Burris Optics AR-536™ Sight System

My experience with Burris Optic’s AR-536 came during an extended AR silencer assessment project. A Ruger SR-556TD was shot with both a 5.56 NATO barrel and a 300 Blackout Ruger accessory barrel, with and without, respectively, Advanced Armament Corp’s Fast Attach SR5 and SR7 silencers. The project created a requirement for a sighting device with magnification, a reticle scaled for both 5.56mm and 7.62mm cartridge trajectory and Picatinny rail mount compatibility. To that end, we selected a Burris Optics AR-536 Tactical Kit.

Installed for accuracy test, the Burris AR-536 with 5x magnification is a prism sight. Not a red dot sight, the AR-536 is closer to a traditional telescopic sight with the primary mechanical difference of correcting image inversion with a prism rather than an erector tube and lens system. Unlike a red dot sight where a reticle is an LED projection on a reflective objective lens, the reticle is etched into the AR-536’s prism. While the reticle can be illuminated in red and green, it can also be seen in black with no battery power applied.

The benefits of a prism system are several fold. Magnification can be accomplished internally rather than with an add on eyepiece magnifier as is the case with a red dot sight. The prism sight is much more compact than a conventional erector tube and lens system rifle scope. Not an unproven methodology, prism sights have been used in commercial civilian and military applications since at least 1922 and similar use of prisms can be found in compact binoculars and compact spotting scopes and many types of telescopes.

In AR-536 Tactical kit form…

The Burris Optical AR-536 has an MSRP of $479. It is also available in kit form that includes the AR sight, a piggy backed FastFire II site and an Anti Reflection Device show below installed in place of the front sunshade/flip up cover with an MSRP of $659. Both front and rear flip ups can be removed or rotated to any desired position.

The SR-536 has 3 Picatinny stub rails located top and either side of the sight’s tube. In the case of the kit, the top rail is used to mount the FastFire reflex sight. The bottom mount that secures the AR-536 to a firearm is Picatinny standard.

Controls are easily accessible and large enough to be operated with gloved hands. Based on setting, the reticle is displayed in red or green, each in 5 brightness levels. The reticle can also be displayed in black by selecting the “0” position or in the absence of batteries.

Like other quality Burris scopes, the AR-536 has index-matched, Hi-Lume® multicoating on all lenses which aids in low-light performance and glare elimination. The unit is waterproof and it has a Nitrogen-filled body to prevent internal fogging in the cold and rain. It is also highly shock and vibration resistant and night vision compatible. The unit is backed by Burris’s Forever Warranty.

What’s it look like in there?

The Ballistic CQ™ reticle was found to be exceptional. Pictured here in red, it is a standout also in black or green, the latter used during most of our project. The larger central ring is good for snap shooting and a small central dot for precision shooting. Compensating dots carry out to 600 yards.

Nicely packaged

The AR-536 Kit comes in a sturdy, compartmentalized durable Plano case. Considering I usually have scopes and other sights stuck in cardboard boxes, it’s convenient to have this whole setup in one place where it can be stowed when not in use.

Closing

With the superfluous accessories removed, the AR-536 makes for a clean install. With the center of the optics 1.6″ off the rail, it falls right into align of sight.  It is a very intuitive set up and really fast on target close up and very steady on distant targets. The image is clear and bright, focus is sharp. The 5X magnification doesn’t see excess close up and it is more than sufficient for distant targets. Nifty.