My experience with pistols and MRDS
Here's where I'm coming from: I'm 56 and have been very nearsighted all my life. I now wear progressive lens glasses. I've taken John McPhee's pistol classes 5 times and his carbine class twice.
My first experience with a MRDS was at an NFA Day (thanks again Lovemywoods!) and I believe it was an M&P 45 with an Osprey and an RMR. Having very minimal pistol training at that point it was an unsatisfying experience... I had to search for the dot before and after each shot and the dot was constantly in motion. Over the years of training with John and his video diagnostics it became clear that I was having vision issues. The condensed version is that in order for me to focus on the front sight I had to lean my head back to utilize the bottom of my glasses progressive lenses which threw off my stance. The net result was that, in John's opinion, I was an excellent candidate to switch to a MRDS. He let me know that if I went in this direction that I could expect to have to work on the consistency of my presentation/draw stroke to be able to reliably acquire the dot. He made sure to tell my wife (who has attended four of his pistol classes with me) not to give me any crap about getting a slide milled
So last year I bought an FN 509T and put an RMR on it. John was correct; I was initially a little slower with the RMR. But 6 years of training with John's guidance (I missed his 2019 classes) had put me well ahead of where I was at that NFA Day. By my 3rd range trip I was objectively better; the timer doesn't lie.
My take on carry optics is that they're the way to go, I'll never buy another EDC that doesn't support an optic out of the box. Yes, consistency in presentation is critical to quickly pick up the dot... but I can train for that. I cannot train my "old eyes" to focus. I can shoot with both eyes open, which I could never do with before as my dominant eye wasn't that dominant.
IMO carry optics are the way to go in general, and particularly if your "genetic eyebox" is too short to focus on the front sight. An RDS on a pistol gives you all the advantages of an RDS on a rifle, and you could argue that the scale of pistol distances makes them even more appropriate.
YMMV
Here's where I'm coming from: I'm 56 and have been very nearsighted all my life. I now wear progressive lens glasses. I've taken John McPhee's pistol classes 5 times and his carbine class twice.
My first experience with a MRDS was at an NFA Day (thanks again Lovemywoods!) and I believe it was an M&P 45 with an Osprey and an RMR. Having very minimal pistol training at that point it was an unsatisfying experience... I had to search for the dot before and after each shot and the dot was constantly in motion. Over the years of training with John and his video diagnostics it became clear that I was having vision issues. The condensed version is that in order for me to focus on the front sight I had to lean my head back to utilize the bottom of my glasses progressive lenses which threw off my stance. The net result was that, in John's opinion, I was an excellent candidate to switch to a MRDS. He let me know that if I went in this direction that I could expect to have to work on the consistency of my presentation/draw stroke to be able to reliably acquire the dot. He made sure to tell my wife (who has attended four of his pistol classes with me) not to give me any crap about getting a slide milled
So last year I bought an FN 509T and put an RMR on it. John was correct; I was initially a little slower with the RMR. But 6 years of training with John's guidance (I missed his 2019 classes) had put me well ahead of where I was at that NFA Day. By my 3rd range trip I was objectively better; the timer doesn't lie.
My take on carry optics is that they're the way to go, I'll never buy another EDC that doesn't support an optic out of the box. Yes, consistency in presentation is critical to quickly pick up the dot... but I can train for that. I cannot train my "old eyes" to focus. I can shoot with both eyes open, which I could never do with before as my dominant eye wasn't that dominant.
IMO carry optics are the way to go in general, and particularly if your "genetic eyebox" is too short to focus on the front sight. An RDS on a pistol gives you all the advantages of an RDS on a rifle, and you could argue that the scale of pistol distances makes them even more appropriate.
YMMV
