Griffin Armament is known for making quality suppressors, solid-performing AR-15s, and well-thought-out accessories, including their low-profile M2 folding iron sights that I’ve used for years with great success.
What we don’t know them for, however, are optics, but we should. When Griffin Armament released Micro T2 mount prisms in 1x and 3x late last year, it got me to take a closer look at the company’s other optics, all of which struck me as financially approachable while offering a feature set with great value.
That’s exactly why I jumped at the chance to get hands-on experience with the entire lineup when Griffin Armament offered to send them over for review. Spoiler alert: I’ve been happy with all their optics, but the one I’ve spent the most time on so far is the Griffin 1-10x Mil-R SFP with an MSRP of only $449.95, and that’s the one we’re talking about in this review.
The Griffin 1-10x Mil-R SFP features a 34mm main tube and 28mm objective lens, putting it on the larger end of the LPVO spectrum at 25.75oz and 10.8” in length. I don’t feel those extra ounces in practical use, but I appreciate the considerably solid build and excellent light transmission the Griffin 1-10x provides. Additionally, oversized turrets make it easy to see where you are dialed at a glance, a nice feature for a scope with precise 1/10th MIL adjustment increments.
Unboxing is straightforward, with a CR2032 battery, microfiber cleaning cloth, and instruction card accompanying the optic. The included front and rear flip-up lens covers are a nice touch that I wish all scopes came with. I was a little surprised about the absence of a throw lever for the magnification ring, mostly because Griffin Armament seems to have thought of everything else here, as we’ll go over, so I won’t make that any more of an issue. I will say that the magnification ring is smooth and easy to manipulate but has just enough tension to keep it from turning inadvertently while bumping around on your gear.
The most reasonable optic to compare the Griffin 1-10x Mil-R SFP to may be the Primary Arms SLx 1-10x, which is the same price, just about the same length, is a second focal plane optic and has a 34mm tube with a 28mm objective lens. Unfortunately, I have no personal experience with the Slx, but a difference that jumps out at me is the smaller capped turrets versus the tactical turrets I tend to prefer on the Griffin 1-10x. Another comparison could be the Vortex Strike Eagle, which sells in a similar price range despite having a $100 higher MSRP, but that particular optic is a 1-8 with a 30mm tube, 24mm objective, and capped turrets. Overall, the Griffin 1-10x Mil-R SFP brings a unique feature set to your options for a robust yet affordable LPVO.
Second Focal Plane
Before I go on, I want to talk briefly about running a second focal plane optic. Since this isn’t a first vs second focal plane article, I will leave you to research that if you haven’t already, and there is no lack of internet resources on the subject. In a nutshell, the reticle in a first focal plane optic zooms in with the image when you increase magnification, and the reticle in a second focal plane optic remains static while only the image zooms in. The advantage of a first focal plane optic is that your subtensions will be accurate at any magnification level. Advantages of a second focal plane optic typically include finer stadia lines at magnification and lower cost.
Let’s look at this from a practical standpoint on my 14.5” barrel AR-15. As a fighting rifle, I want things to be quick at short to medium range. Using common 55gr ammunition at 2900fps, a point blank range (PBR) zero at 36 yards with a combat effective 8.5” impact zone gives me a distant zero of approximately 270 yards and a maximum PBR within that zone of 310 yards. I can use my reticle crosshairs to just over 300 yards without worrying about subtensions. Anything beyond that, and I don’t mind dialing up the magnification to 10x for a better target ID and more precise shot, at which point my holds are accurate. For the type of rifle and magnification range, a second focal plane optic works great.
Reticle Design
The reticle is intuitive but uncluttered, with subtensions calibrated for 10x magnification in half MIL increments. However, it also provides auto-ranging capabilities for targets with commonly known dimensions, a feature inspired by the Redfield ART TEL 3-9x optic used on the Vietnam-era XM21. When the known target size is bracketed within the circle at the center of the reticle, the distance corresponds to 100 meters times the current magnification, so 500 meters at five power and so on. I found this feature quick, easy, and accurate while testing it against my laser rangefinder.
Specifications
- Length: 10.8″
- Tube Diameter: 34mm
- Knob Width: 3.11″
- Weight: 25.75 oz
- Magnification: 1-10x
- FOV: 23° – 2.3° | 40.7m – 4m | 122ft – 12ft
- Max Elev. Adjustment: ≥28 MRAD
- Max Windage Adjustment: ≥14 MRAD
- Dioptric Fast Adjust: ≥ ±2 Diopters
- Parallax Setting: Fixed @ 137m
- Eye Relief: 90mm (3.5in)
Where To Buy
Zeroing the Griffin 1-10x Mil-R SFP
Before adjusting the optic and installing the zero stop, I tested the turret tracking back to zero by placing the crosshairs on the bullseye of a target at 50 yards and dialing a considerable way in each direction with the rifle held in place on my tripod. Each time I returned the turrets to zero, I was back on the bullseye. Test passed.
Zeroing the Griffin 1-10x is a piece of cake and doesn’t require any tools. The windage and elevation turrets lock, keeping your dials from being bumped out of adjustment. Pull up or out to unlock them. Once you’ve found your zero setting on both dials, you can use a coin or shell casing to unscrew the cap on top of each turret and gently lift the dial off the scope without causing any additional adjustments.
For windage, line up the zero mark to correspond with the zero indicator on the scope, gently lower the turret into place, and reinstall the cap. Elevation works much the same, but with one additional step to utilize the optic’s zero stop. Before you return the turret to the scope with the zero mark and indicator lined up, place the provided zero stop ring down as seen in the picture below, aligning the zero scale line. When those steps are all finished, screw the cap back into the top of the elevation turret and you’re done.
Speaking of dialing the turrets…
As a guy who likes to shoot long-range, you can bet I have an arsenal of glass, including Nightforce ATACRs, Leupold MK5s, Vortex Razors, and more. Don’t try to make those comparisons here, as Griffin Armament is putting these optics out as a quality option for people who want to get out there and train with capable and reliable equipment that they can fit into a reasonable budget. That being said, I like to test the tactile feel of the dials by sitting in a dark room, choosing a random number of clicks, and dialing them in any given direction on both turrets. Once I’m finished, I dial back the same number of clicks, only able to feel and hear them in pitch dark. I returned precisely to zero on every occasion by feel and audible click alone. Another test passed.
Illumination
The Griffin 1-10x Mil-R SFP is available with either green or red illumination and features twelve brightness settings. My copy with the green reticle was bright enough for most daytime use, depending on the background. When I aimed out into the snow or gold-colored pastures, as they are this time of year, taking direct sunlight, I could no longer see the illumination. However, when pointing the optic against such a bright background, you can imagine how much the black reticle stands out, making target acquisition easy. Something I really love about this LPVO is that it also features twelve off-settings between each illumination level, allowing me to keep the dial off right next to the setting I want the quickest access to without having to dial it all the way back each time. Nice touch!
Mount
While the 1-10x Mil-R SFP does not come with a mount, I wanted to mention it because the great people at Griffin Armament were kind enough to send me one of their soon-to-release Lightweight Cantilever Mounts. Like the GPM line, it employs a staggered method of securing the rings that I have yet to see elsewhere, but the feature makes it compatible with Accessory Interface Suite Technology and Griffin’s Rapid Transition Optic Plate system for ambidextrous use of an offset red dot. The mount itself is robust and confidence-inspiring, looking like it could take a serious beating, and the added touch of displaying the torque specs on the base is something I appreciate.
On the rifle
While the Griffin 1-10x Mil-R SFP will perform on just about any platform, the main focus was its use on my BCM RECCE 14 AR-15. I did run five magazines through it on my SCAR 17 just to be hateful, but if you want more than that, you can chip in for ammo. Regardless, I experienced no shift in my zero, and the optic seemed fine with the SCAR’s abusive nature. Limited SCAR 17 test passed.
For the AR-15, ammunition was provided by HOP Munitions by way of their .223 55gr FMJ, which ran without a hiccup and was pleasantly accurate and consistent relative to most 55gr I’ve shot over the years. I’ve been happy with their polymer 147gr 9mm poly flat nose on the range, so this was no surprise, though I’m looking forward to testing out more calibers and options in their lineup.
Griffin Armament lists the eye relief on the 1-10x Mil-R SFP as 3.5”. I won’t try to measure that, but I will say from a shooter’s perspective that I didn’t have any issues with the relief or the eye box at any magnification. Of course, it was most forgiving at 1x, but even 10x felt ample enough to shoot through a magazine from a standing position without losing my sight picture to scope shadow. That’s a pass also.
Optical Quality
Overall, I’ll say that the optical quality of the Griffin 1-10x Mil-R SFP follows the same pattern of value I’ve found thus far with this LPVO’s features. The image at 1x is bright with plenty of contrast, a wide field of view, and has a very flat image with no distinguishable distortion. The same remains true through the magnification range with a slight falloff in brightness between 8x and 10x, but not enough to make a tangible difference during use. Edge-to-edge clarity through the zoom range is impressive for an optic in this price range, with that coming from a retired photographer and rifle optics snob. I induced a little bit of chromatic aberration by looking for it while I pointed the optic into very brightly lit snow, but that isn’t a practical test that most scopes would pass, nor does it make a difference while shooting.
I’ll reiterate that I’m not trying to benchmark the Griffin 1-10x Mil-R SFP against optics three to six times its price and up. To be fair, those optics tend to show off their value under less-than-ideal conditions like first and last light, but the price-to-quality ratio here puts another check in the win column for Griffin Armament.
Keeping in mind that I don’t run an optics lab and that my observations are subjective and relative to my experience, I wanted to try getting a decent look down the scope using my camera while the rifle was mounted on a tripod. I’m either really bad at doing this or I just don’t have the right setup to get it done. To the naked eye, however, I’d say Griffin Armament 1-10x is a keeper.
If you have a particular setup you like to use to accomplish this, let me know in the comments below.
Conclusion
The Griffin Armament 1-10x Mil-R SFP surprised me with its value. I have spent about two months with it on my BCM RECCE 14 rifle, which is the one that goes with me everywhere on the ranch. I don’t bash my guns into things on purpose, but I do tend to throw them in the truck a little carelessly when I’m in a hurry or leave them leaning on the barn door, only to have them fall over. You know, real-world use out here in the country. I haven’t had any issues with the optic maintaining zero, tracking, or anything else for that matter. I found 10x beyond usable, which is nice when stretching out to distances of 400 yards or more, and I appreciate the image at 1x, where I tend to keep the optic most of the time.
If you need a versatile optic that is feature-rich, durable, a pleasure to use, and affordable, the Griffin 1-10x Mil-R SFP might be your LPVO. Don’t spend time pining over a dream optic that may be a long way from making your budget. Get out there and train with an optic that you can afford right now that will be dependable and present great value. You may even find that optic suits all your needs and frees up your gear fund to purchase ammunition and train some more, and I recommend checking out HOP Munitions when you do. The point is to find the best optic to fit your budget, then get off the internet and go shoot! In this price range, I have yet to try one out that I would choose over the Griffin.
For more information on all Griffin Armament firearms, suppressors, optics, mounts, parts, and accessories, visit www.griffinarmament.com
Read the full article here
