Sig Romeo MSR

Sig Romeo MSR and Juliet 3 Micro Magnifier

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  • Reticle
  • Battery Life
  • Brightness Settings
  • Build Quality
  • Price/Value
3.8/5Overall Score
Specs
  • Material: Aluminum
  • Power: CR1632 Battery
  • Features:
  • Reticle: 2 MOA Dot
Pros
  • Price/Value
  • Extended Range with Red Dot
Cons
  • Field of View Obsturction
  • Weight

The Sig Romeo MSR by itself is an interesting product decision for Sig because it directly competes with the Sig Romeo 5 red dot sight. Neither optic is really different from the other in a bold way. But when you add the Juliet 3 Micro Magnified to the Sig Romeo MSR and make it a combo you really spice up the offering.

So without further ado, I’m going to dive into this optic with this 3x magnifier.

Sig Romeo MSR & Juliet 3 Maginifer Combo

Sig Romeo MSR Juliet 3 Micro Magnifier

• Material: Metal
• Reticle: 2 MOA Dot
• Weight: 1.75 lbs
• Brightness: 10 Settings 2 NV

First Impression

Leave it to Sig Sauer to have some fantastic packaging. I really like the box that the Romeo MSR and the Juliet 3 Magnifier come in. They both included a solid amount of foam as well as individually compartmentalized extras.

sig romeo msr in the

Sig Romeo MSR

The MSR is the heart of this combo and can be used stand-alone so it clearly will get much of the focus.

Personally I really like Sig’s line of red dot sights. Sig Sauer took an interesting position with their red dots as they are not usually known to be budget or budget-friendly with their firearms.

However, with the Romeo series of red dot sights, they are extremely affordable you can find the Romeo MSR on Amazon for just $87.57 as of this writing.

But if you’re shopping for optics and red dots sights I prefer to buy them from Palmetto State Armory, Optics Planet, or Primary Arms. They typically have better customer service, better prices, and most importantly are actually pro firearms companies that you are supporting with your hard-earned dollar.

So my first impression of the price is it seems cheap… too cheap to be good.

But when you open the box you are greeted with:

  • MSR Sight w/ Protective Flip-Up Caps
  • Juliet 3 Micro Magnifier
  • Mount
  • Tool for Mount
  • Microfiber Cloth
In the box Photo of the Romeo MSR and Juliet Magnifier

When you first pick up the Romeo MSR it doesn’t feel cheap at all. If anything I was a bit surprised about the weight and overall feel of the material.

I bought the Romeo MSR as a combo that came with the Juliet 3x Magnifier so they come in the same box.

Sig Romeo MSR & Juliet 3 Maginifer Combo

Sig Romeo MSR Juliet 3 Micro Magnifier

• Material: Metal
• Reticle: 2 MOA Dot
• Weight: 1.75 lbs
• Brightness: 10 Settings 2 NV

Juliet 3 Micro Magnifier

I sheepishly admit this is my second red dot magnifier. I’ve never really seen a use or need for them. Recently I decided to take Momma Boucher and rid myself of my foolish non-magnifier having ways!

momma

So, I started doing a little research and decided that the MSR and the Juliet 3 were too good a deal to pass up.

The Juliet 3 Micro Magnifier is a smaller version of the full-size Juliet 3. I personally like the micro much better than its full-size counterpart for so many reasons #1 size and weight.

Materials

The Romeo is an all-metal construction red dot sight and the Juliet 3 Micro is also a full metal construction.

Both seem extremely well built and rugged enough for daily range trips and field use.

Weight

The weight of the Romeo MSR comes in right at around five ounces. It’s really a lightweight optic with the actual mount itself, it’s probably a couple more ounces, but overall it doesn’t add a substantial amount of weight to your gun.

The Juliet 3-Micro comes in just at right at under 10 ounces, like 9.9 ounces.

Both of these are very reasonable in the weight department. The combo comes in at just 15 ounces.

You’re really not going to find any better red dot sight setup in this weight realm.

I just think that’s a fantastic weight for two individual items, one of them being a magnifier. So unless you’re going LVPO, this is a great option when it comes to the overall weight.

Sig Romeo MSR & Juliet 3 Maginifer Combo

Sig Romeo MSR Juliet 3 Micro Magnifier

• Material: Metal
• Reticle: 2 MOA Dot
• Weight: 1.75 lbs
• Brightness: 10 Settings 2 NV

Reticle

The reticle on the Romeo MSR is a single 2MOA Red Dot.

The magnifier, of course, doesn’t have a reticle at all. It just simply magnifies the dot within the Romeo MSR.

The Romeo dot is crisp and overall it’s very easy to see. The magnifier doesn’t degrade your dot at all.

You get still a solid dot, as long as your eye relief is right and you have your positioning set correctly.

I’ve had very good luck so far with the reticle. I believe I probably have astigmatism because most red dots will fragment a little bit, depending on the power.

Obviously, the higher the power gets from me, the more pixelated I would say the dot gets, but on this one, the one through five looks pretty crisp.

Anything over five in low light gets kind of eh. Now in broad daylight where the sun’s blaring high noon, a good eight or nine works pretty well for me.

Overall, solid reticle 2MOA Dot, nothing in the Juliet 3 magnifier simply magnification.

Dot Adjustment

So this is interesting. Both the Romeo MSR and the Juliet 3 magnifier, have adjustments.

The only true dot adjustment exists within the MSR because it is the platform that’s emitting the dot.

sig adjustments

The magnifier, however, can adjust for the windage and elevation based on how far you’re likely to use this magnifier.

I don’t think anyone is likely going to sight in their magnifier for under 50 yards. That would be silly. That’s what red dots are for.

I really think the magnifier comes in when you’re a hundred yards plus, and that’s where you’re really going to want to use it.

Out of the box, sub 100 yards, I have not had to adjust the Juliet 3 magnifier.

Now, I’m probably going to take it out to about 200-250 yards and see if there’s any movement that needs to be made.

I don’t think there will be, but you can adjust the magnifiers’ windage and elevation, based on how far you want the 3X magnifier to be sighted in.

When it comes to adjustment, these are pretty standard adjustments for optics both of them use the same type of adjustment knob.

It’s recessed into the optic and magnifier and has to be adjusted using a small screwdriver or even a small coin, like a dime.

Both adjustment knobs are located in the same position on both the red dot and the magnifier.

Sig Romeo MSR & Juliet 3 Maginifer Combo

Sig Romeo MSR Juliet 3 Micro Magnifier

• Material: Metal
• Reticle: 2 MOA Dot
• Weight: 1.75 lbs
• Brightness: 10 Settings 2 NV

Your horizontal adjustment is on the right side. Your elevation is on the top. So windage is on the right, and elevation is on the top, both are very easy to do, and both give you very tangible audible clicks.

Power Source

In this combo package, the Romeo MSR is the only thing that is battery-powered.

The Juliet 3 magnifier does not have a battery at all.

sig battery compartment

Now let’s talk about the power source of the MSR because it does not run on the standard CR2032 battery that you’re used to in something like the Romeo 5.

That is a bummer to me.

That is one of the biggest cons of this setup is it uses a somewhat odd battery.

It’s using the CR1632 battery. Because this is a little bit smaller optic package, and there’s not as much surface area with the red dots design to incorporate the larger battery, it uses that smaller 1632 battery.

Now with that battery, you’re still getting some decent run times of about 20,000 hours.

But the problem I have is, I am notorious for leaving a red dot on. I will pick up a gun that’s been sitting for weeks and the red dot’s on.

The Romeo MSR doesn’t come with any kind of auto-shutoff feature so if you leave it on, it’s on.

Unfortunately, I have burned through batteries out of the Wazoo, and the only thing I normally stock is the CR2032s, but I’m going to have to change that so I can make sure I have batteries for my MSR.

They’re not crazy expensive. You can get them on Amazon for $6 for a 20 pack. So they’re not expensive batteries.

It’s just aggravating if your dot goes down and you don’t already have the CR1632 batteries on hand, unless somebody else is running an MSR, they’re not likely to have the battery you need.

The CR2032 is definitely a more popular battery in the red dot space. So to me, that’s a con, but it’s not a big one, as long as you’re prepared and you acknowledge that and you order that upfront.

Durability

I don’t have a good way to test durability, but both the MSR and the Juilet 3 are all metal construction exterior.

Everything I can tell about both the magnifier and the dot, these are going to hold up well.

They both have a solid design. So if you drop it, you’re not going to break it easily.

The red dot itself does have the IPX7 waterproof rating.

They don’t tell you what kind of aluminum, other than to say, it’s aircraft-grade aluminum.

With that being said, it’s probably 7076 or 6065, and unless you’re a metal nerd, it probably doesn’t matter.

But as long as these hold up to a little bit of scuff and bump and roughness, I don’t know many people that are going into battle with the MSR, so on a range rifle or even a home defense rifle, this is going to probably exceed the needed durability.

Sig Romeo MSR & Juliet 3 Maginifer Combo

Sig Romeo MSR Juliet 3 Micro Magnifier

• Material: Metal
• Reticle: 2 MOA Dot
• Weight: 1.75 lbs
• Brightness: 10 Settings 2 NV

If you’re going to go put it through the elements you might consider another optic, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think this will hold up.

I just think there’s probably better options if you’re going to get crazy.

Sight Picture

The sight picture on this combination is probably more important than on any other red dot review I’ve done.

Here’s why…

Because the sight picture, when you have a magnifier is so much different than when it’s just a dot.

The reason for that is, either you have the magnifier engaged, or you have it out to the side, flipped out.

Personally, I’m running sub 100 yards most of the time, so I have the magnifier flipped off to the side.

This means the sight picture on your right you have this huge magnifier in your peripheral vision.

While the magnifier is not huge, it is the micro after all, but it’s there and it seems huge when you’re trying to shoot your gun.

Having the magnifier over to the right of your sight picture, with both eyes open, you’re not getting the same sight picture you would, if you didn’t have it there.

However, if you’re focused on what you’re shooting at, it’s not really all that distracting.

When it’s engaged, there’s no problem at all. It’s almost just like shooting through a low-variable power optic.

The eye relief is good on it and your overall sight picture is fantastic. If you’re too close to your target, the Juliet 3-Micro is definitely going to be aggravating.

So if you’re running CQB or you’re shooting at a close end range within 50 yards, make sure your Julie 3 Micro is not engaged, because you’re going to have a rough time with it.

At that range, I’d definitely just run the red dot because that’s not what the magnifier is there for.

Operation of the Sig Romeo MSR & Juliet 3

So let’s talk about the operation of the Romeo MSR and Juliet 3.

Turning on your MSR, you have a standard turn dial on top of the MSR. You can turn it through 10 different brightness modes and there are also two-night vision modes.

sig msr brightness adjustment

The operation is very simple. The one thing I will say is this dial, it may just be mine but, is relatively hard to turn. It’s not an easy turn at all.

The Romeo MSR comes with lens caps. For my setup, I took the lens caps off. They just kept getting in the way with the magnifier, it becomes aggravating to either have them flip down or flip them up and try to run your gun. So I took them off.

I am able to keep debris and nonsense out of my lens most of the time.

I held onto the caps in case I needed them if I was going to run them in the snow, which I have, believe it or not. In North Carolina, it’s an anomaly, but I still didn’t need them because the snow didn’t get in my lens.

It wasn’t actively snowing or actively raining but I don’t think lens caps are going to help you at that point unless you’re just trying to keep the water out of your lens for a short period of time.

Sig Romeo MSR & Juliet 3 Maginifer Combo

Sig Romeo MSR Juliet 3 Micro Magnifier

• Material: Metal
• Reticle: 2 MOA Dot
• Weight: 1.75 lbs
• Brightness: 10 Settings 2 NV

Let’s move on to the Juliet 3-Micro which is a little different.

A lot of people don’t have much experience with magnifiers, so on this, it’s a push button activation to engage the magnifier in and out.

It does lock into place either engaged or disengaged and either way, you go you just have to depress the large button and rotate it.

sig romeo msr juliet 3 micro use

Once you start to rotate, you can let go of the button and just rotate it out or in. It does have a little bit of resistance behind it, but I like that because you don’t accidentally hit your button and it just flops all over the place.

You have to forcibly mean what you’re doing. You can’t accidentally do anything when it comes to the magnifier.

The attachment of the magnifier is great. It has a pretty sizable knob here on the left side to attach it to the rail. You could take the magnifier on and off relatively easily, but if you’ve made sight adjustments, I wouldn’t do that.

I would just leave it mounted all the time and I don’t even use it that often. For one, aesthetically, it looks great.

So let’s talk about the mount.

Mounts and Mounting Options

Both the red dot Romeo MSR and the Juliet 3 Micro Magnifier come with mounts.

The nice thing about this combo pack is it’s ready to go out of the box.

If you buy this combo, you’re not going to want to change it up. It’s not like a Trijicon or other optic where you might want to change the mount out or buy it mountless.

sig romeo msr flipped magnifier

That’s not to say you can’t. This pattern is very common on the MSR you can buy a different amount, but again, this one of those red dots I don’t see why you would.

You bought this as a combo. It comes aligned. It’s ready to go. The Juliet 3-Micro on the other hand is a package deal. There’s no sense in changing the mounting and flipping mechanism.

It works great. It’s very simple to deploy. It’s very simple to put on the gun. The mounting system overall is fantastic.

I wouldn’t buy this and start changing a bunch of stuff that kinda defeats the purpose in my opinion

You can do what you want, but it’s ready to roll, which is a good thing. Especially at this price point. This seems very high quality even for the price.

Sig Romeo MSR & Juliet 3 Maginifer Combo

Sig Romeo MSR Juliet 3 Micro Magnifier

• Material: Metal
• Reticle: 2 MOA Dot
• Weight: 1.75 lbs
• Brightness: 10 Settings 2 NV

Final Thoughts

This combo goes on sale around Christmas, granted I bought the FDE model which costs a little more money.

But if you are looking to just buy the black model, it goes on sale a couple of times a year.

But I wouldn’t wait if I was you! It’s not that expensive of a combo from the get-go and the sale saves are at most probably 10%.

I think the magnifier really adds a nice aesthetic as well as high functionality. The functionality you gain is great and you can really stretch out your red dot sight with this red dot and magnifier combo.

You won’t get a fancy reticle that an LVPO would get you, but if you’re primarily running a red dot, like I am, in a sub 100-yard environment, but you still want that capability to stretch it out to 300-500 yards and still be able to hit your target with a dot, this is the setup that I would grab.

There are other magnifier options out there, but I don’t think you can go wrong with the Sig Juliet 3-Micro and the Romeo MSR combo.

Now, you can match this Juliet 3 up with something like the Romeo 5 or other optics and they even do sell that combination together as well.

But this is probably the most popular combination of the magnifier and dot. So definitely do your research, and figure out which one’s best for you.

Check them out. I personally bought this one from Palmetto State Armory, on sale, last Christmas and you can buy it nearly anywhere like Optics Planet or any of site that you prefer, including Amazon.

Sig Romeo MSR & Juliet 3 Maginifer Combo

Sig Romeo MSR Juliet 3 Micro Magnifier

• Material: Metal
• Reticle: 2 MOA Dot
• Weight: 1.75 lbs
• Brightness: 10 Settings 2 NV

Is SIG Romeo MSR any good?

The MSR is a great optic and fills its niche very well. I think when you pair it with the Juliet 3 Micro is where it really shines.

What battery does a Sig Romeo MSR take?

The Sig Romeo MSR uses the CR1632 battery. The Romeo MSR is a smaller optic package, and there’s not as much surface area with the design to incorporate the larger battery therefore it uses that smaller 1632 battery.

How does the night vision work on the Romeo MSR?

If you are new to optics you might see a lot of red dot optics feature night vision settings.

This does not mean the optics has night vision rather it lowers the brightness of the dot so when you’re using it in conjunction with night vision, the dot is easier to see using night vision.

Will a Juliet 3 micro work with a Romeo 5?

Yes, the Juliet 3 Micro works with any Romeo 5 or Romeo MSR! It’s great to pair the micro with either Romeo red dot sight.

If you liked our review we would appreciate a share!
Michael Savage
Michael Savage

Michael is the President of Lynx Defense and an avid gun owner and outdoors man. He's passionate about helping find the best bang for your buck and helping others learn about firearms and the industry as a whole.

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8 Comments

  1. Great review!😎👍👍
    I own 1 MSR ($87) and also the combo pack. I think for the $$$ you can’t beat this combo pack. I found my combo for $209.00. I have seen them as low as $199.00
    If you want low $$$ but quality built….this is it!
    BTW….I am SIG biased.🧐👍

  2. The little protruded area at the back of the mounting tool fits the windage/elevation adjustments. I have the combo and agree with your asessment.

  3. Are there any disqualifying factors if I have a left ejection AR-15 platform Stag Arms pistol? Can I mount this Romeo MSR and Juliet magnifier if I shoot lefty? Thank you in advance.

    • You can, I don’t see an issue mounting it on a left-handed gun. The Juliet magnifier should sit far enough back that it won’t be in the way of the ejection port.

  4. Great article. I just bought this setup and was looking for other peoples perspective on the product when I came across your review.

    I do have a question…. What FDE light and light switch are you using? I’ve been looking for a FDE setup like this and I haven’t been able to find it. Thanks in advance!

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