Slide Mounted Red Dots by Russel Phagan
Thanks to Tom R. for sharing this.
Russel Phagan has been using slide mounted red dots on his pistols since 2010. He explains in the video above how they are a huge advantage and even mentions the few draw backs to running an optic on your handgun.
He started with an RMR then tried the Aimpoint T1 mounted on a KE arms slide.
He makes a point to mention frame mounted optics cannot fit in carry holsters and while that is true, I am not sure why that is a criteria for competition but there are ways to secure and holster a frame mounted optic pistol.
His final evolution is for a division called Stealth and he built a Roland Special like pistol for this division. He dubbed it the “Stealth Special”. It is a Glock 19 with compensator and a red dot.
The Stealth Special looks rather effective in the footage he showed at the end of the video above. I do find it interesting how much competition has influenced the evolution of duty/carry pistols. First it was optics on handguns and now muzzle brakes. One advantage that the Roland Special type pistols have over your dedicated race guns is the ability to mount a light. Many open style pistols like the STI DVC, SVI pistols and other 2011 race guns do not have rails to mount lights. They are like Nascar race cars, built for speed but no working lights.
As Russel mentions in his video, the Stealth Special is a fantastic little gun that he considered carrying it.
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Uhhh what is this? Not trying to be negative but I'm honestly surprised/curious why this was posted. Patrick writes about Roland specials all the time. This guys thinks we should be getting taught about red dots and Roland specials in 2017? Hahaha uhhhh what? And then his big wow amazing red dot exploration journey ends up with him building a friggin Roland special with an rmr? Uh what exactly did we learn here? Besides why are we letting this guy come up with some dumb new name? Stealth special? Seriously? By calling it a "special" he's pretty much totally acknowledging he came up with nothing on his own and is trying to pass it off as creative in some way. Seems totally paradoxical to me. Hahaha ok inrange is cool but like dude I did not realize how far behind they are on modern stuff. I just want gun Jesus to tell me about old guns. Stick to your strengths. It's just so weird how he built the same gun everyone else has and decides he gets to name it something unique. We all know what the hound says about people who name their swords. Whatever people are so narcissistic now haha even if there are 10000 videos and articles (and 100000 instagrams) on pistol red dots and Roland specials everyone and their special ass wants to make a cute video for YouTube so they can have someone film them shooting and looking soooo cool. Is it just me or is this community way too obsessed with getting video/photographic evidence of their manliness? Because putting yourself on display is perhaps the least manly thing one could ever do.
In fact I truly believe this is why we all love Ian McCollum so much, the guy loves what he does, comes up with unique content, and doesn't make any effort whatsoever to pump up his ego. Gun Jesus doesn't need to be dragged down by all these wannabe tacticool noobs. He knows that we don't need lessons on what is one of the absolute most popular trends of the last friggin decade. And he doesn't do something stupid like make it all about some amazing journey where he discovers the ultra rare high speed upgrade of (wait for it) A RED DOT SIGTHTTHTH ZOMG
So dose this up your Crit Chance, or your attack bonus?