I think I may know what happened, I recently had TWO Holosun K optics fail in ways that could result in vertical stringing. Both were on my EDC, a P365TD, and the glue at bottoms of the lenses failed, resulting in tilted lenses, which means that the dot was higher than it should have been. These were both very early versions, V1s with the big buttons, not the X2. Within a week of filling out the warranty form, I now have two EPS carry optics, a huge upgrade. I have a dozen or two of other Holosuns, and have used them in torture testing Flux Defense products, with no failures. This includes drops of fully loaded Raiders directly onto the optic from up to 20 feet. Some aluminum chunks were lost upon impact, but retained zero - tested at 100 yards. Between the Sage Dynamic tests, my own tests, and now the warranty experience, I have no worries or qualms about Holosun. I do still run backup irons on every serious gun, or a backup dot to LPVOs.
Very interesting. I never thought about the possibility of the lens tilting. I guess that could result in similar problems as if the emitter itself was loose. Something to check next time (but hopefully there won't be a next time).
@@fullfire0 It's from over a year ago and I cannot recall which video it was. I do remember that it wasn't in the 507K review video but in one of the burndowns he was doing in a pistol review
60 year old iron sight fudd here... never had an iron sight fail except on an aftermarket 10/22 barrel where the front sight drifted loose. However, last year I purchased my first red dot for a pistol and it failed to hold its zero after only a few magazines. I can see the benefits of red dots on pistols, but I’ll never rely solely on them for self defense.
I have the Holosun HS407c and today, after having it for a year and thinking I'd lost my mind and my aim, and after rezeroing it over a dozen times. I have discovered I have the same issue. Today, I zeroed my Baldr Mini laser and cowitnessed the Holosun to the laser at 20 yards. Then while shooting while viewing the green laser dot and red dot superimposed through the optic window, I observed the red dot dance right, left and up and down relative to the laser after each shot. The optic as well as the laser are solidly mounted and lock tighted so it is not the mounts. It's taken me a while to figure this out and after seeing this video online a couple months ago a friend and I decided to conduct this test and I can assure you I have the same exact problem with my Holosun. I too have never heard of this problem until this video. Thanks Chris. Very helpful.
Thanks Chris. I especially like the part on emphasizing that people tend to oversimplify pistol optic failures with shattered optics or dead batteries/electrical failures, and that pistol optics are a little more complicated
@Federal Death Alliance FDA because you can target focus instead of front sight focus. You don’t have to worry about a three plane focused sight picture either. You get a bigger sight picture in some instances too. It makes farther distance shots easier and more accurate. All the same reasons we use red dots on rifles applies to pistols as well.
@@countryboy9546 I use LPVOs on my rifles. A dot is not accurate enough for me. I'm not going to knock red dots on pistols, but I find it hard, personally, to justify spending an extra couple $100 on a pistol that can accept red dots, a few hundred more for the red dot, then a good chunk of change more for sights that I can view through the window in case my dot decides to go schizophrenic on me, then probably some more money for a holster that will accept my handgun with tall irons and a red dot on it. For that cost, I could likely buy a significantly better pistol. I'm also not a fan of battery powered optics. Yeah, I know they have a couple years of battery life on them, but knowing Murphy, the dot will die when I need it to work. I'll also agree on the topic of needing a red dot on a handgun that will likely be used within 10 yards (God forbid). I don't see a real benefit. Then again, maybe I'll have to defend myself from some lanky emo AR toting liberal from across a mall in Indiana? Red dots do also make good charging handles, so there's a benefit there!
Great, very balanced analysis. I worry about optics failure, but then again I recently had the front sight walking out of its dovetail on a gun with iron sights.
I had a vortex viper. Broke after like 6 or so months. I have to admit they stand by their products, they shipped me a new one... was broken right out of the box. Got a 3rd one, immediately sold it and purchased a trijicon and have had it for like 4 years 0 issues. I applaud Vortex for standing by their product but I appreciate Trijicon for making a quality product. (Ps. I am aware of the large price difference and the fact that the viper is an entry level product)
This is good to know. Honestly, I try to run suppressor-height sights whenever I run a pistol red dot and this just gives me more of a reason why I should. A little redundancy never hurt.
For anyone that experiences these types of issues with a red dot, there are a few options that I didn’t hear mentioned in the video. First, switch to a different gun if available. If you suddenly start shooting amazing groups, you’ve likely got a hardware issue with the first gun. And if you are in a class with other shooters and your gun starts acting weird, hand it off to another shooter and have them fire a group for you. If your gun shoots fine for someone else, you can say it’s you as the shooter and not a hardware issue.
Interesting. I have the same setup, and the same problem. I thought something was off, so I bore sighted it at home and it was way off. Re-zeroed with the boresight, went to the range and it was way off afterwards, again. Sent it back to Holosun last week. Maybe there was a bad batch. I bought mine Jan. 2021.
Thats why the warranty is so good. Cheap fast production. But eventualy you'll get a good one lol So far iv ben lucky n javnt had any issues other than keeping the lense clean while carrying it all day. I take it out at night and its covered in dirt lint and dust. Its going to get scratched up to the point of not being able to see through it long b4 I ever have to use it for its intended purpose and idk what to do?
After I sent in the Holosun, it occurred to me that I had a Romeo0 waiting for my P322 to get out of NICS Delay jail, so I put that on the P365. The Romeo0 comes with a peice of plastic specifically to cover a hole on the top of the slide. I wonder if gasses or heat coming through that hole could have effected the Holosun.
Chris, with my P365XL the notch on the rear of the 407k/507k cowitnesses well enough with the front sight to still be an effective aiming solution. It’s not as nice as a full rear sight, but it can work in an emergency.
A built in rear sight notch is definitely better than nothing, especially if the optic dies completely. Whether it aligns anywhere close to your POI depends a lot on your front sight -- the P365 XL front sight does seem to be reasonably close. Using it as a reference could have helped in my diagnosis process this time, but I didn't even think to use it that way until I had the optic mounted on the P322. It's worth noting though, if there is an issue with the opting mounting interface, a rear notch on the optic will wander just as much as the dot itself.
@@LuckyGunner that’s a fair point about the front sight in reference to the built in rear. I’ve tested it and with the 407k/507k it works well enough with the P365XL, but a Romeo Zero with the shroud installed results in a rear that is too tall and the POI is quite high. Even with the optic loose I think you’d still have enough of a rear reference to make hits, unless the mounting fails entirely. I’ve done drills in courses where we occlude the lens and just use the optic housing as a reference to make hits (to simulate a catastrophic lens breakage). It’s not easy, but it is doable. I agree a rear dovetail would be better though. My guess is SIG will switch to dovetails front and rear on the XL as standard at some point, like they seem to be doing on some of the P320s and the XL Spectre Comp.
@@LuckyGunner I find the rear notch of Holosun is actually like a mm or so still too tall for exact POA/POI zero when using factory P365 low sight. The Romeo Zero is cut a little lower, allowing for a better alignment for emergency irons site use. But the Holosun is a much better red dot.
This is why i recently sold off all my pistol red dots and went back to iron sights. Now carrying a glock 30s with irons. Only pistol red dot I have is a glock 19 with rmr
As an iron sight guy (who is very much live and let live; if you want RDS on your pistol, that’s great, if you don’t, that’s great too), seeing the title of this video did give me a moment of “See, that’s why I stick to irons!” But I’m glad to hear that Holosun was quick to respond to you and I hope you do a follow-up video when the optic is repaired or replaced. For me, personally, I find most pistol iron sights easy to use and I like them (yes, even Glock sights are fine by me), but if you buy something with good money and it fails, it’s nice to know that the company that made it will stand by it.
Had an ACOG do something like that to me when I was a 1LT in an Infantry unit. Our company went to a range for training and I was the last one still zeroing. Also thought I somehow forgot out to shoot. Asked the 1SG to try and also had issues. HUGE sigh of relief.
You are correct. As an iron site guy I am thoroughly enjoying this video. Actually, my biggest issue with optics is the lens fogging over in high humidity environments. No amount of antifog is going to work in some of those environments.
I live in a swamp and have never had it seriously impact where the rounds go. If the dot is there, it'll be fine. If the dot decides that today's the day and the irons aren't visible, move to point shooting. I've had just as many issues with irons getting bonked as red dots, both on rifles and pistols. Everything fails under enough duress.
I've had my 507kX2 fail as well. It failed on my edc p365xl. Initially, I could not get the brightness lockout to disengage. I removed the battery hoping this would reset things. When I re-installed the battery, the optic wouldn't turn on at all. I replaced the battery with a new one hoping that would solve the issue, but it didn't. I contacted holosun by email, and they sent a shipping label for the warranty repair. The optic was gone and back within two weeks. I received the same optic back, but in working order. The optic runs fine now and several months later, have had no issues. I run multiple holosuns on other weapons and have had zero issues with any of them. I wonder if the moisture from conceal carrying my 507K caused the issue I had. Either way I'll continue carrying them until I no longer trust them. Keep up the good work Chris!
I had this exact failure with the MeCanik MO2 on my Canik Rival. Zeroed it in day before first competition. After two shots, dot got stuck at very top of window. Tried to adjust but nothing worked. This was my first red dot. Very reluctant to invest in another without cowitnessing iron sight. Thanks for the video. Good to know I’m not the only one with this issue.
John Hearne’s classes are some of the most thought provoking you’ll find in our ballistic martial arts. I’m lucky to have called him friend and mentor all these years, and continuously hope and will work more people learn about him, and from him.
Holosun is Holocrap. I recently bought my 3rd Holosun (407C) and it was defective when it arrived - seems like only the solar panel is working (just a really weak dot that appears for a few seconds from time to time), but won't power with a battery (yes ofc I tried with a another battery). The two others were the Holosun SCS for Glock, which both had confirmed issues with the reticle from the fabric. I also have two red dots from Sig, and one RMR, and never had any issues at all, it's just the Holosun every time. And 3 out of 3!! Really bad Chinese quality
A quick and extremely accurate way of confirming your zero is using a laser bore sight. When installing red dots on pistols I find that there is little offset between the laser and dot at 15 yards and once the pistol is confirmed zero with ammunition I will be using put the laser bore sight back on and draw a picture of how the laser and dot coincide on the target at 15 yards. This is very repeatable and not only works for pistols but for rifles as well... even at 100 plus yards in the right lighting conditions. Just a tip to save you some ammunition and peace of mind. Thanks for a great channel.
Thanks for this. Any piece of equipment can fail. I have iron sights, but I'm thinking of moving to RDO, and this has not dissuaded me in any way. I expect that there is a percentage of failures in any system, so you just need to learn how to deal with failures and move on.
As with rifles, the best failsafe for a red dot is to have irons as backups, and they can also be used as a quick reference to see if the dot has shifted (in case you drop it or suspect a failing dot)
I had the same thing happen with a 507C during a class. I filled out the warranty with Holosun and I had a new optic within a week. I was thankful for my suppressor height back up irons. The service was flawless and my new optic is performing spectacularly.
With my bad astigmatism I went back to irons with my 365xl, and I have to say that I 'trust' my aim more with iron sights. And with the Wilson combat grip, the aim is a lot more natural.
That must have been MADDENING! It never occurred to me that adding that additional level of complexity could also add much more difficulty in diagnosing the problem- including questioning your own skills as a shooter. Thank you for sharing this with us!
I literally just received my first pistol red dot sight yesterday (Holosun) and today this is the first video I see opening UA-cam. Hope this isn't a sign.
Holosun is actually one of the better choices since if it fails you can still use your iron sights. If an RMR fails the mount is too high to use your iron sights
@@TheRealXrayDoc It's one of the few Made in China products that's actually reliably good quality (that and my iPhone). Same for Vortex and Primary Arms sights.
@@LuckyGunner ha - I refuse to take apologies from the channel that gives me some of the best information around. As they say, I won't shoot the messenger! Thanks, as always, for the quality material you are constantly releasing!
I wouldn't worry too much. Just keep an eye on your Optic and run back up irons if you can. I have seen Aimpoints, Trijicons, and Eotechs fail in similar and other ways. So, it happens to all of them.
@@LuckyGunner dude I'm running the exact setup with the exact round count and noticed a couple low flyers during my last range trip. I'm full blown panic right now lol
@@Mitsurugi2424 I'm willing to bet it happens to Holosuns at a higher rate. I've had two of them fail. Trijicon and Eotech are run hard by police and military units and, for the most part, hold up. Holosun's are run by civilians who shoot 100 rounds a month and baby their firearms.
My older model 407 v2 holosun failed during a class as well, however my problem was that I couldn't turn it off or dim it down (basically the "-" button stopped working). I was still able to proceed with the class but annoyed that this 2 year old optic already broke. Good thing is holosun warranties their products so I should get a replacement in about a month. Also your story is a good reason why people should co-witness if possible.
Great video. Definitely something to think about! I was shooting a new 507k at the range one day, and all the sudden there was no dot. I was amazed how my brand new dot sight had failed already and was completely unresponsive. Took me a minute to realize the recoil had knocked the battery compartment screw loose and the whole compartment and battery had shot out and was lost down range!
Chris I give you much cred for showing what went wrong and put it on Tube. Many would bury an issue like this b/c they ID so closing with their gear, like a religion almost.
I'd say the point of the back up irons on a pistol isn't just to have a spare set of sights, but as an added check for the optic just like you implied at the end of the video. If you had some irons on the gun (I know it's not possible for a few, but I'm using this as an example.) you would have immediately been able to see the dot jumping around in comparison to the iron sights.
Which is why I like irons machined into the housing on pistols that replace the rear sight with the optic, such as the holosun or Shield optics on the P365
Yeah, I don't know what's going on at Holosun these days. They have quality or design issues I'm not sure which. In the last 2 months, I've returned no less than four (4) HE507Ks...each for reticles that couldn't be adjusted over center. Nobody checks them before they ship. I called Holosun but they weren’t that interested to hear about it, and they were seemingly unaware of that particular issue despite numerous online complaints about the very same problem….and their very same rude behavior.
They were not rude with me, they got me a replacement 509t in 19 business days. Only thing that I would recommend to them is communicate better. I had to ask how long till I would have a resolution, the answer was 20 business days to a resolution ( not 20 days to check it, but to solve the problem). No complaints from me and as a result I bought another 509t. I figure that first green one had something go out as no dot from battery power. I got a replacement red one , and also went red on the 2nd one.
@@Aonghuis @Christopher Lee Yeah, maybe I just had the one bad experience. The sad thing is I wanted one to work so badly because there was so much to like about it. I liked the multiple reticles and it had a nice crisp dot. I'm trying a Deltapoint as I heard those are also good. Sorry to disparage the company by piggy backing your comment....and thanks for offering another picture.
I’ve shot out two Delta point pros, and the process of realizing your red dot is failing you is maddening. I’ve gone from convincing myself there is no way I pulled that shot that bad to slowing everything down to confirm that maybe it was me and sure enough next round goes right where I’m aiming. Fast forward to a new mag and bam huge miss. The point I’m getting at is be confident in your shooting ability to know when something just isn’t right. The quickest diagnostic tool I’ve found is, if able, shoot another gun with a red dot to see if well ok maybe I did have too much coffee before hitting the range. Or nope something is definitely wrong with my optic and work the problem from there.
Thanks for this video. I didn’t realize (although I should have) that a red dot could actually fail like this… as in without giving a clear/obvious indication of failure BEFORE shooting. No missing dot. No cracks in glass. No missing glass. The dot was there so would have thought everything was fine. Damn.
I like plastic sights myself, on a stock Glock. No batteries to fail, no dots moving around. It's analog and I like that quite a bit. Someday, OK, maybe I get a red dot for a range gun. They are fun, I have tried them.
Interesting - thanks, Chris! A failure like this is actually worse than totally losing the dot. Good video! Don't eat yellow snow... Don't eat yellow snow...
My take away is know how to shoot from a bench with a pistol. I have found that attaching a bi-pod to the lower rail on the frame will remove almost all of the twisting motion when firing the pistol from the bench. In addition to using bags you should be able to see any issues you may have with the optic. Also it's a good way to check which brand of ammo is most accurate in you gun.
This is extremely helpful info I appreciate it. My eps carry would not group properly. I had the screws torqued to spec with loctite and they still came loose. It was very surprising to me but fortunately it was a mounting issue as you stated, which is much more common.
All I can say is good luck with Holosun's customer service and warranty. I tried 1 of their dots on my AR about a month ago. Got the shipping label and shipped it , they got it .... a month ago. Still no word at all and no responses. So goooood luck. It's my only and last Holosun.
I had a similar issue with my 507K but Holosun's warranty process was quick and easy. They couldn't repair it and sent me a new one. Good communication too.
I too have a 365xl and a 507k. I've not had any problems yet. My 507 has a small built in rear sight. In a squeeze I guess it would work. I enjoyed the video. Keep up the good work
I know that's not the case, but this stuff happens a lot when using mounting plates. The point of impact changes after a few shots. Sometimes, after a single shot. I tried using a Vector Optics red dot on a Taurus g2c (I like the idea of having external safety and I never managed to get the sights off on the other, larger, pistol I own) and I never managed to group shots at 12 yards. A very experienced shooter stepped in to help me, but after about 30 shots, he was having worse results than me.
Mr. Baker, I had just watched the video of putting the red dot on the P365XL, then this one popped up. Because of age and eyesight, I decided to try a red dot and watched a bunch of reviews. I'll put a Leupold on a Kimber 1911 full size for range use. This video is helpful with the test techniques and how red dot optics can fail, plus a topic of current interest. The vision concern has me looking at solutions for prescription safety glasses or goggles for pistol shooting.
Great job troubleshooting that, kudos to you. That would’ve driven me crazy trying to figure out what the hell was going on. A broke emitter? Dang. Glad HS is taking care of it.
Thank you for this! I use Holosun and have no issues. However, seeing this will make me aware that ANY BRAND Red Dot can fail. The Red Dot is just another tool and that can fail. I have had my AR15 Rear Iron Sight literally fall off while I was shooting. So everything can have it's issues. Just be prepared for when it happens! Either way, excellent video and KEEP ON ROCKING!
Super relevant for me. I have been using a 407c. I have about 500 rounds through it. Thanks for the update. Btw had the exact same thing happen to a 1st gen Burris fast fire.
Thanks for the info and getting people thinking about this scenario. All of my dot guns have sights that can either co-witness the dot or can be used through the optic and I think that's far and away the best setup. I don't know that I'd not ever have a gun that had to have the rear sight removed, but it's so easy to have one with both irons and optic that I don't see why I would choose that setup. The lesson I think here is that stuff fails, have a plan when it does. I too have had front sights launch off the slide and rear sights wander, haven't had a dot fail yet, but I know if I use them long enough, I'll have that happen.
Your videos are very well done. Solid explanations of what’s happening in the video(s), and you have a very good presence if front of the camera. I know it may sound arrogant and condescending, but watching some UA-camr’s videos on whatever subject can be a horrible experience! Some folks hadn’t a clue how to be in front of a camera. Your videos are just superior. I watched too many poorly done videos, and yours are so well done. Ahhhh, a breath of fresh air….. Thank you for the professionalism you have. 👍😎
Great video. I never gave much thought to this before as you tend to think optics will never let you down in that sense. You become too reliant on them.
Had my optic loosen up on my g43x and my back up irons were very useful. About 100 rounds into the day I was using irons hoping the dot didn't fly off the gun. Got home re locktited everything and it's been fine since. Back ups are ideal.
Sig now sells p365x and XL slides that keep the rear sight when the optic is mounted. They come with suppressor height sights but unfortunately are only available with the RomeoZero Elite pre installed.
My brilliant police sgt. once told me, “Too many people get too comfortable to their equipment. The problem with that is if you ever lose your laser, flashlight, or optic, you will panic in a firefight.” No truer words in my experience. I have trained with irons and point shooting ever since.
You're supposed to be well-versed in shooting regardless of gear but optics provide much more feedback in training than irons ever will. Your red dot acts as a primary, co-witnessed irons act as a backup. Any other setup is intentionally gimping the user.
I really hope he wasn't advocating for ditching lights from guns. It's okay to give advice that gets shooters killed, it's their life, they live it. It's very bad form to give advice that has and will get more random bystanders, innocent people, and family members killed.
@@orion8981 Lol. Very true EXCEPT we were Park Rangers and you need to hone your night vision in the woods and not rely on a flashlight that could go out. More anti-cop sentiment. Believe it or not NO ONE, cop or civilian, should ever shoot at anyone or anything without knowing the background. Anyone with half a brain knows that. That said, if police ever shoot at a suspect during a felony, the felony murder rule applies. If anyone dies during the course of a felony, it is the suspects fault. But not for your felony, the shootout would have never occurred, therefore you are liable. It changes jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but it is a general rule that if the felon was not there no one would have died.
That issue is minimized by having co-witnessing backup sights on a pistol dedicated to self defense. I used to be a hard no on pistol optics but after trying one i quickly learned how much of an advantage having one is
I had a Burris Fast Fire IV fail not long after 900 rounds through a CZ P10F. The glass came dislodged to where the bottom portion started moving forward. This also caused the point of impact to shift lower and lower until completely under the target. Talk about chasing zero and wasting ammo.
If you have co-witnessed iron sights, I would suggest the simple test of shooting a group with the irons instead of using your dot. I always recommend having co-witnessed irons for just this reason.
Thank you for uncovering this. I put nearly 500 rounds through a glock 48 with a 507k and could not for the life of me get it to group (windage stringing) so i could zero the optic. Thought it was me for months now. I did the same thing to test, put it on a tx22 and i saw it jumping left and right.
I think that the element which adjusts the elevation and windage in the sight (not sure if it does this by moving the emitter or a lens in front of the emitter) works by pushing against a spring - in other words the adjustment screw pushes one way and the spring resists it. If the spring came loose or got weak or lost contact with the mechanism then I believe it would cause exactly what you are seeing. Since the elevation spring is separate from the windage spring, this would also jive with the fact that only one axis was affected.
Odd, I have a 508T on my edc and its been rock solid for me . So has my 512C on my AR. Sage Dynamics review sold me on the 508T . Never heard of qc issues with holosun before now. Ive had more issues with irons coming loose on my walther ppq the front sight screw walked off and my jericho the front dovetail started shifting under recoil
I've heard of a lot of qc issues and with the price its just something to watch out for but when theyre good to go, theyre good to go. They are easily the best among cheap red dots, most dont even come closr to holosuns features and durability
Love buying ammo from you guys. This is one reason I'm less willing to put optics on my handguns. I'd rather have a laser under it and just keep the iron sights on it and train with and without the laser. Loved seeing that new P with the dual red dot and iron sights.
Not having optics on your gun because it might fail is like not having power steering on your car because it might fail. Yeah it might go down, but you're only hamstringing yourself. The advantages significantly outweigh the potential disadvantages.
I've seen this happen with other optics, and it was as Ben Griffith stated, lens failing and tilting around. Hopefully Holosun can tell you what the problem ended up being.
Well said, and well received by "some" of us old iron sight guys..... that said .... I tip a hat to the RDS.... and enjoy the ease of use on "used" eyes with these.... I eat a shabascet of carrots, and I am so pissed about that bit of misinformation of helping your eyesight.... that to being said, I can still reliably turn to my iron sight/eyeball combo to get the job done. Depending totally on an optic or electronic..... well, a slow fail is better than an all out bust what do I do know situation...... fantastic insight 👏
All micro dot has the same base design (even EOtech does this)...that it has glass pivot lock up on the bottom of housing and reinforced with epoxy on top of glass. If the epoxy malfunction it will cause the glass the tilt back...hence moving the dot higher...hence making POI low. I've reversed engineer fake chinese micro dot and reinforced with electrical potting compound (which I'm sure a lot of manufacturer uses this too)...sturdy like a rock.
I was about to swap the 407K on my GX4 onto my 365XL, and put the Romeo Zero on the GX4. Imma hold off now. I've had good luck with the Romeo zero and the Romeo 1 on my P320.
A lady in a class with me had her fiber optic front sight fall off while trying to qualify. One of the instructors carried the same make and model and let her finish with his pistol. She passed and bought the same sights the instructor had.
I had a Holosun HS507C-X2 ACSS Vulcan fail on me. Holosun sent me a shipping label and within a few weeks I had a brand new optic. I really like Holosun, but I understand why some people don't.
I have to say that unless a pistol has co-witness BUIS on an optics pistol I'll pass on it. Batteries give out, plates come off, screws get loose, but the irons are there like a spare tire to keep you moving forward.
I had the same experience with a Vortex Venom and bought a Holosun, which is so far so good. Sold Venom to someone who sent it back for warranty. I didn't have the patience to do that.
Thanks for mentioning this . As of late I now have two 365 XL's which are identical except for cosmetics. I have a 507K X2 on one and the factory sights on the other. I've been considering getting a green 507K for the 2nd 'XL but now I think I'll stick with the factory sights on that one.
Thank you, Chris, for your exceptional work!👍👏 I don’t use personally any red dots on my pistols. Just on my long guns, because I believe (however, I’m not a gun expert by far, so I might be wrong!) that the movement of a slide is what’s causing most of the failures on a red dot mounted on a semi-auto pistol slide. Thus, I just train myself with iron sights.
You’re right this is a unique failure. If the dot simply vanishes or flickers most people will transition to the irons, assuming they have them. But if the dot still works and the zero has become bad or inconsistent then recognizing that, especially in a defensive situation, may not be easy.
The 507k has a rear sight built into it. Though it is lower edge of window, I have no problem shooting using that with factory front sight. This would not alleviate your problem per se but it is a good backup
My work pistol has a red dot. The one in the video to be exact. It used to be on my edc, but one day I looked through it and couldn’t see my irons nor through it because it was dusty. I usually check it every few days and clean it. I did something dirty one day and didn’t realize that it completely obstructed. Scary for when you need to see your sights. Long story long, I clean my work pistol optic every day and seem to be lazy with my edc. No optics on my edc ever again.
Thank you for being honest. You will get a lot of haters saying it's you not the equipment. Trust me, I have videos talking about issues I have had with Glock and man did the Fanboys come out in force for me. Stay sharp, stay true, stay alive.
Anything breaks (even irons) and when you add electronics you do increase failure points. It’s a risk vs reward thing that everyone has to decide for themselves. Personally, I always want the ability to see my iron sights through my red dot. I’ve seen a trend coming from competition community of just rockin the red dot and it makes me nervous.
This is why I like having irons on guns that aren't too low to be seen (I also just got my EPS Carry, so hopefully the latest Holosun is a bit tougher). Glad it lasted so long, but hopefully yours is the exception and not the rule.
This happened to my Holosun 507c after 2000 rounds. 1 click adjustments at 15 yards would cause a POI shift of 3 to 6 inches! I had an RSO use his CCW and he was stacking dimes at 15. When he shot mine, the groups were all over place. This was enough to show my Holosun crapped out after a few months.
I had an interesting failure where the buttons straight up fell off my RMR. The + button didn't work at all, so there was no way to add brightness to the dot if you clicked the - button. Trijicon was fantastic in that they gave me a brand new Type 2 as a replacement.
I think I may know what happened, I recently had TWO Holosun K optics fail in ways that could result in vertical stringing. Both were on my EDC, a P365TD, and the glue at bottoms of the lenses failed, resulting in tilted lenses, which means that the dot was higher than it should have been. These were both very early versions, V1s with the big buttons, not the X2. Within a week of filling out the warranty form, I now have two EPS carry optics, a huge upgrade. I have a dozen or two of other Holosuns, and have used them in torture testing Flux Defense products, with no failures. This includes drops of fully loaded Raiders directly onto the optic from up to 20 feet. Some aluminum chunks were lost upon impact, but retained zero - tested at 100 yards. Between the Sage Dynamic tests, my own tests, and now the warranty experience, I have no worries or qualms about Holosun. I do still run backup irons on every serious gun, or a backup dot to LPVOs.
Very interesting. I never thought about the possibility of the lens tilting. I guess that could result in similar problems as if the emitter itself was loose. Something to check next time (but hopefully there won't be a next time).
Ayy what up Ben!! It's Nic M. from the group! 😂
Sage Dynamics has the lens of a 507K falling off during firing on video so that seems likely
@@shootinbruin3614 Where?
@@fullfire0 It's from over a year ago and I cannot recall which video it was. I do remember that it wasn't in the 507K review video but in one of the burndowns he was doing in a pistol review
60 year old iron sight fudd here... never had an iron sight fail except on an aftermarket 10/22 barrel where the front sight drifted loose. However, last year I purchased my first red dot for a pistol and it failed to hold its zero after only a few magazines. I can see the benefits of red dots on pistols, but I’ll never rely solely on them for self defense.
Chris you’re a master communicator and infinitely watchable. Keep up the exceptional work.
Youre right. He is very clear and well spoken. It makes his videos very watchable.
I have the Holosun HS407c and today, after having it for a year and thinking I'd lost my mind and my aim, and after rezeroing it over a dozen times. I have discovered I have the same issue. Today, I zeroed my Baldr Mini laser and cowitnessed the Holosun to the laser at 20 yards. Then while shooting while viewing the green laser dot and red dot superimposed through the optic window, I observed the red dot dance right, left and up and down relative to the laser after each shot. The optic as well as the laser are solidly mounted and lock tighted so it is not the mounts. It's taken me a while to figure this out and after seeing this video online a couple months ago a friend and I decided to conduct this test and I can assure you I have the same exact problem with my Holosun. I too have never heard of this problem until this video. Thanks Chris. Very helpful.
Thanks Chris. I especially like the part on emphasizing that people tend to oversimplify pistol optic failures with shattered optics or dead batteries/electrical failures, and that pistol optics are a little more complicated
@SCHLONG COVID if youre going to even ask why then you clearly havent researched enough to see the benefits
@Federal Death Alliance FDA because you can target focus instead of front sight focus. You don’t have to worry about a three plane focused sight picture either. You get a bigger sight picture in some instances too.
It makes farther distance shots easier and more accurate. All the same reasons we use red dots on rifles applies to pistols as well.
@@countryboy9546 Nobody needs a fully automatic micro Red dot on their lung-dislocator.
@@countryboy9546 I use LPVOs on my rifles. A dot is not accurate enough for me.
I'm not going to knock red dots on pistols, but I find it hard, personally, to justify spending an extra couple $100 on a pistol that can accept red dots, a few hundred more for the red dot, then a good chunk of change more for sights that I can view through the window in case my dot decides to go schizophrenic on me, then probably some more money for a holster that will accept my handgun with tall irons and a red dot on it. For that cost, I could likely buy a significantly better pistol.
I'm also not a fan of battery powered optics. Yeah, I know they have a couple years of battery life on them, but knowing Murphy, the dot will die when I need it to work.
I'll also agree on the topic of needing a red dot on a handgun that will likely be used within 10 yards (God forbid). I don't see a real benefit.
Then again, maybe I'll have to defend myself from some lanky emo AR toting liberal from across a mall in Indiana?
Red dots do also make good charging handles, so there's a benefit there!
Hahaha red dot users trying to justify red dots on pistols shooting targets 30 feet away lol lmao
Great, very balanced analysis. I worry about optics failure, but then again I recently had the front sight walking out of its dovetail on a gun with iron sights.
Thank you for the advice about the snow, Chris.
Oh and also the well made and informative video
My pleasure
Now I'm sitting here with my citrus snow cone and don't know what to do.
I had a vortex viper. Broke after like 6 or so months. I have to admit they stand by their products, they shipped me a new one... was broken right out of the box. Got a 3rd one, immediately sold it and purchased a trijicon and have had it for like 4 years 0 issues. I applaud Vortex for standing by their product but I appreciate Trijicon for making a quality product. (Ps. I am aware of the large price difference and the fact that the viper is an entry level product)
Loving the jokes at the end of these videos. And Chris, you're still one of the best voices in our industry. Great work, keep it up.
This is good to know. Honestly, I try to run suppressor-height sights whenever I run a pistol red dot and this just gives me more of a reason why I should. A little redundancy never hurt.
I try to read all the comments before I make one and that is exactly what I was going to add.
He can also opt for the newer xl slides with the tall irons and further set mounting points
For anyone that experiences these types of issues with a red dot, there are a few options that I didn’t hear mentioned in the video. First, switch to a different gun if available. If you suddenly start shooting amazing groups, you’ve likely got a hardware issue with the first gun. And if you are in a class with other shooters and your gun starts acting weird, hand it off to another shooter and have them fire a group for you. If your gun shoots fine for someone else, you can say it’s you as the shooter and not a hardware issue.
Interesting. I have the same setup, and the same problem. I thought something was off, so I bore sighted it at home and it was way off. Re-zeroed with the boresight, went to the range and it was way off afterwards, again. Sent it back to Holosun last week. Maybe there was a bad batch. I bought mine Jan. 2021.
I'm experiencing the same problem with a 407 I just purchased
Same here
Thats why the warranty is so good.
Cheap fast production.
But eventualy you'll get a good one lol
So far iv ben lucky n javnt had any issues other than keeping the lense clean while carrying it all day.
I take it out at night and its covered in dirt lint and dust.
Its going to get scratched up to the point of not being able to see through it long b4 I ever have to use it for its intended purpose and idk what to do?
After I sent in the Holosun, it occurred to me that I had a Romeo0 waiting for my P322 to get out of NICS Delay jail, so I put that on the P365. The Romeo0 comes with a peice of plastic specifically to cover a hole on the top of the slide. I wonder if gasses or heat coming through that hole could have effected the Holosun.
Chris, with my P365XL the notch on the rear of the 407k/507k cowitnesses well enough with the front sight to still be an effective aiming solution. It’s not as nice as a full rear sight, but it can work in an emergency.
A built in rear sight notch is definitely better than nothing, especially if the optic dies completely. Whether it aligns anywhere close to your POI depends a lot on your front sight -- the P365 XL front sight does seem to be reasonably close. Using it as a reference could have helped in my diagnosis process this time, but I didn't even think to use it that way until I had the optic mounted on the P322. It's worth noting though, if there is an issue with the opting mounting interface, a rear notch on the optic will wander just as much as the dot itself.
@@LuckyGunner that’s a fair point about the front sight in reference to the built in rear. I’ve tested it and with the 407k/507k it works well enough with the P365XL, but a Romeo Zero with the shroud installed results in a rear that is too tall and the POI is quite high.
Even with the optic loose I think you’d still have enough of a rear reference to make hits, unless the mounting fails entirely. I’ve done drills in courses where we occlude the lens and just use the optic housing as a reference to make hits (to simulate a catastrophic lens breakage). It’s not easy, but it is doable. I agree a rear dovetail would be better though. My guess is SIG will switch to dovetails front and rear on the XL as standard at some point, like they seem to be doing on some of the P320s and the XL Spectre Comp.
@@LuckyGunner close enough with the 507k on the 365xl for plate racks. Not quite on for 8 inch steel at 40 yards.
Ask the cola bros how I know....
@@LuckyGunner I find the rear notch of Holosun is actually like a mm or so still too tall for exact POA/POI zero when using factory P365 low sight. The Romeo Zero is cut a little lower, allowing for a better alignment for emergency irons site use. But the Holosun is a much better red dot.
@@davidm2418 keep in mind that changes if you add the protective shroud as the shroud raises the rear sight noticeably.
This is why i recently sold off all my pistol red dots and went back to iron sights. Now carrying a glock 30s with irons. Only pistol red dot I have is a glock 19 with rmr
As an iron sight guy (who is very much live and let live; if you want RDS on your pistol, that’s great, if you don’t, that’s great too), seeing the title of this video did give me a moment of “See, that’s why I stick to irons!” But I’m glad to hear that Holosun was quick to respond to you and I hope you do a follow-up video when the optic is repaired or replaced. For me, personally, I find most pistol iron sights easy to use and I like them (yes, even Glock sights are fine by me), but if you buy something with good money and it fails, it’s nice to know that the company that made it will stand by it.
Had an ACOG do something like that to me when I was a 1LT in an Infantry unit. Our company went to a range for training and I was the last one still zeroing. Also thought I somehow forgot out to shoot. Asked the 1SG to try and also had issues. HUGE sigh of relief.
You are correct. As an iron site guy I am thoroughly enjoying this video.
Actually, my biggest issue with optics is the lens fogging over in high humidity environments. No amount of antifog is going to work in some of those environments.
Also if a white light washes out your optic. That’s why I always at least have backup irons.
@@paulsciria8921 had that happen when dry firing my wife's gun in the house. The reflection hit in such a way I couldn't even see the irons.
I live in a swamp and have never had it seriously impact where the rounds go. If the dot is there, it'll be fine.
If the dot decides that today's the day and the irons aren't visible, move to point shooting.
I've had just as many issues with irons getting bonked as red dots, both on rifles and pistols. Everything fails under enough duress.
I've had my 507kX2 fail as well. It failed on my edc p365xl. Initially, I could not get the brightness lockout to disengage. I removed the battery hoping this would reset things. When I re-installed the battery, the optic wouldn't turn on at all. I replaced the battery with a new one hoping that would solve the issue, but it didn't. I contacted holosun by email, and they sent a shipping label for the warranty repair. The optic was gone and back within two weeks. I received the same optic back, but in working order. The optic runs fine now and several months later, have had no issues. I run multiple holosuns on other weapons and have had zero issues with any of them. I wonder if the moisture from conceal carrying my 507K caused the issue I had. Either way I'll continue carrying them until I no longer trust them.
Keep up the good work Chris!
I had this exact failure with the MeCanik MO2 on my Canik Rival. Zeroed it in day before first competition. After two shots, dot got stuck at very top of window. Tried to adjust but nothing worked. This was my first red dot. Very reluctant to invest in another without cowitnessing iron sight. Thanks for the video. Good to know I’m not the only one with this issue.
John Hearne’s classes are some of the most thought provoking you’ll find in our ballistic martial arts. I’m lucky to have called him friend and mentor all these years, and continuously hope and will work more people learn about him, and from him.
Holosun is Holocrap. I recently bought my 3rd Holosun (407C) and it was defective when it arrived - seems like only the solar panel is working (just a really weak dot that appears for a few seconds from time to time), but won't power with a battery (yes ofc I tried with a another battery). The two others were the Holosun SCS for Glock, which both had confirmed issues with the reticle from the fabric. I also have two red dots from Sig, and one RMR, and never had any issues at all, it's just the Holosun every time. And 3 out of 3!! Really bad Chinese quality
A quick and extremely accurate way of confirming your zero is using a laser bore sight. When installing red dots on pistols I find that there is little offset between the laser and dot at 15 yards and once the pistol is confirmed zero with ammunition I will be using put the laser bore sight back on and draw a picture of how the laser and dot coincide on the target at 15 yards. This is very repeatable and not only works for pistols but for rifles as well... even at 100 plus yards in the right lighting conditions. Just a tip to save you some ammunition and peace of mind. Thanks for a great channel.
Thanks for this. Any piece of equipment can fail. I have iron sights, but I'm thinking of moving to RDO, and this has not dissuaded me in any way. I expect that there is a percentage of failures in any system, so you just need to learn how to deal with failures and move on.
As with rifles, the best failsafe for a red dot is to have irons as backups, and they can also be used as a quick reference to see if the dot has shifted (in case you drop it or suspect a failing dot)
I had the same thing happen with a 507C during a class. I filled out the warranty with Holosun and I had a new optic within a week. I was thankful for my suppressor height back up irons. The service was flawless and my new optic is performing spectacularly.
With my bad astigmatism I went back to irons with my 365xl, and I have to say that I 'trust' my aim more with iron sights. And with the Wilson combat grip, the aim is a lot more natural.
Having an astigmatism sucks :(
That must have been MADDENING! It never occurred to me that adding that additional level of complexity could also add much more difficulty in diagnosing the problem- including questioning your own skills as a shooter. Thank you for sharing this with us!
I literally just received my first pistol red dot sight yesterday (Holosun) and today this is the first video I see opening UA-cam. Hope this isn't a sign.
Holosun is actually one of the better choices since if it fails you can still use your iron sights. If an RMR fails the mount is too high to use your iron sights
@@TheRealXrayDoc It's one of the few Made in China products that's actually reliably good quality (that and my iPhone). Same for Vortex and Primary Arms sights.
It’s not a sign, bro. They’re solid.
Please don't be the optic I use... Please don't be the optic I use... Please don't be the optic I use... DAMN! 😕
Hah, sorry :(
@@LuckyGunner ha - I refuse to take apologies from the channel that gives me some of the best information around. As they say, I won't shoot the messenger! Thanks, as always, for the quality material you are constantly releasing!
I wouldn't worry too much. Just keep an eye on your Optic and run back up irons if you can.
I have seen Aimpoints, Trijicons, and Eotechs fail in similar and other ways. So, it happens to all of them.
@@LuckyGunner dude I'm running the exact setup with the exact round count and noticed a couple low flyers during my last range trip. I'm full blown panic right now lol
@@Mitsurugi2424 I'm willing to bet it happens to Holosuns at a higher rate. I've had two of them fail. Trijicon and Eotech are run hard by police and military units and, for the most part, hold up. Holosun's are run by civilians who shoot 100 rounds a month and baby their firearms.
My older model 407 v2 holosun failed during a class as well, however my problem was that I couldn't turn it off or dim it down (basically the "-" button stopped working). I was still able to proceed with the class but annoyed that this 2 year old optic already broke. Good thing is holosun warranties their products so I should get a replacement in about a month. Also your story is a good reason why people should co-witness if possible.
Great video. Definitely something to think about! I was shooting a new 507k at the range one day, and all the sudden there was no dot. I was amazed how my brand new dot sight had failed already and was completely unresponsive. Took me a minute to realize the recoil had knocked the battery compartment screw loose and the whole compartment and battery had shot out and was lost down range!
I love red dot sights, especially on rifles. But you definitely have to have some sort of backup and this just proves why.
Chris I give you much cred for showing what went wrong and put it on Tube. Many would bury an issue like this b/c they ID so closing with their gear, like a religion almost.
I'd say the point of the back up irons on a pistol isn't just to have a spare set of sights, but as an added check for the optic just like you implied at the end of the video. If you had some irons on the gun (I know it's not possible for a few, but I'm using this as an example.) you would have immediately been able to see the dot jumping around in comparison to the iron sights.
Which is why I like irons machined into the housing on pistols that replace the rear sight with the optic, such as the holosun or Shield optics on the P365
I liked the bonus tip at the end. VERY good advice!
I watch a lot of gun video for more than A decade.....but i am only thrilled when luckygunner post a new video.
Yeah, I don't know what's going on at Holosun these days. They have quality or design issues I'm not sure which. In the last 2 months, I've returned no less than four (4) HE507Ks...each for reticles that couldn't be adjusted over center. Nobody checks them before they ship. I called Holosun but they weren’t that interested to hear about it, and they were seemingly unaware of that particular issue despite numerous online complaints about the very same problem….and their very same rude behavior.
They were not rude with me, they got me a replacement 509t in 19 business days. Only thing that I would recommend to them is communicate better. I had to ask how long till I would have a resolution, the answer was 20 business days to a resolution ( not 20 days to check it, but to solve the problem). No complaints from me and as a result I bought another 509t. I figure that first green one had something go out as no dot from battery power. I got a replacement red one , and also went red on the 2nd one.
@@Aonghuis @Christopher Lee Yeah, maybe I just had the one bad experience. The sad thing is I wanted one to work so badly because there was so much to like about it. I liked the multiple reticles and it had a nice crisp dot. I'm trying a Deltapoint as I heard those are also good. Sorry to disparage the company by piggy backing your comment....and thanks for offering another picture.
I’ve shot out two Delta point pros, and the process of realizing your red dot is failing you is maddening. I’ve gone from convincing myself there is no way I pulled that shot that bad to slowing everything down to confirm that maybe it was me and sure enough next round goes right where I’m aiming. Fast forward to a new mag and bam huge miss. The point I’m getting at is be confident in your shooting ability to know when something just isn’t right. The quickest diagnostic tool I’ve found is, if able, shoot another gun with a red dot to see if well ok maybe I did have too much coffee before hitting the range. Or nope something is definitely wrong with my optic and work the problem from there.
Wow - you need to make a video about your skincare routine (for us fellas). You simply do NOT age! Outstanding!
Thanks for this video. I didn’t realize (although I should have) that a red dot could actually fail like this… as in without giving a clear/obvious indication of failure BEFORE shooting. No missing dot. No cracks in glass. No missing glass. The dot was there so would have thought everything was fine. Damn.
I like plastic sights myself, on a stock Glock. No batteries to fail, no dots moving around. It's analog and I like that quite a bit.
Someday, OK, maybe I get a red dot for a range gun. They are fun, I have tried them.
Huge help. Appreciate the honesty & ethic in addressing issue. Thank you.
Interesting - thanks, Chris! A failure like this is actually worse than totally losing the dot. Good video! Don't eat yellow snow... Don't eat yellow snow...
So glad I have avoided installing an optic on my handgun!! I am 70 yo and still rely on iron sights. I find optics to be very distracting!!
My take away is know how to shoot from a bench with a pistol. I have found that attaching a bi-pod to the lower rail on the frame will remove almost all of the twisting motion when firing the pistol from the bench. In addition to using bags you should be able to see any issues you may have with the optic. Also it's a good way to check which brand of ammo is most accurate in you gun.
This is extremely helpful info I appreciate it. My eps carry would not group properly. I had the screws torqued to spec with loctite and they still came loose. It was very surprising to me but fortunately it was a mounting issue as you stated, which is much more common.
All I can say is good luck with Holosun's customer service and warranty. I tried 1 of their dots on my AR about a month ago. Got the shipping label and shipped it , they got it .... a month ago. Still no word at all and no responses. So goooood luck. It's my only and last Holosun.
I had a similar issue with my 507K but Holosun's warranty process was quick and easy. They couldn't repair it and sent me a new one. Good communication too.
I too have a 365xl and a 507k. I've not had any problems yet. My 507 has a small built in rear sight. In a squeeze I guess it would work.
I enjoyed the video. Keep up the good work
And here is a good reason I buy my ammo at Lucky Gunner, I love these informative and entertaining videos. Thanks Chris!
I know that's not the case, but this stuff happens a lot when using mounting plates. The point of impact changes after a few shots. Sometimes, after a single shot. I tried using a Vector Optics red dot on a Taurus g2c (I like the idea of having external safety and I never managed to get the sights off on the other, larger, pistol I own) and I never managed to group shots at 12 yards. A very experienced shooter stepped in to help me, but after about 30 shots, he was having worse results than me.
Mr. Baker, I had just watched the video of putting the red dot on the P365XL, then this one popped up. Because of age and eyesight, I decided to try a red dot and watched a bunch of reviews. I'll put a Leupold on a Kimber 1911 full size for range use. This video is helpful with the test techniques and how red dot optics can fail, plus a topic of current interest. The vision concern has me looking at solutions for prescription safety glasses or goggles for pistol shooting.
Great job troubleshooting that, kudos to you. That would’ve driven me crazy trying to figure out what the hell was going on. A broke emitter? Dang. Glad HS is taking care of it.
Thanks for the vid. I carry the exact same 365xl/507k combo. This is a reminder to me shoot my edc more often
Thank you for this! I use Holosun and have no issues. However, seeing this will make me aware that ANY BRAND Red Dot can fail. The Red Dot is just another tool and that can fail. I have had my AR15 Rear Iron Sight literally fall off while I was shooting. So everything can have it's issues. Just be prepared for when it happens! Either way, excellent video and KEEP ON ROCKING!
Super relevant for me. I have been using a 407c. I have about 500 rounds through it. Thanks for the update. Btw had the exact same thing happen to a 1st gen Burris fast fire.
Thanks for the info and getting people thinking about this scenario. All of my dot guns have sights that can either co-witness the dot or can be used through the optic and I think that's far and away the best setup. I don't know that I'd not ever have a gun that had to have the rear sight removed, but it's so easy to have one with both irons and optic that I don't see why I would choose that setup. The lesson I think here is that stuff fails, have a plan when it does. I too have had front sights launch off the slide and rear sights wander, haven't had a dot fail yet, but I know if I use them long enough, I'll have that happen.
Your videos are very well done. Solid explanations of what’s happening in the video(s), and you have a very good presence if front of the camera. I know it may sound arrogant and condescending, but watching some UA-camr’s videos on whatever subject can be a horrible experience! Some folks hadn’t a clue how to be in front of a camera. Your videos are just superior. I watched too many poorly done videos, and yours are so well done. Ahhhh, a breath of fresh air….. Thank you for the professionalism you have. 👍😎
Great video. I never gave much thought to this before as you tend to think optics will never let you down in that sense. You become too reliant on them.
Had my optic loosen up on my g43x and my back up irons were very useful. About 100 rounds into the day I was using irons hoping the dot didn't fly off the gun. Got home re locktited everything and it's been fine since. Back ups are ideal.
Sig now sells p365x and XL slides that keep the rear sight when the optic is mounted. They come with suppressor height sights but unfortunately are only available with the RomeoZero Elite pre installed.
My brilliant police sgt. once told me, “Too many people get too comfortable to their equipment. The problem with that is if you ever lose your laser, flashlight, or optic, you will panic in a firefight.” No truer words in my experience. I have trained with irons and point shooting ever since.
You're supposed to be well-versed in shooting regardless of gear but optics provide much more feedback in training than irons ever will. Your red dot acts as a primary, co-witnessed irons act as a backup. Any other setup is intentionally gimping the user.
All I know is that a six inch blade never loses reception
I really hope he wasn't advocating for ditching lights from guns.
It's okay to give advice that gets shooters killed, it's their life, they live it. It's very bad form to give advice that has and will get more random bystanders, innocent people, and family members killed.
@@orion8981 Lol. Very true EXCEPT we were Park Rangers and you need to hone your night vision in the woods and not rely on a flashlight that could go out.
More anti-cop sentiment. Believe it or not NO ONE, cop or civilian, should ever shoot at anyone or anything without knowing the background. Anyone with half a brain knows that. That said, if police ever shoot at a suspect during a felony, the felony murder rule applies. If anyone dies during the course of a felony, it is the suspects fault. But not for your felony, the shootout would have never occurred, therefore you are liable. It changes jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but it is a general rule that if the felon was not there no one would have died.
That issue is minimized by having co-witnessing backup sights on a pistol dedicated to self defense. I used to be a hard no on pistol optics but after trying one i quickly learned how much of an advantage having one is
Holosun with the green dot w/ circle works great going on two years ZERO malfunction... good thing for the warranty..😎
I had a Burris Fast Fire IV fail not long after 900 rounds through a CZ P10F. The glass came dislodged to where the bottom portion started moving forward. This also caused the point of impact to shift lower and lower until completely under the target. Talk about chasing zero and wasting ammo.
I bought a Holosun RDS for my P365 XL, and it had issues right out of the box. I sent it back for a refund. I'm glad.
If you have co-witnessed iron sights, I would suggest the simple test of shooting a group with the irons instead of using your dot. I always recommend having co-witnessed irons for just this reason.
Thank you for uncovering this. I put nearly 500 rounds through a glock 48 with a 507k and could not for the life of me get it to group (windage stringing) so i could zero the optic. Thought it was me for months now. I did the same thing to test, put it on a tx22 and i saw it jumping left and right.
Thanks
Very informative…removed any doubt in my mind about the addition of backup irons for any carry or competition red dot…absolutely essential!
So many people just dive into firearms and toss on optics without sighting or training with irons. Kinda sad.
I think that the element which adjusts the elevation and windage in the sight (not sure if it does this by moving the emitter or a lens in front of the emitter) works by pushing against a spring - in other words the adjustment screw pushes one way and the spring resists it. If the spring came loose or got weak or lost contact with the mechanism then I believe it would cause exactly what you are seeing. Since the elevation spring is separate from the windage spring, this would also jive with the fact that only one axis was affected.
Odd, I have a 508T on my edc and its been rock solid for me . So has my 512C on my AR. Sage Dynamics review sold me on the 508T . Never heard of qc issues with holosun before now. Ive had more issues with irons coming loose on my walther ppq the front sight screw walked off and my jericho the front dovetail started shifting under recoil
I've heard of a lot of qc issues and with the price its just something to watch out for but when theyre good to go, theyre good to go. They are easily the best among cheap red dots, most dont even come closr to holosuns features and durability
Ppl are ppl , things fail and sometime you get a lemon . That’s why you always have a good relationship with god!
Love buying ammo from you guys. This is one reason I'm less willing to put optics on my handguns. I'd rather have a laser under it and just keep the iron sights on it and train with and without the laser. Loved seeing that new P with the dual red dot and iron sights.
Not having optics on your gun because it might fail is like not having power steering on your car because it might fail.
Yeah it might go down, but you're only hamstringing yourself. The advantages significantly outweigh the potential disadvantages.
I've seen this happen with other optics, and it was as Ben Griffith stated, lens failing and tilting around. Hopefully Holosun can tell you what the problem ended up being.
Well said, and well received by "some" of us old iron sight guys..... that said .... I tip a hat to the RDS.... and enjoy the ease of use on "used" eyes with these.... I eat a shabascet of carrots, and I am so pissed about that bit of misinformation of helping your eyesight.... that to being said, I can still reliably turn to my iron sight/eyeball combo to get the job done. Depending totally on an optic or electronic..... well, a slow fail is better than an all out bust what do I do know situation...... fantastic insight 👏
All micro dot has the same base design (even EOtech does this)...that it has glass pivot lock up on the bottom of housing and reinforced with epoxy on top of glass. If the epoxy malfunction it will cause the glass the tilt back...hence moving the dot higher...hence making POI low. I've reversed engineer fake chinese micro dot and reinforced with electrical potting compound (which I'm sure a lot of manufacturer uses this too)...sturdy like a rock.
I was about to swap the 407K on my GX4 onto my 365XL, and put the Romeo Zero on the GX4. Imma hold off now. I've had good luck with the Romeo zero and the Romeo 1 on my P320.
A lady in a class with me had her fiber optic front sight fall off while trying to qualify. One of the instructors carried the same make and model and let her finish with his pistol. She passed and bought the same sights the instructor had.
I had a Holosun HS507C-X2 ACSS Vulcan fail on me. Holosun sent me a shipping label and within a few weeks I had a brand new optic. I really like Holosun, but I understand why some people don't.
Thank you for sharing. Loved hearing this story and the diagnosis process you went through.
Great red dot scope. Glass is clear and easy to zero in.
I have to say that unless a pistol has co-witness BUIS on an optics pistol I'll pass on it. Batteries give out, plates come off, screws get loose, but the irons are there like a spare tire to keep you moving forward.
I had the same experience with a Vortex Venom and bought a Holosun, which is so far so good. Sold Venom to someone who sent it back for warranty. I didn't have the patience to do that.
Thanks for mentioning this . As of late I now have two 365 XL's which are identical except for cosmetics. I have a 507K X2 on one and the factory sights on the other. I've been considering getting a green 507K for the 2nd 'XL but now I think I'll stick with the factory sights on that one.
Thank you, Chris, for your exceptional work!👍👏 I don’t use personally any red dots on my pistols. Just on my long guns, because I believe (however, I’m not a gun expert by far, so I might be wrong!) that the movement of a slide is what’s causing most of the failures on a red dot mounted on a semi-auto pistol slide. Thus, I just train myself with iron sights.
You’re right this is a unique failure. If the dot simply vanishes or flickers most people will transition to the irons, assuming they have them. But if the dot still works and the zero has become bad or inconsistent then recognizing that, especially in a defensive situation, may not be easy.
Great information. Thank you for sharing.
Glad you found this condition during a class and not in the midst of real life scenario.
The 507k has a rear sight built into it. Though it is lower edge of window, I have no problem shooting using that with factory front sight. This would not alleviate your problem per se but it is a good backup
My work pistol has a red dot. The one in the video to be exact. It used to be on my edc, but one day I looked through it and couldn’t see my irons nor through it because it was dusty. I usually check it every few days and clean it. I did something dirty one day and didn’t realize that it completely obstructed. Scary for when you need to see your sights. Long story long, I clean my work pistol optic every day and seem to be lazy with my edc. No optics on my edc ever again.
Thank you for being honest. You will get a lot of haters saying it's you not the equipment. Trust me, I have videos talking about issues I have had with Glock and man did the Fanboys come out in force for me. Stay sharp, stay true, stay alive.
Strong argument for iron sights
Thanks for the final tip on snow. And I buy my ammo from Lucky Gunner.
Anything breaks (even irons) and when you add electronics you do increase failure points. It’s a risk vs reward thing that everyone has to decide for themselves. Personally, I always want the ability to see my iron sights through my red dot. I’ve seen a trend coming from competition community of just rockin the red dot and it makes me nervous.
Well, for a compilation gun or range toy it really doesn’t matter. But for defensive guns, hell yes they should have backup iron sight.
@@chriscarnes87absolutely
I knew this channel was legit as soon as I saw the operator beard.
This is why I like having irons on guns that aren't too low to be seen (I also just got my EPS Carry, so hopefully the latest Holosun is a bit tougher). Glad it lasted so long, but hopefully yours is the exception and not the rule.
Speaking of yellow snow, Mountain Dew now has an alcoholic beverage that tastes like Mountain Dew.
Please do an update video on your customer experience with Holosun.
I have the exact same set up as Chris, so this is good to know, thank you
This happened to my Holosun 507c after 2000 rounds. 1 click adjustments at 15 yards would cause a POI shift of 3 to 6 inches! I had an RSO use his CCW and he was stacking dimes at 15. When he shot mine, the groups were all over place. This was enough to show my Holosun crapped out after a few months.
I had an interesting failure where the buttons straight up fell off my RMR. The + button didn't work at all, so there was no way to add brightness to the dot if you clicked the - button. Trijicon was fantastic in that they gave me a brand new Type 2 as a replacement.
Been saying it since the first time I used one. Pistol optics just have too many failure points and complications for self defense use.
Thanks for the info. Not something I have ever seen or thought of before.