Red Dot Problem

[limazulu]

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?

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[limazulu]

Here's a picture of the target.

[oscars]

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

[limazulu]

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

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.

[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.

[limazulu]

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.

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.

[Stevo]

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.

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.

[limazulu]

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.

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.

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

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

[limazulu]

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

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

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.

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

Thanks for the response.