The Steiner MPS (Micro Pistol Sight) is an enclosed pistol red dot designed to fit the ACRO footprint. The reticle is a single 3.3 MOA red dot. 8 brightness levels are set using easy to access controls on the left side. This dot is advertised to have a battery life of 13,0000 hours, with an auto shutoff at 13 hours. It also weighs just over 2 ounces, and has a relatively large viewing window of .63 x .83 inches. This product is available in both black or FDE.
Steiner Optics is well known for its binoculars and riflescopes, and the MPS reflects the quality of the brand. The viewing window glass has a slight bluish tint, but is distortion free from edge to edge and advertised as parallax free from 10 to 150 meters.
The battery is top loading, so there is no need to unmount the red dot for battery replacement, so no re-zeroing is required. Elevation controls are at the top, and windage controls are on the right side of the housing. These can be adjusted using an included tool. These dials as well as the brightness buttons have a tactile feel and audible click which allows for precise adjustment.
For mounting the MPS to my Walther PDP Pro SD Full Size, I went with the OPF-PDP v2, ACRO plate from Forward Controls Design. At the time of purchasing, I found a few reviews online stating that this was the most reliable mounting solution for the MPS and the PDP since other plates were designed with only the ACRO in mind. Although the MPS does use the ACRO footprint, the rails underneath the MPS are slightly shorter than those of the ACRO. This could be a problem if there isn’t enough material to keep a secure fit to the mounting plate, particularly around the mounting screws, which could lead to a shift in zero over time. The Forward Controls Design plate does not have this problem, and on the FCD website it’s explicity stated as compatible with the Steiner MPS. It’s also worth noting that this plate is only for Walther’s V2 optics cut on the newer PDPs. I should also say that even though it’s just an optics plate, the machining quality is excellent, with apparent attention to detail. Shipping was also very quick and overall I’ve been pleased with this purchase.
The design of the Steiner MPS matches well with the lines of the Walther PDP. Maybe it’s due to their German roots, but the two seem like they were designed for each other. The PDP is a duty pistol at its core, and the MPS is built rugged enough to compliment it. In actual usage, I’ve found the brightness of the dot to be more than adequate, as I spend most of my shooting outdoors in the desert sun. Also the window of the MPS is on the larger size for an enclosed, non-competition pistol optic, yet the housing isn’t thick enough that it obscures the view around the target. I also don’t hesitate to rack the slide using the optic, and haven’t needed to re-zero after almost 2000 rounds with the optic installed.
I would strongly recommend this optic to anyone in the market for an enclosed red dot pistol optic. It’s very functional, durable and may look good to you depending on your tastes. The only con worth mentioning is that older models of the MPS do not allow you to disable the 13 hour auto shutoff feature, since this was built into newer models after customer feedback. If you’re looking to buy off of the used market, be sure to confirm whether or not auto shutoff can be disabled if that feature is important to you.
MPS Specs (from Steiner website):
Finish: Black or FDE
Magnification: 1x
Window size: .63 x .83 inches
Lens size: Objective lens: 20x16mm; Ocular lens: 21x16mm
Reticle Color: Red
Reticle: 3.3 MOA
Waterproof / Fogproof: 10 meters
Operating Temperature : -40F to 140F
Mount: ACRO Platform
Elevation Adjustment, Total Capability: 90 MOA
Windage Adjustment: 90 MOA
Parallax: Parallax free from 10m to 150m
Length: 2.17″
Weight: 2.05 oz
Illumination Control: 8x manual brightness control; 6 day/night modes; 2x NV compatible modes
Battery: CR1632
Battery Life: 13,000 hours @ medium brightness with auto-off after 13 hours
MSRP: $632.99