FOG HORN 2014

Twobirds Flying Publication

Copyright 2014, Towbirds Flying Publication. All Rights Reserved.

Primary Arms Micro Dot Fixed Base Sight MD-FBII

By

Sal Palma

FOG HORN 2014

Twobirds Flying Publication

Copyright 2014, Towbirds Flying Publication. All Rights Reserved.

A few months ago, I decided to take a look at the market to see what options are available to individuals

that don’t have the ability or desire to spend $500 - $800

on a reflex sight for their weapon system. I also kept

running into shooters on the range that had $6,000 to

$7,000 invested in their carbines and accessories but

couldn’t achieve center mass hits at 25 yards. So, why not

reallocate dollars form equipment, much of which is

designed around military application, to training where

you can realize an immediate return? Seriously folks, it’s

unlikely that you will be exiting a submarine at periscope

depth or jumping out of a C-135 with your equipment.

I’m not suggesting that you forgo buying the best

equipment you can afford. What I am suggesting is that

there are excellent alternatives that will satisfy 100% of your needs and still leave you with dollars to

allocate to training. So, I did some homework and engaged some of our industry partners to come up

with a list of red dot sights that are compact, robust, functional, reliable and flexible, and kicked the

project off with a review of the Bushnell AR Optics TRS-25.

This month, I continue with Primary Arms’ Micro Dot MD-FBII. This latest version of the company’s optic

is impressive, and you’re giving nothing up to higher priced alternatives; I say that without reservation.

Here are the salient details.

The MD-FBII is a Micro Dot 2 MOA reflex sight with a

fixed Picatinny base – I have more risers than I know

what to do with, but Primary Arms offers a slew of riser

options.

The sight occupies very little real estate on your

Picatinny rail, coming in at approximately 2.4 inches.

The fixed base version can be mounted directly to the

rail or to a riser to give you proper cheek weld and co-witnessing with your BUIS.

The sight is built on a solid aluminum housing for ruggedness. On earlier versions of the Primary Arms

Micro Dot, some users experienced loss of watertight integrity with the turret caps removed, this issue

has been addressed in the Gen II Micro Dot by using double O-ring turrets; resulting in an IPX-7 rating

Primary Arms Micro Dot Fixed Base Sight MD-FBII 2014

Copyright 2014, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved

even with the caps removed. However, all bets are off if you exit a submarine

at periscope depth. But do you really need watertight integrity to 66 feet or

more importantly do you want to pay for that level of performance?

The MD-FBII is also nitrogen purged to prevent fogging or condensation under

adverse conditions.

Looking through the sight you see a 2 MOA aiming point that is extremely well

focused. The dot can be adjusted for intensity via an 11 position rheostat

located on top of the sight’s body. The first 2 settings (1, 2) are night vision

compatible with dot intensity increasing from there in a very smooth linear

manner until its brightest setting at position 11. The intensity rheostat can be

adjusted with a clockwise or counterclockwise turn, and each position offers

excellent tactile with a positive detent that can be felt with a gloved hand.

I was impressed by the crisp and well-focused red dot, which I attribute to the quality and polish of the

front lens; along with its coating, which I’ll call superb. Further evidence of the

lens and coating quality is the absence of optical

aberrations.

For the picture on the right, I used a small Ivory

Oriental figurine to get a sense of optical

incongruities such as color rendition or clarity. As

you can see, there was no significant coloration of

the image. You can also observe no noteworthy change to the background

color. The only conclusion that I could draw is that optical clarity is certainly

not an issue with this sight, and from my perspective every bit as good as the best red dots.

Primary Arms also canted the front lens to reduce reflections from exposure to direct sunlight. It’s a nice

touch but not a huge deal for me. If I’m in stealth mode, I simply cover the front lens with the bikini

cover. You do not need to sight through a reflex sight to use it effectively.

The MD-FBII is frugal on rail space but also quite compact, measuring a mere

1.57 inches across at its widest point. When you consider its physical size

along with a weight of 4.5 oz., you have an optic that can easily be setup to

back up your glass – e.g. mounted on a railed scope ring cap. The MD-FBII

offers a great deal of flexibility in terms of application and platform

neutrality.

The sight is powered by a CR2032 lithium battery with a stated run time of

1000+ hours. The battery compartment is part of the rheostat knob and it too is O-ring sealed to prevent

water from interfering with the optic’s operation. However, battery life is where you’ll find the MD-

FBII’s Achilles Heel. At its rated 1000 hours, it falls short when matched to the higher priced sights.

Primary Arms Micro Dot Fixed Base Sight MD-FBII 2014

Copyright 2014, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved

Aimpoint for example advertises and achieves 50,000 plus hours of continuous operation on one

battery. Again, speaking as someone who replaces all optic batteries once a year, whether needed or

not, the deficiency is a non-issue to me. The MD-FBII is $79.95 an Aimpoint T-1 is $600+ do you really

care? It’s certainly not a deal breaker for me and it shouldn’t be for you.

One final point before heading out to the range. Primary Arms used

of a low profile L.E.D. emitter, which they located at the 5 o’clock

position inside the housing. That specific design decision

accomplished a couple of things. First, the shooter has an

unobstructed view through the sight and lastly, folks that use a 1/3

co-witness will find that the emitter does not interferes with their

line of sight

The MD-FBII has near perfect vertical and horizontal movement on

both windage and elevation adjustments. Elevation adjustments move the dot straight up and down,

and wind right to left. The ½ MOA clicks give you plenty of resolution to achieve a precise zero

regardless of ammunition choices. So, zeroing was a snap!

For our range testing, I zeroed the MD-FBII on an M4 then moved it too an M1A and fired it again. From

there it went on to a tactical 12g shotgun and firing it on the shotgun as well. Once the circuit was

completed, I moved it back to the M4 and fired it to confirm zero. The result was no shift in zero.

For me to say that I was thoroughly impressed with this optic would be an understatement. It’s not only

an excellent primary fire control accessory but its compact size and weight makes it an ideal backup to

your magnified optics. The Primary Arms MD-FBII leaves nothing to be desired. And if you find the

1000+ hours of battery life objectionable think of how many CR2032 batteries you can buy with the

dollars it left in your pocket. Pick one up and register for as many training class as you can, you’ll be glad

you did.

Primary Arms MD-FBII gets five thumbs up from this reviewer

-SP

Primary Arms Micro Dot Fixed Base Sight MD-FBII 2014

Copyright 2014, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved

Manufacturer Specifications

New double O-ring turrets retain water

resistance even with cap off

New Night vision compatible (the lowest two

settings)

New low profile emitter

Now with Ultra sharp 2 MOA dot

Nitrogen Purged

The front lens is coated and angled to prevent

glare

Click Value: 1/2 MOA

11 brightness settings

Only weighs 4.5 ounces

Visible in bright sunlight

Black anodized finish

Waterproof

Fog resistant

One year factory warranty

Bikini covers included

1,000+ hrs at a medium setting