How To Install A Red Dot Sight
There are plenty of manufactures on the benefits and issues surrounding RDS on pistols, but few on how to properly select and mount a specific sight to your firearm. Different just most every long gun'due south Picatinny rail, there is no standard for pistol-mounted RDS.
Considering early manufacturers each chose a different footprint for their RDS, Glock Modular Optic System (MOS) pistols come with four adaptor plates to allow mounting of the most popular footprints:
- Eotech, Medico, Insight, Meopta, Vortex;
- Trijicon RMR;
- C-More than;
- Leupold Delta Signal.
While other brands may match one of these footprints, there are a whole lot more RDS for which a stock plate isn't available.
If y'all want to mount an Aimpoint Acro P1 or SIG Romeo Nil on a Glock MOS slide you need to buy the Aimpoint or SIG adaptor plate in improver to the sight. Many RDS manufacturers sell adaptor plates that will support their sight on pop RDS-capable firearms that don't accept a plate available from the firearm manufacturer. But what if you want to mount a RDS on a pistol that isn't cutting for a RDS in the offset place or if an adaptor plate is not available for a slide that has an incompatible cut?
Physics
Before nosotros go any further, we demand to sympathize the forces that human action on a RDS.
In the September/Oct consequence of American Handgunner, an ad states that a 1911 slide develops nearly 2000 Gs when fired. If you look at RDS adaptor plates or manufacturer slide cuts, you will encounter two or more machined bosses that fit into cutouts on the RDS. It is this metal and non the ii tiny screws that keep the RDS in identify. What this means is that you cannot accept a non-RDS slide and machine a flat cut and drill holes for the RDS mounting screws. Without bosses to take the G forces, the screws will shear off and your RDS volition either launch into your forehead or downrange.
The other result with mounting a RDS on a firearm not designed for information technology is that the slide spring is tuned to the mass of the slide. If the mass or remainder of the slide changes substantially, that may lead to your firearm jamming or not going fully into battery. Do some inquiry to run across if others successfully have mounted a RDS on whatsoever firearm you are because and what loads they use with information technology.
Because Glock slides don't need to be fitted by a gunsmith, there are several companies which market drop in aftermarket slides for them with diverse RDS cuts.
If y'all take a firearm that uses a fitted slide or barrel, then y'all either have to send the slide in to take information technology properly cut by an practiced or y'all tin can send your frame in to have a new RDS-cut slide/barrel fitted to it. Do your research so that y'all don't get back a badly machined hunk of metal.
It is personal preference, but I adopt to keep my original slide in its factory country and buy a replacement slide and so that I can get dorsum to the original configuration if needed.
Mounting the RDS
Once you take the sight and the proper slide or adaptor plate for it, the final part is getting information technology mounted. As I said above, usually two tiny screws, often Torx drive, are used to mount the RDS, merely your kit may come with 4 or 6 screws. Why and so many?
This is a proficient fourth dimension to read the mounting instructions carefully. Additional screws may be included for unlike uses. It could be that a shorter screw goes on the ejection port side and a longer screw goes on the non-ejection port side for boosted strength. Or dissimilar screws are designed for specific firearms or adaptor plates. Using the incorrect length screw could either not properly secure the sight or could interfere with the firearm's activity.
One time yous take selected the correct screws for your firearm, using a driblet of thread locker is a good idea but use blue Loctite or its equivalent and not scarlet Loctite or another permanent thread locker unless you never desire to remove the sight – and many sights demand to be pulled to replace the battery.
The last part is tightening the screws. There is a fine line betwixt properly securing the RDS to the slide and shearing off the screws leading to an expensive set up. The manufacturer ordinarily will include the torque specs in the mounting instructions. For example, SIG specifies 9 inch-pounds for the Romeo Zero and Trijicon states 12 inch-pounds for the RMR.
How do yous ensure that you take the right torque? You can go from feel and make the screws "very snug, but not excessively tight," or yous tin can use a torque wrench. I apply a kit from Fixit Sticks that has multiple fixed torque limiters forth with the bits required for nearly gunsmithing where an inch-pound torque wrench is needed. I as well added a variable torque limiter to my fix. Set up It Sticks has a torque specification folio on their website list the almost-used settings for firearms.
Summary
Once you take decided you want a RDS on your pistol, you need to make up one's mind which RDS yous want, what footprint information technology has and whether or not it can be mounted on your firearm straight or with an adaptor plate.
If the footprint is not compatible with your firearm, you lot may want to choose a dissimilar RDS, look for a compatible driblet in slide, have a new slide fitted to your firearm, or have your own slide cutting by a competent machinist. Before fitting an incompatible RDS, do some research to see if anyone else has done information technology before and if it affects the reliability of the firearm.
Decide if you desire to replace the stock sights with suppressor-height sights that y'all tin can co-witness with the RDS and volition be useful if the RDS fails – check out this article for more information.
When yous are gear up to mount the RDS, ensure that you are using the proper screws, thread locking compound and torque. Have your time and don't make guesses. If you have to, seek out practiced advice and be wary of online videos that may not come from a trusted source.
And finally, afterward you mount an RDS on your pistol, railroad train with information technology like your life depends on it. According to Scott Reidy, managing director of training at SIG Sauer University, grooming is mandatory, and he recommends a minimum of ii days of training before yous carry a firearm with a RDS. His train-the-trainer agenda tin be found at sigsaueracademy.com and includes a substantial number of drills pertaining to variable lighting, down optics, barriers and holdover/offset due to the optic.
For more information about how to purchase firearms optics, download this Police1 guide.
About the author
Ron LaPedis is an NRA-certified Range Safety Officer, NRA and California DOJ-certified instructor, works a pawnshop gun counter, is a uniformed first responder, and frequently writes and speaks on law enforcement, business continuity, cybersecurity, concrete security and public/individual partnerships.
He has been recognized every bit a Primary Business concern Continuity Professional (MBCP), a Young man of the Business organisation Continuity Institute (FBCI), a Distinguished Swain of the Ponemon Found and a Certified Data Systems Security Professional (CISSP).
Contact Ron LaPedis
Source: https://www.police1.com/police-products/firearms/accessories/sights-scopes/articles/properly-mounting-red-dot-sights-tV34MFz968qdjcuw/
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