View Poll Results: Where do you prefer to place your rear sight on RDS handguns?

Voters
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  • Behind the optic.

    7 70.00%
  • In front of the optic.

    3 30.00%
Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: Back Up Sight Placement on RDS Handguns

  1. #1
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    Back Up Sight Placement on RDS Handguns

    My only experience with a slide mounted optic has the sight behind the RMR, I'm getting ready to have another Glock cut for an RMR and I'm wondering if I should try the sight in front this time around. I'd like to hear from those who have tried both and which they prefer and why.

    A video on the subject...
    Gettin' down innagrass.
    Let's Go Brandon!

  2. #2
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    Preface: My only experience with pistol mounted RDS is in the more "traditional" configuration where the rear sight is behind the RDS. Also Cowan has significantly more time behind a RDS (and shooting in general) than I do.

    I currently have two RDS equipped pistols, a G17 (milled) and a G19 MOS. Both are gen 5. Both have Holosun 507C's. The G19 has a 1st gen optic and the G17 has a 2nd gen optic. I run both optics with the circle dot reticle because it works better with my astigmatism than a dot by itself. Both guns have tall Ameriglo backup sights that cowitness in the very bottom of the sight window, maybe the bottom 1/4. Maybe even lower. I have never felt my eye was drawn to the rear backup sight when acquiring a sight picture. I specifically went with blacked out sights for this reason. I didn't want bright/dot sights competing with the red dot or target for my attention.

    I would be interested in trying out the RDS-in-the-rear configuration, but based on my experience so far I haven't found the traditional setup lacking, and would stick with it if I were setting up another gun today. Based on my experience laid out here I voted for behind the optic.
    Steve

    Disclaimer: I am employed by Shadow Systems. My posts on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.

  3. #3
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    I can’t speak to the in front configuration (I want to try it) but I think if you get the lowest rear sight that works it probably is a wash. I’m talking like lower 1/3 or 1/4 cowitness equivalent. So long as you can get them equal in height that’s sufficient imo.


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  4. #4
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    TL/DR version: if you can conceal the conventional sight arrangement well, that's probably an easier choice.



    I have both and I don't look at them as mutually exclusive or one preferred over another. With some amount of a compromise, I find the conventional arrangement more versatile.

    BUS in front of the optic offers three things for me: protects the glass somewhat, the window subjectively looks less cluttered, and it conceals better. I have hard time with standard width Glock slides as is, too rectangular and blocky, and addition of a tall suppressor sight prints like crazy for me. Moving the iron sight forward helps.

    Conventional backup sight arrangement leaves you with a fully capable iron sighted gun, unlike the above option. I have one Glock 26 that lives in that setup right now, sans optic, just a cover plate. It would have been useless in forward sight setup. Conventionally arranged slides are easier to resell, BTW. They also allows more optic options (SRO, if you ever decided on one, cannot be mounted with a forward sight). As I said, I can't conceal this setup well at all, YMMV, but what I have done is the remove rear sight altogether. That still gives a backup option of a front sight alone, just referenced to RMR window, and offers the best concealment by removing the print point of rear sight and moving the optic as far forward as possible. Some won't be comfortable with that though.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by YVK View Post
    <snip> but what I have done is the remove rear sight altogether. That still gives a backup option of a front sight alone, just referenced to RMR window, and offers the best concealment by removing the print point of rear sight and moving the optic as far forward as possible. Some won't be comfortable with that though.
    I have considered that option as well.

    Thank you everyone for sharing your experience and insight. I've used RDS on rifles for years but on a pistol is fairly new to me. I didn't want to jump in with both feet and cut my Glock slides without knowing what I was getting into so I picked up a used Zev slide with Ameriglo suppressor height three dot night sight and RM01 on the cheap. It wasn't the setup I wanted but it got me in the door with sacrificing my Glock slide and as mentioned with a lot cheaper path.
    Gettin' down innagrass.
    Let's Go Brandon!

  6. #6
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    I have a RMR mounted on a CZ 07 and my BUIS are in front of the optic. I had no clue as to what was better so I went with what Aaron from Sage Dynamics suggested and went with in front ! He has a couple rds down range with that setup so I decided to go with what an experienced RDS guy prefers. I like it and seems spot on on the few times I have actually used them !

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by titsonritz View Post
    I have considered that option as well.

    Thank you everyone for sharing your experience and insight. I've used RDS on rifles for years but on a pistol is fairly new to me. I didn't want to jump in with both feet and cut my Glock slides without knowing what I was getting into so I picked up a used Zev slide with Ameriglo suppressor height three dot night sight and RM01 on the cheap. It wasn't the setup I wanted but it got me in the door with sacrificing my Glock slide and as mentioned with a lot cheaper path.
    For my 1st RDS pistol I went with a G19 MOS. I think that's about the best way to try it out. If you don't like it just sell the optic, put the filler plate back on and rock on with your irons.
    Steve

    Disclaimer: I am employed by Shadow Systems. My posts on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.

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