Head to Head: Trijicon RMR and Leupold Delta Point
Drilling into the pros and cons of two popular red dot sights for handgunners.
Which is better, the Leupold Delta Point Pro or the Trijicon RMR Type 2 Red Dot Sight? It’s an age-old debate. Ok, maybe it’s not that old of a debate since these units haven’t been on the market all that long, but it’s definitely worth comparing these sights to see which might be best for you.
RMR is shorthand for Ruggedized Miniature Reflex, but actually both models are miniature reflex sights. Their form factor and operation stand in stark contrast to traditional sights built on main tubes with multiple lens elements. The miniature reds dots do not use a main tube, and they only have one lens.
As the name implies, they are small, very small. So small that they can be mounted onto the slide of a pistol. Try that with a traditional tubular red dot. It’s the lightweight design and the laws of inertia that allow these sights to be handgun friendly. So much so that most pistols are now available with a slide cut out to use “optics,” and when the manufacture says “optics” for their handguns, they mean this very sort of miniature red dot. It’s worth noting that these miniature red dots are versatile little sights that are great on shotguns, pistol caliber carbines, and rifles. So let’s look at the sights in question. Both are great little sights in a large field of competitors.
Without getting bogged down in history, it’s safe to say Trijicon was a pioneer in the miniature red dot game. Leupold, on the other hand, is not known for red dots, but is known for making great, durable optics, and their Delta Point Pro is no exception and is a natural extension to that end.
Both the RMR and Delta Point Pro are durable micro red dot sights that use an aluminum housing and an LED to project an aiming dot onto their single lens. The dot is adjustable for windage and elevation. Speaking of their adjustments, some early mini red dots had “squishy” non-click adjustments that were frustrating. Fortunately, the Delta Point Pro and the Trijicon RMR have tactile “click” adjustments that can be actuated with a small regular screw driver instead of some little Allen key that you will inevitably lose. Each also takes a standard 2032 “coin” battery. Things start to deviate a bit from here.
LEUPOLD DELTA POINT PRO
The Leupold Delta Point Pro is a self-contained unit. It is waterproof, fog proof, and shock proof before you mount it on anything. The battery compartment is top loading, so you don’t have to remove the optic to replace the battery. Simply slide a button to the left and a little door pops open like a switch blade. The door also serves as the button to cycle through the aiming dot’s brightness settings. The drawback to it being self-contained is it makes it slightly taller, or thicker, than the Trijicon RMR.
The Delta Point Pro also has a slightly larger lens or window to look through. The lens frame is protected by a steel hood. Speaking of looking through the lens, when looking through the sight at a white background, an ever so slight blue tint is present. It’s not really noticeable unless you’re looking at something white or looking for it. Optical distortion is minimal. Our test sample has a 2.5MOA dot. One thing I really like about the Leupold is the “shake awake” feature. After a few minutes of inactivity, the dot shuts off, but the slightest movement turns it back on.
TRIJICON RMR
The Trijicon RMR is not self-contained. It relies on whatever it is mounted on to serve as the bottom of the sight. It needs to be mounted to something to be operable. That’s okay though, because why would you need it operable if it wasn’t mounted to something? It’s a smart, weight-saving, space-saving design. The battery loads from the bottom. A rubber gasket seals the RMR battery and electronics to the base. This setup allows the RMR to be over 1/8th inch thinner than the Leupold. The drawback is you must remove the sight to change out the battery. That said, you don’t have to change it very often as the battery life is rated for 2 years with normal use.
There is a noticeable blue tint when looking through the window and a small optical distortion that seems like it ever so slightly magnifies the image and shifts the image downward. That said, when bringing the sight up to your eye, it’s barely noticeable. The dot is 3.5MOA which is a good compromise between a small dot for more precise aiming, but large enough to pick up quickly. The dot’s brightness automatically adjusts to ambient light conditions.
MOUNTING CONSIDERATIONS
Mounting each of these highlights one critical difference. The RMR is sort of the industry standard for its “footprint”, a.k.a. mounting screw hole pattern. Numerous manufacturers offer firearms that are set up to mount the RMR directly to their slide, Picatinny rail, receiver, etc. Not so much for the Delta Point Pro. There are few, but not as many as the RMR. This means the RMR can usually be mounted much lower than the Delta Point Pro because no adapter is needed. Even when an adapter plate is needed on a platform like the Glock MOS, the RMR is still mounted lower than the Delta Point Pro.
I mounted each of these on a Glock, the Delta Point Pro on a Glock 47 MOS and the RMR on a Glock 19 MOS with suppressor height sights. It’s worth noting that I tried the Delta Point Pro on the G19 MOS, but still couldn’t see the sights, but with the RMR it works well. Both optics zeroed quickly and accurately with their 1 MOA adjustments. Target acquisition was easy with both. The image quality when putting them through their paces was great, with a slight nod going to the Delta Point Pro.
Shooting each of these shows the value of the micro red dots. They’re quick to get on target, allow the shooter to focus on the target and see the dot rather than just the front sight. They’re fun, accurate, and both are extremely durable. I wasn’t about to do destructive testing on each of these, and they are mechanical and have a glass lens, but given their history of serving in both military and law enforcement applications, they are as durable as one could hope for.
LAST WORDS
So, which is best for you? Like most things in life, that’s a matter of personal preference. I like having the sight totally self-contained. I don’t know why, I just do. Both have a plenty of aftermarket and factory mounts for putting them on Picatinny rails and other firearms. The optical quality of the Delta Point Pro is a bit better, but these aren’t observation optics, so maybe that isn’t important to you. If you’re looking for the most ubiquitous mounting solutions possible, then the RMR is your choice. Based purely on performance, then it's just what you’re most comfortable with. The good news is that either choice is a great option, and you can’t go wrong with either.