An Adult Conversation on Red Dot Sights

The firearms community is a true sucker for fads and fashion.  It also has a higher ratio of self-proclaimed experts than any other field, most of which are not qualified to weigh in on anything.  Just as we have a raging, decades-long debate over 45 acp vs. 9mm (the stupidest debate in our sphere), so too over AIWB and shooting your dick off, and now so too over having a red dot on your pistol. 

Instead of just speaking my mind based on my preference, I remain agnostic towards either sighting system, and I shoot both.  I shoot a dot just as fast in close as I do irons, I put in the work and closed that gap, so I am not beholden to a lack of training and understanding of the technology.  However, I also don’t think that red dots on pistols are decidedly “mandatory” for the 21^st Century handgunner, as they are for a long gun, as the two platforms are not the same.

So, in no effort at all to avoid offending people in either camp, here is some reality for all:

Definitive Red Dot Pros:

1. Red dots absolutely enhance distance accuracy, and this is their greatest advantage.  The dot is a much more precise aiming point compared to a front sight, and the need to align a front and rear sight is negated.  This means distance shots can be made faster and more accurately.  No matter how good you are with irons, the dot will make you faster and more accurate at distance.  Inside of 15 yards, there is little difference.
2. Red dots can be just as fast in close range speed shooting as are irons, those who claim otherwise have not put in the time to build their technique and proper index.
3. For shooters with diminished eyesight who have a hard time seeing iron sights, red dots are the solution, as almost everyone can see what needs to be seen better with a dot.
4. Red dots make you a better shooter even if you still prefer irons, as the dot shows every detail regarding movement of the gun, intentional or not.  I think any serious shooter benefits from using and training with a red dot equipped pistol for a while, even if you don’t embrace it for carry, and instructors should become proficient with both systems. 

Red Dot Cons and Misconceptions:

1. The argument that red dots allow you to stay “target focused” is a proposed gear solution to a training deficiency.  I have shot “target focused” with iron sights for many years.  Every high-level competition shooter shoots target focused with irons on fast, close range, shooting tasks.  The dot does not cure this, as many beginning shooters stare at the dot as well, just as people have been taught to stare at the front sight.  This is simply a training matter and a non-issue for good shooters. 
2. Red dots are often touted as being the solution for low-light engagement.  The reality is, when coupled with a hand-held light, they often wash out.  Not a huge issue, as backup irons are mandatory on a defensive pistol with a dot, but they are hardly perfect in the application of low light, and they can be problematic in different lighting conditions.
3. Modern dots are generally very reliable, shockingly reliable considering the force they endure sitting on a reciprocating slide, but no matter what the dot evangelists say, they are more prone to failure than iron sights.  Yes, I get it, you have seen front sights fly off of guns in class because someone installed a sight and did not tighten it adequately, but you are being disingenuous if you claim “irons fail as often as dots.”  No, they don’t.  Again, new dots are quite reliable, just be sure you have backup irons on the gun. 
4. Red dots are, obviously, subject to disruption from environmental factors.  Rain or lint can occlude the emitter, in open emitter designs.  While closed emitter designs are the new hotness, they are hardly perfect.  A large percentage seem to lose their seal and fog up.  The violent g forces on a slide seem to not play nice with closed emitter red dots. 
5. Red dots make the gun bigger and harder to conceal.  Sorry, they absolutely do.  the self-proclaimed red dot gurus out there who carry a Glock 17 with a dot on it, and only wear a hoodie in all of their shooting videos, say it adds no bulk.  For people with real jobs, who interact with real society, who might have social obligations that require them to wear clothing other than a hoodie or a 5.11 flannel shirt, the dot adds another point of printing under a shirt. 
6. The battery life on modern dots is truly remarkable, and generally reliable, but batteries can die, and this is another point of maintenance, and potential failure, on the gun.  Again, have backup irons. 
7. Finally, this is a big one: the argument that low-skilled and low-interest shooters are better off with a red dot needs to die.  An instructor takes a brand-new shooter to the range and discovers that the novice can hit more accurately with a dot than with irons and declares, “dots are best for novice shooters as well!” That is not thinking through the whole circumstance.  The new gun owner will put their pistol in a drawer, never to be used again until the door gets kicked in, and when they grab the gun the dot will be dead, and if it is alive they won’t find it when they present anyway.  Likewise, the chump police officers in your department who only shoot twice a year when they need to qualify will do better on their quals with the dot, because police quals are no-cop-left-behind bureaucracy, not training for reality.  However, when these minimal achievers see violence they will draw the gun and not find the dot, no matter what voodoo techniques about pinky pressure you teach them, because they are not shooters and are not training with the gun anywhere close to enough.  They are better off with irons, as at least they can visually find and align the irons, no matter how poor their presentation is.  Dots are for enthusiasts, not minimal shooters or no-cop-left-behind officers.     

Therefore, instead of us arguing over who’s kung fu is better, how about we resort to some time-tested wisdom.  I believe it was well-known firearms instructor, the late Pat Rogers, who said, “mission drives the gear train.”  Well, when considering whether or not you should have a dot on your carry gun, what is your mission?

I will tell you that I don’t have a dot on my primary carry gun, which is my beloved Glock 26, a gun I have long proclaimed the sweet spot between truly concealable, yet truly fight-worthy.  This remains my favorite carry gun and conceals for me in anything I wear.  The main reason for no dot on it, honestly, is that I don’t want the added size to degrade the concealability.

What is my mission with this gun?  Protection of myself and my family when in public.  That is most commonly a closer-range affair.  While I can shoot significantly better with a red dot at longer distances, I am not dead in the water with my G26 for the possible long-range active killer event, as I can keep my shots, fairly rapidly, in an IDPA down-zero at 25 yards, and, fairly rapidly, on a C-zone size target at 50 yards.  Therefore, I don’t think the enhanced distance accuracy of the dot outweighs the concealment penalty for my mission with this gun.  Absolute concealment and discretion, so that the gun is not detected, is a priority for my lifestyle.  While perfectly legal to carry where I live, I consider true concealment a mandatory requirement. 

Now, let’s consider other missions.  I can tell you that, if I was a resource officer in a school who had the luxury of choosing their own gun and sighting system, I would, absolutely, carry a full-size autoloader with a red dot on it.  The environment and mission may require long shots down long hallways.  This is red dot territory all day, every day.

So, instead of evangelizing for one way or the other, how about we consider our own needs carefully.  Don’t be an old fudd who says dots are slower at close range than irons.  Also, don’t be arrogant and call those who prefer irons “Gun Amish” as those old guys with their iron sights probably have more experience dealing with violence than you ever will. 

How about we make our decisions on gear in a pragmatic manner by assessing our needs and our mission instead of falling into tribalism. 

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