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The Annoyed Man wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 12:26 am

03Lightningrocks wrote: ↑Mon Nov 14, 2022 2:59 pm For home defense I like the flashlight idea. For concealed carry, I would have trouble like I do with the optics. It seems like it would make it uncomfortable for concealed carry. Realistically, aren't most self defense shooting situations up close encounters, less than like 25 feet?

Yeah, I’ve only got weapon lights on my home defense pistol, a shotgun, and most of my ARs, but I have to confess that the main reason I haven’t started carrying one mounted on my carry gun is that I don’t want to embark on a new holster quest that will accommodate a light right at the moment. That said, I do EDC a high quality flashlight when I’m out and about. But a good weapon light doesn’t weigh that much, so it’s not really an impediment to carry. When I save up a little extra money, I’ll shop for a holster that will fit my G19 with another TLR-1 I have sitting on the shelf.

The Annoyed Man wrote: ↑Mon Nov 14, 2022 11:46 am

03Lightningrocks wrote: ↑Sun Nov 13, 2022 11:48 pm Maybe this is the wrong thread for this question. Why do you folks like optics over laser sights? I have laser sights on several of my everyday carry weapons. They don't add the bulk of an optic and work well for me. With the laser sights I can usually use the holster I use with no laser because they are low profile. I have an optic on my AR15 and have had some issues with it working and staying sighted in. It is an EOtec. maybe the brand is the issue but for a concealed carry weapon, I am rather rotund and the extra profile an optic adds can be an issue for me.

For me, the tiniest tremor in my hand (literally everybody has some movement in their hands when aiming) turns into amplified motion at the far end wherever the laser dot touches the target. The greater the distance, the larger the amplitude of the dot's movement over that particular degree of arc. It’s just plain old geometry. If the target is close enough to me for that movement not to matter, it is also close enough to me for there to be no particular advantage of an electronically generated red aiming point over plain old iron sights.

When you couple that angle of movement problem with my terrible tendency to "follow the wandering dot", you end up with my point of impact being anywhere except my original point of aim. Like I said previously, I could probably train that out of my technique given a willingness to spend the money and time on doing so. But in my personal calculus, that just hasn’t been worth it to me. My preferred home defense pistol is a G17, with a TLR-1s light attached, hybrid tritium/fiberoptic suppressor-height iron sights, and a suppressor. I am able to hold as steady a point of aim in an otherwise darkened room with that setup as I am able to do with iron sights in broad daylight.

That said, my primary home defense weapon is a suppressed 11.5” AR, topped with an Aimpoint T2 micro. I am able to hold that setup pretty much rock steady, and by virtue of the much longer sight radius (i.e. barrel length) the amplitude of dot movement on the target is much smaller…enough so that I can hit accurately at distances I wouldn’t even dream of with my handgun. And that SBR also has a weapon light on it too, and backup tritium iron sights co-witnessed to the red dot.

Mind you, after all of my ranting, I’m not against the use of RDS optics or lasers on pistols. If it makes someone better, then I’m all for it…just don’t do it for the "cool factor". I just haven’t yet been able to articulate a particular need for one on my part. And if I were counseling a relative newbie who had asked me whether I thought they should get one, I would answer, "By all means, if you think it would make you a better shooter. BUT… before you spend the money on an optic and/or any necessary conversions, FIRST buy a good weapon light for your pistol if it is able to take one. Being able to see AND identify your target is a higher priority."

But again, that’s just me, and I’m not criticizing other people's choices. What works best for someone else (or even for me) doesn’t make it a universal solution.

tomneal wrote: ↑Mon Nov 14, 2022 9:22 am Doing a memory search.

The AA batteries in my EOTech leaked. I had to clean and rebuild. I don't use the gun often so, I store the disassembled sight and batteries in a ziplock bag and use painters tape to attach it to the rifle in my gun safe.

All of the dot scopes I've bought in the last 10 years, use 2032 button batteries. I keep spares in each gun rug.

The Trijicon on my Glock 17 turns on/off automatically. You replace the battery every two years (or once per year on your birthday)

I shoot USPSA and Steel Challenge. I prefer the BIGGEST Dot available.