Current Pecking Order of Pistol-Mounted Red Dot Sights?

[donlapalma]

I have very minimal experience with pistol-mounted red dot sights. I own a Trijicon RMR Type 2, which sits atop a Glock 45. While I've shot this pistol quite a bit, this is the only pistol-mounted red dot sight I've ever owned. The market has more options these days and I see myself setting up more pistol-mounted red dots, but I now wonder what the current pecking order is amongst all the choices out there. I have not yet carried a red dot equipped pistol so my experience so far has only been on the range. Ultimately, any red dot equipped handgun should be suitable for concealed carry if it is going to take up space in my already over-flowing gun safe.

So based on my rather casual research, I've noted the following regarding some of the more popular RDS products:

Trijicon RMR - proven to be durable and reliable. Need to remove from pistol to change batteries. Open emitter design viewed as a negative in the rain. Excellent battery life.

Leupold Deltapoint Pro - Size and battery life seen as disadvantages. Larger window and clear glass. Larger iron sight needed to co-witness.

Aimpoint ACRO - Fully enclosed emitter noted as a positive. Larger in size. Smaller viewing window. Battery life reported as poor.

Holosun - Best bang for the buck? Inconsistent quality.

Trijicon SRO - larger, taller and longer than the RMR. Top loaded batteries. Larger window.

So, after my cursory review of these sights, it seems as though I would just buy another RMR and call it good. Have the ACRO battery issues improved since product launch? Are these larger profile sights really a non-issue for those who concealed carry, especially AIWB? I haven't even begun to think about how mounting options might change the calculus of my decision - any advice on this?

Has anybody else been swayed away from the RMR or took a chance on something else and ended up being pleasantly surprised?

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts and experiences.

[VIP3R 237]

I’d highly recommend watching the Sage dynamics videos, no one puts as many rounds through pistol rds’s than Aaron.
According to him the Holosun 509T is top of the pack for enclosed emitters (even over the acro) and for open the RMR and 508T are the ones he prefers.

I personally have used the RMR, Delta Point Pro, 507c, and now the 509T and I prefer the 509T over everything available.

[donlapalma]

Thanks for the heads up on that. I just watched the review and the 509T looks very interesting indeed. Do you carry a pistol with a 509T? How is that working out for you?

I’d highly recommend watching the Sage dynamics videos, no one puts as many rounds through pistol rds’s than Aaron.
According to him the Holosun 509T is top of the pack for enclosed emitters (even over the acro) and for open the RMR and 508T are the ones he prefers.

I personally have used the RMR, Delta Point Pro, 507c, and now the 509T and I prefer the 509T over everything available.

[VIP3R 237]

My edc is a Glock 19 with a 509T that I’ve been using since last fall and I’m a believer. I wish I could say I have the round count Aaron does but for about a thousand rounds it’s held up as advertised. One of the biggest appeal to me about the enclosed design is that I’ve had issues with open emitters getting fogged up and dirty, this eliminates the problem.

Thanks for the heads up on that. I just watched the review and the 509T looks very interesting indeed. Do you carry a pistol with a 509T? How is that working out for you?

[rockapede]

My edc is a Glock 19 with a 509T that I’ve been using since last fall and I’m a believer. I wish I could say I have the round count Aaron does but for about a thousand rounds it’s held up as advertised. One of the biggest appeal to me about the enclosed design is that I’ve had issues with open emitters getting fogged up and dirty, this eliminates the problem.

I've seen some complaints about optical distortion with the 509T. Have you noticed anything distracting? I see some distortion with every pistol dot (RMR, 507, DPP) I've ever tried, so it's not a huge deal to me unless it's just over the top; I just seem to read more complaints than average about the 509T's optical quality than others.

[dontshakepandas]

I've seen some complaints about optical distortion with the 509T. Have you noticed anything distracting? I see some distortion with every pistol dot (RMR, 507, DPP) I've ever tried, so it's not a huge deal to me unless it's just over the top; I just seem to read more complaints than average about the 509T's optical quality than others.

My 509Ts seem very similar to my RMRs in that regard. There are probably clearer options out there, but I wouldn't say it is overly noticeable unless you are looking for it.

[Defaultmp3]

FYI, the DPP is far more vulnerable in the rain than the RMR, as its design apparently has a much more exposed emitter that makes it much easier to get water into and difficult to get out.

There have been folks that say that at least some of the Holosuns (507s & 508s, at the very least) are terrible under NODs. Debates are whether it's just extremely poor light transmission under low light or if there's issues with differing indices of refraction between visible and IR.

I have consistently argued that I'd rather change the batteries on my ACRO ever 2 weeks than change my RMR batteries every 6 months, if only because I'm OCD, and feel a need to rezero after every battery change, which means ammo and time; if you trust your witness marks and/or torque specs, then not a big deal. I have also found the RMR's tint to be an issue in low-light conditions, particularly against low-contrast targets. I remember shooting in the rain with my RMR, which had some scratches, and the steel had been dinged up enough that most of the paint was gone, so trying to find the target, combined with the tint, made it a fair bit more difficult, as being right eye dominant, putting the window of the RMR over the target meant that the tint was starting to obscure the target, and the differing complex sight pictures made it much more difficult to reconcile the images between my left and right eye.

[themonk]

I have been rocking RMRs on my Glocks since late 2012. If I was just starting I would be looking really hard at Holosuns. The new 507c V2 with the ACSS Vulcan Reticle I think will be a game changer for those just starting out with dots.

I second Sage Dynamics. Aaron has been doing a fantastic job for years on real world testing on RDS optics in a no BS way.

All that being said I have been super happy with all my RMRs and with Trijicons warranty service. If you beat on them enough they will go down and Trij has always fixed them for me. The only major change I have done is the movement down to a smaller dot. I went from 6.5 moa to 3.5 and now all my dots are 1 moa. If you go the RMR route, DO NOT get a auto adjuster. You want to be able to manually control the brightness.

[donlapalma]

Thanks for weighing in. I don't think I'll ever shoot with NODs, but that is good to note if I ever change my mind on that. Regarding the tint, as noted in the OP, I only have experience with the RMR so not sure I'll understand until I own/try something different for comparison purposes.

Sounds like you are running the ACRO at this point in time? If so, do you carry it in a IWB holster? How is that?

FYI, the DPP is far more vulnerable in the rain than the RMR, as its design apparently has a much more exposed emitter that makes it much easier to get water into and difficult to get out.

There have been folks that say that at least some of the Holosuns (507s & 508s, at the very least) are terrible under NODs. Debates are whether it's just extremely poor light transmission under low light or if there's issues with differing indices of refraction between visible and IR.

I have consistently argued that I'd rather change the batteries on my ACRO ever 2 weeks than change my RMR batteries every 6 months, if only because I'm OCD, and feel a need to rezero after every battery change, which means ammo and time; if you trust your witness marks and/or torque specs, then not a big deal. I have also found the RMR's tint to be an issue in low-light conditions, particularly against low-contrast targets. I remember shooting in the rain with my RMR, which had some scratches, and the steel had been dinged up enough that most of the paint was gone, so trying to find the target, combined with the tint, made it a fair bit more difficult, as being right eye dominant, putting the window of the RMR over the target meant that the tint was starting to obscure the target, and the differing complex sight pictures made it much more difficult to reconcile the images between my left and right eye.

[donlapalma]

Can you elaborate on this comment? I have the RMR Type 2 with a 3.25 MOA dot. It has manual and auto modes. I actually like the auto mode about 98% of the time. What am I missing or not considering?

If you go the RMR route, DO NOT get a auto adjuster. You want to be able to manually control the brightness.