Product names with decimals became popular in the ’90s with software, where a major upgrade would get a whole number and a minor update would receive a decimal. Other industries soon followed suit to describe improvements to existing products. The gun industry is no different.
Why the history lesson? Because Steiner just released a significant upgrade to its MPS ACRO-footprint red dot sight: the MPS 2.0.
Why the upgrade? There was certainly nothing wrong with the original Steiner MPS, one of the best enclosed red dots on the market. But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be improved.
Upgrades
Up to 90,000 Hours of Battery Life Steiner now uses a CR2032 battery. The redesigned electronics deliver nearly 90,000 hours at brightness level 4 and 27,000 hours at level 5.
For me, the CR2032 is much easier to find than the previous CR1632, and the dramatically longer battery life is a very welcome improvement.
Waterproof to 35 Meters This one’s pretty cool, especially if you hunt in adverse weather. You want your electronics to stand up to the elements. But 35 meters? I can’t swim, so I guarantee you I won’t be voluntarily taking my optic to those depths.
Still, that level of waterproofing also means it’ll do an excellent job keeping out all the dust we have here in the Arizona desert.
Oversized Adjustment Buttons Honestly, I never had an issue with the button size on the previous model. But after seeing the new buttons, I have to admit I like them. This is definitely a worthwhile upgrade.
Reinforced All-Metal Housing
I’m not in the habit of banging my firearms around and I don’t normally parachute into enemy territory with Force Recon Rangers from SEAL Team Delta.
Still, I welcome the added protection in case I clumsily drop my pistol.
New Magnetic Battery Cover
Now this is one improvement I really like. The moment I place the replacement battery on the cap, the magnet grabs it, and all I have to do is screw the cap back onto the optic.
One improvement Steiner doesn’t mention in its literature is that you no longer need a special tool to tighten the battery cap. A simple coin works perfectly.
|
Feature |
Original MPS |
MPS 2.0 |
|
Battery |
CR1632 |
CR2032 |
|
Battery Life @ Level 4 |
13,000 hrs |
90,000 hrs |
|
Button Size |
Standard |
Large |
|
Battery Cover |
Standard screw cap |
Magnetic |
|
Footprint |
ACRO |
ACRO |
|
Waterproof |
10 m |
35 m |
My Take
I’ve been using the original Steiner MPS for a couple of years now. I’ve installed it on several pistols for testing and I’ve been very satisfied with its performance. The original model retained zero, is ultra-reliable, and very easy to use.
The only issue I encountered wasn’t really with the battery cap itself—it was the sealing O-ring.
Let me explain.
The battery life was so good that I never had to replace the battery after I first installed it. When I wanted to do a side-by-side comparison between the two sights, removing the original battery cap was difficult, even with the supplied tool.
When I got it open, I found that the O-ring was dry and had stretched enough that I couldn’t reinstall it on the battery cap. I guess I lost that 10-meter waterproof rating on my original MPS. I’ll need a replacement O-ring so I can restore full waterproof capability.
The New MPS 2.0
I mounted the MPS 2.0 on a Springfield Armory Custom 10-8 Performance full-size 1911 and took it to the range. But I’ll admit it—I cheated a little.
Before heading out, I bore-sighted the pistol with a LaserLyte Laser Bore Sighter against a far wall, exactly 10.2 yards away. Perfect.
When I got to the range, it was 113 degrees. Arizona. Summer. Even with a 64-ounce tumbler full of QuikTrip iced tea, it wasn’t exactly comfortable.
I fired a five-shot group at 10 yards from my Ransom Rest and the group landed less than 1/4 inch to the right of center. I call that good enough for government work. I was happy and ready for a full training session.
Parting Shots
Every one of the upgrades Steiner has made to the MPS 2.0 is a welcome improvement. And Steiner has kept the prices the same (MSRP is still $631). I like all the improvements, but what I’m geeking out over the most is the magnetic battery cap and larger battery.
Even though I never had to change the battery in my original MPS for the two years I’ve owned it, the added battery life is outstanding. The larger buttons are a very nice touch as well.
The 3.3 MOA dot is bright and very crisp. I’ll be looking for ACRO plates for a couple of my favorite pistols so I can install the new Steiner MPS 2.0 on them. It’s that good.
“the O-ring was dry and had stretched enough that I couldn’t reinstall it on the battery cap”
its suppose to be dry, it stretches because the cap was over tightened at some point and and it damages the O-ring.
because it was easy to over tighten the battery cap on the original MPS and damage the O-ring, without realizing it, when they did the MPS 2.0 they did a different battery cap thing so it can’t be screwed down into the body. If the original battery cap was difficult to remove, even with the supplied tool, then it was over tightened.