Steiner MPS Review
Doug from Cameraland gave me a Steiner MPS to review. Once I got home, I realized my pistol needed to be milled to accept the sight. I had no idea of who to use and I was worried it would take weeks. I contacted Battlewerks in CT about doing the work. They stated once they received it, the time would be about a week. I only needed it milled since I do all my own coating work. Since they were close, I figured they would be the best bet. My package got there quickly and they updated my progress report to show it was received. The crazy part was the same day it was milled and shipped back to me! Once I got it back, I was impressed by their work. Not only were they insanely fast but they did excellent work. My pistol has an American flag paint job, I assumed I would have to redo. Not a mark was to be found anywhere on the slide. The milling was perfectly done with no machining marks. I decided to opt out of installing the sights. On the Glock 17 the rear sight goes in front of the red dot. I wasn’t a fan of that look. I coated the area that was milled and proceeded to install the optic, it connects directly to the slide no adapter plate was needed. This is a great feature because, in my mind the less parts the better. Solid fit and flawless work by the crew at Battlewerks.
Now that it was mounted up, I did 15 yards zero at my range. The dot is very crisp, it even has NV setting which I will have to try out soon. I like that the glass isn’t tinted. Many companies add coatings that increase battery life, but add a blue or green cast to the glass. Also, the glass doesn’t distort the image. It’s very clear edge to edge. The battery compartment is located in a spot as to be easy to change. The clicks are very nice, not mushy at all. I would like to see the housing protect the glass a little more. The screwdriver Steiner supplied opens the battery tray but doesn’t fit the adjustment screws. That wasn’t well thought out. Since there is no base plate, the unit mounts directly to the pistol. I checked the torque and it was solid. They recommend 2.5NM which is about 22-inch lbs. (maybe they should list that in their specs) The controls are located on the side so you won’t inadvertently dirty the glass trying to turn it on and off. Other red dots I have are difficult to turn on and off. It gets annoying when the switch is located in close proximity to the glass. Dirty or greasy hands marked up the lenses on my Leupold and Vortex dots as the controls aren’t located in the best spots.
So far, I’ve fired about 1000 rounds with this red dot. The zero has been dead-on for each trip. I have no real complaints to speak of. Most of the shoots were at 25 yards and in, but I did play around with 50 and 100 yards on steel last week. That was a blast. I have a Leupold DDP on my Staccato and M&P 10mm. I’m pretty new to red dots on pistols. It’s a bit of a learning curve for me still. I’m still slow finding the dot and at times the irons confuse me a little. That’s why I didn’t bother having the rear sight installed for this slide. For me the sights just slow me down and they aren’t needed. I didn’t do any torture test like dropping my pistol. In the 22 years of being with the NYPD I never dropped my service pistol. I’m not in combat, so no need to drop test this unit. I doubt this unit will have any issues. Steiner makes excellent products. With all the different options out there these days it can be tough to decide on what brand to go with. I really like the fact that the Steiner mounts direct to the slide. This achieves two things: low mounting height in relation to the bore and since there is no base plate there is less chance to come loose. Too often, I see screws strip the slide or they just shear off. I wish the mounting options were an industry standard like a picatinny rails on rifles. Once your slide is milled for an optic cut you’re stuck with your choice. Any questions you have let me know. thanks
Pros:
Solid Mount (no plate or screws needed)
NV compatible
Clear glass (no tint)
Positive clicks
Easy to swap battery
Negs:
No tool provided for adjusting windage/elevation
More of an overhang on the housing to protect the lenses
2022_steiner_mps_sales_sheet-final.pdf (steiner-optics.com)
Shop - Camera Land NY
Slide Milling for Glock (battlewerx.com)
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