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Should You Not Run a Red Dot on Your EDC?

I have two XDM Elite Handguns, both with barrel lengths of 3.8
1 is a 45ACP the other a 10MM
Both have Holosun Red Dot mounted.
I honestly never thought I’d like or get used to them as quickly as I did and through regular practice and training my muscle memory helps “allows” me to instantly find the red dot centered in the optic, the hard sights do not co-witness.
I also feel that with both handguns being basically identical with the only difference between the two being the chambering I feel comfortable that no matter which one I carry my confidence is at a high level.
 
Also being from the Clan of the Cave Bear, I remember when shooting 50 yards with my weak hand using a good ole six-shooter in the blowing rain getting splinters from a 2x4. Then came them there Canadian/European 38 Short cartridges that were packed in 15 to a clip, I mean mag. Bought and found out why they had 15, you were going need em... So I went to the S&W 645 as if it was good enough for James "Sonny" Cockett, it was good enough for me. The Agency finally wised up and went with H&K USP in .45 in the mid-nineties. The Laser phase wasn't impressive unless it was to be a death ray and only good for gas mask parties and tasers. An old ACOG found its way onto my M-4 and was pricey. Retired, I found I like it all and with 2mil dot and one can place a round pretty much where they want, even bought a couple of them 38 shor... 9mm handguns (the bullet selection, stellar). But if one wants to use a red dot quickly, you have to ignore the darn thing and "transpose", and I find transing anything hard to do!!! But I will keep practicing as it seems to burn at least a 1/2 second off the challenge courses...
 
SimonRL said:
Fake News. This is taking up valuable space where we could be discussing How often to clean your gun, oil or grease, is .40 dead, is @Annihilator a bot, why you shouldn’t own a Glock/Sig/Taurus/Revolver, why you should /shouldn’t carry with a round in the chamber. That’s enough for now. Who wants to go first?
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For better or worse , Optics has surpassed most of those topics .

Except sort of the one about carrying unloaded guns .

The partisans there are just as entrenched , but way more lop sided .
 
This article presents us with a series of questions without a single correct answer. Should you have a dot on a carry gun? Sure, why not. Should you have a dot on a carry gun. Not needed.... This article, like most, overlooks the critical question of sight picture, sight alignment, and trigger control. Since it is not established the average shooter has clear understanding of these fundamentals- red dots and the like make it just as easy to miss as with standard sights or even no sights. Personally, I do have a Trijicon RMR on a certain pistol I carry occasionally, I put that ensemble together maybe 10 years ago and I like it. Otherwise, you can call it point shoot or quick kill, but that is an instinctive shooting with either a flash sight picture, using thumb/s or index/finger as reference. That, or just repetition where pointing the gun is muscle memory.
 
I started to buy Red Dots when Crimson Trace decided to not make grip lasers for S&W M&P 2.0's. I really never had a problem with the Crimson Trace laser's "washing out in bright sunlight". If I couldn't see the dot it took no time to rely on my iron sights, why? Because whenever I looked for the dot on the target, I always was looking at the target using my pistols sights, no dot, I already had a good sight picture with the guns sights. Since going to Red Dots, I've been doing the same by using suppressor height sights.
 
I sort of phased out when he wrote about using sights that work in every lighting condition and followed it with a picture of a fiber optic front sight... which is basically useless unless you're outdoors on a sunny day or indoors in a well-lit environment.

That said, I started with irons, tried lasers (but not for long), and have been working with red dot optics for a few years now. I still train with irons because my current EDC doesn't support an optic, but I do 99% of my dry fire training with a pistol-mounted optic in place.

I recall one training course I took in which the instructor (it was a one-on-one session) asked, "Do you remember seeing the dot before you fired?" during a timed drill.

I thought for a second and replied, "No, sir."

I guess in the stress of the moment I was point shooting (I think we were at 7 yards for that drill). Still, I landed good hits, so I guess there's that.
 
Unless you're an LEO, shooting farther that three to five yards is very unlikely. I'm a retired
police officer, so I've seen several (not too many) civilian self defense events.
Only one actually had a shot fired. Now that I'm retired I carry an all original P365, in a
Desantis pocket holster. The likelihood of shooting is very low, (they) don't want to mess with
someone who can defend himself.
Actually shooting will not be a Weaver Stance sort of thing. Holding the pistol close and tight in
front of yourself is the most likely scenario. You (or I) probably won't need sights at all.

How many of you practice that?
 
Superzuki said:
Unless you're an LEO, shooting farther that three to five yards is very unlikely. I'm a retired
police officer, so I've seen several (not too many) civilian self defense events.
Only one actually had a shot fired. Now that I'm retired I carry an all original P365, in a
Desantis pocket holster. The likelihood of shooting is very low, (they) don't want to mess with
someone who can defend himself.
Actually shooting will not be a Weaver Stance sort of thing. Holding the pistol close and tight in
front of yourself is the most likely scenario. You (or I) probably won't need sights at all.

How many of you practice that?
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I should, but the ranges I generally use, don't go for that sort of thing.
 
Superzuki said:
Unless you're an LEO, shooting farther that three to five yards is very unlikely. I'm a retired
police officer, so I've seen several (not too many) civilian self defense events.
Only one actually had a shot fired. Now that I'm retired I carry an all original P365, in a
Desantis pocket holster. The likelihood of shooting is very low, (they) don't want to mess with
someone who can defend himself.
Actually shooting will not be a Weaver Stance sort of thing. Holding the pistol close and tight in
front of yourself is the most likely scenario. You (or I) probably won't need sights at all.

How many of you practice that?
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It’s called shooting from retention and I practice it often.
 
Mike H. said:
Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “Should You Not Run a Red Dot on Your EDC?” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/why-not-to-run-a-red-dot-on-your-edc/.

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I'm a broken down old grouch and when I was a Deputy we didn't have a option and I don't care for them today. No light on the weapon,it was off hand for a big old flashlight,no speed loaders as dumps were part of the uniform with a Sam Brown holster which was uncomfortable 😆
 
CEW said:
We called it the "rock" and always had to stick the weak hand in the front beltloop during training and I wondered if having to use, the bad guy was going to wonder why I was sticking my left hand in my pants before he was dusted with the right...
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That's a * Training Technique* . The instructors/ Training Course Designer prioritizes to have zero possibility of students shooting themselves in the hand while Training .

In real world, it is far advantageous to use other hand to create space , block , or attack . But there's a very small risk shooting your own hand , if the strike / block goes low to solar plexus level , and Speed Rock goes very high .
 
Biggfoot44 said:
That's a * Training Technique* . The instructors/ Training Course Designer prioritizes to have zero possibility of students shooting themselves in the hand while Training .

In real world, it is far advantageous to use other hand to create space , block , or attack . But there's a very small risk shooting your own hand , if the strike / block goes low to solar plexus level , and Speed Rock goes very high .
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Kinda a tongue in cheek statement or joke and yes you are correct and a reference to you fight as you train...
 
Is a red dot worth it if I already have a fiber-optic iron sight AND a light/laser unit? (Old-school no-rail 1911, old-school triggerguard-mount Streamlight TLR6.)
 
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Diamondback said:
Is a red dot worth it if I already have a fiber-optic iron sight AND a light/laser unit? (Old-school no-rail 1911, old-school triggerguard-mount Streamlight TLR6.)
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That laser is only going to be visible in the dark or very low light.

Whether a dot is worth it or not is a decision you have to make. I highly suggest getting and trying it out though instead of making your decision based on other people's opinions. I used to be firmly in the "No optic on a carry gun" camp. Right up until I put an optic on one of them. I soon decided to put them on all of them.
 
Bassbob said:
That laser is only going to be visible in the dark or very low light.

Whether a dot is worth it or not is a decision you have to make. I highly suggest getting and trying it out though instead of making your decision based on other people's opinions. I used to be firmly in the "No optic on a carry gun" camp. Right up until I put an optic on one of them. I soon decided to put them on all of them.
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Me too as I always considered (other than sniping) use the iron sights like a real shooter... Then father-time caught up and this old dog had to learn new tricks with some optics costing as much as the host. Then I had to retrain my butt, but since I can't see the front-sight(s) anyway, the dot wins... As for diamondback, learn and practice both methods.
 
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