Red Dots for HandgunsVSS Seminar – Wednesday, October 18th, 2017

Topics

• What’s a Red Dot?

• History

• Tube vs Reflex

• Internal Design

• Parallax

• MOA

• Mounting

• Zeroing

• Advantages

• Features

• The Future

• Price Ranges

• Brands

• Samples

• Summary

What’s a Red Dot?

• A firearm aiming device

– Quick Target acquisition

– Quicker Aim Target

• Internally projected

reticle(s)

• Does NOT project like a

laser

• Good at all light levels

• Increasingly used on

carry guns

Sight Picture &Alignment

History

• Introduced in 1960 by Burris

– Bullseye Pistol Scope

– Black Dot Reticle

– Heavy

– Poor in Low Light

• Swedish “Aimpoint” – 1975

– “Electronic”

– Expensive

– Heavy

History

• UltraDot – late 1980s

– Mediocre copies of Aimpoint

– Affordable

• Tasco (Florida)

– Japanese Manufactured

– ProPoint - tubular

– Tag Line: “Mount. Shoot. Gut. Eat. & Repeat”

– Very Affordable, Next Step Forward…

Internal Design

• Reticle projection

– R = Reticle

– CM = Collimating Lens

Internal Design

• “Tube” Version DesignZeroing

Collimating

Lens

LED

Holographic Sights

Differences VS LED

• Reticle Etched into Glass

• Incredible Battery Life

• Polarized Light

• Recoil Resistant

• Zero Parallax Error

• Can be Costly

– $80 to $1000+

• May Not Fit Handgun

65 MOA

1 MOA

Tube vs Reflex

Tube

• Heavier

• More Robust

• Rail Mounted

• Filters

– Shade

– Polarizing

Open (Reflex)

• Smaller

• Lighter

• May be Slide

Mounted

• More Susceptible to

Reflections

Parallax

ALL LED Red Dots have Parallax Error

– No error at design point – 75+ yards

• Minimization of Parallax Error

– Mount Scope as low as possible

– Collimating Lens Design Optics

– View in line with barrel

Definition: An apparent change in the direction of an

object, caused by a change in observational position

Parallax

17 Yards

25 Yards

50 Yards

Design

Point

MOA

Definition

• Minute of Angle

– 1 MOA = 1” @ 100 Yds

What it Means

• Dot Size

• Adjustments

MOA 10yds 25yds 50yds 100yds

1 1/8” ¼” ½” 1”

2 ¼” ½” 1” 2”

3 3/8” ¾” 1 ½” 3”

4 ½” 1” 2” 4”

5 5/8” 1 ¼” 2 ½” 5”

Mounting

Rail• Various Options

• Always on Top

Zeroing Options

• Two Options

– Fixed Distance

– Traditional Sights

7 Yards

ZeroPOA

POI

Zeroing Options

• Two Options

– Parallel to Barrel

Any Distance

Zero

1.25” 1.25”

POA

POI

Red Dot Advantages

vs Open Sights

• Much easier to aim

– Nothing to line up

• Major improvement in

accuracy

• Quicker Target

(Re)Acquisition

• One focal point

• Usable in low light

• Both Eyes Open

vs Lasers

• Better in bright light

• Better at longer

distances

• Better against dark

target

• Adjustable brightness

• Changeable colors

• Multiple reticles

Available Features

• Colors

– Red / Green / Blue

• Multiple Reticles

• Brightness

– 3 – 11

– Automatic

• MOA Range

– 1 – 7

• Size

• Weight

• Battery Life

• Parallax

– Collimating mirror

design

• Mounting

– Fixed or Quick

Release

• Digital Controls

The Future

Mini-Reflex

• Miniaturization

• New features

– Auto Brightness

– Motion Sensor

• Wider Range of

Integral Mounts

Price Points

• Reduced

• New Competitors

• Technological

Advancements

“Mini” Manufacturers

Mini-Reflex Sights

• Trijicon RMR

• EOTech MRDS

• Bushnell First Strike

• Leupold DeltaPoint

• Burris Fast Fire 3

• Docter Sight C

• Sight Mark Mini Shot

• Vortex Razor

3.25 MOA

$575

3.5 MOA

$500

Gun Manufacturers

Firearms• Glock MOS

• S&W C.O.R.E.

• Kahr Gen2 Premium

– High Open Sights

• Sig Sauer P320 RX

• FN America FNX-45

Mounting

S&W M&P PRO

C.O.R.E.

Glock

MOS

Technology Demand Curve

Quantity

Pri

ce

LOW

LOW HIGH

HIGH

Trijicon

EOTech

“Value”

Mfgrs

Early Adopters (Heat Seekers!)

Price Ranges

Low $$

• Less than $75

• One Color

• One Reticle – Dot

• Modest Quality

• Short Battery Life

• Less Reliable

• Lose Zeroing

Manufacturers

• Beileshi

• BSA

• Ohuhu

• Tactical Optics

• Truglo

• UTG

• Vokul

• Walther

Price Ranges

Medium $$

• $75 – $200

• Multi Color

• Multi Reticles

• Good Quality

• Very Reliable

• Hold Zero

• Medium Battery Life

Manufacturers

• Ade

• Vortex

• Sightmark

• Primary Arms

• Bushnell

• Burris

Price Ranges

High End $$

• $200 & Up

• 2-3 Colors

• 4-6 Reticles

• Extremely Reliable

• Auto Brightness

• Extreme Battery Life

• Motion Sensor

• Waterproof

Manufacturers

• Aimpoint

• Burris

• EOTech

• Leupold

• Trijicon

• Vortex

Samples

Tubular

Make – Model Price

BSA 30mm 5 MOA $25

UTG 4.2” ITA QD R/G $50

Burris Trophy TRS-25 $92

Vortex Optics Sparc II $199

Aimpoint CompML3 $380

Trijicon MRO-C $504

Aimpoint Micro T-1 $648

Reflex

Make – Model Price

Generic Holographic $27

Dagger Defense DD119 $47

Truglo Tru-Brite $65

Sightmark SM26008 $130

EOTech Waterproof Mini $444

Trijicon RMR $630

EOTech 517 $739

Summary

Benefits

• Quicker Target

Acquisition

– Multiple Targets

– Moving Targets

• Quicker Aiming

– vs Open Sights

• Faster Repeat Shots

• Max Eye Relief

Desirable Features

• Multi Color – R/G

• Multi Reticles

• Light Weight

• Holding Zero

• Low MOA (2-5)

• Long Battery Life

• Convenient Mounting

• Overall Quality

Any

Questions?