Kansas Highway Patrol RDS

[Trooper224]

Yesterday I attended the annual old retired geezer qual and got to see the agency's new red dot sight.

I'd been told last year that they were going to an RDS but no one knew which one. Apparently, the agency pistol team was feeling disadvantaged competing with Iron sights against other teams, so this was the impetus for the switch. The sight chosen was the Steiner MPS.

The whole process was very KHP: make an agency wide change in order to cater to a small group of cool kids.(not saying the adoption of an RDS is a bad thing, but decisions are typically made to accommodate the specials) T&E a bunch of possible choices, then pick something that wasn't part of the test, that no one's ever heard of. I can't offer anything in the way of feedback on the Steiner,since I wasn't aware the company made one, nor was anyone else. Results have been as expected. Shooters are having no problems, those who only shoot during qualification are struggling and new hardware doesn't compensate for faulty software.

I can't offer any other data, other than the KHP is now a red dot agency.

[HeavyDuty]

I’ve had a MPS for a few years now; it seems ok but I’m not using it in anything approaching a duty environment. I’m curious how it holds up for you.

[Trooper224]

I’ve had a MPS for a few years now; it seems ok but I’m not using it in anything approaching a duty environment. I’m curious how it holds up for you.

It won't hold up for me, since I'm no longer in the club. But, I'll let you know if I hear anything.

[HCM]

Yesterday I attended the annual old retired geezer qual and got to see the agency's new red dot sight.

I'd been told last year that they were going to an RDS but no one knew which one. Apparently, the agency pistol team was feeling disadvantaged competing with Iron sights against other teams, so this was the impetus for the switch. The sight chosen was the Steiner MPS.

The whole process was very KHP: make an agency wide change in order to cater to a small group of cool kids.(not saying the adoption of an RDS is a bad thing, but decisions are typically made to accommodate the specials) T&E a bunch of possible choices, then pick something that wasn't part of the test, that no one's ever heard of. I can't offer anything in the way of feedback on the Steiner,since I wasn't aware the company made one, nor was anyone else. Results have been as expected. Shooters are having no problems, those who only shoot during qualification are struggling and new hardware doesn't compensate for faulty software.

I can't offer any other data, other than the KHP is now a red dot agency.

Did they stick with Glock 17s?

I think your assessment of red dots is fairly accurate in that they help good shooters be a little better,, and they can help a struggling shooter who wants to be better improve their skills by showing more clearly how their inputs effect the gun but they are not magic and don’t do anything by themselves.

My local city PD, approximately 2000 sworn issues the M&P with the factory acro cut and allows officers to add either the aim point P2 or the Steiner. As you know, the only thing cheaper than a cop is two cops so they see two Steiners for every aim point. That said they were reporting that the reliability rate between them is about the same.


Personally, I had a Steiner die after about 500 rounds. Steiner replaced an under warranty without question. A shooting acquaintance of mine is running a Steiner on a Glock 41 MOS as a duty gun. He’s got about 2000 rounds of 45 ACP through the combo so far so good.

Other than marketing /recruiting, isn’t the whole idea of an agency having a competitive shooting team for them to bring back techniques and equipment that might be useful ?

[Trooper224]

Did they stick with Glock 17s?

Yes, still G17.

Other than marketing /recruiting, isnÂ’t the whole idea of an agency having a competitive shooting team for them to bring back techniques and equipment that might be useful ?

I don't know how other agencies handle that. But, the KHP doesn't really put a huge emphasis on it. It generally amounts to some of the special suck ups who like to shoot being allowed to have a team. In this case, the specials whined and cried enough to get the change over and the brass used drug interdiction seizure money to fund it agency wide. If they handled it the way they historically have. Overall it's a good thing, but the motivation wasn't the welfare of the field troops. The shooting team and the training Cadre are separate entities and don't mix. Honestly, there's too many strutting egos among both to foster any cooperation.

I was involved in the T&E involving the G17/P320 selection. I knew exactly the way it would go before it even started. Regardless of testing teams, written evaluation, etc. There's only a handful of specials the brass listens too. In this case it was one person in particular. He was a Glock fanatic, so that's how it went. I'm not saying that was the wrong choice. But, the agency has a history of forming teams and committees, then ignoring their feedback in favor of the specials. Just wasted time with a dog and pony show.

[DDTSGM]

Yes, still G17.



I don't know how other agencies handle that. But, the KHP doesn't really put a huge emphasis on it. It generally amounts to some of the special suck ups who like to shoot being allowed to have a team. In this case, the specials whined and cried enough to get the change over and the brass used drug interdiction seizure money to fund it agency wide. If they handled it the way they historically have. Overall it's a good thing, but the motivation wasn't the welfare of the field troops. The shooting team and the training Cadre are separate entities and don't mix. Honestly, there's too many strutting egos among both to foster any cooperation.

I was involved in the T&E involving the G17/P320 selection. I knew exactly the way it would go before it even started. Regardless of testing teams, written evaluation, etc. There's only a handful of specials the brass listens too. In this case it was one person in particular. He was a Glock fanatic, so that's how it went. I'm not saying that was the wrong choice. But, the agency has a history of forming teams and committees, then ignoring their feedback in favor of the specials. Just wasted time with a dog and pony show.

Do you know what matches the KHP shooting team are shooting now? I see them every once and a while (only one I know is Ruble) at KPOA shoots, but those are but just a shadow of what they used to be as far as I'm concerned.

[GJM]

On these kind of decisions, always follow the money -- with the Steiner I'd want to know who has the battery contract.

[Erick Gelhaus]

Fwiw, the Steiner MPS isn't new. I've had MPS' for at least a couple of years.

There were issues with the early ones - as with almost anything else. I need to get my round count up on one so I can offer a more informed opinion.

Their other offerings are very solid.

[Trooper224]

Do you know what matches the KHP shooting team are shooting now? I see them every once and a while (only one I know is Ruble) at KPOA shoots, but those are but just a shadow of what they used to be as far as I'm concerned.

I have no idea who's on the team now, or what matches they're shooting in. Dave Ruble's good people.

[Trooper224]

On these kind of decisions, always follow the money -- with the Steiner I'd want to know who has the battery contract.

You're not far off. 😀