How long did it take to get used to RDS on your CCW pistol?

[WillBrink]

My aging eyes would no doubt benefit from a quality RDS on my CCW pistol, a VP9. My limited experience with them, I didn't really like it, and found it harder to obtain the site picture I wanted, etc, unlike when one adds an RDS to a rifles, the benefits are pretty much obvious immediately.

On an AR, it's like "how did i ever survive without this on my rifle!" On a pistol, not so much, at least in my minimal experience borrowing such a set up from a buddy.

It's obvious the RDS on the pistol should also be superior and no doubt takes times to adjust to. For those who made the transition, how long did it take before the RDS showed itself to be what you'd hoped for? What did you do to make the adjustment? What advice do you have?

What I didn't want to do was spend all that $, modify my pistol, etc, only to decide I really don't like an RDS on my CCW pistol. That happen to anyone here?

[Ken1973]

Just sent my VP9 slide out to get milled for an RMR so I'll be interested in what folks have to say.

Playing with my friend's RMR-ed Glock it was immediately apparent anything 20+ yards away was way faster with the dot.

Also immediately apparent was that I would be doing a lot of reps to clean up my presentation so I wouldn't be searching for the dot.

[T2C]

I tried shooting with a RDS on a pistol for a period of time and did not like it. After several hundred rounds I determined I am faster and more accurate using iron sights, even though my eyesight is not what it was 45 years ago. I learned to shoot handguns with iron sights in the 1960's, then mastered them in the 1970's, so the transition was a bit more involved than someone who has less trigger time. My primary AR carbines have RDS sights on them and switching back and forth between RDS and iron sights is doable for me. Handguns are a different story.

I know people who compete in 3 gun matches who run a RDS on their pistol. One of them is a close friend who told me it took him two weekends and 2,500 rounds to make the transition from iron sights to a RDS before he realized a benefit at pistol and 3 gun matches. In his world tenths of a second can make the difference between placing first or placing outside the top ten, so he will only shoot firearms with a RDS or scope since he made the switch. He carries a Glock with a RDS for concealed carry and put his iron sight handguns in mothballs.

[grizzlyblake]

Supposedly the Aimpoint ACRO makes presentation easier since you naturally want to center the tube in your vision, whereas an RMR really is flat without that sort of reference point.

[T2C]

Supposedly the Aimpoint ACRO makes presentation easier since you naturally want to center the tube in your vision, whereas an RMR really is flat without that sort of reference point.

The ACRO looks like it would be worth trying if I can find someone who is using one locally.

[Pappabear]

I shot my 3rd match with mine (Compact P320 RDS) and shot better than I have ever shot. It is not immediate, but it comes to you pretty quick. My first match was a disaster.

PB

[Coal Dragger]

I’ve used an RMR on a revolver and found acquiring a sight picture quickly to be challenging, but the improvement in practical field accuracy was well worth it. This is a hunting revolver so speed of sight acquisition is not as important as a defensive pistol. That said a lot of repetition to clean up presentation made picking the dot up way faster.

Just got back from vacation, went to see my folks and my brother and his family went down with us. He has a Gen 5 G19 MOS with an RMR on it, we hit the pistol range twice last week and I shot his pistol quite a bit. While my stock VP9 has a better trigger, and is mechanically more accurate with the ammunition we were using from 7-50 yards his RMR’d G19 was easier to hit small low contrast targets with at distance. Even pitted against the new long slide kit VP9 slide assembly and match barrel I ran on range day 2 the RMR G19 was easier to get low probability hits with, and that long slide kit seems to be noticeably more accurate than the stock VP9 slide.

The RMR also made it easier to shoot small groups at 25 yards, yes my VP9 still outshot the G19. I used to be a competitive bullseye shooter, I can still shoot decent groups with iron sights but a dot makes it easier. Even fighting the rubbish stock Glock trigger it wasn’t difficult to post up some nice results on target. It’s hard to quantify this so I’ll just explain it like as such: at 25 yards shooting standing two handed I turned in some 5 shot groups with the stock VP9 that were about 4” Center to center with the equipped LE package sights that suck for target shooting. The level of concentration required to do this was considerable. I then slapped on the long slide kit and proceeded to sight it in at 25 yards, the adjustable rear and fiber optic front are way better for target shooting, and the extra sight radius cleans up the sight picture a bit too. Standing two handed at 25 yards and I turned in groups of 3”-3.5” with the best 3 shots often being in about 1.5”-2”, with cheap range ammo. Again a lot of concentration. Same drill with the G19 and RMR, about 4.5” groups very consistently, sight picture and sight focus were EASY just have to manage the trigger. With a better trigger probably would have shot better groups.

Holster draws to first shot on target were a bit slower with the G19 for me than the VP9, but I cannot attribute that solely to the RMR: I’m not a Glock owner or shooter, so my presentation of any Glock handgun is a soup sandwich of heeling the muzzle too high. It’s a training issue. Once I consciously angled my wrist down more things went much better as far as picking the dot up. One thing is for sure at least for me, it paid big dividends to get the gun as high as possible on the press out to target with the RMR. I’m used to being able to get it just high enough that the front sight is in the bottom of my vision as I press out and the sights are usually just “there” if my grip isn’t all dorked up. That doesn’t seem to work with the RMR, so a bad habit will have to get cleaned up.

I’m going the RDS route on the VP9 as well, probably going to have that long slide milled for an Aimpoint ACRO P-1 if possible. I don’t think that 5-6 range sessions and 1-2K rounds of ammo is too tall a training hurdle to overcome to transition to the RDS on a carry gun. I will specifically work on holster draws to first shot to clean up presentation and picking up the dot, and rapid fire to teach myself to be confident that the dot will come back when tracking the sight in recoil.

Good luck with your decision I hope to enjoy the process and find it worthwhile.

[WickedWillis]

I went in with both feet on the RDS milling for my Glocks. I definitely underestimated how much trouble I was personally going to have getting comfortable shooting with a dot on a pistol. It took me several trips to get them properly (Or what I thought) was properly zeroed, and I really was not as patient with it as I needed to be at the start. I saw guys on here, and on youtube crazy fast and accurate with dots and could not figure out why I wasn't, and it added to my frustration.

Now I only have one Glock 19 set up with a milled slide and an RMR, and my goal in the near future is to get as comfortable with it as I am with irons. I have about 500 rounds through it with the dot at this point. I am taking it out this weekend even, to get some more reps in. I feel like I am still about 5-700 rounds away from being competent enough with it to carry or use for self defense. I assumed because I am proficient with irons, and dots on carbines, that I would be good to go. I got very humbled lol

[gunnerblue]

I’ve just began messing with RDS on pistols as my organization has recently adopted an optics-ready handgun. My fora thus far is a Bushnell TRS on a SW22 on steel at ten yards. Presentation was difficult at first but after 500-600 rounds became much more instinctive. I’m very hopeful moving forward with these optics and plan on acquiring the new ACRO for duty use once I’m completely comfortable.

One question I have is, how difficult is it to go back and forth between irons and red dot? I don’t really want to equip every handgun I own with an optic- especially CCW and backup/hiking revolvers.

[gaijin]

Subjective of course, I have no difficulty with transition from RD to irons.