I have the PC9 takedown tactical and tried to put a red dot sight on the barrel. I was finding that when I had the RD sight on the rear of the gun that it would loose zero after cleaning. The problem with putting it up front on the gun was that I could not sight it in. The RD would max out before I got to zero. Is there a low profile RD that might work?
PC9 with Red Dot sight on barrel.
- Thread starter Plug367
- Start date
There are so many 'dot optics' on the market at this time. Look at the specs to see which has more adjustment. That said, there may be some isue with your mounting interface causing an excessive amount of mis-alignment that no optic can offset.
Stepvenlau
Bearcat
The adjustment max-out up front is pretty common if the barrel rail isn't perfectly aligned some folks fix it with Burris Signature rings and offset inserts to bring the optic closer to zero mechanically.
If you're looking low-profile, something like the Aimpoint ACRO P-2 or Holosun EPS Carry (with the right plate) might give you the clearance and adjustment you need.
Curious before I suggest shimming, did you confirm if your front mount rail is factory Ruger or aftermarket? I've seen the tolerance vary a lot.
Stepvenlau
Bearcat
I ran into something similar when I first tried a barrel-mounted dot on my PC9. The factory rail had just enough cant to eat up all the optic's elevation travel, so I couldn't get zero either.
What worked for me was a low-profile optic paired with a mount that has a slight built-in adjustment — that way you bring your dot back into the middle of its travel range. I'm currently running a compact enclosed red dot like the SIG Sauer ROMEO5 and it's been holding zero perfectly after multiple takedowns and cleanings.
If you're set on keeping it barrel-mounted, you might also try a thin shim under the rear of the mount. That small angle change can give you all the adjustment room you need without having to max out the sight.
Stepvenlau
Bearcat
Sounds like you're running into two common PC9 quirks:
Barrel-mounted optics can be tough because the takedown system sometimes leaves you with an optic that won't track consistently when you separate/reassemble.
Receiver-mounted optics usually hold zero better, but as you've seen, cleaning can shift things a bit if the mount isn't rock solid.
If you want to keep it forward on the barrel, the fact that you ran out of elevation/windage suggests the rail itself may not be perfectly aligned. A low-profile red dot alone probably won't solve that you may need either:
A shim or canted mount to bring the optic into the adjustment range, or
A micro red dot that sits low enough to work with an offset mount.
A lot of PC9 takedown owners report better luck keeping the optic on the receiver with a quality mount, then just being consistent in how the rifle is reassembled. If you go barrel-mounted, something like an Aimpoint Micro footprint with a shimmed mount tends to give you the adjustment you need.
Curious are you leaning more toward keeping the optic on the barrel for accuracy with the takedown, or would a sturdier receiver mount setup work better for how you use the rifle?
Barrel-mounted optics can be tough because the takedown system sometimes leaves you with an optic that won't track consistently when you separate/reassemble.
Receiver-mounted optics usually hold zero better, but as you've seen, cleaning can shift things a bit if the mount isn't rock solid.
If you want to keep it forward on the barrel, the fact that you ran out of elevation/windage suggests the rail itself may not be perfectly aligned. A low-profile red dot alone probably won't solve that you may need either:
A shim or canted mount to bring the optic into the adjustment range, or
A micro red dot that sits low enough to work with an offset mount.
A lot of PC9 takedown owners report better luck keeping the optic on the receiver with a quality mount, then just being consistent in how the rifle is reassembled. If you go barrel-mounted, something like an Aimpoint Micro footprint with a shimmed mount tends to give you the adjustment you need.
Curious are you leaning more toward keeping the optic on the barrel for accuracy with the takedown, or would a sturdier receiver mount setup work better for how you use the rifle?
