MODULAR POSSIBLITES

IT SEEMS THAT EVERY GBB PISTOL WE GET THROUGH TO THE AA OFFICE FOR TEST AND EVALUATION (T&E) THESE DAYS EITHER COMES WITH A MINI/MICRO RDS MOUNTED, OR IS AT LEAST COMPATIBLE IN SOME WAY WITH ONE! THE RISE OF THE RDS/REFLEX SIGHT MOUNTED ON A PISTOL APPEARS TO BE INEXORABLE, SO BILL TAKES A CLOSE LOOK AT ONE OF THE “ORIGINATORS” OF THIS STYLE, IN THE FORM OF THE G17 GEN5 MOS AND DIGS INTO WHY THIS CAN BE USEFUL.

Although I usually choose a “simple” secondary (pistol) myself, these days you can have pretty much any pistol model pre-fitted with a reflex red dot sight (RDS). Having a RDS on a handgun seems to be all the rage right now but is “just because it looks cool” good enough reason to add a RDS or buy a model with one already fitted? I have to look more closely at this to give you a sensible answer.

Advancements in sighting systems have allowed us to enhance our pistols with options including adjustable sights, tritium, and fibre-optic inserts. Changes in iron sight options have enhanced our ability to see and track our sights but have offered no way to change the way we see both the sights themselves and the target; we’re all still stuck with the “front sight, rear sight and target” thing! With a RDS it changes.

Red dot sights are by no means a new thing as competition shooters have been using electronic sighting systems successfully for years. With companies improving red dot sights so they can be mounted directly to a slide and handle the rigours of slide-mounted recoil, RDS systems can now be trusted and better shooters than I have spent many a range hour proving this. Yes, it’s a personal decision whether to incorporate “technology” onto your pistol and no doubt many a discussion will still be held over a nice malt as to their efficacy, but the fact is that the technology itself works - and can be trusted to work and perform.