Primary Arms Cyclops 1x

I’ve always liked red dot optics. Coming into the Army about the same time the M68 was becoming standard issue, I grew to like the speed that a red dot afforded. Later on down the road I started running them on the AK, and grew to like Aimpoint’s T1 for a sleek, ultralight setup. That said, there’s always a ‘but’… that being the question of having a battery-only optic. While we’ve come a long, long way since the heyday of the M68, and battery life over a decade and a half later is far beyond the technology of that era. ‘But’…no battery, no reticle.

Throughout the years since I was first issued an ACOG, I always placed a high value on having a permanent reticle not dependent on a battery. Not only that, the 4x magnification helped with PID (positive identification) of insurgents during engagements and made precision work much easier. Over the years I’ve always thought a 1x prismatic optic like the ACOG would do very well on weapons intended for close contact.

Chechen insurgent with captured Russian VSS 9×39. Note the PK-AS 1x optic.

The Russians experimented with this idea in the 1990s with the PK-AS, and after owning one, the concept was solid even if the execution was a bit clunky. But during the second Chechen War the optic was used to good effect on the VSS 9×39 rifle. Burris built a 1x based on their excellent 336 optic, and its main drawback was its size. It was just two big for what it was. Finally someone over at Primary Arms paid attention and made a compact 1x prismatic optic with a version of their intuitive ACSS reticle system. And after getting several months of hands on with it, including feedback from students in class, I think its a winner.

The reticle is small but precise.

The body of the optic is somewhere in between the ACOG and the Aimpoint T1. Its small and light, right at home on top of the Palmetto State Armory 10.5in Pistol I’ve been working with for the past several months. The reticle is quick and easy to pick up for snap shots. If there’s one drawback to it, its the fact that its small- very small- but then again, anyone who’s run a red dot knows what they’re getting into with this. And while its size may be a drawback for some, the fact that its an illuminated reticle certainly is not. Having developed a minor astigmatism in my right eye, most red dots turn into splintered blobs for me. Not unusable, but not a precise as I’d like them to be. That’s not an issue with this optic and for that reason I think it is its strongest attribute.

100m Snapshots.

The Cyclops is everything I’ve come to expect out of Primary Arms’ products. Bang for the buck far exceeding the cost of the optic. There’s no blurring around the edges, no clouding in the glass, and no noticeable parallax issues to report. The glass certainly outpunches its weight class given the price as well, and while its compact in size, nothing about it gives me an indication of any potential points of failure. Time will tell on that, but after running it through several classes and using it as a loaner in class, its stood up to being a beater quite well. Like the other optics I’ve reviewed from them, I have no reservations about running this as a primary optic. It won’t replace my ACOG atop my go-to AR, but then again, this is built primarily for speed and its right at home on an AR pistol or SBR.

Need training? I’ve got a course schedule. Come on out and get real world skills. I’ll be happy to train with you.

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By Published On: November 22, 2019Categories: Gear Reviews, NC Scout7 Comments on Primary Arms Cyclops 1x

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7 Comments

  1. Anonymous November 22, 2019 at 07:19

    5

  2. DM November 22, 2019 at 09:27

    Thank you for doing the in-depth research and field-trials on products like this and getting the info out to us. Many of us don’t have the time to study as much as we would like before we have to commit financial resources to some of these things. The same applies to Comms equipment. We readers appreciate all the recommendations from the AP staff writers. A HUGE THANK YOU TO YOU GUYS!!

    • NC Scout November 23, 2019 at 10:49

      You’re very welcome and thank you for reading. Unlike nearly all other ‘reviews’ on the internet, I spend a lot of time actually running the equipment.

  3. Matt Bracken November 22, 2019 at 09:36

    My go-to AR scope is a Burris 332. LOVE IT! I have them on both of my ARs. It takes a tiny quarter-size battery, but it has a “real” reticle also. Switched on or off, the reticle is there. Performs like an ACOG at 1/3 the price. And even way past the dreaded SHTF, if no more batteries are available, it still has a permanent reticle.

    At my age, with my eyes, a 3X is “just right.” I feel I lose nothing when I run close tactical training (at contact to about 25 yards), but past 100 yards, a 3X makes me FAR more effective than a 1X red dot. At 200+ yards it’s not even close. In low light, being able to find targets in the brush past 100 yards is almost impossible with a 1X and easy with a 3X. (Speaking as a 60+ guy with eyes that have seen better days, YMMV.)

    This is a great review, and I agree with it. https://www.alloutdoor.com/2014/01/01/burris-ar-332-ar15-review/

    • johnyMac November 23, 2019 at 10:10

      Many moons ago Matt, you did a review on the Burrris 332. At the time my brother was looking for a new optic for his AR. I recommended the Burris 332 to him and he bought it. He loved it and to be quite frank, I liked it for the etched reticle.

      Jumping ahead a year later my wife wanted me to put a Eotech holographic site on her AR. Not wanting to spend the money, I went with the Burris AR-536 optic for her. It was during the time when Burris was offering a free FastFire 3 with the purchase of the 332 or 536. After it was on my wife’s rifle and sighted in she still wanted the Eotech.

      To keep peace in the tepee, I pulled my XPS2 and put it on my wife’s rifle and I took the 536. Well my performance down range greatly improved and I began to see the advantage of the magnification element of the optic. I rarely even turn on the red/greed reticle function to be quite honest. The etched unpowered reticle works just fine IMO. As Matt wrote, it only takes a small hearing aide battery and I have yet to replace it with the extra one stored in my Magpul pistol grip.

      Using the optic in CQB situations has been no issue at all. Then add to what I wrote earlier, I have been proficient out to 300-yards with the 5x magnification. I would really like to try it out for longer distances however I do not have a venue to do that.

      At a recent NC Scout Recon/Surveillance course the weather was offal. Rained the whole time and temps never got above 40-degrees. To add to the misery, it sleeted that night. 1) The Burris 536 never failed. 2) I lost a scope cap during one crossing of a rushing stream and tried to order a replacement upon my return home. Burris would not allow me to buy a new lens cap. Nope, they sent me a new front & rear cap at no charge. When questioned about the free lens cap a friendly gentlemen explained to me that Burris 100% guarantees their optics…Even when it is the owners fault. \”/

      Ya’ can’t beat that. Quality products with a iron clad warranty. It doesn’t get much better than that.

      73 & God Bless Brothers & Sisters

  4. Hawkeye November 22, 2019 at 12:11

    4.5

  5. […] is a killer deal- if you’ve been looking to try one out to see what the buzz is all about or want to get hands on with the ACSS, now is your […]

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