I was relatively happy with my Burris Fast Fire 2 (FF2), but when the Burris Fast Fire 3 (FF3) came out, I saw that they had made some important and significant improvements that could make it a worthwhile upgrade. So I waited until the price dropped down, and bought one.
'Reticle Size'
One of the main and obvious improvements they made with the FF3 is that it now comes in two reticle sizes, 3 Minute of Angle (MoA), and 8 MoA. You cannot have both reticle sizes on one sight, you have to specify which one you would like to get when you buy it. The FF2 came with one reticle size only, at 4MoA. It was okay, but I found it a bit small, and hard to quickly find sometimes, especially when you are moving your handgun with your sight on it around.
The advantage of relatively small reticle sizes, is that you can hit further with it, because the sight will not be covering much of the target. However, since I will be using my FF3 on my Glock which I don't generally intend to shoot more than 100 meters, I would prefer a bigger reticle size, and that is why I decided to get the FF3 with the 8MoA reticle size.
I feel that the 8MoA FF3 was much better than the 4MoA FF2, it is just about right for handguns like my Glock. It is twice the size of the 4MoA, and I can acquire it much faster and better from a draw. It also looks much better pointed on a target, just easier on the eyes overall.
A sample view of the FF3's 8MoA Reticle
'Protective Cap'
The other obvious improvement is with regards to the Protective Cap. The FF2 Protective Cap was a good way of protecting the unit and keeping the dust out when not in use. But the problem is that you need to take it off to use the sight, and when you do, it becomes a loose part that might get lost if you don't mind it properly. In fact, some users on some forums end up looking for replacements for those caps after they lost them.
On the FF3, the Protective Cap is better integrated into the unit in that you can use the sight even if it is in place. It still does a good job of protecting the sight, it has transparent glass windows on both ends to keep the dust out of the sight as well as offer good protection from impact and handling. The only downside to this is you end up with more glass area to wipe and clean as you will have to clean the inside and outside of the cap's glasses as well as the optics on the FF3.
Front view of the FF2 and FF3 caps. Note the transparent front and back of the FF3 cap
The FF3 Protective Cap won't fit on the FF2 mainly because of the fact that the FF2 has a protrusion on the side where the switch is located. However, you could try manually removing some material on the side of the FF3 cap, I suspect that will enable you to fit it nicely on the FF2.
'Minor Irritants'
One problem with the new cap is that it is a lot bigger than the FF2 cap, almost twice as big. When mounted on my Glock 22's slide, it does look a bit awkward, but then again not so much, mainly because of its design, which sort of offset its larger size. The design reminds me of a Mailbox, or a Bird House, and it looks very good despite its size, giving it sort of like a high-tech look.
Some views comparing the sizes of the FF2 and FF3 caps
Another small issue with the FF3 cap is that is limits your field of view when it is on the FF3. I found that it is easier and faster for me to acquire the dot when the cap is off because then I have a much wider field of view.
There is a small protruded area on both sides of the inside of the cap, this helps it fit and hold on firmly on the FF3. However, it also causes the black finish of the FF3 to slowly rub away, revealing the light metal finish underneath. A bit unsightly, and sort of ruins the appearance of the FF3 a bit.
'Unit Switch'
The switch to turn it on or off is also different. On the FF2, it is mounted on a protrusion on the side, and you need to push-pull it back and forth to turn it on or off. On the FF3, it is located flush on the side of the unit, and you need to just push it to activate or turn it off. I think the FF3 switch is better, it is covered with rubber making it more water-resistant, and also seems to be built more for heavy duty use.
View of the FF3 mounted on my Glock 22's slide. Note the new location and new design of the switch
The FF2 switch just turns the unit on or off, but on the FF3, it puts the unit into different modes, in fact five different modes. When you turn on the unit, the first mode puts you into "Auto Brightness" mode. This means the unit will rely on its light sensor located on the front of the unit to dim or brighten the reticle, depending on the light condition. This auto brightness feature works very well, and very fast. And because of the large 8MoA reticle size, the way it dims/brightens is even more visible.
You can try this by aiming it at the window during daylight, and then moving it into the dark interior of the room. It brightens against the daylight background so you will still be able to see the sight, and then dims against the dark background so the brightness won't overwhelm or distract your eyes. Response time when it changes light setting back and forth is very fast, about a second, and very impressive.
The next three modes are fixed brightness modes, something like "Brightest", "Medium" and "Dim". The last mode is, of course "Off". I have mixed feelings about these modes, it makes it longer for me to turn the unit on or off as I have to cycle thru each mode every time I do so. I would've preferred Burris to just use other ways to go into the fixed brightness modes since I will tend to use the Auto Brightness mode most of the time anyway.
(End of Part One)
--> My Review of the Burris Fast Fire 3 Part Two
--> My Review of the Burris Fast Fire 3 Part Three
The other obvious improvement is with regards to the Protective Cap. The FF2 Protective Cap was a good way of protecting the unit and keeping the dust out when not in use. But the problem is that you need to take it off to use the sight, and when you do, it becomes a loose part that might get lost if you don't mind it properly. In fact, some users on some forums end up looking for replacements for those caps after they lost them.
On the FF3, the Protective Cap is better integrated into the unit in that you can use the sight even if it is in place. It still does a good job of protecting the sight, it has transparent glass windows on both ends to keep the dust out of the sight as well as offer good protection from impact and handling. The only downside to this is you end up with more glass area to wipe and clean as you will have to clean the inside and outside of the cap's glasses as well as the optics on the FF3.
Front view of the FF2 and FF3 caps. Note the transparent front and back of the FF3 cap
The FF3 Protective Cap won't fit on the FF2 mainly because of the fact that the FF2 has a protrusion on the side where the switch is located. However, you could try manually removing some material on the side of the FF3 cap, I suspect that will enable you to fit it nicely on the FF2.
'Minor Irritants'
One problem with the new cap is that it is a lot bigger than the FF2 cap, almost twice as big. When mounted on my Glock 22's slide, it does look a bit awkward, but then again not so much, mainly because of its design, which sort of offset its larger size. The design reminds me of a Mailbox, or a Bird House, and it looks very good despite its size, giving it sort of like a high-tech look.
Some views comparing the sizes of the FF2 and FF3 caps
Another small issue with the FF3 cap is that is limits your field of view when it is on the FF3. I found that it is easier and faster for me to acquire the dot when the cap is off because then I have a much wider field of view.
There is a small protruded area on both sides of the inside of the cap, this helps it fit and hold on firmly on the FF3. However, it also causes the black finish of the FF3 to slowly rub away, revealing the light metal finish underneath. A bit unsightly, and sort of ruins the appearance of the FF3 a bit.
'Unit Switch'
The switch to turn it on or off is also different. On the FF2, it is mounted on a protrusion on the side, and you need to push-pull it back and forth to turn it on or off. On the FF3, it is located flush on the side of the unit, and you need to just push it to activate or turn it off. I think the FF3 switch is better, it is covered with rubber making it more water-resistant, and also seems to be built more for heavy duty use.
View of the FF3 mounted on my Glock 22's slide. Note the new location and new design of the switch
The FF2 switch just turns the unit on or off, but on the FF3, it puts the unit into different modes, in fact five different modes. When you turn on the unit, the first mode puts you into "Auto Brightness" mode. This means the unit will rely on its light sensor located on the front of the unit to dim or brighten the reticle, depending on the light condition. This auto brightness feature works very well, and very fast. And because of the large 8MoA reticle size, the way it dims/brightens is even more visible.
You can try this by aiming it at the window during daylight, and then moving it into the dark interior of the room. It brightens against the daylight background so you will still be able to see the sight, and then dims against the dark background so the brightness won't overwhelm or distract your eyes. Response time when it changes light setting back and forth is very fast, about a second, and very impressive.
The next three modes are fixed brightness modes, something like "Brightest", "Medium" and "Dim". The last mode is, of course "Off". I have mixed feelings about these modes, it makes it longer for me to turn the unit on or off as I have to cycle thru each mode every time I do so. I would've preferred Burris to just use other ways to go into the fixed brightness modes since I will tend to use the Auto Brightness mode most of the time anyway.
(End of Part One)
--> My Review of the Burris Fast Fire 3 Part Two
--> My Review of the Burris Fast Fire 3 Part Three
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