The Burris FastFire E is the company’s first enclosed emitter red dot for pistol, shotgun, and rifle use. Our testing proved it to be a solid choice for EDC, hunting, and defensive rifle applications.

by Rob Reaser

We’ve discussed several times recently that enclosed emitter red dot sights seem to be ascending for use across various firearm platforms and for various applications. Perhaps it is merely a subtle trend, a coincidence, a desire to explore “the next thing,” or maybe something else. Regardless of the why, enclosed emitter red dots seem to be becoming more popular — whether for handguns, rifles, or shotguns.

Part of the reason may simply be that manufacturers are taking lessons learned from their continual pursuit to create smaller, single-lens reflex sights that better fit micro-pistols and focus on improving enclosed emitter designs. Whatever the case, we applaud the effort because this optic platform is quickly becoming our top choice — certainly for long guns and increasingly for handguns.

The Case for Enclosed Emitter Sights

Enclosed emitter optics have solid attributes to recommend themselves. Most important among these is that the emitters, being fully enclosed in a housing, are well protected from the environment. Rain, snow, mud, and dirt cannot obscure the emitter because it is not open to the elements. That’s a big deal when operating in challenging conditions and climates. Should a plop of mud or snow cover the lens, a quick swipe of a finger solves the problem.

Enclosed emitter red dots are also stout customers. The box-like chassis can take bumps and the hard knocks that could otherwise put some open emitter red dots out of the fight. The larger chassis also allows for easier menu operation — at least with most of the models we’ve tested — because the more expansive surface area allows for larger menu buttons versus the itty-bitty buttons typically found on smaller open emitter optics.

One of the newest enclosed red dots to hit the market this year is the FastFire E from Burris. Designed for use with rifles, shotguns, and handguns, the FastFire E is the first of its kind in Burris’ FastFire red dot series of optics.

The Burris FastFire E

We ran the FastFire E through its paces while testing Springfield’s new 1911 TRP AOS 9mm and enjoyed it a lot. The biggest question going into the test was wondering if the unit’s 2.45-ounce weight would be detrimental to the cycle of operation when shooting lighter 115-grain defense loads. It wasn’t, and the optic stood up to the 1911’s recoil and asked for more.

Burris chose the Aimpoint ACRO footprint for the FastFire E, which follows right in step with sister company Steiner’s use of the ACRO pattern for its MPS enclosed emitter red dot. This means you will need to acquire an ACRO adapter to work with your pistol’s optic mounting pattern or acquire an ACRO-to-Picatinny mount for use on most long guns.

With its 22x17mm viewing glass, the FastFire E offers a generous sight window and a low set that allows the use of tall open sights. The reticle is 3.5 MOA in size, which is just about perfect for both handgun and near-range long gun use. As you can see here, there are no issues using “suppressor-height” or MOS-height sights in conjunction with the FastFire E. The glass is clear and crisp, and no parallax issues were noted during testing.

Windage and elevation adjustments come via flush turrets at the top (elevation) and side (windage) of the monolithic aluminum housing. Burris provides a Torx wrench (T10) for adjustments. The 1 MOA/click delivers a satisfactorily quick adjustment for closer distances while delivering precise point-of-impact shifts. Each click offers audible and tactile feedback, which is something we now expect in a quality optic. The adjustment range for both elevation and windage is 100 MOA of travel potential, providing fine tuning for a broad span of platform and ammunition combinations.

The FastFire E’s battery compartment is on the left side of the housing and is easily accessed by removing the cap with a coin. It protrudes only slightly from the housing, making the overall profile quite streamlined. This also means that you don’t have to remove the optic to change the battery. As for longevity, the CR 2032 powering the unit boasts a 60,000-hour lifespan when on the level 5 illumination setting.

Customizable Reticle

Regarding illumination, the FastFire E has 11 brightness settings: eight day and two night vision.

Among the several features we appreciate about the FastFire E are the large interface buttons located atop the chassis. Rubber covered, they are easy to manipulate and offer an audible click when depressed. A raised divider between the two keeps you from hitting the wrong button.

Depressing the “+” and “-“ buttons allow you to change the reticle illumination settings as well as other functions, like disabling the 13-hour timer (the reticle reverts to brightness setting 7 [red dot] or 6 [green dot] after 13 hours) and locking out the buttons to maintain the current illumination setting indefinitely. While the FastFire E is programmed for “always on” operation, the optic can be turned off by depressing the “-“ button for three seconds.

With its one-piece aluminum housing construction, the FastFire E is rugged and shockproof. It is also fogproof and has an IPX7 waterproof rating. In short, the FastFire E stands ready for everyday carry, hunting, or defense use on long guns.

Range Test

On the range, the FastFire E performed admirably. The clear, expansive viewing area offered a quick sight picture that revealed no noticeable parallax at the tested distances. Sight picture reacquisition proved equally fast. And as mentioned earlier, the optic did not interfere with the test gun’s cycle of operation.

Enclosed emitter optics will never displace open emitter optics as King of the PMOs, but they are a fine choice for duty-grade pistols and a good first choice (in our opinion) for any long gun application. So, if you are in the market, the new FastFire E from Burris is one red dot you should consider.

Burris FastFire E Specifications