It’s hard not to be a fan of Primary Arms. The company has been putting out optics of all types for a good while now, usually with glass and features well beyond their price point. With the Primary Arms Classic Series 1-6×24 second focal plane rifle scope, the company has proven just how low they can go on price while still delivering a huntable, shootable LPVO.
The PA Classic Series has more going for it than you might assume, given its extremely low price point.
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First, the glass is clear. Take a look at the image above. The road in the background is about 800 yards away. There’s some lack of clarity as we go out to the edge of the image, but all in all, that’s pretty clear, especially considering the price point.
There’s no parallax adjustment, nor does there need to be on a 1-6 power optic.
Other than a “fog-proof lens coating” there are no other coatings listed for the Classic Series 1-6×24 and no others are apparent. The lens flares up with glare if pointed directly at a light source and when the sun gets low there is no “light management” coating to increase visible light to the shooter’s eye.
Primary Arms bills this scope as having an “IP67 waterproof rating and fog proof lens coatings.” Putting that to the test, I mounted the scope in an aluminum cantilever mount and zeroed it in on the new Ruger SFAR. I then removed the mounted scope and stuck it in the deep freeze overnight.
I took it out the next afternoon and it began to thaw quickly. Remounting the scope to the rifle, I shot new groups with the rounds landing exactly where they should, within the rifle’s and mount’s margin of error.
I also simply dunked the Classic 1-6×24 in the sink for half an hour, to no ill effect. Not only did the scope survive a 100+ degree temperature shift, but I never had to wipe the lenses from all the condensation.
Even at this very low price, you get an illuminated reticle. Unfortunately, even turned to 11, (literally), the dot isn’t bright enough pick up on a bright background, like a white piece of target paper or a green tree branch, on a bright day.
It’s bright enough to pick up against a black background and works just fine in any light conditions other than very bright sunlight. Or very dark. The lowest setting is still too bright to work with night vision optics. There’s also no “center off” position between the numbers, so you’ll have to rotate the dial back to zero each time.
The Classic Series 1-6×24 SFP definitely has some things you don’t usually get with a sub $200 scope. For instance, the turrets don’t have any reference mark. I guess you could paint one on the turrets, but it wouldn’t do you any good. There’s a small “indicator ring” on the turret that you can move around, but it’s worthless as it moves so easily it changes positions under recoil.
Considering that, as well as the fact that the turrets are capped, the Classic Series 1-6X24 should very much be considered a “set it and forget it” optic when it comes to your turrets.
As long as you’re careful to put them back in their exact spot, the turrets do return to zero. They don’t perfectly track, although they show less than a 10% error rate out to 30 MOA.
When it comes to recoil durability, I have complete faith in the Classic Series 1-6×24. The body is 6063 aluminum, which should be plenty tough enough for any knocks and drops the scope is likely to get. It’s now got about 300 rounds through it attached to the .308 Winchester SFAR, and beyond that I also just dropped the thing on the ground from chest high a few times. It never lost its zero or showed any real damage, other than to its lens caps.
Primary Arms is known for its exceptional reticles, but this Classic Series scope comes with a simple duplex reticle. Ranging through the second focal plane scope is still completely doable, though you’ll need to perform your own tests and measurements at each magnification you intend to range at.
The Classic Series is Primary Arms’ lowest price point LPVO scope. The focus here is on getting the most absolutely basic stuff delivered at the lowest price point possible. That means a Chinese-made optic that gets the durability right with some sacrifices when it comes to features and coatings.
Think of this 1-6×24 Classic Line scope as the even less expensive (about $140 less) 1-6×24 SLx optic that Travis reviewed here earlier this year. For a lot of rifle shooters, it has everything they’ll need at a price they can easily afford.
Specifications: Primary Arms Classic Series 1-6×24 SFP Rifle Scope
Battery Type: CR2032 3V Lithium Coin
Click Value: 1/2 MOA
Exit Pupil Diameter: Low: 8mm / High: 3.5mm
Eye Relief: Low: 3.5in. / High: 3.9in.
Field View 100: Low: 113 ft. / High: 18.8 ft.
Focal Plane: Second Focal PlaneI
Magnification: 1X – 6X
Objective Diameter: 24mm
Optic Series: Classic
Reticle: Duplex Dot
Reticle Color: Red
Reticle Type: MOA
Total Elevation Adjustment: 120 MOA
Total Windage Adjustment: 120 MOA
Tube Diameter: 30mm
Weight: 17.21 oz.
Price: $199.99
Rating (out of five stars):
Overall * * *
It’s durable, the glass is daylight clear and it comes at an extremely low price point. This isn’t a precision long range optic, but for a dirt-cheap, very functional LPVO, the Primary Arms Classic Series 1-6×24 checks all the big boxes.
Not even markings for drop?
I’d spend $50 more and get a strike eagle which at least lets you range on the fly.
That is a good price! Unfortunately I have a LPVO that’s quite similar(paid less) that I haven’t mounted yet because ILL annoy banned my rifle(and 30round mags). Oh well…
Man that sucks. So you’ve got a rifle you’ve gotta keep hidden.
WTF
Hidden until I need it!!!🙄
👍
For future LPVO reviews test eye box and eye relief, a good LPVO has to be generous and fast to use. Great review overall though!
With free ship from some dealers a $199.99 MSRP scope of this type that remains zeroed with .308 is not bad, just zero it on 6, shoot it and forget about it.
I’ve purchased AP receivers from Primary Arms and I see they have AP .308 stripped lower receivers for less than $105.00 and Anderson AR-15 stripped lower receiver for less than $48.00…Very good place to do business with, they actually answer the phone, know about the products they sell and provide tracking for you and your FFL.
if you want an LPVO with a dot and want to go with a PA LPVO AND have an astigmitism…take a look at their new Gen 4 SLX. instead of a diode projecting the dot directly they use a fiber optic system to project the dot. Basically, doing it with fiber optic eliminates (mostly) the light polarization thing that causes most astigmatisms to see the direct diode projected multiple light polarizations which causes the astigmatism to see the dot ‘distorted’ in some manner (e.g. bloom, Starburst, multiple dots, etc…)
I own the Primary Arms SFP 1-8 first focal plane with ACSS Raptor, and I’ve been relatively happy with it. A lot of folks like this 1-6 scope better, but I wanted just a little bit more reach, and I really like the ability to range at any zoom.
Sorry, I misspoke. I meant to say I own the SLX 1-8 FFP.
It still trips me out you can get a 1-6 for $200 or less that actually is functional. Hats off to pa because they are a stellar company and always pushing the envelope. Sucks the envelope is always Chinese but I’ll never bitch about more options.
not having the off settings between the numbers seems like a real problem. I don’t like that at all.
How generous is the eye box at 6x?
The Primary Arms Classic Series 1-6×24 SFP Rifle Scope offers a versatile 1-6x magnification range and a clear 24mm objective lens for accurate shooting. With a simple yet effective design, it is an excellent choice for various shooting applications.
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