Pro/Con on Slide Mounted vs. Frame Mounted Optics

[Airic]

I'm just curious what all you open glock smiths out there think about this. I have never tried a fastfire/jpoint/doctor sight mounted to the slide. I had a cmore mounted with an sjc mount on my g17. To me, it seems that there would be a difference in the way the dot reacts to recoil between the two different types of mounts. With a frame mounted sight, the sight tends to be more in the center of gravity of the gun, which makes me think it would have a more consistent rise/fall of the dot as apposed to the slide mounted sight. The slide mounted sight is moving with the slide when the shot is fired, makes me wonder if you can follow the "bouncing" dot like you can on a frame mounted sight (in recoil).

Any opinions? I know some guys have tried both.

**I posted this in the glock forum because I shoot a Glock and want responses from people who have tried this on a glock. But I dont mind opinons from people who have tried it on other platforms.

[Jager1147]

I'm just curious what all you open glock smiths out there think about this. I have never tried a fastfire/jpoint/doctor sight mounted to the slide. I had a cmore mounted with an sjc mount on my g17. To me, it seems that there would be a difference in the way the dot reacts to recoil between the two different types of mounts. With a frame mounted sight, the sight tends to be more in the center of gravity of the gun, which makes me think it would have a more consistent rise/fall of the dot as apposed to the slide mounted sight. The slide mounted sight is moving with the slide when the shot is fired, makes me wonder if you can follow the "bouncing" dot like you can on a frame mounted sight (in recoil).

Any opinions? I know some guys have tried both.

**I posted this in the glock forum because I shoot a Glock and want responses from people who have tried this on a glock. But I dont mind opinons from people who have tried it on other platforms.

I've shot open glocks both ways, and for me I think the slide mounted optic being mounted more towards the rear of the gun negates some of the dot bounce due to slide movement. To me dot movement is very similar, but the better field of view for a frame mounted C-More is hard to beat. Pros and cons each way - slide mounted optic you can slap together in a few minutes without having to worry about ejector and extractor tuning. Also I feel accuracy might be a little better, since this will only be dependant on barrel to slide fit for the most part - you don't have to worry as much about a sloppy slide to frame fit. But now the con - more paralax in the slide mountes optic. Tough choice, if you're going to go all out I would choose the frame mount. If you're going to enter Open class on the cheap (which is why you would go open glock anyway IMHO) go with the slide mount. The best part about glocks is you can mix and match, and slap it together yourself without a smith.

jager

[Airic]

The best part about glocks is you can mix and match, and slap it together yourself without a smith.

jager

I agree. There are so many choices on accessories. The main thing I am worried about is reliability. I can't stand a gun that doesnt work. Sometimes the optic mount plays a big part in that.

[shooterbenedetto]

RELIABILITY!!! take this out of the equation.. make sure that optic is mounted on the frame and not on the slide.

slide moves and this is no reliable if you ask me. its just a matter of time before something goes wrong. you have a better chance on an optic that doesnt move and there for reliable that it will work all the time.

[Airic]

RELIABILITY!!! take this out of the equation.. make sure that optic is mounted on the frame and not on the slide.

slide moves and this is no reliable if you ask me. its just a matter of time before something goes wrong. you have a better chance on an optic that doesnt move and there for reliable that it will work all the time.

I speaking of reliability of the gun, not the sight.

The frame mount can be a big factor in reliability. The open glock I had build went out of "tune" very quickly. It started throwing the ejected brass into the mount that was above the slide, causing malfunctions. I've seen this happen to 2011 style open guns a lot also. I agree with you though on your point, it does seem like the optic would take a lot of extra vibration from being mounted on a slide.

[ChuckS]

I can talk some on slide mount (but not on a Glock) but that doesn't really matter, does it? I have 2 .40 open guns, one with a tribrid barrel and one with a traditional comp. The tribrid has about 19000 rounds on it with zero sight problems. The comp version has only 3600 fault-free rounds so far. Both guns have Bevenized Docter sights.

1) For accuracy, the only real issue is barrel lock up, frame slop does not come into the equation as long as the lock-up is consistent.

2) As for parallax, ever notice C-more shooters missing the upper A or pulling a shot into a close up no-shoot? Well, the slide mount dot has less offset so you don't have to aim 1" or more above the intended point of impact on the close targets.

3) The dot is about the same height as your iron front sight so the mechanics of the draw and sight picture are very similar so changing from irons to dots and back is pretty easy.

4) the gun can eject the empties any which way it wants to!

5) The hybrid gun I have has more muzzle flip than the comp version. The comp gun pretty much keeps the dot "in the glass" if not in the inner 1/3 of "the glass".

I have very little experience with the C-more but I would imagine that the larger field of view is nice but I really like being able to index off the top of the slide on a low-mounted Docter.

I like the setup and it is handy if you want to switch divisions.

Later,

Chuck

[coltgov]

I shoot a Jpoint boosted with dual 2016 batteries, and I have tried the Cmore on glocks and 2011s.

So my Jpoint dot is just as bright as a cmore.

Didn't seem much different besides the cmore being mounted higher.

It's not like wow that is so much better I have to change to a cmore so I can shoot better.

BTW I have yet to break a jpoint in 2 years so can't say how long it will last. It breaking is not even on my mind!

But if you are worried you can have another in your shooting bag already sighted in on standby. It's plug and play!

[Bob Hostetter]

I have a G17 Open gun set up with a Hybrid barrel and slide mounted JPoint that is primarially my daughters gun but I shoot it as well. It currently has about 30,000 rounds of major thru it with zero problems. I much prefer the slide mounted JPoint to a frame mounted dot for the same reasons Chuck stated. The dot is in the same basic position as the iron sights would be which makes it much easier to find the dot. Also you have zero isues with ejection.

Edited April 1, 2008 by Bob Hostetter

[Flexmoney]

The fastest (with accuracy) that I have ever shot a handgun has been with my G34 with a C-more on a mount. The slide mounted optics have never done it for me.

[driver8M3]

just yesterday i was at the range getting ready for the psa shootout and practicing with both the open (slide mounted doctor sight) and production G34s. i dont shoot open much (maybe a few times a year at psa or gssf matches), so don't put too much into my opinion, but i can't track the slide-mounted dot at all (and i'm shooting the same wimpy loads in both guns). i can track the sights better with the production gun.

[Harmon]

i didnt like the slide mounted optics when i tried them...and there has got to be a better way to mount a sight on a glock than where we are at now.

im looking at the possibilites of other options.

i have a carver mount, but dont like how it interferes with holsters...and the fact you have to lower the ejection port.

The SJC mount is clean, but im not fond of modifying a plastic frame.

i dont like the way the slide mounted sights "dip" during the peak of the slides rearward travel.

Harmon

[the duck of death]

I had the Doctor milled into the slide, using the Dr mount the index was too high for me. On my other G34 using a Fast Fire the Burris mount is low enough not to bother. I could never use a C more.

[sweetback]

MY .02

Having tried the DOCTER in it's early 2nd gen. version and it's BEVENIZED up grade.

Also the PRIDE /FOWLER RAPID RETICLE.

They both have there short comings. the DOCTER without the BEVENIZED UPgrade

will not last,dot barely bright enouch,will need to be rezeroed when changing batteries.

When BEVENIZED all these problems are eliminated, at a $$$$ COST.

More than a lot of shooters want to spend over a TUBE / C-MORE set up, with there short comings.

P/F RAPID RETICLE dot to small,not bright enough, and despite there claims not as reliable

when used on a Comp gun, but you can change the battery without taking the site off.

For those who claim to have problems tracking a slide mounted dot, there is no difference in

the amount of movement that is produced by an iron sight, mounted at the same level.

There is a period of adjusment for some shooters.

FINAL WORDS ON THE FUTURE OF SLIDE MOUNTED DOTS.

THE FACTORIES NEED TO LISTEN TO INFORMED SOURCES, AND BUILD THERE PRODUCTS

TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF RUGEDNESS AND RELIABILTY. DOT SIZES BIGGER,BRIGHTER ( BETTER L.E.D. )

STRONGER MORE SECURE WIRING AND SWITCHES,DEDICATED ON / OFF SWITCH.

WHEN THEY FINALLY MEET THESE ISSUES,

THEY WILL HAVE A GOOD PRODUCT, AND NOT A FRAGILE TOY.

PS for every (1) that works there will be (10 ) or (20) that don't hold up.

Edited April 7, 2008 by sweetback

[bountyhunter]

RELIABILITY!!! take this out of the equation.. make sure that optic is mounted on the frame and not on the slide.

slide moves and this is no reliable if you ask me. its just a matter of time before something goes wrong. you have a better chance on an optic that doesnt move and there for reliable that it will work all the time.

I would assume that's true. Electronic devices don't like the kind of g shock they will get mounted on the slide. I know they are supposed to take it, but it's just a matter of time.