Red dot sights on handguns

[mustang_revival]

Don't need them unless your building a race gun or if you want to impress people who don't know any better.

[svauto-erotic855]

^^^^ I tend to agree with this but I must add that I do not shoot in a class that would require a race gun. I must also say that a red dot does significantly improve my accuracy at long range with a big bore revolver. I have a 2 Ruger super redhawks, one in .44 and one in .454 and I can reliably hit a 5 gallon bucket at 300 yards with either of them after I put a ultra dot 30 on each one of them.

[Probie]

I have one on my 19 and I absolutely love it. People think that putting a dot on a gun is gonna be a magic fix which will instantly make them shoot better. Which is 100% false. There is actually quite a learning curve when first shooting a dot on a handgun. However once you actually learn it it makes it easier to improve on other aspects of shooting as well. The feedback of the dot allows you to better see and diagnose grip and trigger control issues. Tracking the dot can help you learn recoil management as well as tracking your sights. Having a dot on my 19 has helped me improve shooting with the dot as well as irons. I say go for it.

[TexasVert]

Have a mount for 1911 red dots that mounts on frame and replaces the take down pin with its own . Had it mounted on a delta gold cup in late 90s.

That sounds hard to picture. I assume you mean the slide stop lever that you push out of the frame to remove the slide? If that is the case then that pin has to rotate a tiny bit every time the slide locks open and is then released. Seems kind of odd for the base of a sight?

Be interesting to see a pic of this on the gun if you have one.

[S_K]

Maybe you just need more practice shooting with regular sights and your improvements when using a red dot are simply highlighting your lack of basic skills. This is the opinion that I have developed by observing other shooters and is not necessarily directed at you.

I had the same opinion as you for many years but I finally pulled my head out of my ass and embraced technology.

You see I shot competitively for over thirty years and have hundreds of thousands of rounds downrange. I was fairly good at it, but the 90's rolled around. Guys that I had been beating on a consistent basis were now eating my lunch. I finally got a couple of red dots and started training.
My draw stroke is faster, my target acquisition is faster, my split times are down. I can "run and gun" with much more confidence.

Granted on a static range (Weaver stance and a paper target at 15 yds) I am just as good with iron sights as I am a red dot. But that's not shooting.

[S_K]

That sounds hard to picture. I assume you mean the slide stop lever that you push out of the frame to remove the slide? If that is the case then that pin has to rotate a tiny bit every time the slide locks open and is then released. Seems kind of odd for the base of a sight?

Be interesting to see a pic of this on the gun if you have one.

With this kind of mount, you set the slide up to "slingshot" and don't use a slide stop. You eject the mag, insert a fresh magazine, and use your off hand to cycle the slide.

[Jesse]

B square is the brand . Google b square 1911 mount .im worse than svo about not being able to post pictures.

[Jesse]

It comes with a new slide lock lever that has a bolt thru it and both sides of mount . Functions normal

[svauto-erotic855]

I had the same opinion as you for many years but I finally pulled my head out of my ass and embraced technology.

You see I shot competitively for over thirty years and have hundreds of thousands of rounds downrange. I was fairly good at it, but the 90's rolled around. Guys that I had been beating on a consistent basis were now eating my lunch. I finally got a couple of red dots and started training.
My draw stroke is faster, my target acquisition is faster, my split times are down. I can "run and gun" with much more confidence.

Granted on a static range (Weaver stance and a paper target at 15 yds) I am just as good with iron sights as I am a red dot. But that's not shooting.

I haven't competed at a level as high as you nor have I shot against others in a class that allows red dots. My only real issue with them is that I can not get them to sit low enough. I have a G40 MOS with a Trijicon RMR on it and it is not the laser beam that I was hoping for. I have used the exact same sight on a Mini 14 on a GG&G mount and love it and most of my defensive rifles have a red dot mounted on them as well so it isn't like I do not care for red dot sights.

[bird_dog0347]

I had the same opinion as you for many years but I finally pulled my head out of my ass and embraced technology.

You see I shot competitively for over thirty years and have hundreds of thousands of rounds downrange. I was fairly good at it, but the 90's rolled around. Guys that I had been beating on a consistent basis were now eating my lunch. I finally got a couple of red dots and started training.
My draw stroke is faster, my target acquisition is faster, my split times are down. I can "run and gun" with much more confidence.

Granted on a static range (Weaver stance and a paper target at 15 yds) I am just as good with iron sights as I am a red dot. But that's not shooting.

Do you shoot USPSA or IDPA? If so, we might know each other from there as I've shot for about 12-13 years now locally.

I'm switching to open next year in USPSA where I'll have a CMore RTS II red dot mounted above the slide (to the frame) from my current limited class (iron sights) setup once my gun is finished and delivered.

I've shot both, and it's a big difference in competition, but for defensive I'd still go irons on a carry gun. It's one less thing to break, one less thing to learn, and the irons (truglo TFO on mine) just work!