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Opinions wanted on red dot scopes for a 1911
victorj19
Member Posts: 3,642 ✭✭✭
Thinking of adding a red dot to may Remington 1911? A low profile is preferred (I think?).
What are decent brands? Durable housings?
Red or green dot? Why?
Easy for DYI installation?
Anything you can chime in about?
Thanks in advance,
Jim
Comments
Way to fragile, have one on a Ruger 22/45 lightweight. Dropped it once and it was toast. Lucky for me, it was a Burris and their guarantee covers butterfingered folks like me. The sent me another one under their warranty.
Red or green dots, (my favorit), are the best thing going, for folks who have trouble seeing iron sights.
The only way to mount it on your Remington without drilling and tapping holes in the slide or frame. Is a pic rail that attaches to a replacement left grip. And sticks up just to the left side of the slide. Unfortunately it's ugly as sin, and appears very cumbersome to me.
https://docterusa.com/docter-red-dot-sights/
A friend has used one of these for many years.
I hate being the last one to buy old technology.
If it were me, I'd sell what you have & buy one of the new pistols with a slot milled for a mini red dot on the top of the frame. You can go back to iron sights without messing up your gun.
Neal
I don't have any but have been looking at getting one , so I've been watching a lot of videos on them , this one looks like it would be the Cats Meow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_dU7xqmBq0
Available for Pre Order/Back Order ETA: Apr for New Orders Placed Today
The easy way, is to buy a dovetail sight adapter.
The downside is the dot will sit slightly higher over the bore.
I ran one for a year or so on a Glock 34 before I was certain I wanted to move to red dots.
The mid-ground way is a slide already set up for adapter plates - Ed Brown, STI, Springfield TRP 10mm, and a few other high end 1911’s.
The best way is to machine the slide specific to the dot you choose. - the down side is you are really married to that manufacturer of dot once you do so. Also- you may need to get the slide refinished once they cut on it, which adds cost.
I think Trijicon makes the best equipment, but I do hear good stuff about Holosun & I see alot of their dots.
I think Trijicon, Holosun & Burris maybe all use the same hole pattern but FACT check me on that!
I have 6 red dots on pistols now & quite frankly- I beat the crap out of them. Not abuse for the sake of abuse, but being competitive in USPSA takes precedence over being easy on equipment.
In my mind the Trijicon SRO 5MOA red dot is top dog- but there are many options.
Keep us posted on what you do- I would love to hear about it.
My match gun & backup gun- if you look closely- the black gun (Gen5 G34) actually has a CHPWS mounting plate (not the Glock adapter plate, they are a bit flimsy). The backup gun (Gen3 G34) has a machined slide.
If you are in Orlando/central FL we can go shooting before you dive in.
Warbirds has the same solution as I do.
And... I consider it the best solution as well.
I have a co-witnessed Trijicon on my Glock 29 for CC. A slight cutout on the holster and it fits. As long as the sight is covered, it automatically powers down.
I tried one, mounted in the sight slot, on a full size Glock for competition and it worked great.
I watched the video and read the comments , pretty interesting sight but it sure is butt ugly, which means it would match right up on a Glock LOL
Warbird,
I corrected the problem. Now there's no question of a problem when a search is used.
Best.
Thanks to the folks who suggested a aftermarket 1911 slide. That's been machined for integrally mounted dots. I've been looking for a way of mounting dots on 1911's. Without altering the original slide, or having it sticking up to high. By using the original rear sight dovetail.
I know these slides are kind of pricey. But seem the best way of mounting a dot as close to the centerline of the bore as possible. As long as I stick with Burris's, butterfingers or not. It will work out. Just wish Burris would make a green dot sight. The green dot's, seem much more visible than red dots to me.
Warbirds,
Sorry I don't live in FL, but thanks for the invite. I do like your set up. It's what I was thinking of in the first place.
Perhaps the term red dot shouldn't have been used. Perhaps a new rear sight. As far mounting, I've seen adapters that use the rear dovetail on the slide and assumed that once the mount is inserted,
Warbirds,
Sorry I don't live in FL, but thanks for the invite. I do like your set up. It's what I was thinking of in the first place.
Perhaps the term red dot shouldn't have been used. Perhaps a new rear sight.
As far mounting, I've seen adapters that use the rear dovetail on the slide and assumed that once the mount is inserted a new sight could be mounted. Now thinking of purchasing the mount and sight separately taking baby steps. The Burris sight seems like a possibility. I miss the old catalogs where pages could be flipped to look at products for comparing options.
So, I looked around at some mounts for the 1911. Let's say I bought a Burris mount. It appears that I would be able only to use a Burris sight and not, let's say a Leopold sight.
Am I correct?
Some effort required to decipher this but it should help.
Don't throw them away. When your eyes get old, you will change you mind.
Leupold delta point is excellent
Thanks Warbird. The article answered several questions I had. There is not an industry standardization for matching red dots to the mounts. This makes it complicated. Seems to make sense to select the red dot and the mounts as a package that match the gun.
Jim
After a certain point - - nothing will help. I'm not looking forward to that. That is why God made shotguns.
after cataract surgery I'm back to 20-20 but need readers from arms length in, even using a shotgun is hard now, can't line up the bead with the receiver without readers then target is blurry, so i went with reflex sights on my shotgun now also, it has reddot or circle with dot in it, it is perfect for squirrells, just put the little critter in the circle and he is dead, and it is open enough to take a running shot on rabbit or grouse also.....