Enclosed emitter optics are the future of handgun optics. While the originals and several great optics continue to use open emitters, the movement is going towards enclosed emitters. Steiner through their hat into this game recently with the Steiner MPS. I was a bit blown away. Steiner is known for making great gear, but it’s often a few years behind the current trend. The MPS is getting on the ground floor of the enclosed emitter optic world.
Enclosed emitters are becoming the future because rain happens, snow happens, and sand in the wind happens. You get enough of any of these happening with an open emitter optic, and guess what? You can’t see your reticle. Shooting in the rain taught me quickly that enclosed emitters are the future after I lost the emitter of my Holsoun red dot when the rain got between the emitter and the glass.
The Steiner MPS is building on the foundation laid by Glock and even Holosun with the 509T. When it comes to the ACRO, I mean that literally. The Steiner uses the ACRO’s footprint for mounting, which means it comes into an open market. Speaking of, I will mention Steiner includes a plate to adapt the MPS to your gun. Oddly, that plate uses the Docter footprint. Who uses the Docter footprint anymore?
I eventually had to use a less-than-optimum way to attach it to my handgun. I had to attach a Docter plate, then the Acros plate, then the MPS. This creates a tolerance stacking problem, but luckily it didn’t prove to be a big concern.
The MPS By The Numbers
Like all enclosed emitter optics, the MPS appears larger than most. In reality, it’s just the boxy appearance. It’s really no bigger than most full-sized red dots. The MPS is slightly taller than the RMR but sits fairly low due to the design. The window is .83 inches wide and .6 inches tall. The optic weighs 2.05 ounces and is 2.17 inches long.
The reticle is a 3.3 MOA red dot that’s easy to see. There are eight brightness levels. Six are designed for daylight use, and two are for night vision use. The optic uses a CR1632 battery, and it can last for 13,000 hours. There is an auto-off technology that’s somewhat silly. After 13 hours, it will shut off automatically. The movement will not activate the optic, but luckily this can be programmed out fairly easily.
I ditched the auto-off mode, so it remains on all the time unless I manually turn it off or the battery dies. Adjustments are made with 1 MOA graduations, and the optic has 90 MOA for both windage and elevation.
Durability scores high with a waterproof rating that allows it to be submerged for 10 meters. It’s also capable of operating inside temperatures as low as -40 degrees and as high as 140 degrees.
A Deep Look At the MPS
The Steiner MPS flips things upside down. Literally, the emitter is positioned at the top of the topic instead of at the bottom. This allows the MPS to sit a little lower. The MPS has a top-loading battery with a slot for unscrewing the lid and popping a battery in.
The front lens is also heavily recessed, which provides a good degree of protection to that front lens. The recess provides a metal standoff. This allows the optic to drop and fall without risking much damage to the front lens. You can also rack it by slamming the optic into a table, wall, or whatever and work the slide manually if you don’t have a second hand to do so.
The buttons on the side are recessed and rubberized. A recessed button is tough to accidentally press to adjust, which is a good thing when carried in a holster. The last thing you want is to dim a dot when you draw your firearm. The rubberized coating is a nice touch that provides a tactile location clue.
I was working with the Holosun PID HC on the same gun that houses my MPS. My dot was too bright, but it was a moonless night. Without needing the light, I was able to find and feel my buttons. The + and – signs are obvious and easy to feel.
Through the Lens
Holy crap, is this a clear optic. I’m testing another red dot, and it’s a good dot, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the clarity of the Steiner. I can’t notice any blue hue that’s common with red dots. The dot itself is a very clear little circle that’s quite bright in daylight settings. I don’t think I’d ever need to brightest setting unless I’m in a gunfight on Tatooine.
Even in the dark and in low light, the optic works well. With nothing more than the light of my weapon light I could easily see and make out the dot clearly without issue. In pure low light, the dot remained clear, as did the lens.
I used the dot in several different lighting conditions and remained impressed. I used the MPS with a rising sun to my front, sides, and rear. The dot remained clear and easy to see regardless of the external light I faced.
At the Range
Zeroing proved quick and easy, even with my tolerance-stacked plate system. I zeroed at 10, then 25 yards. The adjustments provide a nice tactile and audible click as you make your adjustments. They are easy to track and make life easier at a gun range while wearing ear protection.
That little 3.3 MOA dot is a great size for a handgun. It’s especially nice for a duty-sized gun where you might be expected to hit targets out to 50 yards. I started at ten and zeroed at 25, then made my way back bit by bit til I reached 50 yards. The dot doesn’t cover much of an IPSC target and makes landing effective shots possible.
I get a real kick out of how effective dots make me as a pistol shooter, and the MPS certainly helps. The enclosed designs make finding the dot easier since you have a top reference point. I’m pretty good at not fumbling a good two-handed presentation, but with my off hand, I’m terrible, even from the low ready.
Having that easy-to-find dot is quite nice and really makes life easier when it comes to that offhand and single-hand shooting.
Going Fast
Tracking the dot is easy because I’m not tracking a blur. The dot remains a dot through the recoil cycle. When you move from target to target quickly, you also don’t see a blur or any noticeable lag. Steiner went with quality when they designed the MPS. That lack of latency and lag makes the dot super easy to use when speed is required.
Speaking of, even with my tolerance stacked plates, I had no issues with losing zero. It remained locked on and in place. Not only after several hundred rounds, but a half dozen drops with three on the top and two on the sides and on the rear. Nothing shook loose or caused a loss of zero.
A Heavy Weight
The Steiner MPS provides worthy competition to the ACRO. Its design has a few quirks, but its performance speaks for itself. The MPS is ultra clear and easy to use, with a great dot and rock-solid build design. Steiner has a real competitor, and it’s not attached to the rather high ACRO price either. Check one out here.
