Are you in the market for a low price optic that you can use on a range gun, airsoft gun, or maybe an AR-15 .22LR? Take a look at the Trinity Force P4 Sniper optic. You can find them online and in retailers for around $135.
What’s in the Box?
In the box you get the primary P4 Sniper optic, a red dot optic, a mount to attach the red dot to the primary optic, some basic lens caps, allen wrenches, and an extra battery.
Primary Optic – 3-9×42
The primary optic is the P4 Sniper (the “sniper” refers to the type of reticle this P4 has, more on that below). The overall P4 optic looks “similar” to a Trijicon ACOG, but these optics are designed for low-impact users, not people in combat or who’s life may depend on them. These are more for the person that wants to go to the range and have some fun, but may not have the budget for more expensive optics.
The P4 weighs in at 1 lb 1.4 oz and is constructed of aluminum. It’s a pretty heavy package. And when you add the red dot it totals in at 1 lb 3.8 oz. Just for comparison, a 4×32 Trijicon ACOG weighs in at 9.9 oz and a Vortex Spitfire weights in at 8.7 oz. So, it’s heavy for a standard optic, but not outside the realm of some optics, the 6x Trijicon ACOG weighs 2 lb 4.9 oz, and costs $2,726.
The overall feel of the optic is not bad, it feels pretty well constructed. The body is aluminum and is anodized. So the coating should be as durable as similar types of optic and it should hold up pretty well against minor scratches, etc.
Reticle
The P4 is available with multiple reticle types; they offer a Range Finder reticle, Mil Dot reticle, and the Sniper reticle. The Sniper reticle on this model is like a mil-hash style reticle where the hash lines are taller on the out side and get shorter as they get closer to the point of aim.
The reticle is also illuminated with 3 color options, red, blue and green. There are three brightness settings for each color; all controlled by the larger knob on the left of the scope.
The issue with the illumination is that it is not uniform over the whole of the reticle, one side is definitely brighter than the other, the top left, where the light source is. Also, with the illumination on, the left side when looking through the optic you can often see the light reflecting and coloring the inside of the tube. So it’s almost like a colored halo effect in the optic tube. This is something that does occasionally happen with other optics, but its usually only on very bright settings in dark environments. The P4 seems to do this in almost every instance. It’s hard to capture on camera, but the below image shows a little of what I am talking about.
Turrets
The turrets on the P4 are uncapped external turrets designed for easy adjustment. They are also marked for both clicks and full rotations, a nice addition to any scope with uncapped turrets. There is no zero stop or anything like that on this optic, not that I would expect there to be one.
The feel of the turrets are decent, they have clicks for each 1/4 MOA adjustment. That being said, there is a little play in the turrets and the number markings (on zero) don’t exactly line up to the rotation marks. That is more of an annoyance than a functional issue. But it would be nice if it all lined up. The clicks are not as pronounced as they are with some other optics, but you can tell that they are there, and is a nice feature for the optic.
Magnification
The magnification can be adjusted from 3x to 9x using a ring located in front of the eyepiece. With the red dot attached, the ring is a little hard to get a hold of to move, but you can do it.
The adjustment is pretty smooth, but has a fair amount of resistance. So you have to actually want to change the magnification. This is pretty standard on most optics. Very few adjust magnification easily. But it should be smooth, even if it requires a little force to get it going.
There is a little “play” in the magnification ring, what I mean by that is that you can move the ring and feel it engaging a little. It’s not a large amount of play, but there is a little. Other then that, the magnification adjustment does exactly what you would expect it to.
Focus Adjustment
The focus adjustment is a ring on the front of the eye piece. The adjustment is pretty smooth, but also takes a bit of force to move much like the magnification adjustment. The focus has stops, so you can only adjust it so far… so you wont unscrew the end of the scope. Other than that, the focus does what a focus does…
Optical Clarity
I have to honestly say, for the price, I was expecting the optical clarity to be much worse than it was. But I was pleasantly surprised at how clear the optic is… It’s hard to capture in a photo, but I tried (the picture really doesn’t do it justice).
You may notice a little distortion around the edges, it’s not so noticeable when looking through the optic. But a common issue with lower price optics is that the center point of the optic is the only part that is truly clear. As you move out, towards the edges of the lens, there is a drop in clarity. Like I said, this isn’t super noticeable when actually using the scope, but it is there and the picture makes it look a lot worse than it actually is.
Mounting
The P4 comes with a quick release style mount attached. This will work with any 1913 (Picatinny) rails. The latch feels pretty sturdy and it worked on all of the rails that I tried it on. That being said, when in the locked position, the latch sticks out a bit, and will be a pretty easy snag hazard. And there is no lock on it, so if it snags, and pops loose, your optic is going to hit the dirt.
I’m not sure if there are any other mounting solutions for the optic, but the quick release latch is attached with two screws, so it is something that can be removed.
Range Time
Doing a little plunking with the optic was no big deal once I got it situated on the rifle and sighted it in. For testing, I attached the optic to one of my custom built AR-15s running a BCM upper receiver group, Coronado Arms lower and a Palmetto State Armory lower parts kit.
I got everything setup and sighted in at 50 yards (the farthest distance the range I was at had). Below are some pictures of the groups. Using boxed PMC ammo from the prone position.
The P4 optic worked great. I didn’t have any issues and the adjustments, windage and elevation work as advertised. I performed a basic 1 MOA box test with the optic, and other than me throwing a round, the adjustments seem to be true and reliable.
Red Dot
The red dot optic that is included with the P4 is a very generic and basic red dot, that appears to have 3 MOA dot. The one I received works, but it seems to be missing a screw from each side of the protective hood that it has. Other than that, it is a basic red dot with basic windage and elevation adjustments (they require an wrench to change, included). The on/off switch is a large switch on the back of the optic, I imagine that being pretty easy to accidentally smack on and off, but other than that, it seems to work. All in all, it’s not something I would recommend for any type of high impact situations.
Also, to replace the battery, you must remove the red dot from it’s included mounting base. The mounting base that is included is a low height one, so if you are planning to use the optic on something else, you will need to accommodate for it being very low (no riser included). The kit did include a ring mount that will mount the red dot to the top of the P4 scope. This mount goes around the eye piece of the P4.
Another thing that I feel is worth noting is the height over bore with the red dot on top of the P4 optic. It comes in at about 3.5 in off the rails, and if you add another about 1.5 in for rail height over bore, you are looking at about 5 in height over bore of your optic… That means at real close range, your bullet impact will be 5 in lower than your point of aim. So if you are thinking of using this setup for some type of CQB situation, I would think again.
Warranty
The P4 is covered by the Trinity Force Limited Lifetime Warranty. This covers defects in materials and workmanship for the life of the product.
Specifications: Trinity Force P4 Sniper
Magnification: 3x-9x
Objective: 42mm
Length: 8 in
Weight: 17.4 oz (1 lb 1.4 oz)
Reticle: Mill-Hash Style
Mount: Quick Release (included)
Battery: CR2032 (3v, extra included)
MSRP: $135.00
Ratings (out of 5 stars)
Durability: * * *
The P4 optic is not designed to be bullet proof, but for the price point, it will hold it’s own. It’s sturdy and will last under normal use. The Red Dot on the other hand is a lower quality item and will not withstand a beating.
Usability: * * *
The P4 optic, with it’s 3x to 9x magnification will work well for any smaller caliber rifle, .223, .22LR, etc. at ranges from 25 yds to 100+ yds. Also with the included red dot, you will have the added ability to easily shoot at closer ranges. The only downside is that I would not recommend the red dot for any high impact situations (like training classes).
Value: * * * *
At the price point of $135, the P4 package is a good entry level package for the shooter that just wants to get out to the range and send some rounds down range.
Overall: * * * ½
The P4 is a good low cost optic. For $135 you can get a rifle out and put some rounds down range. It’s not something that is designed to be beaten up or taken to high impact training. But for the occasional shooter, this optic will workout just fine. If you think you are going to be a little more on the rough side with your rifle or are planning to take it to a tactical training class, you may want to look into something that will take more of a beating… You don’t have to spend $700, but in the $200 price range you can get some good red dot or similar optics.
This post has also been posted on The Truth About Guns. Check out their site for tons of firearms and firearm industry news and information.