September 21, 2024
By Frank Melloni
Iron sights have remained unchallenged in the reliability department. It’s hard to argue the durability of two pieces of metal. For this reason, many are hesitant to take the plunge and convert to a red dot, even though they have proven to hasten sight acquisition and outshine even tritium for a low-light solution. Those who knock red dots cite battery life or electronic failure as the weak points. Ten years ago, that was fair. However, through efficient LEDs, we’ve reached battery lives that are better measured in years than hours, and reinforced printed circuit boards have been developed to handle the abuse of reciprocating slides. Couple these qualities with refined mounting methods, and it appears we’ve shored up every issue in the red-dot realm. The Achilles heel of reflex sights is if debris gets between the LED emitter and the lens. Aimpoint’s Acro was one of the first optics to address this through its closed emitter system, making it similar to a tube sight. However, they aren’t the only folks with a little bit of glass know how. German manufacturer Steiner has been in the game since 1947, so they felt they could give the Swedes a run for their money. After spending some time with the MPS, I’d say the race is on.
The MPS is built with edges cut to deter debris and snagging and large buttons for use with gloves. The MPS (Micro Pistol Sight) is Steiner’s fully-enclosed red-dot optic that is built with the same rugged reputation as the rest of their products. To make this claim, we need to look no further than the housing. As if all-metal construction wasn’t enough, Steiner went the extra mile to armor the sidewalls, protecting the areas that would be most susceptible to impact. In the process, this gates in the mounting hardware, keeping it from snagging on clothing and the like. Additionally, the front of the housing is sloped to deflect any flying debris it might encounter during deployment. As there aren’t any free lunches in life, this protection comes at the expense of weight. However, at 2.05 ounces, it’s hard to argue that it’s a noticeable increase. While its overall weight might go by unnoticed, the MPS’s size will not. Contrary to weight, larger optics are advantageous, as they allow faster dot acquisition. The window measures .80 inch by .63 inch, making the 3.3-MOA dot intuitive to find during a rapid presentation. Also large for class on the MPS are the controls, which are simple, rubberized “+” and “-“ buttons. Between this pair, the user controls brightness and programs the MPS’s features.
Larger controls are a godsend when wearing gloves or fumbling through an adrenaline dump. On the downside, the larger anything is, the more prone it is to unwanted contact. The engineers at Steiner built these buttons to require an outrageous amount of pressure to activate. So much so that during the writing of this piece, my thumbs became sore from the constant actuation. Additionally, the buttons are differently shaped and sized, safeguarding them from unintended activation due to a foreign object. If more security is sought, a simultaneous press of the keys for five seconds will lock the controls completely out, leaving your dot lit and set to the brightness you selected prior to this operation.
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With at least four major footprints on the market, mounting a pistol optic can be a chore. As many shooters work backward and choose a handgun based on which red dot they plan to run, Smith & Wesson wanted to ensure its optics-ready pistols could handle just about anything. Semiautos with the C.O.R.E. cut include a kit containing seven different adapter plates and screws of various lengths and cap configurations. Going this route adds minimal stacking height and allows you to swap optics at will. Those fielding the MPS can leave the dot on or enable the 13-hour auto-shutoff. Lastly, if you leave the buttons engaged, long-pressing the “-“ will turn the LED off, while pressing the “+” will turn it back on. The sum of all of these operations allows it to be set up for duty or casual range use at the buyer’s discretion. Because the MPS is fully enclosed, mounting it to a slide is different than an open reflex sight. When installing the latter, it can be as simple as driving a pair of machine screws through the electronics deck into the slide of the pistol. However, utilizing that method on an optic like the MPS would defeat any dust or waterproofing efforts and make the entire design pointless.
Steiner followed Aimpoint’s lead, borrowing the Acro footprint that integrates into the pistol’s slide. Steiner agreed with Aimpoint’s approach to integrating the Acro into a pistol slide and built its sight to the same footprint. That means that unless you have this rare cut milled into your slide, an adapter plate is in the cards. Steiner includes one that integrates with Docter-cut slides. If not, you’ll need to adapt your slide to take a Docter plate and then mount the Steiner-included MPS plate to that. I was sitting on a Smith & Wesson M&P Metal with adaptable C.O.R.E. (Competition Optics Ready Equipment) system that accepted the Steiner optic. With the optic securely fastened to the slide, it was time to take it to the range. After unpacking, I decided on a 15-yard zero. During the procedure, I gained an appreciation for the tolerances when building this sight, as it took considerable force to turn the windage and elevation dials. Dialing in was fast, as the clicks are a full MOA, which is precise enough for tactical handgun use. When I was finished, I had more than 30 clicks in any direction, which reassures me that there is enough room to zero this using different mounts and likely even on different platforms.
As I finalized my zero, I selected a middle-ground brightness level of the six that the MPS gives you to choose from (eight when you count the two night vision ones). I found the dot landed square in my field of view, which is largely due to its build. Steiner accomplishes this by flipping the electronics to the top of the unit, allowing for a thinner deck. At the same time, this puts the battery compartment right on top, making it easy to change every 18 months or so. Overall, I was impressed. I ended my testing on the 300-round mark before firing a confirmation group to ensure that my zero hadn’t drifted; it didn’t.
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Steiner’s MPS is one heck of a sight, which doesn’t surprise me, as I have worked with their products before. I have zero hesitation towards installing one on my nightstand gun, particularly since I can keep it on the lowest brightness setting and enjoy an immense battery life without compromising low-light effectiveness. In closing, if dots like this were the first to hit the scene, we would likely have to explain what iron sights were to this latest generation of shooters.
