Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Rds on pistol? Yea or nay

Here is an issue that hasn't been discussed, that is actually a minor issue, if you use a dual illuminated model RMR.

Red dot RDSs have a red coating on the lens that filters out red light, buit green light will come through. It also allows for the red dot to be reflected on the glass so the shooter can seer it. Light coming through the glass has a green hue.

RDSs with a green dot have a green coating on the front lens that filters out green light, but red and amber light will come through. Light coming through that glass has a reddish hue.

If you want back up iron sights that co witness with the RDSs dot, and you still want to be able to see the glow of the tritium in the front sight through the RDS glass, then the colors of the dots on the RDS and the front sight need to be different. On my G17 with a green dot RMR, the front sight tritium green glow is completely filtered out buy the green coating on the front of the RMR. In low light, I only see the front sight tritium as I bring my pistol up, but once it goes in front of the RMR lens, that green glow is filtered out and I pick up the green dot of the RMR. I never even thought about this when I went with the dual illuminated RMR with a green dot and thought it might be a disadvantage. But I came to appreciate not being distracted in low light situations by seeing two green dots.

So it you want to see the glow of the tritium in the front sight through your RDS window, pick a color that is opposite of the color of the coating on the RDS lens. If you have a green coating, go with an amber front sight. If your have a red coating, go with a green front sight.

It's too bright in this pic to see that the front tritium glow is filtered out, but it is. Completely. In the pitch dark, I can scarcely see the glow of the front sight through my RMR lens.