I think red dot sights are going to obviate XS sights and soon.
[Mod Note from JV]
This is a thread split from the XS Sight thread:
http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.p...Big-dot-sights
[/Mod Note]
I think red dot sights are going to obviate XS sights and soon.
[Mod Note from JV]
This is a thread split from the XS Sight thread:
http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.p...Big-dot-sights
[/Mod Note]
Last edited by JV_; 09-22-2011 at 12:01 PM.
Bert Gummer is my spirit animal
This, you have to wonder if the growth of red dots on handguns will be similar to the way they have become almost standard equipment on combat rifles.Originally Posted by LittleLebowski
Evil requires the sanction of the victim. - Ayn Rand
I have my doubts. The majority of the gun-buying public is...unsophisticated...at best. I cannot count the number of people I know of who have a $4,000.00 carbine complete with some sort of red dot sighting system that will survive everything short of an EMP but who cannot be bothered to put so much as a laser on their daily carry gun, a Ruger LCP, because pistols aren't supposed to be precision weapons. When you ask why this is, you'll inevitably be told that a pistol is solely for fighting your way back to a rifle.
When you see that tidbit come up in the wild it is nature's warning sign that the conversation is irretrievably stupid (as are, probably, at least 1/3 of the participants) and you should click the X button on your browser before a blood vessel in your brain ruptures, leaving you to die quietly as blood runs out of your ears.
I think price is going to drive this. People who can afford a $1000 plus carbine can afford to spend money on a QUALITY red dot system, add that to the fact all they have to do is bolt it to their rail. With pistols right now you have to spend money not only for the red dot but also milling the slide and co-witness sights. For many this combination is still to pricey.
Also keep in mind that if the red dot doesn't work out for you on your carbine all you have to do is unbolt it, no harm no foul. With a pistol you now have a slide that has been altered and you to deal with that.
Scott
Only Hits Count - The Faster the Hit the more it Counts!!!!!!; DELIVER THE SHOT!
Stephen Hillier - "An amateur practices until he can do it right, a professional practices until he can't do it wrong."
It is my understanding that initially red dots for rifles were expensive to the point of not being feasible for most people as well. Also, with the production of weapons like the fnp tactical which are pre milled for a red dot, the gunsmithing problem is solved. Also, there are plenty of people out there who spend a thousand dollars (at least) on handguns (hk, custom 1911, more I'm not mentioning), so the same logic could at some point in the future be applied.
TC, as the great philosopher Ron White once said, "you can't fix stupid." Eventually, if enough people who know what they are doing switch over to a system, every mall ninja at the fair will want one. This will then lead to reduced costs, etc. And in turn will drive the market to refine the technology and create more options.
Sorry if this is too much topic drift.
Last edited by JConn; 09-22-2011 at 08:21 AM.
Evil requires the sanction of the victim. - Ayn Rand
I'd rather see folks with poor vision running a red dot if finances permit. Whether we like it or not, red dots are coming to pistols.
Bert Gummer is my spirit animal
Well they did long ago for comp and have attracted a following for tactical and defensive use more recently. But sooo many who have hit the RDS hard on their carry guns candidly acknowledge the challenge of speed on close range speed drills that I'm pretty sure this approach will not go maintream anytime soon considering the cost. Some leap in RDS sight will be needed for mainstream.
We've heard that some serious military pistoleros are running RDS. I seriously wonder if they might be running T1's as that RDS is much easier to acquire the dot in my limited handling of them on a Glock.
“Remember, being healthy is basically just dying as slowly as possible,” Ricky Gervais
I predict that it will absolutely go mainstream as costs inevitably go down and the technology matures. I know of and acknowledge the deficiencies you speak of, JHC and I have no plans to switch away from irons anytime soon but red dots are where we are headed. Less training for the average shooter and absolutely better for bad eyes. 5-10 years.
Bert Gummer is my spirit animal
Caveat: I don't have a lot of RDS experience, but from my brief encounter, here is my take:
I wouldn't say it's less, but I might agree with different.
By different, I'm referring to things like the high ready. With the muzzle elevated, as you press out to the target, the dot doesn't become visible until you're on target. With irons, I have more visual indications that I'm getting closer to good sight alignment and can "drive the sights" more effectively. Essentially, I had to use my irons to get my alignment in to the general area ... then the dot becomes visible. A horizontal muzzle pressout would be a lot more effective in this instance.
You also have to manage recoil & muzzle rise better, if you don't - the dot will disappear and you fight with losing and reacquiring during each shot.
I think MRDS on pistols is a near-certainty. While it won't deliver the same performance for the top 5%, it will greatly speed up the fundamental task of hitting a target for a huge percentage of the gun-carrying population. Then you'll see techniques change to maximize the benefits and compensate for the deficiencies.
The technology will have to change substantially before the field-of-view issue goes away. Until that happens, those "top 5%" folks will always be faster with irons.
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