Red Dots on Handguns

[TTS]

An excerpt from my recent blog post:

History and Evolution:

Red Dot equipped pistols have been around for over two decades. In the 1990 USPSA Nationals Jerry Barnhart used a red dot scope to win and the same year Doug Koenig won the IPSC World Shoot with a red dot equipped CZ.

The first defensive gun I saw with a red dot was in a Kelly Mccann video back in the late 90's. He had a Doctor Optic mounted to a Glock 19 and I thought it was the most revolutionary thing I had ever seen. After getting one and shooting with it, I quickly lost interest. The window was too small, the optic was too fragile and I had no back up sights.

Fast forward to 2010 and I was reading about Gabe Suarez mounting an Aimpoint T-1 to a Glock. While I liked the idea, the T-1 was still way to big for a carry gun.

A few years earlier, David Bowie of Bowie Tactical, was starting to mill Glocks and M&Ps to accept micro red dots. The major difference between what Bowie and Suarez offers is where the rear sight is positioned. David strongly prefers to put the rear sight in front of the optic and Suarez prefers to put it behind the optic.

In the last year an exciting new mounting option has come out from Unity Tactical. The ATOM mount allows users to change the mounting plate to accommodate the use of different optics. I see this as a critical feature moving forward to provide a platform that can evolve with optics technology.

Read More:
http://www.minnesotaccw.com/1/post/2014/02/red-dot-sights-on-pistols.html

[Rem700]

Wish S&W would make a M&P compact C.O.R.E. instead of having to send the slide out to be milled.

[TTS]

Wish S&W would make a M&P compact C.O.R.E. instead of having to send the slide out to be milled.

Agreed. Hopefully manufacturers will listened the ATOM mount and start using it... It seems like the best long term solution. I am not a huge fan of being locked into one brand of sight.

[mmcnx2]

A huge cut out the slide, I'd have major concerns about what it does to the integrity over a life time. I have red dots on 4 of my hand guns and did not chop any of them anywhere near that level to get the job done.

[Minnesota55434]

I would really like to see some semi auto pistols ready to take red dots right out of the box.

I love my gp100 with a fast fire III but find rails to be ugly IMO but also dont like drilling holes into any of my guns.

[TTS]

A huge cut out the slide, I'd have major concerns about what it does to the integrity over a life time. I have red dots on 4 of my hand guns and did not chop any of them anywhere near that level to get the job done.

I have met a number of people who have well over 50k on pistols modified by TSD and Bowie tactical... No problems at all.

[TTS]

I would really like to see some semi auto pistols ready to take red dots right out of the box.

I love my gp100 with a fast fire III but find rails to be ugly IMO but also dont like drilling holes into any of my guns.

Both FN and S&W offer that on semiautos.

[Rem700]

A huge cut out the slide, I'd have major concerns about what it does to the integrity over a life time. I have red dots on 4 of my hand guns and did not chop any of them anywhere near that level to get the job done.

How high over bore axis?
Do you use any of the 4 for EDC?

[LumberZach]

I would really like to see some semi auto pistols ready to take red dots right out of the box.

I love my gp100 with a fast fire III but find rails to be ugly IMO but also dont like drilling holes into any of my guns.

I gotta say, I love the way that looks. I wish there were a way to retain iron sights, but other than that I love these rails.

[mmcnx2]

How high over bore axis?
Do you use any of the 4 for EDC?

Would never use a reddot for EDC. I use them all for competition or range work. I'd never rely on a battery for protection.

Reasonable height over the bore has never been a issue for me, I've heard the debate and honestly don't by it. Look at all the open guns in USPSA, they have c-mores hanging over the top of a 2011 slide and it does not seem to be an issue.

[Jack's My dog]

I would really like to see some semi auto pistols ready to take red dots right out of the box.

I love my gp100 with a fast fire III but find rails to be ugly IMO but also dont like drilling holes into any of my guns.

You think that Burris would be good to go on a .44 as well?

[TTS]

How high over bore axis?
Do you use any of the 4 for EDC?

Would never use a reddot for EDC. I use them all for competition or range work. I'd never rely on a battery for protection.

Reasonable height over the bore has never been a issue for me, I've heard the debate and honestly don't by it. Look at all the open guns in USPSA, they have c-mores hanging over the top of a 2011 slide and it does not seem to be an issue.

Would you consider one of the Dual Illuminated models for SD? They don't use batteries... Also consider that most models have BUIS.

[mmcnx2]

Nope, I'm not a fan of these for SD, I prefer straight irons. For carry the optics are just to bulky and I use the same firearm for carry as home defense.
I prefer to keep it simple for SD, I assume anything that can go wrong will, so optics just add another unnecessary variable.

[TTS]

Nope, I'm not a fan of these for SD, I prefer straight irons. For carry the optics are just to bulky and I use the same firearm for carry as home defense.
I prefer to keep it simple for SD, I assume anything that can go wrong will, so optics just add another unnecessary variable.

I don't necessarily disagree, because my carry gun doesn't have a RDS... But to play devils advocate, would you make the same argument about an RDS on a carbine used for self defense?

[mmcnx2]

Wouldn't have a carbine for self defense either, I'll stick with a handgun. First I'm not going to walk around with a carbine so that leaves home defense, and in a house rifle/shotgun is just more than I want to swing around or try to handle if I have to open doors ect. Your engagement zone is most likely 20 feet or less in a house, with that distance I'd rather have huge slow truck verse a small fast peanut coming out of the barrel. I want to transfer as much energy into my target as possible not do needle point.