Red dot??

[Pofoo]

The wife saw someone shooting a pistol with a red dot sight and said she wanted one.
So, what's available here in commiefornia?
9mm or smaller. Nothing custom, $1k more or less. Full or semi compact for range/fun use.

[Skip_Dog]

Have a Glock? Buy a new slide. Buy dot and have fun...

[Handgunther]

You might want to try one first and see if you like it. It's a totally different sight profile that I find far less easy to acquire than I thought. It looks like it would be really cool, but it's not as fun as it looks, IMO. It takes practice to master. I decided I much preferred fiber-optic sights instead.

A laser works much better than a red dot at short/med. distances, but is kinda distracting for others at the range.

[crufflers]

The wife saw someone shooting a pistol with a red dot sight and said she wanted one.
So, what's available here in commiefornia?

You can put a red dot on a lot of guns. One of the most fun things to shoot is a Buckmark with added RDS plate or rail. If you want a centerfire caliber you could use a dovetailed mount plate and lose your rear sight or get one with integrated rear sight like a Dueck Defense RBU. If you had something common here like a gen3 Glock you could get a new Brownells slide with RMR cut or similar slide to setup and swap. Or grab a take-off OEM for a gen4 with MOS (if you already happen to have a Glock gen4 frame). If you don't want to deal with slide mounted RDS, you could get a frame mount like an ALG.

https://outerimpact.com/shop/browning-buckmark-m-r-a-red-dot-mountadapter/

https://dueckdefense.com/shop/handguns/glock/rbu-multiple-red-dots/

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/854621915

https://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/slide-parts/slides/rmr-cut-slide-for-gen3-glock-9mm-prod107977.aspx

https://algdefense.com/6-second-mount.html

[crufflers]

If you like Glock, you can look for an MOS via PPT at your LGS that does consignments. There are quite a few around here that always seem to have gen4 Glocks. Hold out for an MOS rather than buy two slides since you know you want a RDS. If you were exempt or lived in a non-roster state, I'd say get a Canik TP-9 SFX or a CZ P-10 C OR, or PPQ Q5, or Glock Gen5 MOS. If you see any of those in a LGS consigned, grab one.

[LateBraking]

I'd say try it first (I'm not generally a fan of red dots on handguns, though I have a few), but....if your wife is saying she WANTS gun stuff...then I'd just do it. lol

Hope you don't mind, I'm just gonna grab a few quick quotes from another thread.

Brownells makes Gen3 slides already cut for a red dot.

Adding to this, Maple Leaf Firearms makes Brownells slide-specific RMR cover plates if you ever want to take it off but don't want a weird gap left behind. There's even a discount code for that cover floating around in the internets somewhere (although I paid full price for the cover then found out about the code after).

If you have a Glock 19 then Brownells makes Glock 17-length slides and barrels for the Glock 19 frame (since you can't just put a G17 upper on a G19 lower) with that RMR cut.

Shown in front is a Glock 19 with a Brownells Glock 19L slide and Glock 19L barrel with a Maple Leaf RMR cover plate. Shown in the back is a Brownells Glock 17 with a Brownells Glock 17 barrel. Ignore the DryFireMag in the Glock 19, I know it looks stupid (but I am a proponent of dry-fire practice).

If all you want is the RMR cut, then buying an OEM Gen 5 upper (even if you could use it) would be a lot more expensive than just cannbalizing your current upper and re-using the barrel and all those parts from it, and just buying just a new channel liner (the only really "non-reusable part of your stock slide) and the new Brownells slide, and then slapping whatever RMR-profile red dot (whether it be Holosun, RMR, whatever brand) you want to use on the Brownells slide.

Plus the slides are on sale right now and have a lifetime warranty. Don't think you can do better for the $190 price. Its a Glock, no need to go crazy with spending on it. If you're coasting over the $1000 mark with a Glock then you should take a moment to pause and consider.

Edit: oh and if you don't mind doing so, you could always sell your factory slide and recoup most of that cost.

Oh, and in case my post was confusing, Brownells doesn't make them just in 19L. They make 19 regular too. So RMR cuts on their Brownells-brand Glock 19 slide & Glock 19 Long Slide which work on a Glock 19 frame, and then Glock 17 Regular Slide, as well as Glock 34 Slide that work on Glock 17 & 34 frame (since Glock 34 is just a longer, window-cut slide on a Glock 17 frame). Also, front window cutout isn't a requirement, in case you are concerned about dust, dirt, and other crap getting inside of your slide and would rather not have the window cut in the slide. Non-window is cheaper, too. Then all you need is a red dot that uses RMR-pattern. Holosun seems to be a popular entry-level one with that solar panel. (Trijicon RMR, Trijicon SRO, Holosun 407C, Holosun 507C, Swampfox Kingslayer, I think the Vortex Venom comes with RMR adapter plates? (Is a Burris cut with no adapter IIRC.)

[Revoman]

I have been shooting for many years (revolvers) and while I mastered for the most part iron sight shooting, moving to a dot was like cheating.
It affords more concentration on things like trigger control and follow through as the dot is easy to hold on target.
It may take a few minor attempts at finding the dot initially, but once you understand and get what's happening, it becomes second nature.
There are many dots out there, some cheap, some expensive. For my money, I lean to the middle of the road dots in the $300-$500 range. Ultra-Dot comes to mind as they make a very small dot (something L/T?) with a drawer to change the battery instead of needing to remove the sight for battery replacement and readjusting the sight. Little things to think about.
Most dots by the way do not have any additional magnification, though some do, they are not common. Some dots also require a special mount, so be aware of that when shopping.
Since they are light, I'm betting that your wife will like it even more.
mike

[saudadeii]

You mean an Optics Ready handgun, or an optic and mount?

I bought a CORE slide kit for my M&P. Topped it with an RMR. The kit and RMR cost way more than my M&P, but that's the CA market for you.

[ef9boy88]

You can do a dove tail mount and a red dot for reasonable prices. Then if you dont like it put the rear sight back. Where are you located?

[calif 15-22]

[static2126]

My wife loves the M&P9 and MP2.0 9 with a rmr

50 yard steel.hits all day

[Pofoo]

OK, thanks for the info guys.
I think I will try to find one at a range to try before I get too involved.

[Snoopy47]

It's a totally different sight profile that I find far less easy to acquire than I thought.

Agreed, but the funny thing is the gun is still pointing in the same direction.

For me it helped build a consistent grip and I'm much faster with sight acquisition now iron or red dot.

[alpha_romeo_XV]

Don't rule out a revolver with a RD. Mounts available for many models. 38spl wad cutters out of a full size revolver has almost no recoil, quiet and nice big round holes in paper easy to see.

I can get on the bullseye faster with a red dot than iron sights, especially at longer distances. At my age needing progressive lens to see all distances the red dot on handgun is a must.

[Erion929]

I have 3 red dot-equipped handguns....Canik TP9SFX (Vortex Viper), Glock 19 MOS (Holosun), CZ P10S (Holosun)...and they are fun to shoot.

You put the dot on the target and go....nothing else to line up


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