DaSouthernYankee
Well-Known Member
Hello all,
Earlier today I was browsing through some other threads and saw some pics of pistols with red dot sights on them and it got me wondering, do they actually have any real practical use, at least for me(in a tactical, self defense use)? After thinking over some pros and cons I came up with a solid NO. My reasoning is;
Cons;
Expensive!!!
Easier to break/render inoperable (dead battery) vs iron sights
Requires suppresser sights or milled slide for a co-whiteness backup (more expense) in case of optic failure
Only able to see red dot when perfectly aligned FOV (costing you time to first shot, easier for me to align irons faster on a pistol)
Red dot washing out when you turn on your flashlight in a dark room/street (if only for a moment but to me it's a moment too long, I don't have this issue with irons as I can see light in the sights so transition is instant with night sights)
Glass and laser emitter to keep clean (dropped in a mud puddle for instance, or even as simple as lint obscuring the laser emitter)
A potential snag area upon drawing (again costing time)
More reciprocating mass on the slide (probably not an issue but worth mentioning in my mind)
Pros;
Increased ability for precision at longer distance (not a big factor for me as I can hit man sized steel at 100yds with irons on my glocks with decent regularity but maybe different for others)
Large snag point for unconventional slide manipulation (one handed off the belt, door, sidewalk, family pet, etc.)
Looks cool!!! (Let's be honest, who doesn't think that?)
I think that is it. Do any of these points seem unfounded or outright loony? Anything to add I may not have thought of? What are y'alls experiences?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Earlier today I was browsing through some other threads and saw some pics of pistols with red dot sights on them and it got me wondering, do they actually have any real practical use, at least for me(in a tactical, self defense use)? After thinking over some pros and cons I came up with a solid NO. My reasoning is;
Cons;
Expensive!!!
Easier to break/render inoperable (dead battery) vs iron sights
Requires suppresser sights or milled slide for a co-whiteness backup (more expense) in case of optic failure
Only able to see red dot when perfectly aligned FOV (costing you time to first shot, easier for me to align irons faster on a pistol)
Red dot washing out when you turn on your flashlight in a dark room/street (if only for a moment but to me it's a moment too long, I don't have this issue with irons as I can see light in the sights so transition is instant with night sights)
Glass and laser emitter to keep clean (dropped in a mud puddle for instance, or even as simple as lint obscuring the laser emitter)
A potential snag area upon drawing (again costing time)
More reciprocating mass on the slide (probably not an issue but worth mentioning in my mind)
Pros;
Increased ability for precision at longer distance (not a big factor for me as I can hit man sized steel at 100yds with irons on my glocks with decent regularity but maybe different for others)
Large snag point for unconventional slide manipulation (one handed off the belt, door, sidewalk, family pet, etc.)
Looks cool!!! (Let's be honest, who doesn't think that?)
I think that is it. Do any of these points seem unfounded or outright loony? Anything to add I may not have thought of? What are y'alls experiences?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
