Red Dot Sights on Carry Guns

I recently added red dot sights to a couple more of my carry guns.  I am now up to 8 carry guns and 2 competition guns with red dot sights (all with 3-4 MOA sized dots). This time I went with the Shield Sights RMSc optic as it's smaller footprint was perfect for the narrower slides of my CZ P-01 and my Glock 43X. Now that I have first hand experience with three different brands of red dot sights on carry guns, I thought I would give my thoughts on each of them.

Burris Fastfire III

I started out with the Burris FF3 on a CZ P-07 because it was relatively inexpensive, and I didn't want to spend a lot of money to try it out. I even purchased an older Gen1 slide that was pre-milled by CZ Custom to accept multiple red dot sights so that I could switch to a different optic if I wanted to. The FF3 worked fine for me, but the battery life is only a couple of months if you carry it every day. This isn't too big of a deal because you can easily replace the battery without having to remove the optic from the gun. I ended up moving the FF3 to a competition gun (CZ P-09) and have since acquired 3 more of them. 1 for another competition gun (CZ Shadow 2) and 2 more for some carry gun projects (a Gen1 P-07 and a Gen4 Glock 19 MOS). I don't carry either of those two guns every single day, so the battery life and durability of the FF3 isn't a big deal to me. I believe the FF3 is an excellent optic in it's price point (around $200), and the warranty and customer service from Burris is outstanding.  I have had to send in 3 of my optics to them for various reasons (yes, I've had some failures), and every time I send one in, they send me a brand new replacement within a week! 😲

Trijicon RMR

I have 4 Trijicon RMRs on guns that I carry more frequently (two CZ P-07s and two Glock 19s). In my opinion, the RMR is the best red dot sight for daily concealed carry because it can easily withstand the abuse of accidental knocks against various things like doorknobs, chairs, desks, etc. The RMR's window is relatively small, but it looks even smaller due to the thicker frame around the window. Some people find the thicker frame more difficult to use, but if you are training with an RDS properly, the thicker frame is really not an issue. All of my RMRs are the auto-adjusting versions that are always on, as I didn't want to mess with any buttons on a carry gun.  Two of them are the older Type 1 version (installed on both of the Glocks) and the other two are the newer Type 2 version (installed on both of the CZs). The auto-adjusting brightness isn't that great in low light conditions, especially with the use of a bright weapon mounted light as the dot gets washed out by the light, but the Type 2 auto-adjust works significantly better than the Type 1 in that scenario.  I recommend having usable backup iron sights installed on the gun for those types of situations. The RMR battery life is really good.  They are supposed to go 2 or more years on a battery, depending on usage, but I just change the battery and re-zero once a year (you have to remove the optic from the gun to change the battery).

 

Shield RMSc

I recently chose the Shield RMSc for my P-01 and my Glock 43X simply because of its smaller footprint for those two narrower slides. I have not had any issues with either of them so far, and I have been very impressed with them. They have the clearest window (no color tint) and the best auto-adjusting brightness feature.  The optic window is made of clear polycarbonate with a scratch resistant glass coating.  The polycarbonate window on the original RMS was easily scratched (no glass coating), but I haven't had any issues with the new upgraded lens.  The RMS/RMSc is so small and low that you can typically co-witness the optic with standard height iron sights. I chose to completely eliminate the rear sight dovetail on my CZ P-01 when having it milled for the optic and utilize the built-in notch on the rear of the optic body as my backup rear iron sight. I've only had these two RMSc installed for a few months, so I'm not sure how the battery life is going to be, but I really like this optic. I may even install one on a compact 1911 handgun in the future. The original RMS battery can be changed without removing the optic from the gun, but the smaller RMSc and the new RMSw have to be removed from the gun and then re-zeroed after installation just like the Trijicon RMR. The new RMSw is the same size as the original RMS, but has a more robust hood over the window, has the upgraded scratch resistant lens, and is also water resistant, so it may be the best of all of them.  Update for 2020... all versions of the Shield RMS sights can now be custom ordered directly from Shield Sights with a glass lens.

 

Final Thoughts

The RMSc and the FF3 are certainly not the most durable red dot sights by the nature of their construction when compared to the RMR, but I don't carry the guns that I have those optics mounted on every day. If you are looking to install an RDS on only one gun, and you carry that gun 365 days a year, then I would highly recommend the Trijicon RMR simply for its durability. If you have several guns that you rotate through, then the durability of the RMR may not be as important to you, and you could consider some of the other popular options like the Burris FF3, Vortex Venom, Shield RMSw or even one of the Holosun optics that have the same mounting footprint as the Trijicon RMR. Although I do not have any personal experience with the Holosun optics, they are quickly proving to be just as durable as the Trijicon RMR and have more advanced features such as built-in multiple reticles to choose from and backup solar power.


UPDATE: February 2020
I have recently purchased three new Trijicon RM06 optics for three new carry guns that I've put together... another CZ P-07, a Gen5 Glock 19 MOS, and an STI Staccato C2 2011 which is brand new for 2020.  I decided to try out the RM06 for these three new guns and I am absolutely happy with my decision!  The adjustable LED allows me to set the brightness to a specific level for nighttime use so that the dot doesn't get washed out by a bright weapon mounted light, and I can set it to auto-adjust mode during the day to conserve battery life when the need for a weapon mounted light is greatly reduced. I can also turn the RMR completely off when the gun is not in use, or if I want to practice shooting with only the use of the iron sights.

CZ-USA CZ P-07 Urban Grey Update

I have always stippled my polymer framed handguns myself. I have been improving my technique over time and the look of my work has gotten much better from when I first started.  However, I must've re-stippled this CZ P-07 Urban Gray frame 5 or 6 times trying to remove a discoloration spot on the right side of the grip (because my OCD wouldn't let it go). On the 3rd or 4th attempt I ended up going so deep that I had to do a repair job on it using melted plastic from one of the unused backstraps, which made the discoloration spot even worse. So, I admitted defeat and just sanded it smooth in preparation for grip tape. I normally do not like grip tape because it usually moves around on the gun and the rubber version just feels too squishy for my preference, but having this smooth prepped surface on the frame has allowed this application of grip tape to feel solid and has not moved around at all since it was installed. I used the Springer Precision rubber grip tape because they are the only company that I know of that makes pre-cut grip tape (both rubber and sandpaper versions) for the CZ P-07/P-09 that doesn't have the small circle cutout for the CZ logo on the sides of the grip. I wasn't 100% satisfied with the shape of their pre-cut grip tape, so I ordered the larger P-09 version and carefully trimmed it in specific areas to my liking.  I also had to make my own backstrap grip tape from an extra pre-cut P-09 sheet. To be honest... I really love the way it looks now! 😁 If I had to do it all over again, I don't know that I would go through the effort to grind off the factory texture and sand smooth another P-09/P-07 frame specifically to apply grip tape, but it certainly made a huge difference on this frame that was almost ruined by my botched stipple job.

UPDATE: While I think the rubber grip tape looked really good, I felt that it just wasn't aggressive enough for me after comparing it to my other stippled handguns, so I replaced it with the sandpaper version of the Springer Precision grip tape, and again used the larger P-09 version and trimmed it to my preference. The sandpaper grip tape is awesome for maintaining a firm grip on the gun (perfect for a competition gun), but it easily snags on clothing and prints badly when carrying concealed and is also uncomfortable against bare skin. I was actually willing to go back to the rubber grip tape due to this, but I ended up going with Talon Grips PRO grip tape material. Their PRO version is a compromise between rubber and sandpaper.  It is still made from rubber, but it has a more aggressive feel to it and it does not snag on clothing as badly as the sandpaper grip tape.  I purchased their 5"x7" DIY sheet material and custom cut it to a pattern that was more aesthetically pleasing than the trimmed pre-cut Springer Precision grip tape.  I'm very happy with the way it looks and feels now. The "salt and pepper" color mix of the PRO grip tape contrasts nicely with the Urban Grey polymer which makes it looks more Grey and less like FDE. 👍

UPDATE July 2022:

With gained experience from doing a LOT more stippling at RFV Tactical, I was able to save this frame by re-texturing it one more time! See the results here

IDPA Action Pistol Match 09/07/2019

A decent performance from me at this IDPA action pistol match using my CZ P-07 Urban Gray with a Trijicon RMR (daily carry gun).  I didn't make any major mistakes, and I had a great time with a bunch of great people.  Came in 3rd place overall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5ybZkd_5Jk

USPSA Action Pistol Match 08/24/2019

We only had 5 people turn out for this USPSA action pistol match, but it was still a lot of fun as they were all excellent shooters (them... not so much me).  Looking back through the video footage, it's obvious that I could've gone a little faster, but my accuracy was on point and my game plan for each stage was solid.  I only had one make up shot on a paper target and I went 1-for-1 on every piece of steel in the entire match! I came in 3rd place overall and was within a fraction of a percent of 2nd place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IELK_7GxRug

SCCA Autocross 08/03/2019

I haven't been to an autocross event since 2011. My local region has been running their summer events at night for a couple of years now, and I've been promising myself that I would give it a try IF I remembered when they were having an event AND I didn't have anything else going on.  I captured my fastest run on video, but it certainly wasn't as fast as I wanted it to be. 😜 I ended up in 13th place Overall out of 26 total, so... smack dab in the middle of the pack. (weak sauce)

I had fun at this event, but I was reminded that standing in a parking lot for almost 6 hours only to get a few minutes behind the wheel on the track is not the best bang for my buck when it comes to having fun.  I think I'll stick to action shooting sports and hopefully I will get back to motorcycle track days soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN44uHdO9Vk

USPSA Action Pistol Match 07/27/2019

Another great time at a local USPSA match shooting my optic-equipped CZ-USA Shadow 2.  I didn't really make any mistakes, but I certainly wasn't very fast. Came in 3rd place Overall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN1qkSuj2CU

Outlaw 3-Gun Match 07/21/2019

I was excited about this 3-Gun match because it was the first time performing quad-loads for my shotgun reloads.  I purchased some used quad-load shell holders and practiced every day for a week leading up to this match.  I got to perform a few quad-loads on one stage, but that was it.  The quad-loads weren't all that fast (for quad-loads), but it was a helluva lot faster than my previous method of loading a group of 3 one at a time.  I ended up in 3rd place overall at this match (only a fraction of a second between 2nd and 3rd place), but I made several mistakes that cost me a lot of time.  Definitely a learning experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EXhdZGS650