Converting Your Agency to RDS

Aug. 13, 2021
Before adopting red dot sights, law enforcement agencies take several things into consideration.
If you were around about 20 years ago, you remember the big push to put flashlights onto weapons. They’d been on long guns for some number of years, but pistol-mounted lights became all the rage. Many agencies approved officers to put the lights on their pistols, but they mandated the officers pay for the light and the holster. Some agencies created policies to govern the use. One agency this author is aware of allowed their officers to buy the lights but prohibited them from mounting the lights “until needed.” The problem was that then the pistol needed to be holstered at some point and the officers had to remove the mounted light prior to holstering: a two-handed operation that could be detrimental to survival under the wrong circumstances.

What does a weapon mounted light have to do with today? It’s an example of a handgun accessory that was all the rage, that some thought could be adopted quick and easy, that often was handled all wrong and needed a more thoughtful approach. When any agency adopts or authorizes a new firearm accessory, there is more involved than a simple, “Yeah, go ahead,” from the chief or sheriff. Let’s take a look at how this applies to the current trend of adopting Red Dot Sights (RDS) for handguns.

To begin, let’s agree that there is some value to the adoption and use of an RDS on a handgun. When you examine the mechanics of sight alignment and sight picture as applied to basic marksmanship, an RDS simplifies the process. Instead of having to align a front sight with a rear sight and then keep them aligned as you place them over a target to achieve sight picture, you simply see the dot and put it where you want it on the target. This is, in fact, much easier and faster to do and allows most shooters to shoot with both eyes open more easily than they can with the iron sights. For some older shooters, presbyopia becomes a problem—being able to focus that front sight at the end of your arm. The RDS helps alleviate some of that challenge as well, because whether the red dot is super crisp, or just slightly blurry, doesn’t really impact your combat shooting accuracy. The difference might be an inch or two in your shot hit placement. So, ultimately, the RDS can be a big help for many shooters. However, adopting an RDS isn’t all peaches and cream and super easy to do.

Any time an agency makes a change to weaponry, whether it’s adopting an accessory or changing the ammunition, there are costs involved. In the case of switching an agency to using an RDS, the costs will include:

  • Selecting and purchasing the RDS
  • Getting all of the RDS units mounted
  • Changing to holsters that accommodate the RDS
  • Training development time
  • Training delivery time

A quick google search of “handgun red dot sight” will give more returns than you can count and display at least six different manufacturers of such sights. Before your agency can select one, you need to know what your needs and requirements are and how much budget you have. The ultimate challenge, as always, is selecting the RDS that most closely meets your needs and requirements within your allotted budget. But selection and purchase is just the first cost. Once your agency has procured them, they have to be mounted.

Most of our duty handguns today don’t have the slides precut to mount an RDS. That means, if you’re going to adopt them agency wide, you have to either get new slide assemblies, have the existing slide assemblies cut, or completely swap out weapons for new ones with the slides RDS ready. A low-cost RDS can run $150 to $200 (but you might get a better price with a bulk purchase). Having slides cut can cost $300-plus per weapon. Buying new slide assemblies usually costs less than that, and some weapon manufacturers will give you a great deal if you trade in your old duty weapons for the new ones that are RDS ready.

In parallel to the selection and purchase of the RDS units, along with getting weapons that are ready for them, your staff needs to be developing the administrative and training policies that have to be approved and in place prior to the first officer carrying the first RDS-mounted weapon. Not only do the policies have to be put in place, but you also have to select and purchase holsters and your firearms training staff have to themselves be trained in how to train officers to use the RDS most effectively.

It is sometimes assumed that your armorer staff can properly diagnose any weapon issue, but when the weapon becomes a system rather than just a standalone handgun, you might find some staff falling short in their knowledge and skills. They will need to be trained as well. When you have officers on your agency carrying a handgun with a light/laser unit mounted under the barrel and an RDS mounted on the slide along with taller iron sights (for co-witnessing if the RDS dies or goes out of service), your armorer is no longer just servicing a handgun. He’s servicing a weapon system and has to be able to diagnose/replace/repair all components thereof.

Throughout this process it’s imperative that you don’t settle for the cheapest, easiest or most available. Make sure you know and document your needs and requirements and stick with them. For holsters, make sure you get quality holsters that secure the handguns at the same level as your current issue. Extensively test your issued (or intended for issue) handguns with all accessories mounted and in use. Your firearms training staff will need them as they develop the training protocols and skills drills. Some of the skills they might need to train your officers on include:

  • Operating the RDS itself
  • Sight alignment and sight picture with the RDS
  • Sight alignment and sight picture THROUGH a disabled RDS
  • Sight alignment and sight picture with the RDS using a mounted light (if authorized)
  • Reload drills with the RDS in place
  • Wounded shooter drills with the RDS in place
  • Judgmental shooting with the RDS used

When you take all of that into consideration, it’s obvious that there is far more involved than just, “buy it, mount it, use it.” Just like any low light operations instructor will tell you there’s more to using a flashlight properly than just turning it on and off, an RDS instructor will tell you the same about proper use of the sight. There are a lot of considerations and different sighting skills that have to be developed. Ultimately, we cannot issue officers anything that slows them down in a conflict wherein the price of losing might be their life or the life of another. When trained properly, the RDS is faster for sight acquisition. The key words there are, “When Trained Properly.”

Don’t shortcut your agency. If you decide to switch over to RDS ready weapons, assess your needs; document your process; go through the budgeting/request for proposal/proposal selection process. Depending on the size of your agency, the process might take three months, or it make take three years (think about the cost and time invested for an agency the size of NYPD as the example). Do some research and find the experts you can depend on in the industry to assist you with your program. Budget in the cost of their expertise as well.  

About the Author

Lt. Frank Borelli (ret), Editorial Director | Editorial Director

Lt. Frank Borelli is the Editorial Director for the Officer Media Group. Frank brings 20+ years of writing and editing experience in addition to 40 years of law enforcement operations, administration and training experience to the team.

Frank has had numerous books published which are available on Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, and other major retail outlets.

If you have any comments or questions, you can contact him via email at [email protected].

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