around and have nods, it is a fun experiment.

[@_scottpadgett_8548]

Thanks for enlightening us Brother

[@sissydreams7494]

Thanks for the review. I really like my Mepro M21 (w/triangle reticle). I also have the polarizer and flash guard set. Looking to get the REM 21 illuminator. These accessories address all of the shortcomings of a reflex sight (shooting from the shade into the light and/or using a weapon light indoors). Plus, the thing is built like a tank with a fantastic integrated QD mount. You can buy all of this (if you look around) for less than $550.

[@kvideos4199]

Used the RX01 in the USCG on shotguns. Except they never kept zero (they were meant for use with slugs) so we used the iron sights underneath the mount instead. Despite that, I always loved their aesthetic. The CG calls them "ACOG's" though. Ours sure as shit did say acog on the side. Still felt weird calling them that.

[@alu.304]

I worked for a Commercial Nuclear Plant as a Security Officer and my final 2.5 years as the Site Weapons Systems Armorer. We had the RX01 with the gooseneck mount (it has a part # but I don't remember it) on Bushmaster C7 upper'd carbines. They actually worked pretty well in that environment and were bombproof. We later transitioned to a Flat top Bushy ORC and the TA47 ACOG but I ended up "owning" then gifting out a few dozen of the RX01's. The triangle reticule is designed as 12.9moa per Trijicon. I cannot complain at all about Trijicon as a Company in regards to Customer or Product Support. Cool vid👍 I picked up a 6.5 amber dot RX30 while working for a retail company that had a short lived Training Facility(Gander Mountain Academy) thru the 3.5 Program. It's an ok sight but best as a "truck/trunk gun" with a set of Scalarworks BUIS to help with the for certain wash out.

[@rootjr.3658]

Just based on my use of fiber optic bow sights, I think the green triangle would perform a bit better in mixed lighting situations. My green pins are always the last ones I can still see by a good 15-20 minutes at dusk.

[@CooperativeCowboy25]

0:57 - Hey, don't knock it, classic HTML has SOUL

[@AVATARComander]

Got 2 rxo1 with gooseneck like 5 years ago, makes me feel cool

[@Chris-ct8if]

That add on LED for the RX01 really works well. It is quick to twist on and off. The Mepro 21 also has the same washout problem. There is a unit that attaches to the Mepro 21 but that one has 11 brightness settings.

[@jace3802]

I was issued a benelli 1014 in 2005 fallujah with an rx 01 and triangle reticle, worked very well for me

[@draconus15]

I have an old RX06 from my uncle who got it from a former sof guy he knew. Great little optic I currently don't have it on anything rn though

[@five5105]

My RX01 has faithfully served me for the last decade on my suppressed PKP in Battlefield 4.

[@counterfeit6089]

I like how the sight makes everything in its view look like Battlefield 3

[@timreigns6099]

I’ve got an RX30 with the ARMS qd mount. It’s about 13 years old, and the tritium is probably ready to be recharged. I love it! One of my favorites that I own.

[@Tattlebot]

It should be almost exactly half brightness.

[@ikigai47]

Very interesting, thanks for the lesson. And I'm thankful Tucker didn't have to call the amber lamps 🙃

[@mastodon24]

As always, your commentary is top notch.

[@jsirius94]

I actually really liked a dual illuminated RMR under NOD's because the triangle stands out like a sore thumb and is easy to pick up in the monochrome world of IR

[@justinreed4733]

I have the 1x42 Trijicon still love it

[@Darkmattersfrank]

I really liked the older one back in the day. Better than the M68. To me it looked high definition compared. But like you mentioned, you quickly hit limitations once lighting condition changed. It was still serviceable. But all the points you talked about are exactly true. This video is great especially for people who never used one. But for range days, all these optics are great.

[@ironraccoon3536]

Your "this thing is serviceable, but who in their right mind would use them" reviews are fantastic. If you can track them down, Hensoldt's weird RSA red dot and their 4x ACOG-like thing would be great fodder for one of these videos.

[@alt5494]

Love my meprolight m21 extremely durable optic with external adjustment in the mount, & basically immune to water.

[@JS-lv5pn]

I like the reflex personally but you touched on all the issues of them.

[@jamaicanomen]

Thank you Hop, you’re doing the Lord’s work!!!

[@rmp5s]

In the Corps, we would all cover the fiber optic on our ACOGs with black electrical tape...the added brightness from the fiber optic could make the chevron "bloom" a bit which could throw off your aim at longer ranges. The tritium in its own was plenty.

[@BasslineDrums]

In the Coast Guard, all of our Remington 870 shotguns are equipped with picatinny top rails and these RX-01 reflex sights. Nobody seems to know for sure how long we've had them in service or remember a time without them. I never bothered to check the tritium, but I'd imagine they're very dim by now.

[@toysoldier6093]

Damn. A Perun vid and a Hop vid in the same day.

[@InvidiousIgnoramus]

They're pretty neat. I plan to get a M21 with the delta reticle at school me point. There are universal goosenecks you can get for optics that work just fine.

[@boellis241]

Thank you for not yelling “WHAT’S UP KZbin!” as an opener to every single video. Your dark cynicism is so refreshing.

[@sudo_actual]

That GWOT photo 100% looks like a younger, happier, @hoplopfheil.

[@whitehorsephotograph]

I still use my RX01. I have astigmatism, so it is much clearer than any red dot. Works like a dream under nods. Absolutely necessary to run cowitnessed irons, which some people still know how to use.

[@dualityofmorons]

I just got a rx01 with a carry handle mount last month, STILL WORKS. Needed it for a classic carry handle build it trying to do. Need to find a stripped upper for it though lol

[@soundslikesight7876]

I’m not old but have been shooting for about 16 years and remember when the dual illum thing was a popular choice. The big concept was that battery powered optics were still not all that trusted. Despite the fact they had been around for awhile, it was still relatively new to alot of people to trust a battery powered optic. Also “zombie apocalypse” was a trend so yeah…. Folks had weird ideas about what made an ultra reliable optic. Never me though…. I knew better….. Luckily we now know that electronic optics are great and so these things make a lot less sense than they did in that odd timeframe.

[@bored383]

I have a Weaver Qwik Point on my 10-22, and it is awesome

[@isaace8090]

I found an RX01 about 10 years ago. It's been on and off rifles over the decade as it just doesn't have the versatility of an Aimpoint PRO or COMP M2. I bought a Bushmaster A2 carbine kit to make an A2 rifle clone out of it which means a bunch of parts laying around I didn't use. I used the carbine parts to make a "It's 2004 again" carbine out of the 16" 1/9 HBAR barrel and other Bushmaster parts. I have a feeling the optic will be on there for a while as that is a beater rifle which will only go to the range out of sheer boredom. It may have finally found a home that will last more than one range trip, but who knows?

[@Hoplopfheil]

Cozy

[@johnbaptiste87]

Awesome!

[@phenom573]

I have two RX34's and a Mepro M21. They are pretty cool for what they are.

[@jungckh]

I know they’re out of fashion with the Instagram Flex Set but I love the dual illuminated RMRs…under one non-negotiable condition. They must have a good pair of BUIS to go with them. Any condition where the dot washes out, the irons stand out in perfect contrast. Since I learned how to shoot irons first, not a big deal to switch to front sight focus rather than target focus in those situations. To me, the trade off is worth it. Never have to worry about batteries dying or electronics failing, and they are super durable. Just one dumbass civilians opinion. (The 7MOA amber dot is the brightest of the dual illum RMRs) Never tried one of the reflex sights reviewed here but I would love to get my hands on one at some point.

[@mjolnirdynamics8789]

I've had both the RX01 as well as the RX06 and loved them both. It's been a few years since I off loaded them but they were so cool at the time. Call me weird but I still love the trijicon triangle reticle and have a TR24 with the amber triangle on one of my carbines. I agree that the old RX series really isn't a great choice any longer for many reasons. It's not the worst choice either.

[@williamflowers9435]

Now we need the SRS and the Meprolight M21 reviewed

[@MW-sw4cp]

They work well enough with co witnessed iron sights or the polarizing filter. The filter basically makes it an oeg though.

[@UncleDon226]

The M21 is amazing. You can thread in a polarizer to adjust the contrast of the light in reference to the lens, making it much better at shooting from a dark building out into broad daylight. Or, you can just get an aftermarket M21 light that turns it into a battery powered red-dot with fiber optic backup.

[@ElijahNMitchell]

I just wish there were different mounts, thing mounts pretty high

[@lllllREDACTEDlllll]

I just picked up an RX30 last week!

[@jameson7276]

The Meprolight has a screw-on adjustable shader for the front that counters the problem of aiming into a brighter area and it mostly works. I think weapon lights are still a bridge slightly too far. Looks like the Trijicon can maybe thread one on too. nevermind, you mentioned it later

[@Chris-ct8if]

There is an Add on LED illuminator that attaches to the Mepro 21. It has 11 brightness settings. Works great!

[@hughgrection3052]

I have the M21 Meprolight plus the aftermarket "illuminator" screw on light that feeds into the fiber optic. Man the added light it provides is pretty amazing. Great setup and it turns these into the one of only triple illuminated optics there is I know of. Well besides the one shown in video with its aftermarket light. The M21 version looks alot better in design tho. Kinda looks like it was made to be there. I have the Trijicon dual illuminated RMR also. Both seem great to me and I love mine. Both are great for people like me who have astigmatisms. They're way more crisp and clear

[@xstevenx8132]

I was literally just thinking how easy it would be to build an illuminate for this. It would literally take a couple of leds, some hot glue, a battery pack and a switch. Something an amateur hobbies could build in 30 minutes. Add in a 3d printed shell and it would be relatively nice looking.

[@hughgrection3052]

@xstevenx8132 Yeah. I've seen a guy make a video here on KZbin that took a small copper pipe and bent it to the shape of his rifle, light, and optic so the tube ended in front on the light, and at the optic. He then stuffed the tube full of fiber optic threads/wires. Then when he turned on his weapon light, it would shine onto the ends of the fibers and send some of the light to his fiber optic on his optic. So it sort of siphoned off light that way, which was pure genius lol. He didn't get the washout when shining indoors anymore

[@xstevenx8132]

@@hughgrection3052 that is ingenious.

[@hughgrection3052]

@xstevenx8132 Yeah I wish I could take credit lol. But the brighter the light he'd use, the brighter the dot would get.

[@dereklinscott8488]

"Art thou leaking?"................ Brilliant GWOT era reference. Well played sir.

[@BangoJay_Official]

I actually snagged a Police Trade-in RX01(Amber triangle) with the gooseneck mount a few years back. It's sitting on a weird (shitty) little A1 upper 300 Blackout pistol I built. You can actually see it in the background of most of my videos. It didn't include the fastener though, but a bubba nut/washer combo with loctite held it in place just fine! Overall decent optic, but I have similar complaints. It's perfectly bright and usable outdoors, but indoors the triangle tends to wash out and is hardly visible. I never knew about those attachable lights though - so that's pretty interesting! Great video on these lesser known reflexes! I'm (slightly) more proud of mine now lol.

[@washburn8932]

The rx-01 originally had a small cap on the back that let a tiny proprietary Chem light tube go in and provide more light in low light environments.

[@shino9797]

I always loved the look of these. A modern Naydar for GWOT babies

[@spqrd13]

My roommate bought the meprolight m21, it's actually quite good in most lighting conditions

[@typo_3148]

Hop's finally reviewing the BF4 red dot🥰

[@kukajin9560]

i really truly deeply need a gooseneck mount of these for my m16k build

[@ElijahNMitchell]

Wish they still made them, considering the Mepro M21 for my Galil

[@aetius9]

Is it just me or does it seem like this stuff was a lifetime ago? It's crazy to think how far optics have come in just 20 or so years.

[@Waldemarvonanhalt]

As a foreign viewer (🇿🇦), I have a question or request/challenge for Hop that might make for an interesting video: Assuming getting any length AR isn't a problem, how would you "build" or outfit your rifle if ITAR-controlled items/brands were off the table? No Steiner, L3, BE Meyers etc for IR lasers, no Surefire/Dead Air/B&T* suppressors or muzzle brakes, most models of Aimpoint and Trijicon optics out of the question etc etc. *The Surefire-compatible B&T suppressors

[@dib0018]

I actually owned an RX01 with a goose neck mount with the adjustable filter. Bought it when it first came out and I was poe. The chevron on those always seemed to be slightly canted. Trijicon said that that was "normal." Needless to say but didn't keep it long.

[@lucasbfowler]

The secret unlock with the RXO1 is that it can take any illumination source. Tiny chem light and tape? check. Phosphorescent strip you charge periodically with another lightsource? check. Rear facing flashlight hoseclamped to your handguard? Double check. I used a tiny gerber light that would run on AA, AAA, and cr123s so I had ultimate battery options in a post-industrial wasteland on top of the total passive use after that. Did I sell it fund a more traditional optic that works better before the industrial collapse? unfortunately also yes.

[@EricDaMAJ]

I got an RX30 for my Kel-Tec KSG shotgun after I tired of the gun beating my reflex sights to death after a few shots. I got in part because I wanted a sight to tank properly and the RX30 looked the part. It works well despite its obnoxious size. I am disappointed in its performance in low light conditions. I theorized I could improvise a small LED light under a cloth with velcro fasteners I could throw over the fiber optic would boost performance. I did a crude prototype test and found the concept worked. But ultimately while I love the KSG, I moved on to the Beretta 1301 and the point became moot.

[@adamadams6740]

I’ve never messed with these two sights but seams like you could solve most of the dim issues with and front sight co witnessed in the window,for when the dots washed out.not the most precise but good enough for minute of man at 75/50 probably.I could be mistaken I’ve never had these.

[@Chris-ct8if]

There is an illuminator for the Trijicon RX30 sights. The REM 30 (Reticle Enhancement Module) It is basically a REM 21 that has been adapted to fit onto the RX30 sight. It will take care of any washout or dull tritium problem.