Good sources of information and reviews for a newbie to Dot Sights? I surrender.

[CaliforniaLiberal]

Title says it all.

I've clung to iron sights long enough, time to join the 21st Century.

Finally surrendering and going to mount a Red/Green dot on pistol - Good sources of information and reviews for a newbie to Dot Sights?

[esy]

You can’t go wrong with the top brands like Trijicon and Aimpoint. There are many other less expensive brands like the Holosun, Steiner, etc. that are very good. People are pumping up Osight right now, but I’d still go with a Holosun. I’d stay away from Sig pistol sights. I believe there is only one that is pretty good (forget which model) but it’s super expensive.

SageDynamics on Youtube does some pretty good torture tests on a lot of them. I like his stuff.

[TrappedinCalifornia]

Red Dot Sights – the Basics (and a little more)

Red Dot Sights: What Are They and How Do They Work?

Those two pieces should get you started.

[tacticalcity]

SageDynamics - YouTube does really thorough red dot reviews. I recommend searching for the sight you are interested in on Youtube and watching as many detailed reviews as you can. Not just some guy in his basement showing off his new sight. But professionals really testing them out.

My Personal Favorites:

My High End: Aimpoint P2 - I like it the best of everything I have tried and it is actually less expensive than some of it's competitors that fall a little short. Viridian makes a similar footprint budget version I want to try out called the RFX45. I liked their open emitter version, so I assume I would like it as well. But if you have the money, the Aimpoint P2 is awesome. Heads up, due to the increased weight on your slide you might need to go up one level in weight on your guide rod spring in order for the gun to function properly.

My Budget Option: Viridian RFX35 - I like the large window. Much easier to pick up the dot than a Trijicon RMR. Likely lacks the ruggedness if slammed into something due to the shape (similar to Trijicon SRO). Less expensive than the Holosun 507 (other people's favorite and I agree it is a good sight) and just as good. These are pretty light weight. Odds are you won't need to increase the weight of your guide rod spring. I should mention, Viridian uses a green colored dot. which is actually easier for your eye to pick up than red. I am pretty indifferent to that. I like both green and red. But it is worth mentioning.

Most People's Budget Option: Holosun 407 or 507. Has almost as large of a window as the Viridian. Has been proven to be reliable with countless sources saying so. The 507 has multiple reticle options. Fits an RMR footprint, which is the most popular cut for slides.

Other High-End Sights:

I am sure I would like the Trijicon SRO for the same reasons I like the Viridian RFX35. However, for that amount of money I want something that will hold up to more abuse. My complaint about the Trijicon RMR which is more rugged, is the view window makes it harder to use than it should be. It is not much smaller than that of the Aimpoint P2 which I love. It might just be orientation, or how it sits on the gun. But for some reason the Aimpoint P2 is a breeze to use while the RMR is not. It is not horrible. There's just better from that perspective. However, the RMR is incredibly tough and rugged.

As for the Trijicon RMR HD my issue is the price. It is feature packed. Hence the price. But with how much I like the Aimpoint P2, and the fact that the P2 is cheaper and an enclosed emitter, I have a hard time justifying the Trijicon RMR HD. I also have not had a chance to look through it to confirm I like the window size. It will, however, work with my Zev slides that have the screw posts. Which means I may end up with one should I ever decide to upgrade from my Viridian RFX35s.

The Trijicon RCR is Trijicon's enclosed emitter option. It is a lot more expensive than the Aimpoint P2, which is the main reason I have avoided it. It also will not work with slides that have the Zev screw posts. Which is the other reason I have not picked one up. However, it is supposed to be a darn good sight.

Summery:

You'll notice I pretty much stuck with four brands. Aimpoint, Trijicon, Holosun and Viridian in my red dot journey. There are lots of others worth checking out. A big name I did not list, because I have no experience with them, is Sig. Others love them, so they might be good. I also skipped the EoTech and Steiner pistol sights because both did poorly in a few online reviews I watched. The EoTech apparently had issues retaining zero after suffering some abuse, and the Steiner had terrible battery life. No idea if this is true of them all, or the people doing the reviews just got a lemon.

[CaliforniaLiberal]

Thanks to all, this is exactly what I was asking for.

And especially to tacticalcity for going above and beyond.

[tacticalcity]

I have an update on the Trijicon RCR. I took a look at one today side by side with the RMR I have mounted ontop of an LPVO. They use the exact same size and shape window as the RMR. They also look to use the same height base. Which means I am probably going to find it hard to pick up the dot with one. I have been really spoiled with the larger window of the Viridian RFX35 (which is similar to an SRO). I do find it ironic that I love the Aimpoint ACRO P2 and people complain about how small the window on it is. The key different is the windows orientation. It not only sits higher on the gun but because the batter is mounted on the side of the optic the window sits both lower and higher than the RMR. The RMR gives you lots of width, while the ACRO P2 gives you height and depth. I find the later more useful on a handgun. Because when you are pointing in and trying to find the dot, it is always high and not off to one side. That tiny bit of extra window height really helps me find the dot when pointing in. With enough practice I could of course compensate for this. Practice, practice, practice. But it is nice not to have to.

I also am warming to the Trijicon SRO. Mainly because of ego. The Viridian RFX35 and Holosun 407/507 are more than good enough sights for my needs. But something makes me happy about having the best. Much for the same reason people buy a Porsche or Ferrari. Since my guns will be carry guns at most and not duty guns, the SRO is likely more than rugged enough. After all, the Viridian RFX35s held up for me and they have the same shape window.

I also learned Viridian is American Made. Honestly, I am surprised that company does not get more love. I do have a light (that has since been discontinued) of theirs on a P80SC that has terrible battery life. But their red dots, at least the RFX35s have been awesome and gotten even better than advertised battery life. And of course, they've held zero and still look pretty much new after 4 years. I think people were so surprised that Holosun, a Chinese company, turned out not to be crap that they overshadowed everything else in the budget price range no matter how good they are.