After test firing we took a closer look at what makes the slide/sight combination so unique, and to appreciate it you first need to understand how so many RDS mounting systems work… plus a little physics. For almost all previous red dot sight (RDS) systems, to create a “universal fit” capability, handguns with cut slides are usually delivered with a mounting plate that gets screwed to the slide using two or four screws depending on the manufacturer. Then the RDS gets screwed to the mounting plate usually with two more screws (in our experience).
As each round is fired then, you have the impact of recoil that can affect all of the screws. If any of the screws are loosened over time, the security and stability of the RDS can be altered with a negative effect, meaning that while the RDS might hold zero its relation to the slide and bore alignment can change resulting in less accuracy and potentially eventual loss of the RDS itself.
The Glock/Aimpoint proprietary mounting system uses a different and less fragile method where the recoil impact is concerned. This “A-Cut Mounting Solution” uses a cut in the slide that the front of the RDS unit slides into and then the rear sight is mounted using two screws, securing both the rear sight and the back of the RDS. So only two screws are susceptible to the recoil’s impact energy reducing by half or two-thirds the potential for loosening to occur. Thanks also to this mounting system, the standard front sight, coupled with the rear sight used, are high enough to co-witness if, for any reason, the red dot doesn’t function.
The RDS itself has easy to feel and use control buttons allowing the user to adjust brightness. The knobs that adjust windage and elevation of the dot have clear distinct “clicks” as they are adjusted. While the sight is advertised as good for five-years of constant on use, when you do need to replace the battery it’s easy enough to do without having to remove the sight from the slide, so zero stays intact.
Between the small profile of the sight itself combined with this unique mounting system, the Glock/COA combo is perfect for plainclothes or off-duty use. Since it’s available for the Glock Models 19, 45 and 47 it’s good for on-duty use as well.
