![]() ![]() Iron-sight advocates are justified in claiming that irons don’t run out of batteries, have no glass that can crack, seldom loosen from their fixed mounts and are less likely to lose zero. Surviving the slide ride is a durability consideration and every bit as important as a proper contact mount. Pistol dots must endure the impingement of multiple and continuous force vectors (kinetic-energy transfer in changing directions) created by the sudden acceleration when firing, the slide stopping and then the forward slam into battery all of which can do very unkind things to delicate internal electronic components. Unlike their red-dot sight (RDS) counterparts sitting on a mount that clamps on to a long gun, pistol dots are mounted directly to a reciprocating slide and are subjected to significantly more operational stress. In terms of iron sights vs red dots, the durability of a mounted red dot sight translates to the quality of materials, manufacturing, internal electronics and holographic technologies. One cannot deny the durability of iron sights, but they are far from infallible. Some front and rear sights are set so securely that they can only be hammered out of the dovetail to change out. Non-adjustable (or fixed) iron sights can be cumbersome to zero. When it comes to red dots vs iron sights in terms of the durability aspect, most iron sights are tightly secured to the slide and to make any zeroing corrections requires a sight-adjustment tool. Care should be taken to not strip the threads on the setscrews, mounting plate or slide. Installation instructions include the type of Loctite (or equivalent thread locking compound) and torque-screwdriver setting. Special care should be taken to utilize the exact mounting screws provided for length and torque. Whether factory-cut or custom-milled, the mounting plates need to be properly secured to the slide. The parts needed to mount any CO sight include the unit itself, its mounting plate, a factory cut or custom-milled slide including the correct screw holes and screws designed for that configuration to fasten the plate to the slide and the CO to the plate. You can even find universal mounting plates that will fit most dots. For non-CO-dedicated pistols, skilled gunsmiths can mill a precision slide cut to fit your chosen CO. lineup, Walther’s PDP offerings and Springfield Armory OSP variants, to name a few.Įach of the dedicated optic ready handguns have factory-cut slides and/or mounting plates specific to that firearm and CO-mounting footprint. Some firearm manufacturers produce specific, optics-ready models such as the SIG Sauer P320 X5, the CZ Shadow 2, Glock’s MOS series, the Smith & Wesson C.O.R.E. The first and foremost consideration in deciding on a dot is the handgun upon which it is mounted. Many online retailers carry all or most of these and other brands. Some readily available models include: the DeltaPoint Pro by Leupold, SIG Sauer’s Romeo line, Trijicon’s RMR and SRO, Holosun’s 407c and 507C, plus various models available from Bushnell, Burris, Swampfox, Steiner, Shield Sights and others. Certain features such as reticle configuration, brightness adjustability, window size, dot size, battery access and slide mounts are specific to each model and manufacturer. ![]() Relevant to these conversions, this article provides a technical and comparative perspective of carry optics versus iron sights from a purely practical perspective to include mechanical and operational readiness.Ĭarry optic (CO) models come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, features and functionality. Defensive and competitive handgun shooters are also steadily changing over to carry optics. Originally envisioned as auxiliary sights for long guns, and having served well in that capacity, optical sights on a handgun, referred to as “carry optics,” have been adapted to meet the rigorous demands of handgun use.įollowing an industry-wide trend, many federal, state and local law-enforcement agencies are converting their duty pistols from iron sights to carry optics. S ights come in three types: fixed, adjustable and optical, with fixed and adjustable sights generally referred to as “iron” sights. ![]()
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