Mini red dot on a pistol

James · Feb 20, 2017

Ok so i am not real happy with the back sights on my Ruger SR40 and my Ruger American 45. The SR40 will let you adjust elevation with a simple screw driver, but to adjust the windage is a pain in the butt. The American has no elevation adjustment and windage is also a pain in the butt. What i am looking for is a sight that will let me do both easily without having to bash it with a hammer.

So, i see some guns are using small red dot sights, how good are they, how easy are they to use, and is there a way to hook one up to a Ruger ? I see they will give you both elevation and windage adjustments without hammers, but do they work good enough to bother changing over and coughing up $300 + bucks, which i will do if they work good and are accurate. The kind of shooting i am interested in is not target 1 hole shooting, but rather combat type shooting.

pleadthe2nd · Feb 20, 2017

The mini red dots are a great tool, easy to sight and we'll worth the money, check out the vortex venom, I was so impressed with it I bought two of them, not sure about the mounting options for your pistols, though there is probably something available . The semi auto I mounted mine on is a s&w performance center, optics ready, the other is on a revolver with a weigand mount.

Rei40c · Feb 21, 2017

James, I wanted to show you this. https://gallowayprecision.com/ruger/sr/optic-mount-for-ruger-sr9-sr9c-sr40-sr40c-sr45/

In my opinion it is not the best way to get into this type of optic, I think a milled out slide specifically cut is better. But since you mentioned money is a factor, this exists.. I have no idea whatsoever how well it works but it seems it should. Looking at the pic it becomes painfully clear the SR series was never designed with a red dot in mind as it's pretty ugly.

One word of caution about this type of optic. I've spoken to many people who where surprised that there was a learning curve when shooting a red dot optic on a pistol. I'm told it takes adjustment and a few hundred rounds to really get a feel for. You will probably have to work with it a while to become accurate but it seems those who take the time do very well with it. Just don't expect instant improvement.

22/45 Fan · Feb 21, 2017

Rei40c said:
One word of caution about this type of optic. I've spoken to many people who where surprised that there was a learning curve when shooting a red dot optic on a pistol. I'm told it takes adjustment and a few hundred rounds to really get a feel for. You will probably have to work with it a while to become accurate but it seems those who take the time do very well with it. Just don't expect instant improvement.

The difficulty with a Red Dot on any handgun isn't learning to be accurate, that's easy. Then hard part is developing the ability to "pick up" the dot quickly when you bring the gun up to eye level. It takes time and practice and is important only in speed events like steel plate, steel challenge and USPSA matches.

James · Feb 21, 2017

Rei40c said:
James, I wanted to show you this. https://gallowayprecision.com/ruger/sr/optic-mount-for-ruger-sr9-sr9c-sr40-sr40c-sr45/

In my opinion it is not the best way to get into this type of optic, I think a milled out slide specifically cut is better. But since you mentioned money is a factor, this exists.. I have no idea whatsoever how well it works but it seems it should. Looking at the pic it becomes painfully clear the SR series was never designed with a red dot in mind as it's pretty ugly.

One word of caution about this type of optic. I've spoken to many people who where surprised that there was a learning curve when shooting a red dot optic on a pistol. I'm told it takes adjustment and a few hundred rounds to really get a feel for. You will probably have to work with it a while to become accurate but it seems those who take the time do very well with it. Just don't expect instant improvement.

Hey i defiantly appreciate the url, they have some nice stuff there that i would defiantly be interested in for the SR40, that replacement looks nice, but it takes a glock adapter also to hook up the red dot and they don't have it so won't do me much good unless i can find one some place. At this time i really do not want to go milling on the slide in case i decide that i don't really like the red dot site, maybe later if i really like it i will then have it milled.

As far as a learning curve, ya i would expect that, seems like almost every change you make has its learning curve, but i have plenty of time to practice and get used to it. Kinda like when i got my first 1911, i knew it should be carried hammer back and ready and it took me a couple of weeks before i could draw and have the safety off and ready to fire by the time i had it pointed at target. Given time it becomes second nature, and time i have plenty of, i hope...

Rei40c · Feb 21, 2017

James said:
Rei40c said:

James, I wanted to show you this. https://gallowayprecision.com/ruger/sr/optic-mount-for-ruger-sr9-sr9c-sr40-sr40c-sr45/

In my opinion it is not the best way to get into this type of optic, I think a milled out slide specifically cut is better. But since you mentioned money is a factor, this exists.. I have no idea whatsoever how well it works but it seems it should. Looking at the pic it becomes painfully clear the SR series was never designed with a red dot in mind as it's pretty ugly.

One word of caution about this type of optic. I've spoken to many people who where surprised that there was a learning curve when shooting a red dot optic on a pistol. I'm told it takes adjustment and a few hundred rounds to really get a feel for. You will probably have to work with it a while to become accurate but it seems those who take the time do very well with it. Just don't expect instant improvement.

Click to expand...

Hey i defiantly appreciate the url, they have some nice stuff there that i would defiantly be interested in for the SR40, that replacement looks nice, but it takes a glock adapter also to hook up the red dot and they don't have it so won't do me much good unless i can find one some place. At this time i really do not want to go milling on the slide in case i decide that i don't really like the red dot site, maybe later if i really like it i will then have it milled.

As far as a learning curve, ya i would expect that, seems like almost every change you make has its learning curve, but i have plenty of time to practice and get used to it. Kinda like when i got my first 1911, i knew it should be carried hammer back and ready and it took me a couple of weeks before i could draw and have the safety off and ready to fire by the time i had it pointed at target. Given time it becomes second nature, and time i have plenty of, i hope...

No problem, I'm interested in them as well but like you am not sure I want to sink that much money into effectively will be an experiment. I'd like to shoot one first but I don't know anyone who owns one nor does the range have any equipped. What if I don't like it as much as I think I will?

If I did do it, I'd suppose I'd go the Glock 19 MOS route, I've also heard very good things about the Vortex sight so I'd probably get that. What surprised me is these are now starting to be carried more and more as peoples daily carry. I guess it's fine if it doesn't get beaten up too badly in your daily carry routine. Mine all tend to get pretty scratched up after a year or two of normal daily carry and range time.

PAVTXER · Feb 22, 2017

i'm interested in this as well. I have a red dot on my Ruger Mark III and it works well, but after reading this.....might be interested in seeing if others mounted a mini on a Ruger P series. Interesting.....

James · Feb 23, 2017

Well i took the plunge yesterday, my gunsmith called me to let me know he had finished adjusting the back sights on both my Ruger 1911 and the Ruger American. I Went over and picked them up and got to talking with him about maybe trying a mini red dot and he told me that he had installed quite a few of them and even had one on one of his guns. He seemed to like them quite well and said they worked well for him.

I asked him how much to install one on the Ruger American and he quoted me a price that curled my hair, but i gritted my teeth and told him to go ahead. He had the red dot in stock, a Burris Fastfire, but he didn't have the mounting plate so would have to order that. Said it might take a couple of weeks

Oh by the way, the shooting to the left problem i was having with the 1911 and the SR40 is fixed now, back on track with everything coming back to center mass. Hopefully the red dot will cure the American.

Mini red dot on a pistol

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