ATEi slide cut for Aimpoint ACRO P-1 and Glock 19X (pics)
Though I'd share a recent project that was just completed.
Getting some training with pistol mounted red dot sights (RDS) has really opened my eyes to the potential capability expansion of this technology.
I'm not an expert by far but....from what I can observe:
-Red dots have the potential to be faster on target than traditional iron sights.
-They are faster on moving targets.
-They are superior under low light conditions.
-They are fantastic under no light conditions with white light.
-They will blow your mind under NODS.
-Vision ain't what it used to be? RDS's are great for bump in the night/night stand guns when you don't have time to don your glasses.
This will sound familiar if you use RDS' on carbines.
That said, these require an investment in hardware, gun smithing, and training. With respect to the latter, this novel technology requires re-training presentation of the gun to acquire the dot. I won't delve into this, but others like Don Edwards of Greenline Tactical, Scott Jedlinski of Modern Samurai Project, and Chuck Pressburg of Presscheck Consulting can clue you in in that regard.
There are lots of pistol mounted optics to choose from. With respect to duty grade optics, two platforms stand out - Trijicon RMR and Aimpoint ACRO P-1.
They each have their pros and cons.
The Trijicon RMR has long battery life (almost a year) but has to be removed from the slide for battery changes (necessitating re-zeroing). It is an open design that requires a sealing plate. It's (vertically) screw-mounted.
The Aimpoint ACRO P-1 has comparatively shorter battery life (measured in weeks) but the battery is changed without removing the unit. It is a sealed design that uses one horizontal screw that essentially fastens to a rail.
Unlike weapon mounted white lights, where there is a mounting standard, there isn't one for RDS.
You can purchase an optics ready pistol (Glock MOS for example) and use adapter plates and screws to mount a RDS, you can purchase a third party slide made for a particular optic (Brownells Gen 3 Glock RMR cut slides, Unity Tactical Gen 3 and 4 slides, etc) or have your existing slide machined.
It's worth mentioning that an adapter plate/screws combination can eventually fail. You can purchase strengthened screws from vendors such as Battle Werx and it's a good idea to use a threadlocker like Vibra-Tite on them.
I'm evaluating several of these options - but due to the craziness in gun demand as well as for gun smithing services, I've been limited to what's been available.
After a google search I stumbled onto ATEi of Taylor, MI and was intrigued because they offered a slide cut that didn't involve any additional screws to mount the optic. Later, my mentors LAV and Kyle Defoor also mentioned they were looking at this option.
I sent my Glock 19X slide in for the optic cut only with no refinishing. A few weeks later I was contacted by ATEi and was asked about any additional options I would be interested in - namely cerakoting the exposed metal (I opted for this) and BUIS.
For the BUIS, they had an interesting offering called the shim sight, which I opted for as well.
Off the bat I was shooting left (even with clamping down on the support hand grip).
I learned that the hold for the supplied Ameriglo black front sight at 25 yards is somewhere between center hold and 12 o'clock hold.
That's for my eyeballs, YMMV.
As the shim rear sight is essentially a fixed, nonadjustable sight, I adjusted my hold. I did my best to keep the sights at center hold, with the left edge of the front sight touching the 3 o'clock position on the B8-C bull.
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