Trijicon rm05 with ksg...perfect! - Trijicon RMR Dual Illuminated RM05 1x16 mm 9 MOA Reflex Sights

Initially, I used a Trijicon Reflex RX34 optic with a 4.5 MOA amber dot on my KelTec KSG and I liked that optic. However, I did have the problem that you commonly see in reviews concerning fiber optic based optics where the dot "washes out" if you are in a dark area looking out into a more brightly lit area. Additionally, and just out of personal preference, I felt that the optic was larger and heavier than I wanted on the KSG. For those reasons, I decided to try the RM05. I absolutely love this sight. This sight doubled my dot size and seems to gather light more efficiently than the Reflex, which helped to prevent the wash out mentioned previously. One thing I would like to mention about the "wash out" tendency is that I think people are forgetting to allow their eyes to adjust to a low light situation before testing the optic for wash out. Since the KSG is one of the "house guns", I decided to do a little test. When my wife woke up one morning, I asked her to turn the kitchen and den lights on before heading in for a shower. I then retrieved the KSG and checked to see if I could see the 9 MOA amber dot looking out into the kitchen. Wow! All the difference in the world. With dark adjusted eyes the amber dot looked like a ball of fire. If your eyes are not adjusted to dark, the "wash out" effect is still apparent, but I can see the 9 MOA dot well enough to use the firearm if I were in that situation. With a shotgun, the 9 MOA dot certainly doesn't cover too much of the target like it would if you were mounting it on a rifle where precision aiming is desirable. I think the RM05 would be great on a self/home defense pistol where engagements would be close up and the real requirements are speed on target and "center of mass" accuracy, but I have not tried the Trijicon in that application. The small size reduces weight and allows for extra rail real estate for any other goodies you may (or may not) want on your firearm. The setup co-witnesses with BUIS too. I never have to worry about batteries. As far as durability goes, I don't have a lot of shells downrange yet. The RMR held zero through about 20 "full house" rounds of buck shot and slugs though. All I know is my shoulder was hurting bad enough to not load that gun again, but the Trijicon was dead on and ready for more. If I couldn't stand not having a red dot sight, I would probably go with the Aimpoint Micro and I would turn it on (and leave it on) in an appropriate setting for dark adjusted eyes. I feel like the Trijicon allows me to see peripherally better than the Aimpoint though (I own two)...again personal preference. For you EoTech guys and gals out there, the EoTech is my favorite optic. However, I just liked that the Trijicon was smaller, did not use batteries, and I found that the initial illumination intensity of the EoTech was just too bright for (my) night adjusted eyes. I could have learned to "count clicks" to get a certain lower intensity, but I didn't want to complicate an already complicated situation (preparing for a home invasion). EoTechs have an auto-shutdown feature so presetting the EoTech, like the Aimpoint, is not an option. Be careful if you decide to buy one though, you will like it so much that you will end up with an empty wallet and safe full of unused optics "yard art". Heck, I even put these things on my Ruger 10/22s (3.5 MOA LED however)! One parting thought...if cost is holding you back, try one of the imitation Trijicons like a Bushnell First Strike or similar on one of your play guns to give you an idea of what you can expect. If you like it, then go for the RMR. I wouldn't ask it to hold up to 12GA or semi-auto pistol recoil though.