Red Dot Problem

My problem:

I bought a BSA PMDS Red Dot sight. It’s not the tube ones, it’s lighter. It’s not the super light weight one ounce ones. It's the one with the screen but adjustable brightness.

I couldn’t get it to zeroed. I E-mailed BSA with the problem and they said send it in for warranty repair. Six weeks, sample targets I sent them, and ten dollars later I get it back from a place in Florida though I sent it to Missouri so, I don’t think it was the original one. Still doesn’t zero. The first time the problem seemed to be with the locking screw. This time I’d be a half inch below the “X”, I come up 2 clicks and I’m outside the 4 ring at 2 o’clock. I’d come back down 2 clicks and I’m slightly lower in the 4 ring at 2 o’clock. I E-mail BSA and said, “You couldn’t have done more to hurt your company's reputation then to market this product.” An hour later, I get a phone call from them and they said they’d send me a UPS return label.

Six weeks later I get it back from the same place I sent it to. The impact point is bouncing all over the place, 8” right, 8” left, then center. I moved the target in to just 6 yards away, I bench rest my S&W 41. I’m getting 4” and 5” groups at just 6 yards!

I put my old and heavy Tasco ProPoint tube type red dot back on and I’m getting under ½ inch groups measured edge to edge with six rounds fired.

These are both under $100.00 red dots but they’re sitting on a barrel that doesn’t move. If you buy an inexpensive new car, you still expect the gas pedal and break to work.

Something just doesn’t seem right to me. I don’t think BSA’s product is a warranty problem but just bad engineering. How could they sell to gun owners such a badly designed product?

All I wanted was a lighter weight red dot. I find it hard to accept that I’ve run into so many problems with a simple red dot.:(

Have any of you had a similar experience with these red dots?

Here's a picture of the target.

Go to Larrysguns.com amd get an Ultradot - a bit more than a 100 but worth it

I'm using a Burris FastFire on my VZ58 instead of the Aimpoint Comp M2 I originally installed. It's a great, compact, lightweight RDS. About double the price of the BSA, but well worth it, in my opinion.

BSA once meant Birmingham Small Arms. Now, it means made in China.

I tend to stay away from BSA these days. I still have 2. One is still fairly tight but the other the battery case is loose.

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Originally Posted by John Sukey

BSA once meant Birmingham Small Arms. Now, it means made in China.

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It was made in China. China makes those good solid lead toys:madsmile:

Seriously, quality control is still BSA's responsibilty. The design is all wrong. The red dot assy. rests on some springs that rest on the mount. The springs are non-linear and when you adjust the windage you're distorting the springs all the more. I blame that on BSA not China.:thdown:

BSA's warranty service was responsive but they can't fix a bad design.

Thanks for the response.

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Originally Posted by Stevo

I'm using a Burris FastFire on my VZ58 instead of the Aimpoint Comp M2 I originally installed. It's a great, compact, lightweight RDS. About double the price of the BSA, but well worth it, in my opinion.

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I've seen this type of very lightweight red dot. They don't have a brightness adjustment. Instead they have a sleep mode. In some of the indoor ranges I shoot in the winter time it's very dark. Some people who bought those had them go into sleep mode while shooting.

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Originally Posted by thepriapus

Go to Larrysguns.com amd get an Ultradot - a bit more than a 100 but worth it

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I looked at the Ultradot as you suggested. I went to Ultradot's web sight. They look like good products. The lightest tube type is 3.9 ounces with rings added I'm guessing they would weigh about 5 ounces. I'm not sure the savings in weight from the current tube type I had would be worth the price.

They also have a screen type lighter weight red dot but it looks like the same design as the BSA so, once bitten twice shy.

I guess I'm staying with what I have.

Oh, well.

Have a look at the EoTec sight system. It's sturdy and used by our own military. Yes it's expensive -- but worth it. At least it hits where you aim and has 1/2 minute click adjustments for windage and elevation.

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Originally Posted by limazulu

I've seen this type of very lightweight red dot. They don't have a brightness adjustment. Instead they have a sleep mode. In some of the indoor ranges I shoot in the winter time it's very dark. Some people who bought
those had them go into sleep mode while shooting.

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It does have brightness adjustment, but it's an automatic function not a manual setting like an Aimpoint or Eotech. The "sleep mode" is just the lowest setting.

If you're in a very dark setting you can fool the sensor with a piece of masking tape over it if you want it on bright. Personally, I find it a bit too bright in most light conditions and am looking for a small piece of window tint to see if I can bring the brightness down some.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stevo

It does have brightness adjustment, but it's an automatic function not a manual setting like an Aimpoint or Eotech. The "sleep mode" is just the lowest setting.

If you're in a very dark setting you can fool the sensor with a piece of masking tape over it if you want it on bright. Personally, I find it a bit too bright in most light conditions and am looking for a small piece of window tint to see if I can bring the brightness down some.

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I guess I misunderstood the arrangement. I thought that when you stopped using it you put a cover over the photo sensor causing it to go in to sleep mode which is why I thought very dark settings put it in sleep mode. But you're saying that you can put tape over the sensor and it increases the setting.

Thanks for the input.

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Originally Posted by Mike Josephic

Have a look at the EoTec sight system. It's sturdy and used by our own military. Yes it's expensive -- but worth it. At least it hits where you aim and has 1/2 minute click adjustments for windage and elevation.

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Yep, it's very nice but way too expensive just to sit on the barrel of a S&W 41. At least for me.

I wanted something very ligthweight because my necks been bothering me and the gun feels heavy. I didn't think I'd have so many problems with something I thought would be so simple.