Shield Reflex Mini Sight
The interest of adding a small red dot sight to handguns is growing, in some ways it is the perfect storm. Several major handgun manufacturers are now offering factory options that are ready out-of-the-box to add the small red dot sight of the user’s choice. Previously, milling of the slide or cumbersome external adaptors had to be used. Now, it’s as easy as unscrewing a mounting plate and torquing down the sight. Obviously some systems are more plug and play than others and suppressor height iron sights may be needed on some platforms.
Mounting a red dot on a pistol isn’t really anything new, the competition community has been doing this for a long, long time. However, those large soup can optics don’t compare to the amazing options we have available now. It is because of these options that law enforcement, permit to carry holders, and even casual shooters are starting to notice what is available.
The small micro-style red dot sight has been around for almost two decades with models like the JPoint, FastFire, Doctor Optic, and now newer offerings from Trijicon, Leopold, Vortex, and many others. In fact the manufacturer of the JPoint and FastFire, Shield Firearms & Sights, is no stranger to seeing their products used on handguns. Shield is a Great Britain based company that has made several of the great small micro-style red dot sights that have been on the market since the 90’s.
Photo Credit: Dave Timm
What caught my eye at SHOT Show 2017 was a new offering from Shield called the RMS, or Reflex Mini Sight. My Glock rep and friend pointed me to the JPoint on the Glock MOS models and he noted how low the sight sat in the gun using Shield’s low profile mounting plate. The Shield RMS is in essence a next generation JPoint that is looking to be a real winner.
When I received the Shield RMS for review along with the low profile mounting plate for the Glock MOS platform, I first noticed the fit and finish was superb. I’m really a function over fashion guy but seeing no tooling marks or burns and a nice finish tells me something about a product. Additionally, the hardware and instructions included round out a nice package for the customer.
When I got the sights mounted, they are indeed sleek, low profile and really seem to be a perfect match for the Glock MOS. The sight itself weighs less than an ounce, matches the slide width perfectly, and the mounting plate seals the deal. The sight sits so low in the plate that standard factory height sights, or the favorite after market sight of your choice, work just fine. Because the sight sits low, finding the dot seams to be easier with this sight than the others I’ve tried in the past.
Photo Credit: Dave Timm
At the time of this article and video, I only have a little over a thousand rounds through the sight, but initial thoughts are promising. There are others in the industry that have been shooting red dot equipped pistols far longer than I and I am learning from them. My journey is still young, but I hope to share my lessons learned along the way. One thing I learned early on is equipment can make a difference. In this case, how the sight sights and the visibility window to my eye leave me and other shooters who have tried the sight impressed.
My full review will be coming later this summer after I get a few more thousand rounds behind the sights. By then, I will feel more comfortable sharing my experiences, feedback and some real world based tests as well. This is a first look at what I think will be a very promising option for those looking to add a high quality red dot sight to their pistol.
If you enjoyed watching this video and learning about pistol mounted red dot sights, check out my video series on the topic in The Briefing Room, our bi-weekly video series.
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