PART I
DON’T GIVE UP
OR :
HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE DOT
My first time shooting a pistol with an MRDS (Micro Red Dot Sight) was a Kimber TLE-RL2 with a dovetail mounted Leupold Deltapoint Pro. It was neat, but after a couple hundred rounds of not really being able to consistently find the dot, the dovetail mount just not really working, and getting slower presentations than I was used to, I gave up. I thought: “Maybe this just isn’t for me”.
I sold the Deltapoint and kept shooting the Kimber with regular sights like a pleb, and right around that time I bought my first 3 9mm handguns: a Sig Sauer P229 Enhanced Elite, a Smith and Wesson M&P Shield, and a Glock 17. The Shield was to become my every day carry gun, and the others mostly range toys for the time being.
At some point, probably a year later, after seeing the “trend” growing in the gun industry, I decided to give it another try. I got a Vortex Viper red dot and sent my slide to Jagerwerks for milling. I got it back, and shot it… a lot. I didn’t give up this time, I was determined to make it work for me.
Without knowing anyone who also had a red dot on a pistol at the time, I didn’t have anyone to train with or bounce ideas off really. I just kept shooting, kept trying different things.
Eventually, I got over the hump where I was demonstrably faster, more accurate, and more consistent with the dot than with iron sights. That’s where I decided that I had “figured it out” and could only get better from here.
From then on I’ve put a red dot on everything I can, and I’ve been doing it for friends and acquaintances since I got my CNC mill.
Pictured below: Shield w/ JPoint(made by Shield PSD); 9mm 1911 built on a Stealth Arms 80% w/ Shield RMSc; Springfield EMP w/ Shield RMSc; Sig P365 w/ Holosun 507K; Sig P229 Enhanced Elite w/ Leupold Deltapoint Pro
Either you love it, or you haven’t given it a chance. It takes time, and a lot of ammo, but it is worth it. I believe you are handicapping yourself if you refuse to try new things. Give it a shot… and don’t give up.
If you have questions about MRDS’s or anything else, feel free to contact me. I love talking guns and gun stuff, not just about the products we make.
In the next parts I will go into more detail about individual optics, philosophy, training, etc.

Manufacturing Engineer, Designer, Inventor, Shooter, Instructor, Meddling Machinist.
Fanboy of: Sig, ADM, Trijicon, Holosun, Surefire, 556 AK’s, Ranger green and Multicam Black
CARRY PISTOL: Sig Sauer P365 w/ Holosun 507K, Wilson Frame, Surefire XSC
FIGHTING RIFLE: American Defense Manufacturing UIC-MOD2 5.56 w/ Trijicon ACOG Model TA31RCO-M4CP & Piggyback Holosun 508T
FIGHTING PISTOL: Sig Sauer P320 full size w/ Holosun 509T, Modlite PL350
BUMP IN THE NIGHT GUN: Sig Sauer P320 X-Compact w/ Holosun 508T, Streamlight TLR-7
BATTLE RIFLE: American Defense Manufacturing UIC-10A 6.5 Creedmoor w/ Trijicon VCOG SCO(in progress)
PRECISION RIFLE: Kelbly Atlas Tactical 6.5 Creedmoor built by Straightjacket Armory in an American Defense Manufacturing PRC-700SA chassis w/ (insert the nightforce here when you can afford it)
SHOTGUN: Mossberg 590A1 w/Holosun 507C
HUNTER: Remington 700 308, converted to 6.5 Creed, 14.5″ Barrel pinned/welded, Grayboe Trekker stock, Leupold 1.25-4x Patrol (in progress)
JUST FOR FUN:
Ruger PC9, Magwell hunter stock, Trijicon MRO, and of course a Jawbone Mag Release
Izhmash Saiga 223, converted by me
Parts kit Galil build, 14.5 pinned welded, Sureshot Armament MLOK forend, Trijicon ACSS 1.5x ACOG
Parts kit Polish 5.56 AK, Aimpoint CompM5, Valman forend(in progress)
1911 kit build, 9mm, commander
Glock 17 Gen 3 police trade-in, just for students
Kimber custom TLE-II, converted to 9mm w/ officer length bull barrel(in progress)
One reply on “MRDS ON A PISTOL”
[…] P365 setup using all Sig Sauer OEM parts. I went stock for this one so far but I have been eying @ripandtear_’s P365 Holosun 507K setup and might need an optics upgrade in the […]