Sidearms & Scatterguns RMR or SRO for duty sidearm?

[Scarface26]

Duty = deputy sheriff. Which one do you like and why? Holster is a Safariland ALS.

On a question not related to the poll, have you preferred to mill an existing slide specifically for your RDS or to purchase one already milled and use an adapter plate? Who do you recommend in either case?

Thanks in advance and God bless America

 

[308pirate]

Duty = deputy sheriff. Which one do you like and why? Holster is a Safariland ALS.

On a question not related to the poll, have you preferred to mill an existing slide specifically for your RDS or to purchase one already milled and use an adapter plate? Who do you recommend in either case?

Thanks in advance and God bless America

A) Not a cop
B) I've dropped a pistol with an SRO pretty hard. Pistol did not land with the SRO pointing down, but it did land on gravel. SRO didn't break, didn't even lose zero.
C) I prefer plate systems for their versatility but they have to be designed with cross-wise interlocking features between the slide and the bottom of the plate to take the shear forces generated by recoil so the screws don't bear that load. Screws are designed to take tension loads, not shear (sideways) loads. CZ, Beretta, and Walter have plate systems that meet my criteria. Glock MOS and SIG do not.
D) I'm both a regular USPSA Carry Optics competitor and a mechanical engineer

 

[TimK]

From Trijicon's website:

The Trijicon SRO® (Specialized Reflex Optic) is designed with a maximized field of view and a clean, crisp red dot that deliver improved pistol accuracy in competitive-shooting and target-shooting applications.

Notice that Triji doesn't mention duty applications.

I personally know a guy whos SRO crapped out on him after a drop, and have heard similar tales from other via various forums. I had to make this same decision several months ago and opted for the RMR even though I'd have preferred to have the larger view from the SRO.

 

[308pirate]

From Trijicon's website:

The Trijicon SRO® (Specialized Reflex Optic) is designed with a maximized field of view and a clean, crisp red dot that deliver improved pistol accuracy in competitive-shooting and target-shooting applications.

Notice that Triji doesn't mention duty applications.

I personally know a guy whos SRO crapped out on him after a drop, and have heard similar tales from other via various forums. I had to make this same decision several months ago and opted for the RMR even though I'd have preferred to have the larger view from the SRO.

Some examples of all optics will fail eventually. Samples of one mean nothing. Your buddy's broken SRO is cancelled out by mine that didn't.

Doesn't matter what Trijicon says on their ad copy.

 

[TurboTrout]

You’re mostly just using it to brandish, guess the SRO looks more scary

Draw both in front of a mirror


If you’re trying to get home safe, save the money and get a LED safety vest, based on the numbers you’re much more likely to get hit by a car

As far as brandishing, a very big weapon light (looks scary and you can flash it in people faces) and big dot XS night sights would work better and cost less

 

[TimK]

Doesn't matter what the MFG says about their own sight? Ok.

 

[Basher]

I’ve stuck with the RMR because the SRO doesn’t seem to fit many of the RDO-ready holster options I prefer when shooting local matches (either it’s too tall, or the optic is left totally unprotected which I don’t prefer). But I may try one if I can snag a Jagerwerks BRO on one of their drops in the near future.

 

[308pirate]

Doesn't matter what the MFG says about their own sight? Ok.

No, it doesn't. If you worked for a mfg company you would understand that.

WTF is "duty rated" anyway? Is there an ASTM standard for that, or any other industry standard? It's bullshit advertising copy.

 

[Gustav7]

Duty = deputy sheriff. Which one do you like and why? Holster is a Safariland ALS.

On a question not related to the poll, have you preferred to mill an existing slide specifically for your RDS or to purchase one already milled and use an adapter plate? Who do you recommend in either case?

Thanks in advance and God bless America

I personally think the RMR is the stronger/more robust optic but I’m not sure it is a big enough difference that I’d choose it over the SRO for anything stateside, regular LEO type duties.

I think the only way it’s more prone to breakage is a direct hit on hard ground with force or from height. That being said, the 3 times I’ve seen it the dot was still working and useable. Look up Sage Dynamics test on the SRO. He even shoots with it after it busts the glass. If that concerns you and you still want to use the SRO, just get in line for a Jagerwerks BROS. I have one and they’re pretty sweet.

I would prefer direct mount for rigidity and getting the optic as low as possible.

Here is a picture of a fellow shooter who busted his SRO recently. This was on a staccato that fell off the top of his truck directly on the SRO full force.

 

[BipThatInstance]

SRO for me. It has better light transmission in the glass for NVs, and I like the rounded hood and ever-so-slightly larger window. Like anything else it can break but Id rather drop a SRO instead of a square RMR.

2.5MOA is nice but so are 5s. Only reason to go RMR is if their MOA choices are more attractive to you. IMHO..

 

[308pirate]

When it comes to dot size, go big or go home. IMO Trijicon got it backwards.

The RMR should have maxed out at 5 MOA. The SRO's 1 and 2.5 MOA options are fine for rifles, for pistols they should have had 6, 8, and 10 MOA dots.

I got to dry fire a friends PT Honcho with an 8 MOA CMore and it was fucking awesome.

 

[Rexwagon]

There is a titanium shroud you can buy to protect the SRO more. I use an RMR. And have no experience with the SRO. But if you check out Sage Dynamics videos on YouTube. That man has some of the best red dot reviews and tests. I think on his website he may also have a write up of what duty red dots he recommends based on his tests. Really should check out his YouTube channel.

 

[fdkay]

Honestly, the enclosed emitter is preferable. That way, when you're eating French fries and one falls in your holster, it doesn't block the emitter.
Running a dot on a pistol requires LOTS of practice, out in the bright light.
A co-worker has one of these. It works incredibly well. Watch the videos included.

Holosun HE509-RD Enclosed Solar Powered Red Dot Sight w/ MOS Mounting Plate - ACSS Vulcan Reticle

DetailsA lot of shooters and gun owners who purchased or built their handgun from the ground up use the tried and true three dot iron sight arrangement. Many of us spend plenty of time at the range attempting to achieve better shot placement. While three dot iron sights are pretty good, the...

www.primaryarms.com

 

[CIB2007]

@fdkay is right, if you are in a wet climate or get into a OIS in the rain your rmr will be useless if the emitter has condensation on it. So grab some rain x and put it on the windows. That has been our bandaid fix until we can get a new pistol optic contract. Or grab a acro p2 when they come in stock.

 

[Scarface26]

I personally think the RMR is the stronger/more robust optic but I’m not sure it is a big enough difference that I’d choose it over the SRO for anything stateside, regular LEO type duties.

I think the only way it’s more prone to breakage is a direct hit on hard ground with force or from height. That being said, the 3 times I’ve seen it the dot was still working and useable. Look up Sage Dynamics test on the SRO. He even shoots with it after it busts the glass. If that concerns you and you still want to use the SRO, just get in line for a Jagerwerks BROS. I have one and they’re pretty sweet.

I would prefer direct mount for rigidity and getting the optic as low as possible.

Here is a picture of a fellow shooter who busted his SRO recently. This was on a staccato that fell off the top of his truck directly on the SRO full force.

Thank you for your educational reply. I figured the SRO would function about like you said. The other replies brought to mind something I'd forgotten about - dot size. I agree with @308pirate that the larger dot would be more appropriate for a handgun. However, the SRO does have the round window which might be a human factors plus. I'll have to look at both in person. Store near me would have them mounted on a blue gun. Glock that is. What I carry. Not the blue model.

I completely concur with the direct mounting advice and found one place, battleworx, that mills slides for the specific optic. Requirement for whoever does my work. Recommendations?

The impetus for the transition is the requirement/ability to be target-focused instead of front sight focused.

Concur with @fdkay about the amount of practice required. I practice. Daily. Furthermore, it's in our statutes (state) that you can't carry the RDS unless you've gone through a syllabus and a qualification with the RDS.

Thanks again, gents, and God bless America

 

[Scarface26]

I’ve stuck with the RMR because the SRO doesn’t seem to fit many of the RDO-ready holster options I prefer when shooting local matches (either it’s too tall, or the optic is left totally unprotected which I don’t prefer). But I may try one if I can snag a Jagerwerks BRO on one of their drops in the near future.

Good to know and definitely a consideration. I'd hate to get the SRO and then roll with an Uncle Mikes!

 

[Gustav7]

Thank you for your educational reply. I figured the SRO would function about like you said. The other replies brought to mind something I'd forgotten about - dot size. I agree with @308pirate that the larger dot would be more appropriate for a handgun. However, the SRO does have the round window which might be a human factors plus. I'll have to look at both in person. Store near me would have them mounted on a blue gun. Glock that is. What I carry. Not the blue model.

I completely concur with the direct mounting advice and found one place, battleworx, that mills slides for the specific optic. Requirement for whoever does my work. Recommendations?

The impetus for the transition is the requirement/ability to be target-focused instead of front sight focused.

Concur with @fdkay about the amount of practice required. I practice. Daily. Furthermore, it's in our statutes (state) that you can't carry the RDS unless you've gone through a syllabus and a qualification with the RDS.

No problem. I run a 5moa SRO and I like it but I also have a 6.5moa RMR, a couple 2.5moa Holosun's, etc. We regularly shoot 25yd+ targets in matches and theres zero negative to the larger dot at that distance. Some prefer a smaller dot but I think a larger dot is a very smart choice for anyone in the novice to intermediate RDS pistol game.

For milling you have Jagerwerks, Primary Machine and Delta Strategic I can all vouch for. I'm a big fan of direct milling, but @308pirate has much more experience with plate systems. Since you're running Glock though, I'd opt for direct mill.

I HIGHLY recommend getting some in person RDS training. Look into Hades Consulting, Achilles Heel Tactical, Spec Train, Modern Samurai Project for quality courses that are RDS focused. I know Achilles Heel does Project Blue Lion which is one FREE course for active LEO a year. I know there are other training orgs that are a part of that as well, so you could do more than one a year for FREE(bring your own ammo of course).

 

[Conqueror]

6.5MOA RM07. Trijicon directly says the SRO is not as strong as the RMR. The SRO is definitely nicer to look through, I have both, but if I 100% have to trust it, I'd go RMR.

 

[kriller134]

Acro P2 FTW

 

[308pirate]

Since you're running Glock though, I'd opt for direct mill.

Absolutely No matter whose plate one slaps on, the MOS interface is weak.

 

[BG94591]

I would go with a Holosun 509T. Enclosed emitter, you don’t have to remove the optic to replace battery then have to reconfirm zero, shake awake, believe it or not the solar panel on the optic works for the non vampire shift, great customer service, about $1-200 less. Plenty of place can mill your slide for a direct attach, I had Floyd’s customs in Blanchard Idaho do my G45 and he is currently milling my CZ P10F for the 509 as well.

 

[E. Bryant]

My first question is - upon what model firearm are you installing this RDS? The SRO overhangs the front of its mounting footprint, and on some pistols, that means it'll overhang the ejection port. There's also a gap under the front of the SRO housing when mounted on most pistols, where as the RMR presents no such location for brass to hang. Glocks are probably OK, while my beloved FN 509 is an absolute no-go. Just something to consider.

The visibility through the SRO is its bigger advantage. I was fine with the RMR until I got an SRO; now the RMR feels like looking through a straw while the SRO is like looking at a TV. I exaggerate, but still - there's a noticeable difference.

The RMR should be more robust simply by virtue of its shape - the "wings" will do a better job of creating a load path away from the glass. I don't think that I'd lose sleep over this difference considering that the only problem I've had with any Trijicon sight has been battery contacts on the first-gen RMR.

For duty use, I'd want co-witnessed iron sights simply because shit happens.

Select the biggest dot possible. The 5 MOA SRO dot looks more like the 3.25 MOA RMR dot than it does the 6.5 MOA RMR dot, at least to my eyes.

 

[308pirate]

The 5 MOA SRO dot looks more like the 3.25 MOA RMR dot than it does the 6.5 MOA RMR dot, at least to my eyes.

I kinda does look smaller than the mathematical difference would suggest. I wonder if it's because our brains compare the dot to the opening subconsciously

 

[E. Bryant]

I kinda does look smaller than the mathematical difference would suggest. I wonder if it's because our brains compare the dot to the opening subconsciously

Quite possibly. I haven't put it up against a grid to see if this is a real or perceived difference. I do know that the SRO opening looks way bigger to my eyes than I would have guessed from the external size of the sight.

Honestly, if a dot of any reasonable size is bright enough, it's probably going to work. I've got a touch of astigmatism, and between that and whatever filth happens to be on my eyeglasses at any given moment, the smaller dots are going to bloom. interestingly enough, the 6.5 MOA RMR dot looks pretty crisp. Optics are weird.

 

[xciapup]

Duty = deputy sheriff. Which one do you like and why? Holster is a Safariland ALS.

On a question not related to the poll, have you preferred to mill an existing slide specifically for your RDS or to purchase one already milled and use an adapter plate? Who do you recommend in either case?

Thanks in advance and God bless America

I think the SRO would be fine if you did not have to use it to rack a slide. Or if you didn't drop your pistol. Or if you did not fall on it. Or if you did not have to use your pistol as an impact weapon. Or if it did not recoil into a barricade. It would be fine if those things did not happen to it.

 

[davsco]

the SRO is not shake awake. you'll need to just leave it on keeping in mind more frequent battery changes.

i have three SRO's, one of which i bought for a backup. good that i did, as the one on my 2011 died (after only a very few matches with it) and they took their time replacing/repairing it.

 

[308pirate]

I think the SRO would be fine if you did not have to use it to rack a slide. Or if you didn't drop your pistol. Or if you did not fall on it. Or if you did not have to use your pistol as an impact weapon. Or if it did not recoil into a barricade. It would be fine if those things did not happen to it.

Do you have evidence that it's as fragile as you think it is?

 

[308pirate]

the SRO is not shake awake. you'll need to just leave it on keeping in mind more frequent battery changes.

i have three SRO's, one of which i bought for a backup. good that i did, as the one on my 2011 died (after only a very few matches with it) and they took their time replacing/repairing it.

The electronics in the SRO are pretty much the same as the ones in the RMR. I changed my first RMR battery 3 years after it being on constantly. It was still going strong, I just got nervous.

I keep the RMR on my carry gun in auto brightness mode. It saves power when the pistol is in a dark place like the car's glovebox or my night stand or under my shirt during carry and it adjusts to ambient light extremely quickly.

The SRO's auto brightness is not as responsive as that of the RMR, why, I don't know. So to use an SRO in a defensive pistol I'd just pick one brightness and lock it there.

 

[xciapup]

Do you have evidence that it's as fragile as you think it is?

Reports from several top tier trainers who train red dots exclusively. Several training classes with tactical LE and plugged in civilians. SRO's absent on the line. What I see. What I hear. The guys whom I trust don't use them for serious work.

 

[xciapup]

RE: Auto bright features on SRO vs RMR.

You might consider doing the same with an RMR. You are counting on the auto function working in a daylight scenario. I carry appendix and keep the RMR on bright. I would rather have a blossom at midnight than not having an aimpoint at high noon.

 

[308pirate]

You might consider doing the same with an RMR. You are counting on the auto function working in a daylight scenario.

I count on the RMR's auto brightness solutions to work because it works. I've been carrying an RMR equipped pistol for over two years and I've tested both my RMRs day and night, inside and outside, going from pitch black rooms to brightly lit ones.

I have more than enough first hand experience, don't need more.

 

[xciapup]

I count on the RMR's auto brightness solutions to work because it works. I've been carrying an RMR equipped pistol for over two years and I've tested both my RMRs day and night, inside and outside, going from pitch black rooms to brightly lit ones.

I have more than enough first hand experience, don't need more.

Cool.

 

[308pirate]

Cool.

ex CIA huh?

Cool story bro

 

[fdkay]

ex CIA huh?

Cool story bro

As silent as the footsteps of a Navy SEAL.

 

[TurboTrout]

No, it doesn't. If you worked for a mfg company you would understand that.

WTF is "duty rated" anyway? Is there an ASTM standard for that, or any other industry standard? It's bullshit advertising copy.

Think it means their marketing is adjusted to cops and cop wannabes, potently ships with a blue line sticker or something

 

[Bacarrat]

Hard to beat the RMR for it's rugged construction. Biggest knock on it is you have to take it off to change the battery. Not a huge deal if you change it out and rezero it right away. Don't wait for it to die. I have had mine for 3+ years and yet to change the battery. Probably will soon though.

 

[bohica17]

Jesus Christ the amount of who has the bigger dick in this post is absurd. I carry a gen 5mos 19 with a rmr. I wanted the sro but like many others have said I was worried about reliability Iv heard from very respected shooters. Iv done hundreds of rmr slide racks and have not had anything shear. Not saying it won’t. Just my experience. M rmr has taken a few good hits and dot is still there and I can still hit a 6” plate at 50 yards like it’s nothing. That’s all I need it to do. Because I’m hoping I never have to be in the situation of taking headshots at 50+ yards. That’s what the other thousands of dollars Iv spent on rifles are for lol.

 

[TurboTrout]

Jesus Christ the amount of who has the bigger dick in this post is absurd. I carry a gen 5mos 19 with a rmr. I wanted the sro but like many others have said I was worried about reliability Iv heard from very respected shooters. Iv done hundreds of rmr slide racks and have not had anything shear. Not saying it won’t. Just my experience. M rmr has taken a few good hits and dot is still there and I can still hit a 6” plate at 50 yards like it’s nothing. That’s all I need it to do. Because I’m hoping I never have to be in the situation of taking headshots at 50+ yards. That’s what the other thousands of dollars Iv spent on rifles are for lol.

The idea of taking a pistol shot past 15yrds is the reason police scream about losing qualified immunity, as a non gov worker that would probably be your ass

 

[Scarface26]

Thank you for the informative replies. Summary so far is that most find the RMR to be more durable. Is it worth the other sacrifices? Only the person using it (and those on his /her team) can answer.

I may not have communicated this effectively in my original post, but I did not intend for this to degenerate into a discussion on use of force, philosophy of how far one should engage with a particular system, etc.

Red dots are a step up. Just looking for which one is the best and why.

To those who've provided, thanks for the good gouge.

God bless America

 

[bohica17]

The idea of taking a pistol shot past 15yrds is the reason police scream about losing qualified immunity, as a non gov worker that would probably be your ass

Probably true but if the situation happens and my family is with me. I’m not gonna worry about going to jail. Will not wait to 15 yards to engage. Law is law and all that but I’d rather be in jail for the rest of my life so my daughters may live, instead of live my life thinking if only I shot sooner. Put me and my family in harm let it be 1 yard or 100 I don’t care. Not aiming any of that at you. Just my .02 cents.

 

[TurboTrout]

Probably true but if the situation happens and my family is with me. I’m not gonna worry about going to jail. Will not wait to 15 yards to engage. Law is law and all that but I’d rather be in jail for the rest of my life so my daughters may live, instead of live my life thinking if only I shot sooner. Put me and my family in harm let it be 1 yard or 100 I don’t care. Not aiming any of that at you. Just my .02 cents.

Yeah, take a 60yrd shot with the Glock and clip a random kid and you maybe what? get a paid vacation?

Not having much accountability changes the way one thinks

 

[NJRaised]

I’m current LE. We have Glock MOS models with rmr type 2.

I also have a personal Glock 19, milled, with a rmr type 2. I have several thousand rounds through both guns.

I have seen mos models fail on multiple occasions, with my own two eyes. Usually the cast plates or minimal thread engagement is the issue.

Highly recommend getting your Glock professionally milled by reputable company. These days it’s actually pretty cheap. The rmr will sit lower to bore axis , is WAY more secure, and it looks better to boot.

I have no first hand experience with the sro, just seen a lot of info online about them. I have yet to see a type 2 rmr have an issue. I have seen type 1s fail on handguns.

 

[Yondering]

I’m current LE. We have Glock MOS models with rmr type 2.

I also have a personal Glock 19, milled, with a rmr type 2. I have several thousand rounds through both guns.

I have seen mos models fail on multiple occasions, with my own two eyes. Usually the cast plates or minimal thread engagement is the issue.

Highly recommend getting your Glock professionally milled by reputable company. These days it’s actually pretty cheap. The rmr will sit lower to bore axis , is WAY more secure, and it looks better to boot.

I have no first hand experience with the sro, just seen a lot of info online about them. I have yet to see a type 2 rmr have an issue. I have seen type 1s fail on handguns.

This.

The MOS system sucks, end of story. A quality milled slide is far better.

And the RMR has proven more durable than the SRO, with no real disadvantages. The SRO was designed for gun games and convenience, not for a fight.

 

[Scarface26]

This.

The MOS system sucks, end of story. A quality milled slide is far better.

And the RMR has proven more durable than the SRO, with no real disadvantages. The SRO was designed for gun games and convenience, not for a fight.

Thanks. I was already intending to go with direct milling instead of the MOS route.

Battlewerx has about a one week turn-around. They also mill bosses to index the sight in the front, and leave material on the slide so that the screws have a few more threads. Not sure what the proper terminology is. and they sell RMR's for 450 ish, which is the cheapest I've found them.

Barring any comments to the contrary I will likely send them a slide and have them return it with RMR installed.

God bless America

 

[Yondering]

Thanks. I was already intending to go with direct milling instead of the MOS route.

Battlewerx has about a one week turn-around. They also mill bosses to index the sight in the front, and leave material on the slide so that the screws have a few more threads. Not sure what the proper terminology is. and they sell RMR's for 450 ish, which is the cheapest I've found them.

Barring any comments to the contrary I will likely send them a slide and have them return it with RMR installed.

God bless America

Just my opinion, speaking as a guy who's paid a few other places to mill slides, bought commercial milled slides, and as a machinist milling a bunch of my own stuff. Also speaking as a mechanical engineer who works hands-on (not the desk-job nerd kind) with a lot of tolerances and dimensional constraint systems.

I don't know Battlewerx and have never done business with them. However, when I see too many different constraints in a locating system like what you've described (we've got the milled walls of the slide, locating studs, and screw hole bosses, that's 3 different systems), it appears to me that either the company selling it doesn't understand tolerance stackups, or they're selling to people who don't understand it.

Pick one locating system. You don't need 3, even with 2 systems (the typical setup of bosses in a tightly milled pocket) only one of them is actually doing anything. You can locate the optic with the bosses, with loose slide pocket. That's fine, but IME not as good. Or, with an RMR (not most other optics) you can have the pocket milled for a very snug fit to the optic, and that's all you need; any additional bosses or studs have no benefit.

Also, the screw hole bosses means the optic has to be secured with smaller screws than normal. There's no room for the bosses otherwise. I see that as a negative.

So personally, just based on what you've described I would choose someone else. The best work I've had for an RMR slide milling was from Mark Housel at L&M Machining (or something like that). I don't know if he's still in business, that was over 10 years ago, but if he is, I'd trust him to do a quality job.

 

[Scarface26]

Just my opinion, speaking as a guy who's paid a few other places to mill slides, bought commercial milled slides, and as a machinist milling a bunch of my own stuff. Also speaking as a mechanical engineer who works hands-on (not the desk-job nerd kind) with a lot of tolerances and dimensional constraint systems.

I don't know Battlewerx and have never done business with them. However, when I see too many different constraints in a locating system like what you've described (we've got the milled walls of the slide, locating studs, and screw hole bosses, that's 3 different systems), it appears to me that either the company selling it doesn't understand tolerance stackups, or they're selling to people who don't understand it.

Pick one locating system. You don't need 3, even with 2 systems (the typical setup of bosses in a tightly milled pocket) only one of them is actually doing anything. You can locate the optic with the bosses, with loose slide pocket. That's fine, but IME not as good. Or, with an RMR (not most other optics) you can have the pocket milled for a very snug fit to the optic, and that's all you need; any additional bosses or studs have no benefit.

Also, the screw hole bosses means the optic has to be secured with smaller screws than normal. There's no room for the bosses otherwise. I see that as a negative.

So personally, just based on what you've described I would choose someone else. The best work I've had for an RMR slide milling was from Mark Housel at L&M Machining (or something like that). I don't know if he's still in business, that was over 10 years ago, but if he is, I'd trust him to do a quality job.

I see what you mean. Three things have to be perfect - the cut, the bosses, and the posts, or it's a disaster. Kind of.

OR

We can make one thing perfect - the cut, and then use thicker screws to attach the optic. A tight enough fit on the cut makes the bosses and the posts unnecessary.

I'll look up Mr. Housel, and Gustav 7 posted a few recommendations. Matt Stewart of Stewart Rifles is a machinist par excellence. And local. I'll run it past him, too.

God bless America

 

[NJRaised]

I’ve had jagerwerks do multiple slides, as well as nitride the machined surfaces. They do excellent work. Highly recommend.

 

[Basher]

I see what you mean. Three things have to be perfect - the cut, the bosses, and the posts, or it's a disaster. Kind of.

OR

We can make one thing perfect - the cut, and then use thicker screws to attach the optic. A tight enough fit on the cut makes the bosses and the posts unnecessary.

I'll look up Mr. Housel, and Gustav 7 posted a few recommendations. Matt Stewart of Stewart Rifles is a machinist par excellence. And local. I'll run it past him, too.

God bless America

The problem with counting on just the pocket is that you’re failing to account for any variation in the RMR itself. If you want a cut “perfect” enough to eliminate the recoil bosses, you have to send the optic in with the slide so they can fit it. Which means if you sell them separate from each other you’re effing over the next guy, or if you change optics you’re effing over yourself…

In a perfect world, an exact fit between the RMR and the slide would be ideal, but the RMR is mass produced and will have some slight variations. Based on a lot of reading, I’ve come to believe that the recoil bosses are a minimum requirement for me. The optic is cut for them, and they should be used. Failing to do so often results in sheared mounting screws, because the screws aren’t designed to handle the forces applied during recoil or racking the slide w/ the optic, and the pocket in mass-produced slides (or slides milled but not actually fitted for the specific optic) doesn’t fit like it should. This is why we use picatinny rails/rings in modern builds. Modern CNC can control the tolerances well enough that we no longer have to custom-fit a specific set of rings and a specific rail to a specific optic, the rail and cross-bolt fit well enough that you can use multiple optics on the same rail/ring set and you’re fine.

So, a well-milled slide w/ bosses is how I’ll be getting my Glock slides cut, because I don’t feel like effing myself over down the road. There are enough accounts of optics departing a slide mid-recoil, and almost all of them involve optics cuts without recoil bosses where the mounting screws were given the job of both securing the optic and accounting for recoil. But y’all do y’all, lol.

 

[308pirate]

How many here have had tens of thousands of rounds on pistols with both milled slides (Glocks, CZs) and OEM (CZ) plate systems?

Besides me that is.

You can theorize all you want. At the end of the day a Trijicon optic on a mounting surface that has two bosses machined to fit the two recesses on the front underside of the optic and a pair of high quality 6-32 flat head screws going straight into the slide/plate torqued to 15 - 20 in-lbs with med strength thread locker is about as bomproof as it gets short of a dovetail/clamp system like Aimpoint's ACRO.

 

[Basher]

How many here have had tens of thousands of rounds on pistols with both milled slides (Glocks, CZs) and OEM (CZ) plate systems?

Besides me that is.

You can theorize all you want. At the end of the day a Trijicon optic on a mounting surface that has two bosses machined to fit the two recesses on the front underside of the optic and a pair of high quality 6-32 flat head screws going straight into the slide/plate torqued to 15 - 20 in-lbs with med strength thread locker is about as bomproof as it gets short of a dovetail/clamp system like Aimpoint's ACRO.

I rest my case.