where can I try optics in person?

[milktree]

Are there any places that have lots of different pistol optics I could actually handle and look through?

My particular complaint with many optics is that even though they claim zero magnification, they're not; there's some weird distortion that makes it so my eyes have to focus differently if I want to keep focus on the target. Imagine wearing very weak reading glasses but only one eye. It slows down target acquisition.

I want to be able to keep both eyes focused on the target, bring the optic up to point, and not have to change the focus of either eye.

*all* pistol optics I've tried have this problem to some degree.


Of the few I've tried and can remember:

The least bad is the Sig Romeo-1. (discontinued, weird unique mounting footprint)
Second best is C-More RTS.

Burris Fastfire-3 is usable, but annoying
Holosun 507c (at least the one with the Vulcan reticle) is usable but annoying.


"Buy a bunch and return the bad ones" seems like a crappy way to do it; both for my wallet, and for the vendors.

I'd rather just buy the one that works for me.

 

[PeterC]

Are there any places that have lots of different pistol optics I could actually handle and look through?

My particular complaint with many optics is that even though they claim zero magnification, they're not; there's some weird distortion that makes it so my eyes have to focus differently if I want to keep focus on the target. Imagine wearing very weak reading glasses but only one eye. It slows down target acquisition.

I want to be able to keep both eyes focused on the target, bring the optic up to point, and not have to change the focus of either eye.

*all* pistol optics I've tried have this problem to some degree.


Of the few I've tried and can remember:

The least bad is the Sig Romeo-1. (discontinued, weird unique mounting footprint)
Second best is C-More RTS.

Burris Fastfire-3 is usable, but annoying
Holosun 507c (at least the one with the Vulcan reticle) is usable but annoying.


"Buy a bunch and return the bad ones" seems like a crappy way to do it; both for my wallet, and for the vendors.

I'd rather just buy the one that works for me.

Probably not the optic. In order to see a round dot in my Bullseye red dot I had to get glasses made because of my astigmatism.

 

[milktree]

Probably not the optic. In order to see a round dot in my Bullseye red dot I had to get glasses made because of my astigmatism.

It's not about the DOT, that part is fine. My regular glasses fix my astigmatism just fine.

It's about the *glass*.

 

[PeterC]

It's not about the DOT, that part is fine. My regular glasses fix my astigmatism just fine.

It's about the *glass*.

Well, even for cheap optics/dots, I've never experienced what you describe. And for my problem a set of glasses that had the focal point at the right distance fixed it.

Good luck finding a solution.

 

[milktree]

Well, even for cheap optics/dots, I've never experienced what you describe. And for my problem a set of glasses that had the focal point at the right distance fixed it.

Good luck finding a solution.

Here's what I mean:

 

[G4Y4HK]

Here's what I mean:

I bought a Meprolight MPO-S to try out an Israeli made dot cause you gotta support Israel. Hugely disappointed and the top third of the glass warped the image so badly [far worse than your example] it was unusable. Promptly returned and got a Chinese Holosun. Every curved glass is gonna have a little distortion, just physics. My simple 407K and 407Cs look perfectly fine and are easily usable out to 25 yards. Don't have experience with their fancy ACSS Vulcan with the big rings like that video. Maybe they're worse.

 

[travx]

KTP usually has a good selection of optics on display that you can try looking through. Their prices are close to MSRP though and they add ME sales tax, so I wouldn't buy one there unless you find a great deal on preowned.

 

[milktree]

Every curved glass is gonna have a little distortion, just physics.

I don't think that's necessarily true. The Sig Romeo-1 is way better than the Holosun 507c in the video. That suggests that it's totally possible to minimize or eliminate the effect.

I think the problem is that the outside (front) surface of the glass is ground differently than the inside (back) of the glass. I expect it's because they start with spherical surfaces on both sides (easy to grind) and then make the back side the right parabolic (or whatever) shape to make it work as a red-dot.

I can imagine there's a manufacturing cost to reduce that effect. Maybe if I bought a $900 red-dot they'd put more R&D and manufacturing dollars into those things.

But for sure I'm not spending nearly a kilobuck without knowing it's awesome.

My simple 407K and 407Cs look perfectly fine and are easily usable out to 25 yards. Don't have experience with their fancy ACSS Vulcan with the big rings like that video. Maybe they're worse.

Maybe, but I think the only real difference here is that the reticle has a huge ring. I don't think the optics (the actual glass shape) needs to be different.

 

[Bud R]

2 words, Trijicon (of course) SRO
Check out the glass, prisitine, buy once cry once
or the new trijicon RMR HD

 

[G4Y4HK]

2 words, Trijicon (of course) SRO
Check out the glass, prisitine, buy once cry once
or the new trijicon RMR HD

Do you still have to unmount it and rezero the RMR to change batteries? My gun dealer guy said the SRO is a great competition dot but does not recommend it for 'duty'.

 

[milktree]

2 words, Trijicon (of course) SRO
Check out the glass, prisitine, buy once cry once
or the new trijicon RMR HD

$550-$800! Ouch!
Cry once, indeed. (But yea, if they're all that, they're worth it)

 

[Rob Boudrie]

$550-$800! Ouch!
Cry once, indeed. (But yea, if they're all that, they're worth it)

The solution is to put in on a $8000 handgun which reduces it's cost to 10% of the gun price.

 

[Compooky]

Could say your general area and have people swarm to meet you with optics to fondle.

To the mill! I’ll probably be there tomorrow. Have a RMR, Acro, 507k, 507comp, and a RCR that isn’t mounted yet.

 

[jasonj84]

No help for other brands, but if you go to the Sig Experience center in Epping, NH all of their optics (including the thermals) are on self service displays to check out.

 

[Bud R]

Do you still have to unmount it and rezero the RMR to change batteries? My gun dealer guy said the SRO is a great competition dot but does not recommend it for 'duty'.

No its a top load battery, once its mounted it does not have to come off to change the btry

 

[jkelly1229]

Probably not the optic. In order to see a round dot in my Bullseye red dot I had to get glasses made because of my astigmatism.

Different optics affect your eyes differently

I cant see a dpp to save my life literally looks like a cross to me

 

[milktree]

Could say your general area and have people swarm to meet you with optics to fondle.

To the mill! I’ll probably be there tomorrow. Have a RMR, Acro, 507k, 507comp, and a RCR that isn’t mounted yet.

I'm in Billerica. I dig the idea of a optics-looking party!

 

[VTski4x4]

There's a shop at the Mill, down the hall to the right between the men's and women's bathrooms on the floor Dean Safety is on (main floor?) - can't remember the name of the shop, but they have a TON of optics in the case for you to check out and peer through.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

I really like the Trijicon SRO on my 2011oid. It's mostly a competition oriented sight, slightly bigger than the sights designed carry, and I syspect the aluminum frame would be more susceptible to breakage if dropped onto a hard surface. It also comes in varyhing dot sizes - 1, 2.5 and 5MOA. Mine is 5MOA which many consider the best for action shootng.

 

[Asaltweapon]

2 words, Trijicon (of course) SRO
Check out the glass, prisitine, buy once cry once
or the new trijicon RMR HD

That was a conversation at lunch today. My older eyes ain’t getting any better.

 

[Cuz]

Are there any places that have lots of different pistol optics I could actually handle and look through?

You might want to try showing up at an action pistol match at a range in your area. Most likely there will be at least a half-dozen or more different red dots in use on various pistols. Most folks are all too happy to bring you to a safe table and let you look through their red dot, and they’ll tell you why they chose it. You will also notice there will be a handful of red dots that won’t be on any competitors pistol, and that is also good information for you.

 

[chopper_man]

Cabella's has all their optics on display.

 

[Bud R]

That was a conversation at lunch today. My older eyes ain’t getting any better.

Its why i run the sro, at 67 the eyes are not what they were!

 

[Bud R]

It's not about the DOT, that part is fine. My regular glasses fix my astigmatism just fine.

It's about the *glass*.

Best glass? Trijicon hands down....

 

[G4Y4HK]

Best glass? Trijicon hands down....

Where does Trijicon source their optics and emitters? Are they all made in house in America? Very important consideration as I've recently been very disappointed in Surefire, a company that claims to be proudly made in the USA but the small print says the components may or may not be sourced elsewhere, aka they're not saying it, but CHINA.

 

[Bud R]

Where does Trijicon source their optics and emitters? Are they all made in house in America? Very important consideration as I've recently been very disappointed in Surefire, a company that claims to be proudly made in the USA but the small print says the components may or may not be sourced elsewhere, aka they're not saying it, but CHINA.

I believe that all the glass for trijicon, is from Japan. I know that my Trijicon Credo uses Japanese glass, not Chinesium

 

[Broc Tuah]

Cabella's has all their optics on display.

I like Bass Pro near Boston because:

1. Poor lighting.
2. Animal heads at several distances.

I used to think a 3x scope was too much for anything under 50 yards, until I went to Bass Pro and tried a few looking at different deer heads around the store.

The poor lighting - I like it because I want to see what the glass looks like under less than ideal conditions.

After trying optics there, buy online.

 

[jasonj84]

Where does Trijicon source their optics and emitters? Are they all made in house in America? Very important consideration as I've recently been very disappointed in Surefire, a company that claims to be proudly made in the USA but the small print says the components may or may not be sourced elsewhere, aka they're not saying it, but CHINA.

Funny, my brain naturally read "CHINA" in Trumps voice.

 

[G4Y4HK]

Funny, my brain naturally read "CHINA" in Trumps voice.

Did you see the signature hand sign too when he says JYNA?

 

[jasonj84]

Did you see the signature hand sign too when he says JYNA?

View attachment 953362

No. I don't watch a lot of politics on tv. I will now though. Thanks for completing the picture.