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I have the DSM-1 1-4x24 on my SAM7r and Like it.
Anyone else have an issue paying more for the riser than the primary arms optic?
You can get the TRS-25 for under $100 with the riser. It's not like the riser is some magical chunk of unicorn horn.
Regarding red dot brightness, I have two TRS-25's and one is a good 25%-30% brighter than the other one and the one with the new battery is the dimmer one. Weird.
No, but the expensive ones have better ability to hold zero when you take them off. If you are planning to just mount an optic and never take it off again, then you're right, it's probably a waste to buy a higher end mount, at least for a red dot. Scope is obviously a whole other thing.