I'm ready to jump into red dot pistols. I have one, looking to get another setup and not quite sure what options might be the best.

Background
My current competition gun is a 320, and my carry is a Glock 19. I previously had an RMR cut slide for the 320, but the little shooting I did with it was clumsy, and the slide work was sub-par which led to the RMR moving around a bit and losing zero. I sold the slide and shelved the RMR. Recently I added an RX slide with the Romeo 1 to my 320. I drilled with it a bunch at home, and finally got around to shooting it in a class. I'm definitely sold on using red dots now. Even at speed my groups were effortlessly tighter than I previously shot, and didn't open up as much with distance. I'm working on increasing speed, decreasing instances of losing reference and hunting for the dot (it was very tricky for me when in odd shooting positions such as leaning out from behind cover), and getting faster with that first shot on target from the holster.

I think my next step is to have more red dots on pistols. My rifles all have optics, though I'm shifting more towards LPVO 1-4/6/8x with those I still have a decent assortment of Aimpoints and ACOGs.

Most of the guns in the stable aren't good hosts for a red dot. Beretta 92, HK USP/45/45c, Sig 228, 220 9mm, revolvers, etc.

I do have a Glock Gen4, it's a bit of a beater gun, I dremeled off the finger grooves and undercut the trigger guard so that it would actually fit my hand somewhat, but there's no stippling or finish work to clean it up. I don't much care, it's a Glock, it works. It's got a beavertail backstrap to prevent slide bite, which is an issue for me. It also has a Suarez magwell, which I'm not a big fan of as I feel the edges are a bit too sharp, but the flare at the base of the grip really helps lock that sucker into my hand. I need a Gen4 or 5 type frame as I'm standardized on ambi or left handed mag releases, so Gen3 frames are out.

I'm thinking it makes sense to buy/build an RMR Glock for carry use. My other option would be to mill my compact/carry 320 slide, but that currently gets swapped in place of the RX slide if I want to shoot irons with my 320. Plus I'm looking at using both of my 320 FCGs as primary & backup for competition guns. I don't want a factory red dot slide from Sig for carry as I have the RMR and I'm cautious against the Romeo as a carry optic- maybe future versions, but not right now.

Questions on building an RMR Glock
My RMR is a Type1 and I have a Battleworx sealing plate for it. People have had issues with the Type1, which is why there's a Type2, so that does give me some pause before I kick this project off. Should I be concerned, or does a little bend of the battery contact prong (if I have issues) in combination with a sealing plate pretty much solve the issue? I could leave the RMR on the shelf and use it for a future lightweight AR build with a Scalarworks Leap mount, but I'm also trying to get this project done without just shelling out $1000+, so buying a new optic probably won't happen until I can gather more funds.

I'm not interested in Gucci Glock stuff, I'm not spending $500 on just a slide with fancy CNC work. I do like those guns, one may be in my future, but that's not the current objective. In fact, $500 is about the entire current budget for this project.

My current Glock is a bone stock Gen4, aside from the grip mods mentioned above. The options I'm currently debating are;

Gen5 19 MOS @ $550-600. Factory mount, no need for modifications, maybe some minor changes to the trigger (I don't like the serrated face on the 19), and some new sights. Are the Gen5 compatible with my Gen4 mags? Does the MOS mount get the RMR as low as a milled slide? Does the Gen5 give me enough improvements over the Gen4 to make sense? I'm not concerned about the slide catch, I haven't been using an ambi catch long enough to have the slingshot method worked out of my muscle memory, unlike the mag catch.

Brownells 19.4 slide with RMR cut @ $230. I'd need sights, but could transfer everything from my factory slide over, keeping initial investment low as I get rounds downrange and build up the new gun. Is the window version preferable over the solid? In my mind the solid slide is the better carry option, but I'm not sure how the weight might affect performance.

Lone Wolf Alpha Wolf 19.4 slide w/ RMR cut @ $190. Comes with a sealing plate, otherwise similar situation with the Brownells slide. Is this a quality product? I hear mixed reviews on Lone Wolf stuff. It's currently the best value in an aftermarket slide that I can find, but there might be a reason it's the cheapest.

Send my slide out for milling @ $??. Just about everybody and their brother will mill a slide these days. A few names pop up consistently, but lead times and cost are relatively high. Buying an aftermarket slide leaves me the option to sell the stock one to recoup cost, or build two complete guns, so I'm not sure milling is the best option with slides available <$250. Maybe if a sale pops up and someone does milling for $50 (I think Maple did that last year?) I'd jump on it, but currently this isn't looking like the route I'm taking.

Nomad 9 frame @ $200. This is an aftermarket Gen4 frame that comes stripped. Holster compatibility might be an issue, but I currently only have 1 holster for my 19. The upside being that it's $200 and has everything I'd want in a frame - interchangeable sizes on the backstrap, no finger grooves, undercut trigger guard, beavertail integrated, decent texture, Gen4 mag release. I'm waiting a bit to see more of them get onto the market, but I think this has real potential for me. A local dealer is getting several and he might have test frames from laser stippling or cerakote that could be cheaper.

Getting my current frame cleaned up and stippled @ $??. I'm reluctant to go this route, it pretty much kills resale since it's such a personalization, it's somewhat expensive, if it ends up not being to my liking I'm pretty much stuck with it. If I could try before I buy I might be a bit more willing to jump in, but with the Nomad 9 frame it also feels like this is no longer the best option.


Are there other options out there that are a marked improvement over what I'm currently looking at? Is there anything I'm overlooking, or something else I should consider?

What benefits are there to placing the rear sight in front of the optic? I hadn't planned on this route, but I'm interested to hear more.

I'd like to have the RMR mounted within a couple of weeks. This summer will provide plenty of opportunity to practice, but I think having a dot on my competition gun leaves my carry gun behind and I'd like to parallel training with the two to make sure I'm not getting habits developed with the Romeo that don't transition to the RMR, and vice versa.

I would appreciate any other feedback as well.



Links:
Nomad frame http://www.nomaddefenseco.com/
Lone Wolf slide https://www.lonewolfdist.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=921340
Brownells slide https://www.brownells.com/hand...-9mm-prod121024.aspx

quote:

Originally posted by Rustpot:
<snip> The options I'm currently debating are;

Gen5 19 MOS @ $550-600. Factory mount, no need for modifications, maybe some minor changes to the trigger (I don't like the serrated face on the 19), and some new sights. Are the Gen5 compatible with my Gen4 mags? <snip>

I understood that all the Gen 5 19 models, including the MOS, come with a smooth trigger. Mine is smooth. If the 19 MOS has the serrated, easy swap. Mags are compatible.

quote:

Originally posted by striker1:

quote:

Originally posted by Rustpot:
<snip> The options I'm currently debating are;

Gen5 19 MOS @ $550-600. Factory mount, no need for modifications, maybe some minor changes to the trigger (I don't like the serrated face on the 19), and some new sights. Are the Gen5 compatible with my Gen4 mags? <snip>

I understood that all the Gen 5 19 models, including the MOS, come with a smooth trigger. Mine is smooth. If the 19 MOS has the serrated, easy swap. Mags are compatible.

Thanks. I assumed they kept the serrated trigger. I changed mine to the Gen3 17 and filed the safety tab so it's flush when depressed.

quote:

Originally posted by Rustpot:
Are the Gen5 compatible with my Gen4 mags?

Yes - the only instance of 'mags not being compatible' with Glocks are Gen5 G17 magazines in a G19X, since it has the extended front strap and that doesn't work with the extended Gen5 baseplates.

So unless you are a G19X & G17 Gen 5 owner, it's a non-issue.

You may want to wait a bit on purchasing an RMR as the new Trijicon was just introduced. I have a feeling you'll be able to get the last gen RMR v2 for a better price than currently available. And some folk may be dumping their current RMRs to get the new one.

My 19.5MOS has a smooth trigger as well. I had planned to upgrade it but really I dont see the need upon trying it for a bit. I like the MOS setup for a bit of futureproofing if thats a thing. I've found my Gen 1 rmr works fine as long as the slide cut is done right. No issues for me but I did have a slide where the cut was too tight and it would kill the RMR as I tightened it down battleworks plate or no.

Only you can really say if you want to take the Gen 5 plunge or not. I have a 3,4 and a 5 and I think the 5 is the best. If not for the MOS features and forward serrations I'd have been happy sticking with my 4 but if you want a gun setup for probably any dot optic for a pistol that hits the market I think its hard to go wrong with the MOS 19.5. I am considering one of those no gap aftermarket plates but I think its likely more of an asthetics thing than a real need.

I think you'll be fine with the Type 1, especially with the Battlewerx. I have a Type 1 with a pile of rounds through it. There are thousands of them out there.

All of the slide options are likely fine. I have a Lone Wolf slide (non milled) as a spare and it has been fine. I really like the look of the Brownells slides. I've handled them in their retail store and they seem well made. Haven't built one up, though. If they get around to building a Gen 5 slide, I'll probably buy one for my Glock 45.

My RMR gun was milled by L and M Precision and he did a good job. I know a handful of other people who used him and they are all satisfied. If I could do it again, though, I'd consider buying the Brownells milled slide and selling the factory slide.

quote:

Originally posted by agony:
You may want to wait a bit on purchasing an RMR as the new Trijicon was just introduced. I have a feeling you'll be able to get the last gen RMR v2 for a better price than currently available. And some folk may be dumping their current RMRs to get the new one.

Already have the RMR collecting dust. Type 1 RM06 3.25 dot. I got it when Cabelas had them for $350 after the Type2 was released (or shortly before?), I don't see deals much better than that, even used Type1 are over $300.

quote:

Originally posted by Anubismp:
My 19.5MOS has a smooth trigger as well. I had planned to upgrade it but really I dont see the need upon trying it for a bit. I like the MOS setup for a bit of futureproofing if thats a thing. I've found my Gen 1 rmr works fine as long as the slide cut is done right. No issues for me but I did have a slide where the cut was too tight and it would kill the RMR as I tightened it down battleworks plate or no.

Only you can really say if you want to take the Gen 5 plunge or not. I have a 3,4 and a 5 and I think the 5 is the best. If not for the MOS features and forward serrations I'd have been happy sticking with my 4 but if you want a gun setup for probably any dot optic for a pistol that hits the market I think its hard to go wrong with the MOS 19.5. I am considering one of those no gap aftermarket plates but I think its likely more of an asthetics thing than a real need.

Thanks for the insight. Honestly for a carry gun the trigger never really bothered me. I don't recall if I put in a lighter connector, but I went through it and replaced what the previous owner changed since I didn't know what it was or the quality of the parts. It has takeup and creep, but it's predictable to where I can pull the trigger well and not throw off the sights.

quote:

Originally posted by DaBigBR:
I think you'll be fine with the Type 1, especially with the Battlewerx. I have a Type 1 with a pile of rounds through it. There are thousands of them out there.

All of the slide options are likely fine. I have a Lone Wolf slide (non milled) as a spare and it has been fine. I really like the look of the Brownells slides. I've handled them in their retail store and they seem well made. Haven't built one up, though. If they get around to building a Gen 5 slide, I'll probably buy one for my Glock 45.

My RMR gun was milled by L and M Precision and he did a good job. I know a handful of other people who used him and they are all satisfied. If I could do it again, though, I'd consider buying the Brownells milled slide and selling the factory slide.

Thanks for the report on your RMR and slide.

At this point I'm leaning more towards the Brownells, basically $40 more and I get forward serrations, which are useful with an optic slide for me. Not the end of the world to not have them. Plus Lone Wolf doesn't have the plain black Ameriglow suppressor sights in stock and Brownells does, with a $20 off code (though pretty much negated with charging tax).

L&M looks to be $165 with cerakote to cover the milled location. So $40 more gets me a complete second slide... yeah, probably going to just get a slide, and like you said maybe sell of the old one.

So I'm looking at $272.85 shipped for the Brownells slide w/ window (non window isn't in stock currently), a firing pin channel liner so I don't need to pull that out of my current slide, and a set of blackout Ameriglo sights. And I'd have it in a few days vs. a month lead time on machining work.

A friend just returned a Brownell’s 43 slide as he couldn’t make it run reliably. Non OEM slides may or may not run reliably, where OEM especially with a Gen 5 is almost a sure bet. With the horse race between the Acro, SRO, to be revised RMR, the DP Pro and the RMS W, a MOS solution offers flexibility until the dust settles.

quote:

Originally posted by GJM AK:
A friend just returned a Brownell’s 43 slide as he couldn’t make it run reliably. Non OEM slides may or may not run reliably, where OEM especially with a Gen 5 is almost a sure bet. With the horse race between the Acro, SRO, to be revised RMR, the DP Pro and the RMS W, a MOS solution offers flexibility until the dust settles.

Yes, this is part of the debate I'm having now and why I'm consider the Gen5. The overall investment is a bit more, but I'd probably have a Glock I didn't have to mess with aside from some tall sights.