There’s something quietly reassuring about Meprolight stepping into magnified optics.
For decades, they’ve been the name I associate with combat-tough reflex sights — the kind of glass you slap on a duty rifle and forget about because it just works. But now, with their new line of MVO magnified scopes, they’re making it clear they also want to be a serious contender in magnified and precision optics. And based on my time behind the Meprolight MVO 1-8×28 and MVO 3-18×44 first focal plane scopes, their intent is rather serious.
Meprolight’s Roots & Reputation
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It’s worth remembering where Meprolight actually comes from. The company dates back to 1990 when it was established as a subsidiary of Israel Weapon Industries. This means that Meprolight cut its name by serving one of the most demanding customers on earth: the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces).
Meprolight’s early mastery of tritium-illuminated night sights and rugged, battery-free reflex optics like the Mepro M21 (which goes with a Tavor like peanut-butter and jelly) put Meprolight’s name on the minds of shooters who needed equipment that could handle the real world — dusty, muddy, battered and still operational.
That combat-first mindset is baked into everything Meprolight does, and it really shows in its MVO lineup. When I first got hands-on with them this spring at Athlon Rendezvous 2025, I knew I’d have to secure test samples. It wasn’t just that they’re made with high-quality German-produced Schott glass, it was everything about them. You know what they say about first impressions.
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Eric and the Meprolight team got them out right away. I wasn’t the only writer chasing these, but soon enough the 1-8×28 and 3-18×44 landed on my bench. And that’s when the real testing began.
Editor’s note: The third and final member of the current Meprolight MVO lineup, the long-range 6-36×56 model should be shipping during the fourth-quarter of 2025.
Low Power Variability: Meprolight’s MVO 1-8×28 FFP
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After taking possession of my Meprolight MVO 1-8×28 FFP, it didn’t take long before I installed it over Smith & Wesson’s new Model 1854 .45-70. I know there are purists who think LPVOs don’t belong on a lever-action, but I’m not one of them. Given the lever-gun’s mission and use-case, an optic that is quite literally low in power and high in variability makes so much sense. At 1x, the MVO 1-8 is bright and distortion-free, with none of that edge fisheye that some LPVOs suffer from. Shooting with this LPVO gives you a true 1x experience, meaning both-eyes-open shots feel natural.
Its eye-relief is generous–let’s call it about 4-inches. I found it was just enough to stay comfortable with the stout recoil of the .45-70. That this scope is built around a 34 mm maintube also helps with keeping the field of view wide and usable. Light-transmission wasn’t a challenge with plenty of light passing through.
The M1 MRAD reticle is simple and intuitive: daylight-bright illumination that toggles between red and green illumination with a twist. Its clear hash marks let you hold precisely without unnecessarily cluttering. Up close, it functions like a fast red-dot. Crank it to 8x, and suddenly you’ve got a precise aiming solution for shots that stretch out past 400 yards.
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The MVO 1-8’s controls are well thought out: there’s a simple center button for illumination, responsive brightness adjustments. When dialing, the turret clicks are positive but not overly stiff. Build quality is what I expect from Meprolight: 6061-T6 aluminum housing, IPX8 waterproof rating and that rugged, combat-tough feel that invites you to treat this scope like a tool, not a trophy.
Mid-Range Tactical Glass: The MVO 3-18×44 FFP
Then there’s the 3-18×44, which I mounted on the Wilson Combat NULA 6.5 Creedmoor — arguably one of the finest lightweight bolt guns I’ve ever tested. Combined with the flat-shooting ballistics of the 6.5 Creedmoor, the 3-18x zoom range of this Meprolight MOV is versatile enough for everything from scanning terrain to holding tight on distant steel or game.
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Because this scope’s reticle is first-focal plane, it subtensions proportionally across its entire magnification range. It’s an important detail that matters when you’re dialing up or down in fast-changing conditions.
This specific riflescope employs Meprolight’s M3 MRAD “Christmas tree” style grid. It provides shooters with plenty of hashes, points and marks for holdovers, wind calls, and range estimates.
The 3-18 MVO’s left-side parallax adjustment knob runs from 30 yards to infinity. I found it smooth and intuitive. Meprolight thoughtfully ships this scope with a quality zoom lever in the box. The tactile feel of the adjustments is excellent: resistance where you need it, ease where you want it. In my testing, nothing wandered, nothing felt vague and every shot tracked as called.
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Optical clarity is top-tier. That Schott glass (on all three MVO optics) delivers a crisp, bright image even in transitional lighting conditions. Edge clarity is good enough that I never felt hemmed in, even at max magnification.
Scoping Out The Optics Market
I’m actually awestruck by the entire Meprolight MVO lineup’s market position. It doesn’t take much to notice how crowded the optics market is today. Brand names like Vortex, Trijicon, Nightforce have long dominated the higher-end LPVO and precision optics arena. But Meprolight is entering this field not as a newcomer, but as a company with a pedigree in mission-critical, duty-proven glass. These scopes reflect that mindset: they’re rugged, simple, and meant to be used hard.
Are they boutique precision instruments? No. They’re built for serious shooters who want trustworthy, battle-ready optics at a price that respects both performance and value. At roughly $1,800 retail for the 3-18 and $1,500 for the 1-8, they land in the sweet spot: premium enough to matter, affordable enough to make sense for serious work.
Zooming Out
After running both these scopes extensively, I came away genuinely impressed. The 1-8×28 FFP is a fantastic choice for anyone looking for an intuitive LPVO that can serve in close quarters or stretch out when needed. That 3-18×44 FFP is a natural on any medium-range precision rig, perfectly suited for field shooters, hunters, and anyone who wants maximum versatility without hauling multiple rifles or optics.
Most importantly, both scopes feel like Meprolight products through and through: rugged, reliable, thoughtfully designed, and ready for real-world conditions. I’ll be running these hard through the seasons ahead, and I expect they’ll hold up just fine. In a market that’s overflowing with new optics every year, Meprolight’s new variable power scopes stand out not because they reinvent anything — but because they refine it.