TRUGLO TRITON 30mm Tri-Color Dot Sight
Operator7
23 Jun 2014
Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to review a new brand of optics from a U.S. company called TRUGLO. TRUGLO sell a wide range of optics from crossbow opticss to real steel firearms such as hand guns, shotguns and AR scopes and red dots. So it was a very good surprise to find out that this brand is interested in the Airsoft community as a platform for their products.
This created a lot of expectations since we are not talking about cheap clones here, but rather real steel optics that are supposed to perform and be up to the challenge of an Airsoft game.
Last time I was at the Sandpit in Kent, I mounted this optic on my WE Katana and used it during several games there to see if the TRITON 30mm was a real match to the expectations.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
Just before the game, installing the optic proved to be extremely easy using no tools as the mount allows you to turn both screws just enough to provide a good lock of the mount to the rails. However, each screw should be properly tightened with a hex screw to ensure it's securely fastened. Once it is fastened, it stays there rock solid, as it did throughout the day.
This red dot feels light, when comparing to similar red dots and extremely sturdy thanks to its aluminium construction which is composed of a cylindrical main body that is cylindrical and houses the controls, battery and lenses, and a mount (also built in aluminium) which I will mention further below.
The whole unit is a very well-built optic with a nice black matte finish. Overall, it feels solid and durable, and it’s not easy to scratch.
Design wise, it’s quite unique and different from other optics in the market, with a very nice and sleek design, making it compact, easy to use and sturdy.
I really liked the mount that raises the red dot high enough to allow a very fast target acquisition.
Another thing worth mentioning are the plastic and rubber caps that come with the TRITON which look quite nice and help protecting the lenses when travelling or storing your gun. However, they totally disappeared in the first two games I played: the rear cap came off since the pin got loose; and the front one, just slipped off from the optic. So I highly recommend playing without them and using them only for storage and travel.
LENS AND RETICLE
One of the nicest features of this red dot are the 30mm diameter lenses which provide a wide viewing angle and very good eye relief.
The lenses are just slightly tinted, and according to TRUGLO the will deliver 95% of light transmission, making it great for outdoor games whether sunny or not. But even indoors they work quite well especially if there’s any kind of lighting inside. I only found that I needed the extra 5% while transitioning from outdoors into a dark building with low lighting. But after a while your eyes will get accustomed to the low light environment and the TRITON will work like a charm, only needing to reduce the brightness of the dot.
The dot brightness is very good since it was actually a very sunny day and even though I had to go to the highest setting, it was very visible even when pointing to very bright areas where the sun would reflect a lot such as sandy or rocky landscapes.
Another cool feature that I really enjoyed using was the blue reticle, which makes the TRUGLO optics so unique from what's out there. Plus it's easy to transition between the different colours and brightness levels thanks to the easy to use selector knob, which takes us to the operation bit of this red dot.
OPERATION
Zeroing the dot was very easy thanks to the dials to adjust the windage and elevation. You dial the reticle in clear increments and it produces a distinct click feedback. Thes dials are protected by a cap that has to be unscrewed. Unscrewing them was easy, however when you have to adjust the dials you need to use a proper tool such as screwdriver since the caps, unlike many other I’ve seen, don’t have the small piece of plastic in the shape of a tool that allow me to easily adjust it.
Once zeroed in, I had no issues since the dot didn’t move at all and it kept like that throughout the day.
The battery is stored in the brightness level knob. And you gain access to it by simply unscrewing the TRUGLO cap which is quite nice. As for the adjusting the brightness is pretty simple as for all colours you have 0, 1, 2, and 3 with 3 being the brightest level and 0 off. The type of battery that it takes is a CR2032.
CONCLUSION
I found this to be one of the best red dots I’ve used so far. Ticking all the boxes I consider important in a tactical optic for Airsoft in terms of real usability for the game. Setting the standard even higher by delivering a well built, sturdy red dot that can take a beating and that you can rely on.
Plus, the 30mm in diameter, the mount makes it a breeze to lock on to your targets and the 3 MOA reticle that is really bright make everything come together when I most needed it, leaving it up to me to get the job done!
Ultimately I really enjoyed running the TRITON last Sunday and I look forward to run it again!
The TRUGLO TRITON 30mm red dot goes for about $160, around £94 or €118, and you get more details at TRUGLO’s website.
Pros:
- Well-built and very very sturdy
- 30mm lens provide a great viewing angle
- Cool and unique design
- Very bright blue dot! And red and green too!
- Easy to use and adjust
- Very nice mount
Cons:
- Caps fall easily
- Adjusting dial caps could double as a small screwdriver