Teach Me About Pistol Red Dots

**ryr8828** · 08-10-22, 06:58

I think I want a pistol red dot, probably on a glock 19. I already have a 19, along with 17 and others and 19 seems to be a good compromise.
Researching this on the internet has my head spinning.

It seems I can get my slide milled, takes a month, around $165 and shipping. Or I can buy a slide, $200 and shipping with no iron sights so I'd have to add those and maybe also an adapter plate?

Or I can just sell something and buy a glock mos for around $620. Do I still need an adapter plate?

And then there are the multiple sights to choose from. RMR, see a lot about holosun. I thought holosun was a cheap china company but I saw where Kyle DeFoor uses a solar powered one on his go to carbine. Which sight would you all recommend?

**yoni** · 08-10-22, 07:29

One more option is available, Leupold Delta Micro. It is a great sight, it sits on my 2 carry Glocks. It also forces you to use good techniques and it will improve your shooting.

I have a Holosun 509T, it is great and I was very anti Holosun due to being made in China. But it is a great product.

I was one of the first to mount a red dot on a handgun way back in early spring of 2001, so I have been doing this a long time. Pistols of mine that can't use the Leupold Delta Micro will wear the 509T from Holosun. This of course doesn't count the pistols that currently wear a RMR.

**markm** · 08-10-22, 09:17

Be prepared for loads of frustration. Mounting, zero, batteries, etc. The reliability on these things has a long way to go. When it gets there, it will be nice.

In a perfect world, they'd have pic rails on the rear of the slide, and they sights would have the reliability of the aimpoint rifle RDS.

**pointblank4445** · 08-10-22, 13:40

Originally Posted by markm

Be prepared for loads of frustration. Mounting, zero, batteries, etc. The reliability on these things has a long way to go.

Seems about in line from a post circa 2015 or so...

**markm** · 08-10-22, 14:37

Originally Posted by pointblank4445

Seems about in line from a post circa 2015 or so...

I don't know about that. But I do know the RDS has a lot of room for reliability improvement. I'm all for the RDS on pistols. I just want them at the level of reliability that you'd get with an H1 on a carbine for example.

I never see buddies standing on the firing line tryna figger out why their rifle dot aint working.... or why it's not zeroed, etc. My only rifle RDS failure was due to that stupid dip finish on the upper that let the mount break loose.

**gsd2053** · 08-10-22, 15:04

I have had a Primary arms red dot on an AK for years always works and holds zero.

Put a HS507K X2 on the P365 XL two range trips ago. It's been GTG.

**ggammell** · 08-10-22, 15:45

Originally Posted by markm

I don't know about that. But I do know the RDS has a lot of room for reliability improvement. I'm all for the RDS on pistols. I just want them at the level of reliability that you'd get with an H1 on a carbine for example.

I never see buddies standing on the firing line tryna figger out why their rifle dot aint working.... or why it's not zeroed, etc. My only rifle RDS failure was due to that stupid dip finish on the upper that let the mount break loose.

I don’t understand what’s hard about mounting them or zeroing them? And reliability will never be aimpoint on a rifle level because of the g forces exerted on a slide mounted dot. Unreal expectations will lead to perceived problems. The market is flooded with cheap dots to meet the demand. You get cheap results with cheap products.

**.45fan** · 08-10-22, 20:49

Originally Posted by markm

I don't know about that. But I do know the RDS has a lot of room for reliability improvement. I'm all for the RDS on pistols. I just want them at the level of reliability that you'd get with an H1 on a carbine for example.

I never see buddies standing on the firing line tryna figger out why their rifle dot aint working.... or why it's not zeroed, etc. My only rifle RDS failure was due to that stupid dip finish on the upper that let the mount break loose.

Do your buddies use the Chinese products, I figure when they puke its karma for supporting a shithole country.
All the guys I shoot with use Trijicon and rarely does anyone have issues.

I know whiney people cry about the 3 minutes it takes to change the battery once a year, but to support an American company, I'll waste a half hour per year (multiple sights).
I've never been more than an inch off at 20yds after battery replacement (I use a 20yd zero), and my edc has a laser as well so even a monkey can rezero it in the driveway using the garage door and twenty paces, 5 minutes after changing the battery.

I use my rds as a charging handle and it's never (in the 7 years I've used rds) lost zero.
I have physical reasons for doing that so I'm not sure if most people abuse their rds like I do or not.

**The Dumb Gun Collector** · 10-10-22, 18:01

Originally Posted by markm

I don't know about that. But I do know the RDS has a lot of room for reliability improvement. I'm all for the RDS on pistols. I just want them at the level of reliability that you'd get with an H1 on a carbine for example.

I never see buddies standing on the firing line tryna figger out why their rifle dot aint working.... or why it's not zeroed, etc. My only rifle RDS failure was due to that stupid dip finish on the upper that let the mount break loose.

Your experience is in line with mine. I have an RMR on my Berretta and an Acro P2 on my Glock. The Acro is new and has been good. But the RMR has shaken loose multiple times. Mind you, I typically shoot every weekend and do a shitload of draws and barrier drills, so maybe my use is a little rougher than some. But The fact of the matter is that You have to be very careful with cleaning, locktite, torque settings and even additional oil pen staking and still the thing is going to come loose. I think the best way to go would be a frame mount or one of the weird setups like the Alien. Rocking back and forth on the slide is hard on optics and mounts, that's just a fact.

That being said I keep practicing with them. I am pretty close to my irons sight times up close on the timer and of course walk-back drills with the ACRO are absurd and put the irons to shame.