Quote:
Originally Posted by nmap
If I may, I would like to resurrect this classic (  ) thread.
So, let's suppose I have some reasonably good 9mm or .40 handgun. I want quality sights. My purpose would be self-defense, either in my home or some other urban area. Concealed carry capability is important. Low-light is, of course, a possible environment. A variety of reflex sights are available, some at the $200 level, others at higher prices. Are the existing iron sights (perhaps with tritium) better? Or is the new technology? As nearly as I can tell from existing posts, the results are ambiguous. Some like reflex sights, others are unimpressed. Has the technology developed in 4 years? Are the reflex sights delicate or robust? |
nmap:
I too was interested in terms of using one as a back up on a carbine and for that purpose I believe they are fine. I put mine on the forend at about 2 o'clock and it was very convenient to use. It did require a pretty strict firing position to pick up the dot.
For SAG I tried both a C-Mor and a standard M-68 on a 1911 target pistol just to see how they would work. Kind of a proof of principal before spending $500.00 or so on a micro sight. Much better than iron sights for the purpose of bullseye competition but quite difficult to pick up the dot. I was very surprised at this and thought it was just a matter of getting used to a specific position. Sure was but that position was more specific than I would want for a life / death situation so I wrote it off for life / death use.
I have also tinkered with lasers on carbines and in low light conditions they work. The problem is defining 'low light' as the light doesn't need to be real bright for it to become impossible to see the laser. Also, it takes your brain time to find the little laser beam and see it on the target. Then instead of accepting a hit, one is always prone to want to adjust for a better shot. Too much time spent finding the beam and then second guessing what is already good enough. Dangerously misdirected attentional focus and loss of SA (in my opinion).
Of course given time and effort, either one can become faster and more precise than using irons but it depends on how much time you want to spend dealing with position and second guessing issues instead of actually practicing.
The battery debate is one you have to either accept or reject based on your prejudices. I accept the risk of batteries in a dot sight but not in a (commercial / civilian) laser sight.
As for durability -- unfortunately it appears that reliability, consistency, and durability are directly related to cost. You will look at spending $500.00 and upwards on a dot sight that holds zero, tracks, can be seen in bright light conditions (the cheaper ones have severe limits in terms of bright sun), is weather proof, has good battery life, is easy to adjust zero, and is durable.
Unless you are willing to accept some risk, spend a lot of money, and dedicate two or three days a week to dry firing and shooting, you are probably much better off with some of the after market low light combat types of iron sights.
Gene