Gear Review: SIG SAUER ROMEO-MSR GEN II Red Dot Sight

SIG SAUER ROMEO-MSR Gen II red dot sight

A few years ago, I tortured the hell out of SIG SAUER’s original MSR red dot. Most people associate the bare-bones ROMEO5 with the words SIG and ‘budget optic.’ However, the humble MSR series provides the overall cheapest red dot in SIG’s current lineup. SIG recently released a new ROMEO-MSR GEN II red dot sight and I was more than happy to get my hands on the optic.

SIG SAUER ROMEO-MSR Gen II red dot sight
SIG’s optics divsion produces a wide range of different optics from the inexpensive like the MSR to their top-of-the-line ROMEO9T (Travis Pike for SNW)

I beat the hell out of the original ROMEO5. I dropped it, hit it with a heat gun, and froze it. The gun had only a minor zero shift throughout the entire abusive process. I hit it with a load of birdshot from a 12 gauge for fun. It cracked the glass and beat up the housing, but it still powered up and kept its zero. I kept that original ROMEO-MSR as a trophy, and to this day, it still works fine.

Is the new Gen II built with the same high quality? At this point, the standard ROMEO5 and ROMEO-MSR Gen II are priced the same. They have similar optics, but the ROMRO5 is currently getting a second generation at a higher price point. I wouldn’t be surprised if the ROMEO5 GEN Is disappear and the new MSR Gen II assumes takes the spot of budget rifle optic in SIG’s lineup.

What’s New With The Gen II

The SIG SAUER ROMEO-MSR Gen II looks radically different from the older version, more like the ROMEO5 Gen II. It’s sleeker, slimmer, and better-looking all the ways  around. It’s also fairly standardized with the other SIG ROMEO red dots.

SIG SAUER ROMEO-MSR Gen II red dot sight
The dial has been massively improved from the Gen I MSR red dot. (Travis Pike for SNW)

Gone are the transparent lens caps and the skeletonized mount. The current mount on the ROMEO-MSR Gen II is identical to the ROMEO5 Gen I mount. I don’t care about see-through mounts. There’s nothing wrong with them, but on a red dot, I will never look under the dot to use my iron sights. I’m not sure what sights would even align with a see-through mount.

According to SIG’s webpage, the ROMEO-MSR Gen II has a 40,000-hour battery life, although the company also lists 35,000 hours. Either way, it’s quite the jump from the Gen 1’s 20,000-hour battery life. The original weighed 4.9 ounces and the newer model weighs 5.7 ounces. That’s a minor increase in weight, but a noticeable one.

SIG SAUER ROMEO-MSR Gen II red dot sight
The ROMEO-MSR Gen II is SIG’s lowest tier rifle optic, but does that mean it’s junk? (Travis Pike for SNW)
A New Budget Optic Champ

The ROMEO-MSR Gen II give us Aimpoint T1 compatibility. That means there are a lot of mounting options out there. SIG’s MSR line is meant for AR-type rifles, but the ability to swap mounts makes it easy to mount the optic on shotguns, subguns, and more.

SIG moved the illumination brightness dial to the side from the top. Like the original, there are 12 brightness settings with two night vision settings. I generally hate the illumination dials on red dot sights, but this one really isn’t terrible. Illumination dials are part of budget optics and a sacrifice we have to accept.

SIG SAUER ROMEO-MSR Gen II red dot sight
The optic is surpsingly clear. You can see a little notch filter, but not much. (Travis Pike for SNW)

There are two off settings — one is closest to the lowest setting, and the other is closest to the highest 12 setting. I like snapping right to 12, so I know the dot can be seen regardless of the brightness level. If it’s dark, that’s great. I can move two clicks to the side and have a low enough setting. It’s just a clever, handy little feature.

The ROMEO-MSR Gen II is IPX7-rated. That means the optic can be submerged up to one meter for 30 minutes. It promises to be shockproof, fogproof, and gas purged. My original model is still fogproof, even with its cracked lens.

SIG SAUER ROMEO-MSR Gen II red dot sight
The ROMEO-MSR Gen II is miles better than the original ROMEO-MSR version. (Travis Pike for SNW)

The optic has a 20mm objective lens and it’s solely in the compact optic territory. The mount still uses a tiny single bolt to secure the optic to the gun. It’s not a problem in most situations, but it doesn’t offer a lot of strength and torque potential. Of course, there are plenty of options for alternative mounts with its Aimpoint capability if you’re so inclined.

Red Dots on The Range

The SIG SAUER ROMEO-MSR Gen II mounted nicely to my PSA JAKL. I hit the range and got a quick 50-yard zero. SIG includes a handy little tool to make zeroing easier, but it has its own challenges. The windage turret is right by the illumination dial. The tool has big wings to make it easy to tighten the optic to your rail, but the optic’s wings hit the illumination dial making the tool useless for adjusting windage.

That’s a minor complaint, but it’s worth noting. Zeroing wasn’t hard at all. The adjustments are tactile and audible, but the elevation adjustments seemed more tactile and audible than the windage. The adjustments are 1 MOA and seem to be perfectly measured. I fired an initial three-round group and measured the distance from the group to my point of aim just to make sure.

SIG SAUER ROMEO-MSR Gen II red dot sight
The PSA JAKL served as my testing platform. (Travis Pike for SNW)

I did the MOA math and dialed in eight clicks up and six clicks to the left. I fired a confirmation group and it was nearly dead-on. One more click to the left and I was more than happy with my fifty-yard group. In shooting, I was pleasantly surprised by how little of a notch filter I detected. There is just a very slight blue tint.

You won’t mistake this red dot for something with a fine Swiss pedigree. It’s mostly fine. The 2 MOA red dot has a noticeable starburst effect at higher brightness levels, even in bright light. The dot has a slight streak on the right side, which keeps it from being a perfect circle…but it’s fine and very useable, if not the most impressive sight on the market.

SIG SAUER ROMEO-MSR Gen II red dot sight
The MSR Gen II take some cues from the ROMEO5 Gen II. (Travis Pike for SNW)
Splitting Hairs

Ultimately, the dot performs quite well. The refresh rate is good (there’s no strobing), and the dot doesn’t lag when you move from target to target. It’s easy to see and the the Romeo MSR Gen 2 delivers a fairly clean, unobstructed view. Unlike the original MSR, there isn’t a bunch of stuff just hanging off the sides.

SIG SAUER ROMEO-MSR Gen II red dot sight
The optic keeps things simple and the price point low. (Travis Pike for SNW)

The height’s just right for me and the dot naturally meets my eye. The sight height is 1.41 inches. When shouldering and running drills, the dot was right where I needed it to be. SIG SAUER selected a good emitter that makes the dot quite bright.

My shooting range has no shade at all. This is, after all, the Sunshine State. Even so, I don’t have to dial the brightness up past 10 even in the brightest light. I can use eight and just barely see the dot at high noon.

Let’s Beat It Up

If you folks want a full, brutal torture test, I’ll conduct one. We’ll heat it up, freeze it, and drop it, but that would take another article. For today, we’ll just be doing some basic drops and falls. I dropped the ROMEO-MSR attached to the rifle from chest height on both sides and the top. To check the zero, I loaded a magazine, got into a stable, braced position, and fired a group.

SIG SAUER ROMEO-MSR Gen II red dot sight
The Romeo MSR 2 can take some abuse. (Travis Pike for SNW)

There were no problems at all with the zero and no issues with the dot’s operation. The optic got some dirt on it, but that’s all. To clean the optic off, I hit it with the hose and again fired another group. Water was fine, too. The budget-friendly ROMEO-MSR Gen II (currently selling for a mere $129) will to hold up nicely to mild abuse.

SIG SAUER ROMEO-MSR Gen II red dot sight
Let’s wash it off, and see how waterproof it really is. (Travis Pike for SNW)

Is the SIG SAUER ROMEO-MSR Gen II worth the price of admission for a reliable, budget-friendly red dot? In this economy, it seems like a very solid option. The original ROMEO5 has some features I prefer, like the push button brightness adjustments, but for the money the ROMEO-MSR Gen II is a very solid little optic that’s bright, clear, and seemingly a worthy successor to the original design.

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1 thought on “Gear Review: SIG SAUER ROMEO-MSR GEN II Red Dot Sight”

  1. I had an original MSR years ago after they came out I ‘accidentally’ by way of stupid dropped into a shallow pond, about 5 feet deep the spot I dropped the MSR in. Could not retrieve it or see it. No great loss though as I had gotten it for free and I wrote it off and didn’t think about it any more. Anyway, the MSR was in the pond for a little over two years. Winter came and went, the pond froze over and thawed. Then it came time to drain the pond. When the pond was completely drained, there the MSR was. Retrieved it, wiped enough of the mud off it to see though it, turned it on and it worked. Cleaned it completely, changed the battery, mounted in on a rifle and fired a few hundred rounds and it still worked fine. I still have that MSR, and it still works fine.