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Primary Arms novelties Shot Show 2019 (Gold GLx scopes, SLxZ-25, new mounts)

Introduction

Primary Arms is a company that has grown enormously in the last couple of years. Even here, in Europe, their popularity is on the rise. Their ambitious business plan has helped them become well-known among optics users all around the world. Primary Arms riflescopes are known for offering plenty of features for an affordable price, but we believe that the essence of PA’s success lies in their reticles. The company has presented various custom-made reticles to the market over the years. Some of them have become a great hit, ‘ACSS’ being the most recognizable.

Primary Arms's booth at Shot Show 2019
Primary Arms’s booth at Shot Show 2019

I visited Primary Arms’ booth at Shot Show with an intention to see what they have in store for us in 2019.

Primary Arms’ novelties 2019

Primary Arms has decided to organize their riflescopes in four different tiers so that it will be easier for the customers to determine which device is the correct choice for them. These are PLx, GLx, SLx, and CLx. PL stands for Platinum, GL for Gold, SL for Silver, and CL for Classic. With variable magnification scopes, the zoom factor will be designated with a number – GLx4, for example, indicates that this is a 4x zoom factor riflescope from the Gold series. Devices with a fixed magnification, such as red dot sights, will have the letter ‘Z’ in place of the number, which means that there is ‘Zero’ magnification. With this new system, Primary Arms will achieve greater clarity. This will facilitate the work of both retailers and their customers.

The Platinum series (PLx) has been and will remain Primary Arms’ flagship series. This Japan-made series features high-quality glass and excellent materials. Providing great value for money, Platinum is Primary Arms’ link to the world of premium optics. With PLx5 6-30×56 FFP, PA added the ACSS APOLLO-6.5 CR/.22V reticle to the selection.

Gold (Glx) is Primary Arms’ brand-new series. They haven’t offered riflescopes in this price class before, which is why this series is of particular interest to us. The Gold series features PA’s new AutoLive feature which powers the illumination off automatically after three minutes of inactivity. The illumination powers back on once motion is detected. This is a function that is usually limited to premium scopes, which is why we are excited to see it in this price class. They are made from 6061 and 7075 Aluminium alloys. Primary Arms used low-profile, technologically advanced turrets for these riflescopes. The internals are made from stainless steel, and the clicks are nice and crisp. The scopes feature the Zlock and the Zstop system – these are basically turrets with a zero stop and a locking feature. The user must press the silver button at the top of the turret to unlock it. This series is packed with features and provides an incredible value for money. For now, Primary Arms announced the release of four models, all with a reticle in the first focal plane – 2.5–10×44, 4–16×50, and 6–24×50. The construction takes place in the Philippines. The riflescopes will be priced 749–899 $ and are going to be backed with Primary Arms’ lifetime warranty.

Primary Arms Glx
Primary Arms Glx
Primary Arms Glx
Primary Arms Glx
Primary Arms Glx
Primary Arms Glx
Primary Arms Glx
Primary Arms Glx

Silver (Slx) is Primary Arms’ mid-range series, the core of their lineup. Many of their older models will be available in this series (SLx6 1-6×24 FFP and SFP, SLx6 3-18×50 FFP, SLx8 1-8×24 SFP and SLx3.5 4-14×44 FFO), but PA also decided to add a brand new model – SLx8 1-8×24 FFP.

Primary Arms Slx
Primary Arms Slx
Primary Arms Slx
Primary Arms Slx
Primary Arms Slx
Primary Arms Slx

In the Classic series (CLx), there are Primary Arms’ entry-level riflescopes. Low price does not indicate low quality with PA riflescopes – for the price, these have plenty to offer. A great choice for those that are new to shooting and those who are looking for a budget optic with a decent performance.

Another interesting product that Primary Arms introduced is SLXZ-25 red dot sight. The number stands for the objective lens diameter in millimetres. As the name suggests, this small tube sight is a part of their Silver series. Z stands for zero magnification – the sight operates at 1x magnification as is typical for a red dot sight and allows a convenient use with both eyes open. There are two options for the buyers – either they buy a 2-MOA dot version or the one with an ACSS reticle. Both provide 12.000 hours of battery life at mid-setting on a single CR2032 battery. There are 11 illumination intensity levels in total, enough for all lighting conditions. The lowest two are compatible with night vision devices. A mount for the Picatinny/Weaver platform is included. It can be removed – underneath, there is an Aimpoint Micro platform, which is a great advantage since there are plenty of mounting solutions for it on the market. It weighs 185 g (6.5 oz.) and measures 76 mm (3.01”) in length. The click value of the elevation and windage adjustments is 0.5 MOA. Buyers are covered with Primary Arms’ lifetime warranty. This red dot sight offers a lot for the price – one must keep in mind that it will cost only 190 $ once it is launched on the market.

Primary Arms SLXZ-25
Primary Arms SLXZ-25
Primary Arms SLXZ-25
Primary Arms SLXZ-25
Primary Arms SLXZ-25
Primary Arms SLXZ-25
Primary Arms SLXZ-25
Primary Arms SLXZ-25

I was also told of the MD-RB-AD-ACSS red dot sight that PA is going to launch, a similar concept but a smaller form factor. It will be around 30 $ cheaper.

Primary Arms hasn’t stopped at riflescopes and red dot sights. They took it one step further and presented their brand-new line of mounts at Shot Show 2019. They call their new line-up of mounts Extreme Clamping System™. This line-up comprises one-piece cantilever mounts, scope rings, and red dot mounts. These products, covered by Primary Arms’ lifetime warranty, are made of 6061 Aluminium alloy. For now, three scope rings diameters have been announced: 25.4 mm, 30 mm and 34 mm. Altogether, there are 31 mounts in this series. They are of the fixed type, for now.

Conclusion

Primary Arms is one of the fastest growing companies in the field of sports optics. Their riflescopes, even those that carry the lowest price tag, are packed with features. It is fascinating how quickly their brand awareness is spreading here in Europe, and we can’t wait to see more of their optical devices and reticles in the upcoming years.

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