Have an old Shield RMS/c dot on my sig 365 X.
Pretty much my everyday carry.
Thinking this dot is 3-4 years old?
Seem to be changing batteries a lot. Don't keep records like I should. 2032 battery. Have a ton of them. Duracell mostly.
At least once 10-12 months. Shield is always on.

Not an issue as I always check it before I holster it.
what is the actual life of these sights? Is a holosun 407k a good replacement option?

Not sure on yours but, I swap out my Trijicon RMR's once a year and I've never run out going on a few years now.

Manufacturer says 2-3 years.
I have not had the best luck in longevity with Duracell button batteries.

Energizer
Panasonic
Sony

are the only ones I use anymore.

I agree. Panasonic & Sony are top notch. Energizer is good too. Duracell isn't all that good as you've found out.

Of course the solution is just carry a spare battery... then if you need to use your P365 and discover the dot is dead.... just replace the battery.... well, actually something else might be dead by then.....

I was taught years ago in a coastal navigation class to never trust your life to electronics.

I disagree about Duracell batteries. They have been a standard in the industry for some time and are endorsed by guys like Scott Jedlinski and Aaron Cowan. I have used dozens of hundreds of them over the years and cannot recall having a dud.

On another forum, a user who is a full-time LE firearms instructor tested various brands in five eight Aimpoint T2s and got substantially better results with Duracell than other brands.

Thread here: https://pistol-forum.com/showt...ife-and-Battery-Type

I would suggest writing the month and year of installation in sharpie on the top of the battery.

Do you keep the cover on it when you're not using it?

(I made a little tether for one, keep the cover on even when holstered. Stays a lot cleaner that way too.)



I thought they SUGGESTED changing the battery once a year anyway. I certainly recommend it. lol Comes out to 30-40 cents a month?

Refer to post:
https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...020030994#3020030994

I don't understand why so many guys are averse to testing batteries in their optics. Lithium batteries last a long time. I mean, they're not expensive, but neither is monitoring battery discharge, and a battery tester &/or multimeter has a lot more uses than checking your red dot batteries.

One thing to consider is the source of the batteries. If you buy online they may be coming from old stock vs a cell in a store that has likely been put out more recently. Not always the issue but just a factor not mentioned previously in the thread.

Just seemed like I just changed it less than a year ago.

Marking the battery is a great idea.

I change or recharge the batteries in my flashlights about ever to weeks, and they're off most of the time.

Cover it when not in use if you're not, so it's using the least amount of juice. I have a Shield and I like it, but "always on" anything doesn't make sense to me.

Battery in my always-on Gen 1 RMR lasted 3 years FWIW. IIRC it's a 2032