Optic on a carry pistol, does it make sense?

Damn_Yankee

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With statistics showing that most self defense engagements happen at bad breath distances, does an optic on a carry pistol really makes sense? I have never even shot a pistol with a red dot so I don’t know anything about the subject. I recently purchased an optic ready CZ P10S because it was the only configuration available. Now I’m kicking around the idea of throwing a Holosun 507C on it but I don’t know if it’s really justified on a carry pistol.


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Like @BatteryOaksBilly says, inside 10, really no advantage. I've been running a RMR'd Glock 19 for quiet a few years now, and there is nothing I can't do from 10 in with it, that I can't do without it. Now, 15-20 yards or more, that's when that thing will shine.

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Oh, and @Damn_Yankee, I think you're not real far from me. If you ever are up near PHA, or Eagle in Concord, or want to go, you're more than welcome to try mine out to see what you think. Yeah Yeah, I know it's not a CZ, lol, but it will at least give you an idea.

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Oh, and @Damn_Yankee, I think you're not real far from me. If you ever are up near PHA, or Eagle in Concord, or want to go, you're more than welcome to try mine out to see what you think. Yeah Yeah, I know it's not a CZ, lol, but it will at least give you an idea.

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Much appreciated!


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I like running an optic on a full sized gun in matches now, although I’m new to it. I don’t know at what point I see myself carrying one unless I go to a full size gun.

Inside 10 yards I am point shooting that G43 in a BUG match and I am quite sure that’s what I’ll do in a defense scenario since that’s what I still carry.
 
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Holsters are coming around to them but molds are still not readily available on all configurations. If you plan on carrying it, find a holster for your configuration before you buy. Some are easy enough to work around if I know where they are mounted. Some are a little more tricky. It's nice when the molds come where you can see the cut for the optic to work from. But my older molds don't have that. So I have to guess on where things start and stop, and be generous with how much room I leave for the optic.
 
Like @BatteryOaksBilly says, inside 10, really no advantage. I've been running a RMR'd Glock 19 for quiet a few years now, and there is nothing I can't do from 10 in with it, that I can't do without it. Now, 15-20 yards or more, that's when that thing will shine.

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that's when that thing will shine. :D
 
We have found it to be No Advantage here inside 10 yards.

That makes sense. At those distances a healthy human with decent eyes, a little training and a decent weapon should be able to hit center mass pretty easily. The rare,shoot the terrorist in the head at 50 yards event might be a good place for a RMR.
 
We have found it to be No Advantage here inside 10 yards.
True ,but if I had to make a longer shot I'm much more confident now. I can't see my sights because their so blurry and my Holosun has made a world of difference now for me. If I had to make a shot like the guy did in Texas across a large church, now an accurate shot is much much easier(Hope I never have to use my gun).
The fun factor for target shooting has been so much fun.
 
I’ve only shot a couple pistols with red dots, mostly a 4” shield PC w RMSc and it’s cool but takes a little getting used to. I was shooting at about 15yd.

I do plan on getting a 2nd M&P9 4” compact to do a red dot setup.
 
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Those 4” M&P Shield Performance Center with optic have a sweet trigger out of the box.

I wasn't so jazzed about the trigger in the newly released M&P9 2.0 4.25” PC CORE, so I swapped an Apex FSS into it.
 
There are lots up upsides to a dot, but 1 big down side. You need to practice, and have your draw and index down cold. If you do not, you will be searching for the dot. If your the person that doesn't practice a few times a week, irons might be better for you.
 
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I have no real tactical or self-defense firearm training so take my opinion for what it is. But inside 10 yards in a violent confrontation, I'm not so sure you wouldn't keep your eyes on your opponent as opposed to focusing intently on the front sight, even at the instant you pull the trigger. So I don't see an optic as a disadvantage in that situation, although it might not be a marked advantage.

I'd bet with some significant dry practice you could train yourself to bring that optic right into the sight picture while never moving your eyes off the target.

As @fieldgrade did, I went to an optic in IDPA. My plan is to get a carry pistol with an optic. I'll report back on Wizard Drill results when I get the gun.
 
As said above, less than 7-10 yards it's up to the gun fitting your natural point of aim. I've old man eyes and am missing a 6" plate at 10 yards with a 'new to me' Shadow2, I'm hitting a 10" plate at 175 yards with a red dot on a 22 and a 9mm. I need different corrective lenses at the front site distance.
For me it's the way to go, I have them on a G34, Colt Anaconda, two AR's, 2 River MK pistols.
 
I guess it would have been helpful for me to mention that I also have aging eyes and need 2.00 readers at this point only. My distance sight is still ok. That said, I can’t see my front sight as anything more than a blur without wearing readers. I can still hit pretty accurate in the 10 yard range though.


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Just bought a Holosun to put on my CZ SP01 but don't plan on carrying it. Should be fun at the range though. My plan at the moment is to continue to carry my PCR but who knows....might change. Then another holster....=[
 
Optics took me to the next level. Way back when I was shooting 4-5 matches a month. Mediocre, middle of the pack shooter. After building my open gun, I got much faster. I also noticed I was much faster with irons too.
 
I ran a Cmore for years in USPSA on a 38super race gun. It took a lot of getting used to, to find the dot on the draw. I also had a long slide Glock with a Burris Fast Fire and could never find the dot. Carry gun at contact distance, dot would not even be used in my opinion. Have an ACOG on my primary MSR. That is a whole nuther story. Love my ACOG. Will have another.

Also, in my experience, a battery powered optic will be DOA precisely when you need it...or the next time you go to the range. Jimmy James Law.
 
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What about battery life on the optic? Seems to me that if your fumbling to turn on an optic in a defensive situation, the distraction is not a good thing.

and if you have a motion activated optic such as the Holosun, it will drain the battery while EDC.
 
I don’t have one on a pistol as much as I tried. Every attempt at gun shows proved I could not pick up the dot fast enough for defensive justification.
 
I don’t have one on a pistol as much as I tried. Every attempt at gun shows proved I could not pick up the dot fast enough for defensive justification.

1) How many folks you shot at gun shows?
2) Do you take requests? If so, loud stun gun vendor, every time.
 
What about battery life on the optic? Seems to me that if your fumbling to turn on an optic in a defensive situation, the distraction is not a good thing.

and if you have a motion activated optic such as the Holosun, it will drain the battery while EDC.

I have a DeltaPoint, I change the battery on my Bday. If you are practicing a few days a week with it, you will know when to change it.
 
1) How many folks you shot at gun shows?
2) Do you take requests? If so, loud stun gun vendor, every time.
I may have bought from the stun gun guy. A flashlight version. I took it out of the box last week after 5 years. It’s going in the tool bag for dogs.
 
What about battery life on the optic? Seems to me that if your fumbling to turn on an optic in a defensive situation, the distraction is not a good thing.

and if you have a motion activated optic such as the Holosun, it will drain the battery while EDC.

I've got a Trijicon RMR that was on a range only gun that went three years on one battery, running it mostly on a lower setting. On my carry G-19, I just change it out every year on my birthday.
 
What about battery life on the optic? Seems to me that if your fumbling to turn on an optic in a defensive situation, the distraction is not a good thing.

and if you have a motion activated optic such as the Holosun, it will drain the battery while EDC.

I believe you can set a Holosun to “constant” on. I had one on a g19 for a few months and the dot was always there when I presented it. The eotech like reticle on the Holosun 507c/508t is a game changer for me. I’m counting my pennies now in anticipation of picking up a pair of 508ts for my pair of MOS 19s whenever they are readily available.
 
I’ve been wanting to try out and RMR to see if I like it. I can’t imagine I wouldn’t. I have a hard time shooting with both eyes open and getting a focus on the front site. I was trained in the school or closing one eye.

I do far better with red dots on rifles so I would assume the same would be true for an RMR on a pistol.
 
I’ve been running an RMR O6 on a RS for about 5 years and I love it. Don’t seem to shoot it enough but when it comes out it’s blistering fast banging steel and 50 yrd hits on 10” is easy. A torso at 100 is doable if I take a second to aim.
 
I’ve been wanting to try out and RMR to see if I like it. I can’t imagine I wouldn’t. I have a hard time shooting with both eyes open and getting a focus on the front site. I was trained in the school or closing one eye.

Same here. Trained to close one eye, and cross-dominant to boot. I pretty much Sgt. York it with everything.

I've never tried a red dot on a pistol, at all. I'm thinking about having the slide milled on my P-09 for a Holosun 507c, since that pistol is already so ridiculously accurate. I think the RDS would really make the most of it, and I already really like the 510c I have on an AR pistol.
 
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There are lots up upsides to a dot, but 1 big down side. You need to practice, and have your draw and index down cold. If you do not, you will be searching for the dot. If your the person that doesn't practice a few times a week, irons might be better for you.
By practice, do you mean dryfire practice? I definitely can't get out and shoot that much. Maybe a couple times a month for live fire. I do a lot of dryfire practice though.
 
I carry either a P365 or a P229. My HD is a P320 with a Romeo1. I shoot all three with essentially the same accuracy and 'time to sight picture' within 7-10 yards. Where the RDS really shows its worth is when I shoot paper >10 yards. For me, I don't want/need the extra 'bulk' of a RDS on a CCW firearm - and I would think most CCW 'events' occur in under 10 yards.
 
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