A lot of people felt comfortable with their flip phone and didn't need a smart phone. Technology has made iron sights almost antiquated. There is a big 1/3 iron/dot co-witness ideology solely for back-up or confirmation, but as you get over the stigma and trust the operation of your red dot, some people are removing irons completely. As red dots continue to evolve and get better, and people get over the fear of batteries going dead (just change them every year before they go dead) they make more sense on all types of firearms, including revolvers and shotguns. As I age and my vision changes, I have found red dots much easier to pick up than irons. All of my handguns now have red dots, including my revolvers. And to the people who are still using a laser... Refer to the first sentence 😊
Repeated training will improve your ability to index the red dot more intuitively. I think the greatest advantages of using a red dot are: 1 - significantly faster target transitions 2 - an ability to aim the firearm despite my vision not allowing me to focus on a front sight post unless I have my eyeglasses on
It took me a few range visits to really get into the groove of my red dot on my 686 competitor with 6” weighted barrel. That piece has an integral rail so it was almost a requirement to put an optic on it. I’ve found that a phenomenal trigger truly increases the ease of the red dot’s capabilities. I have that 66 with the 2.75” barrel like yours and know that the stock trigger is ultra heavy on that model. I swapped out the trigger return spring to a 12 pound return and the trigger is markedly lighter. The main spring is still stock so the hammer drop is still the same with no chance of a light primer strike. Trigger return spring swap is easy and costs about ten bucks and improves the accuracy and ease of the trigger pull and use of the red dot.
It seems like a red dot in a revolver would be better than on a modern pistol because you don't have to worry about the sight moving back and forward with the slide
My opinion is they are ugly on a revolver. With that said my ageing eyes, I have revolvers that I don't shoot any more because the back sight is a blurr. Yes I can put my cheeters on and its clear but down range is a blurr. I'm looking to put one on my gp100. Thanks for the video.
For my CC gun, I chose a grip laser instead of a red dot. Seeing where the point of aim is is instantaneous. Works best in poor light, obviously, and is useless in bright sunlight. But in sunlight, the iron sights are easy to see.
I think for hunting, this makes a whole lot of sense (low light, target focus, and larger sight picture)... If you like plinking or use it for home defense, iron is more than acceptable.
I have a red dot on my super blackhawk .44 mag. It’s sweet. I did have to look for the dot at first but now I know where to start n no prob. It’s way easier on my old eyes and only weighs a few ounces. Compared to a traditional scope it’s nothing.
I found my accuracy and speed on target to both be better than ironsights. Unfortunately, it was on a S&W629. The recoil kept shooting it loose. It would be great for a while, but then 30, 40, or 50 rounds later, I would throw a couple of wild fliers and realize that my dot was loose. Fortunately, it was intended for hunting, not self defense, so I just mounted a full-length picatinny rail and a 2x scope, which is way more solid.
As someone who prefers leather I had the same holster issue with finding one for my vp9sk with an rmr. Falco holsters will make a holster with optic cut and it has been a great holster for my vp9. Not sure if their revolver holsters are viable for the optic, but I’m considering trying it out for a 2.5” barrel s&w 686 7x just to see how I like it.
A lot of people felt comfortable with their flip phone and didn't need a smart phone. Technology has made iron sights almost antiquated. There is a big 1/3 iron/dot co-witness ideology solely for back-up or confirmation, but as you get over the stigma and trust the operation of your red dot, some people are removing irons completely. As red dots continue to evolve and get better, and people get over the fear of batteries going dead (just change them every year before they go dead) they make more sense on all types of firearms, including revolvers and shotguns. As I age and my vision changes, I have found red dots much easier to pick up than irons. All of my handguns now have red dots, including my revolvers. And to the people who are still using a laser... Refer to the first sentence 😊
Repeated training will improve your ability to index the red dot more intuitively. I think the greatest advantages of using a red dot are:
1 - significantly faster target transitions
2 - an ability to aim the firearm despite my vision not allowing me to focus on a front sight post unless I have my eyeglasses on
It took me a few range visits to really get into the groove of my red dot on my 686 competitor with 6” weighted barrel. That piece has an integral rail so it was almost a requirement to put an optic on it. I’ve found that a phenomenal trigger truly increases the ease of the red dot’s capabilities. I have that 66 with the 2.75” barrel like yours and know that the stock trigger is ultra heavy on that model. I swapped out the trigger return spring to a 12 pound return and the trigger is markedly lighter. The main spring is still stock so the hammer drop is still the same with no chance of a light primer strike. Trigger return spring swap is easy and costs about ten bucks and improves the accuracy and ease of the trigger pull and use of the red dot.
It seems like a red dot in a revolver would be better than on a modern pistol because you don't have to worry about the sight moving back and forward with the slide
My opinion is they are ugly on a revolver. With that said my ageing eyes, I have revolvers that I don't shoot any more because the back sight is a blurr. Yes I can put my cheeters on and its clear but down range is a blurr. I'm looking to put one on my gp100. Thanks for the video.
Thanks, I was on the fence but now I’m sticking with iron sights.
For my CC gun, I chose a grip laser instead of a red dot. Seeing where the point of aim is is instantaneous.
Works best in poor light, obviously, and is useless in bright sunlight. But in sunlight, the iron sights are easy to see.
I think for hunting, this makes a whole lot of sense (low light, target focus, and larger sight picture)... If you like plinking or use it for home defense, iron is more than acceptable.
Yeah, it's not like a necessity, but it has some definite advantages, for sure.
I have a red dot on my super blackhawk .44 mag. It’s sweet. I did have to look for the dot at first but now I know where to start n no prob. It’s way easier on my old eyes and only weighs a few ounces. Compared to a traditional scope it’s nothing.
Did you figure it out? Sometimes quality matters but moreover you have to zero it to yourself.
I found my accuracy and speed on target to both be better than ironsights. Unfortunately, it was on a S&W629. The recoil kept shooting it loose. It would be great for a while, but then 30, 40, or 50 rounds later, I would throw a couple of wild fliers and realize that my dot was loose. Fortunately, it was intended for hunting, not self defense, so I just mounted a full-length picatinny rail and a 2x scope, which is way more solid.
I feel most of these observations are applicable on semi-autos as well? I think you can overcome this with practice.
As someone who prefers leather I had the same holster issue with finding one for my vp9sk with an rmr. Falco holsters will make a holster with optic cut and it has been a great holster for my vp9. Not sure if their revolver holsters are viable for the optic, but I’m considering trying it out for a 2.5” barrel s&w 686 7x just to see how I like it.
I don’t know about Falco, but I’m looking at Galco leather holsters for my Redhawk. I had the bbl shortened from 7 1/2” to 4 1/2”
And am considering a red dot for deer hunting out to 50 yards.
My 686+ 2.75” has the same LK industry plate and a Burris FF3 on it and I love the way it shoots and looks but my holster issues remain unsolved
Yeah its a logistical problem. Kydex definitely seems like the easiest fix, if you're willing to try to modify it with a Dremel or something.
It looks kinda ugly with the red dot on it.