REVIEW: Burris AR-332

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In the magnifier comparison report, there was talk of so-called "Combat Sights" or "Battle Sights." These are prismatic sights that have a fixed, usually low magnification in order to be effective in close and medium range. Pretty much everyone has seen the market leader Trijicon in the form of ACOGs (Advanced combat optic gunsight), and we have also already introduced a version from Steiner (Link). We have obtained a few devices that we will introduce in the next few weeks. Today, the Burris AR-332 undergoes testing.

Burris Optics from the USA offers the right glass for almost every application, and for the AR platform, there are two prismatic models: The AR-536 and the AR-332 presented here. The name already reveals a lot about the glass, with the letters standing for the platform and the numbers indicating the magnification and the objective diameter (3x magnification with a 32mm objective). What caught our attention with the Burris is both the attractive price and the compatibility of the mounting plate with Trijicon. So you can start with the Burris as an entry-level device, and then upgrade it with a red dot and Trijicon mounting or a suitable third-party mounting from Larue, American Defense, etc., and then reuse these parts later - if desired - with an ACOG.

Why not just buy an ACOG? The devices from Trijicon cost about 5 times as much as the Burris AR-332. So you can test whether you even like this type of optic without feeling guilty and try out various things, but more on that later.

The Burris AR-332, like many low-priced devices, comes from China. The construction of the housing leaves a very good overall impression, it was implemented cleanly. The mechanical quality is also good, both the diopter adjustment and the click adjustment for the reticle work as expected. The adjustment turrets are protected by screw caps, which are in turn secured to the housing with a thin wire to prevent loss. Adjustment is made in ½ MOA steps, up to a maximum of 80 MOA. The mounting is fixed to the Picatinny rail with simple thumb screws and is not 100% repeatable, but as mentioned earlier, this can be rectified with the use of third-party solutions.The overall image of the optic is rounded off by a brightness adjuster for the reticle illumination, which sits on top. Here you have the choice between two colors in five brightness levels: red or green. Both colors have their weaknesses and strengths, which partly balance each other out - so it's good that both are combined in one device. Thanks to the etched reticle, the device can also be used without illumination, in which case the reticle color is black. The device is powered by a CR2032 battery, which provides juice for about 200 hours.

The last feature is Picatinny rails at 9 o'clock, 12 o'clock, and 3 o'clock - all of which are removable if desired. Here you can optionally - as also seen in the review - use a Mini RDS (Red Dot Sight) such as the Burris Fastfire III used here to expand the optic's range of uses.

At 446 grams, the AR-332 is approximately in the weight class of a 4x32 Trijicon model, which is quite acceptable. With the flip-up caps and sunshade, the device weighs 483 grams, and adding a red dot with mounting on top brings the AR-332 to 511 grams. With a length of 13 cm without accessories, the Burris is perfect for the AR-15 platform and can be easily used due to its 4 cm height to the center of the lens. The eye relief is a tight 6 cm, shooting NTCH (Nose to charging handle) gives the perfect eye relief with the optic centered on the upper. The eye box (area in which the eye can see the reticle sharply) is relatively small and sensitive, requiring precise head positioning. The field of view is 9.7 meters at 100 meters, which would be fine if you could aim with both eyes open - but more on that later.

Multiple coated lenses and nitrogen filling protect against external influences, making the device water and fog resistant.

The optical quality of the Burris AR-332 is good to very good. It provides a clear and clean image, and thanks to the 32mm objective, it is bright enough. The edge sharpness is naturally not comparable to top devices, but it is far from bad.

As accessories, a threaded tube is provided as a sunshade, along with flip-up lens covers. Additionally, a cleaning cloth, adjustment tool, and an English manual are included.

The reticle used is called Ballistic CQ and is offered not only in the prismatic models but also in some 1-4x optics. It features a thick circle with a small crosshair in the center. At the 6 o'clock position, there are decreasing dots instead of a bar, representing hold lines up to 600 yards. The center is the 100-yard mark when the AR-332 is zeroed in. The reticle calibration can be used for .223 and .308, and Burris even provides loads and examples in a handy table. With a 55-grain load, the bottom of the 100-yard point is the 250-yard mark, point 2 is 350 yards, point 3 is 475 yards, and the cutout at the bottom of the circle is the 600-yard mark.

At the shooting range, we were able to assess the accuracy and speed of the AR-332. Shooting prone at 100m and 300m, the Burris performs quite well and is slightly more precise than a red dot with a magnifier. The hold lines also help with orientation at 300 meters, although the thick circle can be somewhat distracting, and at times, one might wish for something less prominent. The issue of field of view is a factor to consider at these distances. With a 9.7-meter field of view at 3x magnification, the field of view is average. With some optics, you can cope with this by aiming with both eyes open, thereby increasing the field of view by using the secondary eye to see around the optic. The Burris housing accommodates this, but if you close and reopen your eye, you will see the aiming point shift, quite substantially depending on the distance. This is definitely a drawback compared to Trijicon, which needs to be taken into account and can consume time.

In close quarters at 15 meters, we also tried to implement the BAC (Bindon aiming concept) - aiming with both eyes open, causing a shift in the point of impact by several centimeters. This occurred both with the sight open and with the flip-up cover closed - which usually works. However, the mounting can also play a role if it is not perfectly aligned - and this seems to be a common issue with the Burris AR-332, according to American forums where the problem has been reported. Aiming through the optic itself with the secondary eye closed works well at 15 meters, just taking a bit longer, as we tested compared to a red dot sight.

As a bonus, we also tested the Burris Fastfire III on Top. This open red dot sight sits in front of the AR-332 and allows for quick target acquisition with simple magnification and a visible point of light. However, with this setup, there are a few points to keep in mind:

• The red dot optic is significantly above the bore axis, so the point of impact shifts as well
• An RDS at this height inevitably requires giving up the familiar and comfortable head position (cheekweld), which is a deal-breaker for some.

We shot in this position for the first time. It is doable but requires a lot of practice. Surprisingly, even in unfamiliar shooting positions like lying on the side, you get a good sight picture and can place a shot.

The Burris Fastfire III is held by an Innomount mounting. We will soon provide detailed information about these innovative mounts from Germany, so stay tuned!

CONCLUSION: The Burris AR-332 has its drawbacks, but for the price, it can be a very good device - the price-performance ratio is definitely right. With a solid mounting and some practice, you get a compact and inexpensive glass for the AR platform, which is not far behind much more expensive devices in terms of optical and mechanical quality.

Available are the Burris AR-332 and its big brother, the AR-536 at Pfitzmaier Jagd, who kindly provided us with the test unit along with the red dot and Innomount mounting - Many thanks! The AR-332 is priced at 429 euros, and the A-536 at 539 euros.

Thanks also to Schießsportcentrum Heusenstamm for providing the facilities.