First Look: Primary Arms 3X Micro Prism Scope (PA Range Day 2021)

Houston-based optics company Primary Arms already announced pre-order sales of their new 1x MicroPrism scope, but we got a chance to check out another model that hasn’t yet been posted online.

The 3X SLx MicroPrism scope features an illuminated red or green reticle, a huge variety of mounting options, and 3x magnification.

Primary Arms has released magnified prism scopes in the past, but this is their first micro prism scope that features magnification. The SLx is roughly the size of a red dot optic, but it allows users to shoot with much more precision.

For some context, one of Primary Arms’ other magnified prism scopes, the GLx 2x, measures 5.3” in length and weighs 11 ounces. It’s not a large optic, but the new MicroPrism scope is tiny by comparison, weighing only 5.5 ounces and measuring a scanty 2.48.”

It’s disorienting at first to look through such a small magnified optic, but a Primary Arms rep said the field of view isn’t much smaller than their larger 3x prism scopes. Eye relief is a little closer, according to the rep, but that’s why the product includes so many mounting options.

As you can see, the optic can be mounted at seven different heights above the rail—1.1,” 1.41,” 1.535,” 1.64,” 1.845,” 1.97,” and 2.075.” The optic can be mounted anywhere along a Picatinny rail, and users can even mount the micro-scope above a backup iron sight using the cantilever spacer. I would have used this spacer, as the optic was mounted slightly too far forward on the test gun at the range.

Why might you choose a micro-prism scope over a traditional red dot? Prism scopes allow for magnification, obviously, but they can also use an etched reticle, which can work with or without illumination. In addition, they can be fitted with a diopter, which can be adjusted for people with astigmatism.

The CR2032 battery can power the illuminated reticle for 29,000 hours on setting 5 or 6 of the optic’s 13 illumination settings. But you’re unlikely to be changing the battery very often. The AutoLive feature turns off the illumination when not in use and automatically turns it back on when the optic is moved.

This conserves battery life and ensures that the illumination will always be there when you need it, but even if for some reason the battery wears out, users can still aim using the etched reticle.

The 3x model hasn’t been posted online yet, but you can check out the 1x model here.

***Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! All Local Sales are FREE!***