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Old 11-23-2021, 09:52 PM
DMcBB DMcBB is offline
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Default 3rd Gen Red Dot Band Wagon

Hi Team 3rd Gen,
I followed Guzzitaco’s lead and used the Optima 2000 mount to put a red dot on my 4006TSW slide (shown here mated to my 5906TSW frame because why not?). I wanted to try something different from the Sig Romeo Zero that he recommended so I went with a Holosun 407k X2. I can’t wait to hit the range!
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Old 11-23-2021, 11:04 PM
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Originally Posted by DMcBB View Post
Hi Team 3rd Gen,
I followed Guzzitaco’s lead and used the Optima 2000 mount to put a red dot on my 4006TSW slide (shown here mated to my 5906TSW frame because why not?). I wanted to try something different from the Sig Romeo Zero that he recommended so I went with a Holosun 407k X2. I can’t wait to hit the range!
Hey...hey...hey... I like it !!!!

By the way, I also like the Holosun 407K...in fact, I like it a lot...but it is a bit more expensive and wasn't available when I bought mine...

...great set up...looking forward for that range report !!!
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Old 11-23-2021, 11:32 PM
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Yeah I’m pumped about it. Hoping to hit the range after Thanksgiving. Mounting the Holosun was a bit more challenging than the Romeo would have been since the 407k doesn’t have the rear openings to accept the rear lugs. I had to file the rear posts off the plate, but once they were gone the optic went on nicely.

I’m thinking of getting a Dawson Precision tall front sight to see if I can cowitness with the integrated rear sight in the Holosun. I wish I could get the slide milled to sit lower, but the pistol design with the levers and springs in the slide don’t allow it.
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Old 12-05-2021, 08:26 PM
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I finally hit the range with my 4006TSW and Holosun. Wow! This combination is like a laserbeam! I was punching out the X ring like nothing at 10 yards. I didn’t reach out too far because I was shooting with my son and he’s still in the 5 yards to 7 yards range, but shooting with a red dot is like using easy mode. Between the 4006 and my Sig P226 with the Romeo 1 optic, I am totally sold on the red dot concept.

We also brought my CZ Shadow 2 and my Dan Wesson TCP to the range, both of which have much nicer triggers than the S&W, and both have blacked out rear irons and high visibility front sights (fiber for Shadow and brass bead for 1911). The optic was a great equalizer between the 4006 and the much more expensive pistols, helping me to hit just as well with a duty pistol as with more refined target pistols.

The 407k held zero once I had it dialed in. I’m very happy with it.
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Old 12-05-2021, 10:41 PM
Ampoyet Ampoyet is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DMcBB View Post
Yeah I’m pumped about it. Hoping to hit the range after Thanksgiving. Mounting the Holosun was a bit more challenging than the Romeo would have been since the 407k doesn’t have the rear openings to accept the rear lugs. I had to file the rear posts off the plate, but once they were gone the optic went on nicely.

I’m thinking of getting a Dawson Precision tall front sight to see if I can cowitness with the integrated rear sight in the Holosun. I wish I could get the slide milled to sit lower, but the pistol design with the levers and springs in the slide don’t allow it.
Not sure that's going to work. I'm on the same predicament with my 5906 build. The tallest Dawson 5906 front sight is 0.245 high while the Holosun plus the base will set you at approx 0.345. Looks like a more customized solution will be needed. I'll keep everyone posted if I find any solution.
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Old 12-06-2021, 09:25 AM
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Not sure that's going to work. I'm on the same predicament with my 5906 build. The tallest Dawson 5906 front sight is 0.245 high while the Holosun plus the base will set you at approx 0.345. Looks like a more customized solution will be needed. I'll keep everyone posted if I find any solution.
Dawson has a 0.285 black sight here: Dawson Precision S&W 5906 Black Front Sights - Dawson Precision, Inc.

I don’t have the measurements handy, but when I was looking at taller sights, I measured the original iron sights, front and back, and the offset was the same as the 407K and the 0.285 sight, give or take a few thousandths. I’m hoping the 0.285 does the trick. Even if it’s not perfect, I think it will let me cowitness and index on the front sight if I can’t find the dot with an imperfect draw.
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Old 12-06-2021, 09:48 AM
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Guzzitaco put a Sig Romeo on my 45Recon and on one of my 745's . I have no problem reaching out to 50 yards to knock steel pins . My 4006CHP I went with an LPA rear adjustable , which is fine for what I use it for . He now has a 908S that he's working his artistry on , but I think I'm going with an LPA on it also , but who knows ? I might change my mind and go with another Sig Romeo .
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Old 12-06-2021, 10:09 AM
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You guys are killing me here! I’m stalled on my 639 Franken-Smith project, waiting for the tooth fairy to bring me $$$ for a Sig Romeo to put on it. So far just dentist bills.

Froggie
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Old 12-06-2021, 10:17 AM
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Touch base with guzzitaco . He always points me to the cheapest place to get one , usually Amazon .
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Old 12-06-2021, 01:14 PM
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I got my Holosun for $188 at Destination Tactical with a discount code I found on the r/gundeals subReddit. You can probably get a Romeo Zero for around $100. For me, the Holosun was worth the extra money for a glass window instead of plastic, an aluminum housing instead of polymer, and a battery compartment that slides out the side so you can change batteries without losing zero by removing the optic from the slide, which is required on the Sig.

If the extra money was a deal breaker then I’m sure the Romeo Zero would be just fine. Sig had great customer service when my Romeo One had a cracked window, doing an RMA and sending a new replacement unit in just a few weeks.
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Old 12-06-2021, 03:48 PM
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Dont waste you time on the cheaper Crimson Trace models for sale on a few sites. Look good inside but dot is too weak and washes out quickly outside. I put one on a pellet pistol only used indoors and its fine there, but thats it..IMO
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Old 12-07-2021, 08:34 AM
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I am assuming there is another post somewhere, but how is it mounted? Drilled and tapped or dovetailed in?

Thanks,

Rosewood
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Old 12-07-2021, 04:44 PM
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I followed Guzzitaco’s lead from this thread:
Mounting a Red Dot on a M745

Note, since I used a 4006TSW I didn’t have to file the plate to match the slide contours. It was already a good match. I did have to file down 2 posts though, since the Holosun doesn’t match the Romeo Zero footprint exactly. But it’s not too hard. Punch the rear sight out. Fit the base of the plate to the rear sight’s dovetail (wasn’t too bad, just a little filing, punch the base into the dovetail, place the small plate thing (idk what it’s called) behind the dovetail, place the plate on the base, place the optic on the base, then screw it all together.

Ok that sounds complicated but it’s pretty intuitive.

Last edited by DMcBB; 12-07-2021 at 04:51 PM.
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Old 12-09-2021, 06:28 PM
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Default Front post research

As discussed, i've been researching the issue of the front post sight when installing a red dot on a 5906. I looked up and called several specialized vendors including Dawson, Skinner, Harrison and Marble and there are no suitable solutions or even blanks that could be machined. Brownells has a Mauser 91 blank front post that looked promissing but the base is thinner than the SW dovetail and the angle is different so that won't work either. Dawson did offer to custom build me one next year but neither price not timing will work for me.

With all of that in mind I decided to make my own custom front post out of 1810 cold rolled steel and enlist the help of Guzzitaco on this journey since we live close by. Should be an interesting project and I'll make sure to keep everyone updated. It should make good material for another post...
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Old 12-20-2021, 10:05 AM
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So I finally got around to installing the Dawson Precision 0.285” front sight in my CHP 4006TSW. It cowitnesses with the integrated 407k rear sight. It’s honestly not that useful because both the front and rear sights are just barely visible in the window. It could be decent for helping to find the front sight, but it’s not an ideal backup sight.

Overall, I really like this red dot on a range gun. The small window and the suboptimal backup sight situation would probably keep me from using it as a home defense gun though. In contrast my Sig P226 has great backups and it’s red dot has a bigger window, so I would feel more comfortable using that in a life or death situation. It’s cool that you can add a red dot to these old workhorse S&Ws, but with limited options and support, I don’t think they are quite as viable as some other, more well supported (and currently manufactured) options for adding a red dot. This could probably be overcome by more training (ie drawing with only a 3rd Gen a zillion times to master how to position the gun to keep the red dot visible in the window), but I’m not sure that’s something I want to invest tons of hours and expensive bullets in right now.
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Last edited by DMcBB; 12-20-2021 at 02:05 PM.
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