Originally Posted by
Gio
I've been saying it for years, but RDS are just not ready for prime time duty use yet.
Lots of high speed, low drag, low coefficient of friction units (DoD special operations and LE SWAT) are literally forcing the adoption of RDS because they are addicted to the flat range accuracy they get from an RDS, but it's a fad not unlike those same units all adopting 1911 pistols in the late 90's-early 2000's with all the drawbacks of those as mass issue duty weapons. When you think about the intended use of a duty pistol for these units as a backup/insurance policy, it makes no sense to add a significant mode of failure to it.
I think as a concealed carry or plain clothes option for shooters (especially enthusiasts who will keep up with battery changes and checking zero on occasion) with aging eye sight, an RMR is viable and low enough risk of failure if you have separate training and carry guns that you can get away with it. For a mass issue, "let's give this to 36 SWAT operators and only issue them one pistol/optic," it's a bad idea waiting for a disastrous consequence. For reference, I was one of the "enthusiasts" trying to get my team of non-enthusiast operators to change their recoil spring and firing pin spring once a year on their 1911's, and doing that was like pulling teeth.