Skip to main content

Red Dots on Handguns

Red Dots on Handguns

Are red dots the future of combat pistol sights?

Caspian made a special Glock slide that allowed the Trijicon red-dot sight to sit low enough on the slide so the author could still acquire the pistol's front sight.

Anyone who thinks you can just fling a handgun forward, chase down the front sight and get a fast and accurate shot is naive at best. The problem with pistol sights is that they are relatively small, and if the color of the front sight blends with the color of the target, especially under duress, front sight focus is all but impossible.

Black-on-black sights are good for competition, where the shooter knows where and what color the target will be, but in a gunfight you will likely have to seek out your opponent, get the gun on him or her and then hold sight alignment while you shoot quickly. And they might just be shooting back at you, too.

So in a highly stressful situation such as this-—when you need to be able accomplish the "eye sprint" necessary to accomplish all of the above—imagine the difficulty of aligning a black sight on, say, a black T-shirt.

This is why I like fluorescent orange front sights. Orange is the color our society uses to draw attention to things such as traffic cones, hunting vests, warning signs, traffic control devices and the like. Other people like lime green or white. I really don't care; use what works for you.

But wouldn't it be good to have a sight system that would allow you to superimpose the sights on the target and still be able to maintain focus on the threat? A sight system that is simple, easy to use and also reliable?

We already have such sights for long guns via the Trijicon Reflex, Aimpoint Red Dot and EO Tech holographic sights. What such sights will do is eliminate the debate over point shooting versus sighted fire by giving shooters a sighted index that can be placed on target without changing the visual plane.

Recommended


For the past year I've had a red dot sight on my carry pistol. Since I made this addition to my carry gun, a number of companies have introduced compact red dot sights, mostly intended for long guns.

This new generation of red dots is being used in conjunction with magnified optics to give the shooter both long- and short-distance sighting options. Thus, many of these optics do not have a rear sight notch built in.

One of the few that does is the Trijicon Red Dot, which is used on the company's ACOG and has metal protrusions that protect the sight if it's dropped. While visiting at the Trijicon plant, I spoke with production manager Myles Waterman about mounting a red dot on my gun for an experiment.

Myles agreed that it would be interesting and supplied me with a compact red dot and a factory mount for my Glock 19. I used the mount when I first added the sight to my pistol but later decided that it was a bad move as I would have no fixed-sight backup in the event the sight was broken or failed. I needed to get the sight lower on the slide.

I contacted Gary Smith at Caspian Arms and explained to him what I was trying to do, and he agreed to help. The sight was shipped off to Caspian, and a special Glock 19 slide was manufactured to sink the red dot so that the rear sight notch would line up with the Glock front sight. A flat black front sight was used instead of my normal orange front as I did not want it to visually conflict with the red dot. After all, the only reason I would be using the irons would be if the dot failed.

The folks at Caspian did a beautiful job on the slide. The sight sat deep into the slide and was solidly mounted in place using the two screws supplied for the mount. Caspian had drilled and tapped two holes for these screws, which were held in place with Loc-Tite.

I then began a year of carrying, teaching, shooting and trying to abuse this sight in every way I could, in all kinds of weather. I stopped just short of dropping it on a hard surface upside down because I realized early on that the sight would not stand up to this as it has a plastic housing.

Were there problems? Yes. The screen used to project the red dot chipped when ejected casings occasionally hit it. However, these chips did not affect my ability to use the red dot, nor did they obscure my vision. The other problem I had was the screen would fog on cold days when I brought it into a warm building. I tried a number of different fog-proofing compounds but in the end decided common saliva was the way to go. A quick lick of the thumb wiped over the sight solved the problem.

The sight fit most holsters, with the exception of the Safariland ALS, which features a rotating-hood retention device. The red dot keeps the retention device from rotating fully forward due to the sight's height above slide.The Speed Advantage

On the positive side, the red dot is very fast on target, resulting in some outstanding plate rack runs and El Presidente drills. I also used the slide with Simunitions and found that it worked very well during interactive training. If the gun could be brought to the eye/target line, the sight could be referenced—even under the duress imposed by simulated combat.

I spoke with Kelly McCann of the Crucible training school, who has been using a compact red dot on his Glock for a number of years. He told me he has been very satisfied with the sight system, and he said he has never had to re-zero his, nor has it lost battery power.

As far as field use is concerned, I was only able to find one case in which a red dot has been used in actual combat. An intelligence officer in Afghanistan had a J Point sight mounted on his Glock 21 .45 when the convoy he was riding in came under attack.

He had to leave his vehicle, and when he did he fell down a steep grade, tumbling end over end. When he looked up, there was an insurgent standing at the top of the hill with an AK-47, so he pulled his Glock and fired several shots, killing his assailant. After the situation stabilized, he realized that not only had his J Point sight survived the fall, he'd been able to use it to save his life. Good stuff to know.




GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Recommended Articles

Recent Videos

Scott Rupp and Richard Nance correct some common shooting advice.
Handguns

Smith & Wesson M&P in 5.7 and .22 Mag. Calibers

Scott Rupp and Richard Nance correct some common shooting advice.
Gear

Streamlight Updates Its Wedge Flashlight with Tail Cap Switch

Scott Rupp and Richard Nance correct some common shooting advice.
Gear

Hodgdon Adds Match and HD to Its Winchester StaBALL Powder Line

Scott Rupp and Richard Nance correct some common shooting advice.
Gear

Crossbreed Rogue Holster and System with Mag Carrier

Scott Rupp and Richard Nance correct some common shooting advice.
Handguns

Smith & Wesson Model 350 Hunting Revolver In .350 Legend

Scott Rupp and Richard Nance correct some common shooting advice.
Handguns

First Look: Taurus GX4 XL

Scott Rupp and Richard Nance correct some common shooting advice.
Handguns

A Perfect 10? The S&W M&P 10mm

Scott Rupp and Richard Nance correct some common shooting advice.
Handguns

S&W M&P Shield Plus

Scott Rupp and Richard Nance correct some common shooting advice.
Handguns

A Perfect 10? The S&W M&P 10mm

Scott Rupp and Richard Nance correct some common shooting advice.
Handguns

Beretta A1 Carry

Scott Rupp and Richard Nance correct some common shooting advice.
Handguns

First Look: Federal .30 Super Carry Pistol Cartridge

Scott Rupp and Richard Nance correct some common shooting advice.
Learn

Bad Shooting Advice

Handguns Magazine Covers Print and Tablet Versions

GET THE MAGAZINE Subscribe & Save

Digital Now Included!

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Give a Gift   |   Subscriber Services

PREVIEW THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

Buy Digital Single Issues

Magazine App Logo

Don't miss an issue.
Buy single digital issue for your phone or tablet.

Get the Handguns App apple store google play store

Other Magazines

See All Other Magazines

Special Interest Magazines

See All Special Interest Magazines

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Get the top Handguns stories delivered right to your inbox.

Phone Icon

Get Digital Access.

All Handguns subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets.

To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine.

Get Digital Access

Not a Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Enjoying What You're Reading?

Get a Full Year
of Guns & Ammo
& Digital Access.

Offer only for new subscribers.

Subscribe Now

Never Miss a Thing.

Get the Newsletter

Get the top Handguns stories delivered right to your inbox.

By signing up, I acknowledge that my email address is valid, and have read and accept the Terms of Use