TWO INSTANCES IN 2 WEEKS TO BACK UP MY RED DOT OPINION ON A EDC/CCW GUN

[Born2saw]

Just a couple of my observations.

I have dots on several carry guns, but also have an iron sight carry pistol. All my rds guns have co-witnessed iron sights. I have a 120 day alarm in my phone for each dot to change batteries. I also make witness marks on all my dot screws so at a glance I can tell if they have loosened.

I shoot in a regular action shooting match using both iron sights and dots. My scores are consistently better with dots even though the iron sight guns I use have longer sight radiuses. Yes I train for dot failure and pistol malfunction.

I regularly carry IWB concealed with my dot pistols (p365 and cz Rami both with Holosun EPS carry dots) and occasionally carry my CZ P10C with 507 comp and light OWB under a shirt, jacket etc. although it is mostly a nightstand pistol.

My oldest dot, a Holosun 507k on my SP-01 has about 7k rounds and no failures. I have had a dot failure, early on in my use (Romeo1) which I noticed before I left the house (battery failure thus why I have alarms to change batteries).

A good friend who is a leo in a large metro pd firearms instructor and an avid competition shooter has tens of thousands of rounds downrange with dots and no failures and is not aware of any duty failures in his department. Many LEOs (and this is not a slam, just the way things are) are not avid firearms enthusiasts and practice just enough to maintain certification. My friend believes red dots improve accuracy in these folks the most and decrease errant shots in an active shooting.

FWIW everyone should do what makes them comfortable and I am not saying you should go out and get dots, but for my almost 70 yo eyes that were never that good when I was young, rds keep me in the game. But please, don’t preach to me that I am doing wrong. I am an adult and can research and make my own mind up.

 

[lrrifleman]

On handguns, I've shot iron sights for over 50 years. Recently, I've set up a few range pistols with RDSs, to see how I fared with them. Then, this past September at the ADSS at the Sig Academy, I had a force on force class in the Shoot house. That experience opened my eyes. As I cautiously turned the corner, I was face to face with an assailant holding an edged weapon. That encounter lasted less than 3 seconds, and in my mind's eye on, I never saw the sights, all of my shooting was done instinctively.

For me, all training with my EDC will be done with the iron sights!

 

[IAM Rand]

All of this boils down to what the situation is. Close up will be point and shoot. At a distance you have more of a situation where you can/should aim. All of this is situational. I could go over hundreds of situations and what to do but in the end it will be up to every individual, their training and what they carry.

You loose nothing with a red dot and co-witness sights. You can still point and shoot close up. You do have an advantage if you need to make a more careful aimed shot at distance with a dot sight. For those with an astigmatism, you can get a green dot. My wife has this issue and a green dot fixes all.

As has been said else where in this thread, carry what you want. As for me, I will take every advantage I can get.

 

[Imissedagain]

The modern J frame.
Once set for a certain distance,
it's fast on target.

 

[elgatodeacero]

If you carry a handgun with a red dot sight, it seems prudent to train a little with the dot off, using the window box of the sight to center the target and make reasonable hits. This will be very hard at 25 yards and further, but at 7-10 yards it can be very fast.

 

[65-2x2]

If I ever have to use a firearm for defesive purposes it will most likely be point and click at point-blank range. If it is not at point-blank range, I may well have other options. Even if you are attached to the electronic shooting aides, you should be able to shoot with iron sights. It is like similar to learning to drive on a stick shift car; you may never need to in the future, but it is a tool in you toolbox that can't be taken away.

 

[w.r.gun]

A battery’s job is to die.

 

[Petrov]

I never had my Aimpoint or my trijicon RMR fail and I change the battery on time.
If you get your optic form a despotic hell hole that uses children and slave labor your results may vary.

 

[K Frame Keith]

I prefer red dots on carbines and iron sights on handguns. I’ve played with dots on handguns and I find they slow me down. On long arms they make me faster on target. They’re an excellent technology and this is just my preference.

 

[Rocketmedic40]

When I was a kid, I remember seeing an ad in a gun magazine for a fixed, prism-based “ dot site” that was basically a Novak-on-a-rail sight with a little glass prism shaped like a Novak triangle and a light that would “float” right at the tip of where the front sight would be, shining through the glass prism and ultimately sitting right between the rear sights over the FSP. It was powered by a little battery mounted in the rail and I think it was somehow fiber-optic? Would’ve been a 90s thing, no idea what it was called and I think it was either Handgunner or Soldier of Fortune? It was my mom’s boyfriend’s; dude was weird but cool but also weird.

 

[TaxPhd]

My carry guns are all iron sights as my needs for self defense are at a range of less than 10 feet: Point and pull the trigger.

I really like holographic sights for target shooting and plinking.At 50 feet,it's impossible for me to hit a bullseye with my "aged" vision with any iron sight.

I also like scopes a lot...but somehow they are not as "hot" as todays holographic units.

I’m curious - how did you determine the above highlight?

 

[Harv 24]

To be fair, these stories don’t tell me much except you have a couple of friends that don’t check their gear very often.

The second shooter is someone who bought a gun with a dot that was “brand new”. It’s no secret that gun manufacturers send guns out with cheap stuff installed from the factory. Manufacturer supplied red dots, scopes, etc, are usually entry level. The batteries are usually bargain bulk purchase as well. Quality batteries should be installed.

I don’t really care if you like dots or not. But using these examples is like saying a Toyota Camry is not a reliable car because your 20 year old daughter got stranded on the side of the road on her way to the mall because the car ran out of gas.

Exactly

People who rail on batteries, rely on them everyday, cars, phones, flashlights, Pacemakers...lol.

I change the batteries in both my red dots every year, and with the quality red dots with "Shake awake" technology, they can last for years. I remember when everyone said the same thing about red dots on AR's. I have a T-1 Aimpoint that has been on my Home defense gun, that has been on non stop since 2008. It's still on.

I'll be keeping red dots on my carry gun, and use the iron sights on it if it fails....