To dot, or not to dot: That is the question...

[Wambli Ska]

Remember when everyone on this forum said RDS handguns were silly unneeded complications? Pepperidge Farm remembers...

Aside from a dit on a 22 pistol, yours was the first I had shot on a defensive type gun.

I HATED IT.

But, that was but one magazine full, and I didn’t take/have the time to understand it.

I maintain that it's not a solution for the casual user. For the more serious user willing to put the work in, it is legitimately a better tool.

Agreed, I’ve met way too many folks that are carrying these things with zero training time into them except for a few hours target shooting at the range. They are very unforgiving of a sloppy draw and unconventional draws and presentation can be challenging. I’d hate to be on the ground drawing with my weak hand for the first time ever if my saving my bacon was dependent on it.

[Bigslug]

Remember when everyone on this forum said RDS handguns were silly unneeded complications? Pepperidge Farm remembers...

Aside from a dit on a 22 pistol, yours was the first I had shot on a defensive type gun.

I HATED IT.

But, that was but one magazine full, and I didn’t take/have the time to understand it.

I maintain that it's not a solution for the casual user. For the more serious user willing to put the work in, it is legitimately a better tool.

The unfortunate reality is that this statement can apply equally - or maybe even more - to iron sights.

It seems really obvious to anybody semi-serious about their guns: sights are there to provide you with a reference to the bullet's line of departure, but I've worked with folks spatially challenged enough that this is a difficult concept to grasp and it requires some painstaking methods of explanation for them to get it.

Then there's the age-old problem of "Don't look at your target - look at your front sight". My cynical joke on this matter as regards red dots is that The Grand International Committee of Rangemasters collectively got tired of futilely trying to teach that and all gave up at the same time. We basically said "**** it. You wanna watch your target for bullet holes? Fine. Aim with this thing".

We are still mounting and providing training on red dots for those officers who choose to buy them - - we aren't at a point of general issue yet. The problem with that for data collection is that the Lowest Common Denominators aren't the ones buying red dots. As such, I've yet to teach a totally green newbie the basics of how to shoot a pistol with one attached, nor have I spent serious time training a "special needs" shooter on one.

My current take is that it only solves the visual problems. Crappy grip, crappy trigger control, and now, crappy draw remain significant challenges, and yes, it adds another chapter to the book of Idiot's Guide to Firearms Maintenance.

I think the "casual user" will continue to remain the casual user - only the nature of the complaints about them will be changed by red dots.

[Wambli Ska]

Yeah but unlike iron sights I think a red dot could be an actual handicap to the “casual user”…

[CPJ 2.0]

Look at your target is the proper way. Dots or sights.

[GrapeApe]

20231108_195032.jpg (4.8 MiB) Viewed 3396 times

Just finished mounting it and putting my existing barrel and recoil spring into the new slide

Adjusted the dot to align with the sights, will head to the range to actually sight it in tomorrow

[Wambli Ska]

Looks good

[Japhy]

Grape, you are going to like that setup!

A hint about zeroing a red dot.
I have a LaserLyte bore sight that adjusts from .22 to .50
Put it in the barrel and focus out 25yds adjust the red dot until you see only 1 dot. I dialed in the Ruger MKII with the LaserLyte off a rest it was dead on at 25yds no further adjustment.

[GrapeApe]

I used the fixed sights to get it close. Worked well @ the range