Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Makes sense, and I guess is pretty contextual. Range shooting having different parameters to hunting and that.

Thank you!

To take a leaf out of MDG’s book, lasers or red dots? Discuss

Both.

My AUG has a laser which I have zeroed at 10 meters while the holosight(Holosun HS510C with HM3X magnifier) is zeroed at 100 meters.

Lasers are for hipfire at point blank range, sights are for anything at substantial distance.

Completely silly question: hypothetically, (in the US) if putting a forward grip on a pistol was unregulated would you ever really do it? I mean, I can see the appeal for something like an MP5 or a Mac11.

I wouldn't mind one on my SIG MPX.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
When it comes to peripherals like laser sights and that? What are the main differences between makes and models? Outside of specific compatibility with a given rifle or pistol.

LOL. Don't know; don't use them.

None of my handguns have "glass" on it. I've got some red dots on longer weapons and modest scopes for hunting weapons, but at pistol ranges I'm more of a "point-shoot" enthusiast. Much faster that way.

 cuda1179 wrote:
Completely silly question: hypothetically, (in the US) if putting a forward grip on a pistol was unregulated would you ever really do it? I mean, I can see the appeal for something like an MP5 or a Mac11.

If its actually a real pistol? No

If its an SMG/PDW analog, then Yes. Its basically a necessity on those things.

If and when that ever does occur I expect that MGs will also be unregulated or lightly regulated as well so it would be even more necessary.

 Flinty wrote:
To take a leaf out of MDG’s book, lasers or red dots? Discuss

There’s a difference?

Is there no end to my ignorance on this subject?

No. No there is not.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

 Flinty wrote:
To take a leaf out of MDG’s book, lasers or red dots? Discuss

There’s a difference?

Is there no end to my ignorance on this subject?

No. No there is not.

Lasers are like the ones you see in 80s films - they project a dot onto the target. Generally they're less cool in real life, and it's easy to lose track of the dot in bright light or over moderate distances.

A red dot sight uses a laser, but projects it onto a specially coated glass as part of a device mounted to the gun, so you're seeing a dot superimposed over whatever you're looking at. This is good because it let's you very quickly visually determine what your bullet will hit (provided you dialed it in correctly). The red dot sight generally doesn't have any magnification though, so it has the limits of the vision of the person using it.

Ahh, again that makes sense with what I’ve seen.

I’m guessing a red dot is also preferable when you don’t want the target knowing it’s in your sights.

You can also use lasers to designate targets and control fires, like a squad leader using his to designate targets for a SAW gunner. The ones we had you needed NVGs to see, so a bad guy didn't look down and see a red laser dot on his chest.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Ahh, again that makes sense with what I’ve seen.

I’m guessing a red dot is also preferable when you don’t want the target knowing it’s in your sights.

In the Army we referred to "red dot" sights as Close Combat Optics, or CCO's. The idea was that with quick target acquisition in, say, an urban environment you'd need a rather easy sight to line up rather than the front/rear posts.



When I went through Ft. Benning in '93 DS Lewis showed us the most practical CCO ever made: he rotated the rear sight so that it was an even V in the sight frame, allowing you to saddle sight the stem of the front sight in seconds. It also worked off of your zero so it was already lined up.

 Just Tony wrote:
When I went through Ft. Benning in '93 DS Lewis showed us the most practical CCO ever made: he rotated the rear sight so that it was an even V in the sight frame, allowing you to saddle sight the stem of the front sight in seconds. It also worked off of your zero so it was already lined up.

On my final rifle qualification, it rained continuously, and I really wanted to pull the optics off and just use iron sights. In fact, I was more accurate, probably because that's what I trained on. (Yes, showing my age here.)

Red dots are the modern, high-tech equivalent of a reflector gun sight for Battle of Britain enthusiasts. In fact, there are military versions that basically use daylight rather than a power supply. I do own some optics, and they work, so I'm no Luddite, but for personal defense I prefer the old ways: snub-nosed revolver. When carry in uniform was authorized, I settled on a Walther PPQ, which when I retired, I traded for an Ishapore SMLE converted to .410. Instead of using the rifle sights (the rear one is pinned anyway), one can index just fine on the wings on the front sight.

There's something wonderfully off about having a bolt-action shotgun with a sword bayonet.