Edit: What is the 3.5 minute and 7 minute distinction? I've read that 7 minute is better for a handgun, but why is it called "minute", is that like a battery life distinction or something like that?
The minute is Minute of Angle or 1/60" of a degree. That tells you the size of the dot. The 3.5 MOA dot will cover about 3.5" at 100 yards and the 7 will cover 7". For a handgun I'd go with the 7 MOA.
Hmm, not sure actually. I know some of Burris's stuff is, but don't know about the Fastfire specifically. Next time I see one I'll check out the box. When I refer to something as a "china brand", I'm talking about items that are sold under several brands, but they are all the exact same item made in China with poor or nonexistent quality control. Not everything made in China is crappy, but the onus is on the company putting their name on it to make sure it meets an acceptable standard. From my experience Burris does tend to build things to a lower price point, but their QC is good. NCstar also "makes" a similar optic, however I would not recommend them due to their poor QC.