Primary Arms MD-25 Gen 2

New Year, New Primary Arms MD-25! That’s right Primary Arms has released the MD-25 Gen 2 and Lynx Defense has the scoop on what’s new and hands on experience with it.

The first question you probably have is what is different than the Primary Arms MD-25 Gen 1?

Time to dive in and see the most important thing…

What’s New

The most important thing to talk about on the MD-25 Gen 2 is what’s new. Because after all, you can still get the MD-25 Gen 1 for a steal!

So is the upgrade worth it? Wells he’s the hit list of new features:

• Auto Live: Puts optic to sleep when not in use wakes up with movement
• ACSS-CQB Reticle: Fantastic new reticle design
• 11 Brightness Settings 2 Night vision Settings
• Clear Aperture and Winder Field of View

These are just a few of the updates to the Gen 2. There will be two options for the SLx MD-25 G2: the 2 MOA dot and the ACSS-CQB version. The only difference in the two is the reticle, which you can read more detail about below!

Primary Arms SLx MD-25

• 1x Magnification
• Auto-Live
• 13 Illumination settings
•Approx. 45,000 Hour battery

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First impression

When you first open the box and pull the optic out it’s the same quality Primary Arms red dot sight you expect. The metal feels heavy duty the glass is extremely clear and the box is packed full of extras that make this red dot a value.

Opening the Box

When you open the box you are greeted by two manuals one for the ACSS CQB reticle and one for the optic itself.

Included in the box are:

• Primary Arms MD-25 G2
• 2x Mounts
• 2x Spacers
• Tools
• Extra Screws
• Manuals
• Vibra-Tite
• Terry Cloth

All wrapped in the classic Primary Arms foam. I can’t say enough good things about their packaging because short of gross negligence from the delivery company there is no way these optics will be damaged in the box.

Primary Arms SLx MD-25

• 1x Magnification
• Auto-Live
• 13 Illumination settings
•Approx. 45,000 Hour battery

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The Red Dot Sight

It took a little bit of time and consulting with a friend or two to land one what gun I wanted the MD-25 Gen 2, after all there were tons of good options.

I had it boiled down to three possible options: Benelli M4, Brownells BRN 180, the Ruger 10/22 Takedown.

Primary Arms MD-25 Gen 2 Features

The MD-25 Gen 2 is a really solid optics that like it’s Gen 1 counterpart, is a really good value for the price.

The MD-25 has served me will on several guns including a 16″ 5.56 Bushmaster AR-15 build that I have and most recently my Brownells BRN-180.

Materials

The MD-25 appears to be made out of the same high quality aluminum that the Gen 1 was made out of.

The overall design has remained largely the same which I appreciate because I was always fond the size, style, and overall build quality.

Weight

The weight clocks in at a reasonable 6.5 ounces which adds nearly nothing to any modern rifle, in my case my Ruger 10/22 Takedown.

Weight isn’t a huge consideration on this class of red dot sights. If it is 6.5 ounces is still a great number if you are trying to keep weight down.

Primary Arms SLx MD-25

• 1x Magnification
• Auto-Live
• 13 Illumination settings
•Approx. 45,000 Hour battery

Buy Now

Reticle

The MD-25 Gen 2 has two different versions:

• Primary Arms SLx MD-25 ACSS-CQB
• Primary Arms SLx MD-25 red dot 2MOA

I prefer the ACSS-CQB reticles over the single dot reticle but that always boils down to personal preference and budget.

The 2MOA dot model is about $50 cheaper than the ACSS-CQB reticle model.

Dot Adjustment

Making dot adjustments are extremely easy, just as they were on the Gen 1 MD-25 with elevation turret being on the top and the windage on the right side of the optic.

The turrets still feature aluminum caps that a nice and tight thanks to a rubber o-ring that is there to keep moisture out.

Once you have the cap off you’re greeted with a nice larger adjustment screw that is wide enough to fit nearly any screw driver, coin, or other makeshift screwdriver of your choice.

But you really don’t need a screwdriver you can turn the cap upside down and use the small notch to make your dot adjustments.

Power source

The primary arms slx md-25 battery G2 is the same CR2032 3V Lithium Coin battery that is readily available at your favorite battery supplier.

I like to keep the CR2032’s readily available and change them out at least once a year.

I usually try to do it around Shot Show time for all my optics and flashlights. That way I know they are all fresh and ready to rock and roll in case I need them quickly.

Primary Arms SLx MD-25

• 1x Magnification
• Auto-Live
• 13 Illumination settings
•Approx. 45,000 Hour battery

Buy Now

Primary Arms MD-25 Gen2 Sight Picture

The sight picture on the Generation 2 MD-25 is nearly identical to that of the Gen 1. There isn’t much to say new in this category.

The exterior of this optic is the exact same as the GEN1 the turret knobs and brightness adjustment knob are all in the same spots and the same sizes.

The one critique I had on the Gen 1 was the brightness. I wanted it to be a bit smaller but now that I’ve used it for some time I’ve gotten use to it.

My Gen1 had a pretty tight brightness knob and I don’t know if that was just my optic but the Gen 2 has a much easier turn on the brightness knob.

Like I stated in the Gen 1 review the overall sight picture’s great, quick and easy target identification making the overall sight picture perfectly fine.

Mounts and Mounting Options

One of my favorite features of the MD-25 is the fact it comes with flexible mounting options.

The MD-25 has a number of available mounts include in the box but comes standard with the riser mount on it and if you plan to put it on an AR, you’ll likely go with this mount.

You get two different mounts a riser and a low profile mount and two included spacers to adjust the height of the optic.

Primary Arms MD-25 G2 Conclusion

In conclusion, I really like the MD-25 overall. I think it’s an extremely versatile red dot sight.

If you are looking for a compact, affordable, but feature packed optic the few buy important improvements that Primary Arms has made to the MD-25 are great additions to this red dot.

For a $200 red dot sight you a lot packed into this package.

Primary Arms SLx MD-25

• 1x Magnification
• Auto-Live
• 13 Illumination settings
•Approx. 45,000 Hour battery

Buy Now