"The integrated compensator also deserves mention. While it's not a substitute for proper grip and technique, I believe it helps reduce muzzle rise enough to support quicker follow-up shots, particularly during rapid strings of fire."

That qualifier about grip and technique is doing a lot of work in that sentence, and it's the right caveat. On a full-size competition gun, a comp is a measurable advantage. On a carry-sized 9mm — the jury's still out for a lot of us. What it does change is the overall length, which matters when you're tucking this thing into an AIWB at the grocery store.

"Having bright tritium sights that co-witness with the optic provides confidence should the optic ever become unavailable."

This is the one I actually care about more than the comp. Optic failures are rare but they happen — dead battery at the wrong time, a hard impact, whatever. If your irons are there and indexed to the same plane, you're not starting from zero. Co-witness on a carry gun isn't a nice-to-have, it's the backup plan you hope you never need.

2,000 rounds with no issues is a reasonable threshold for trusting a carry gun — not definitive, but it earns a spot on the nightstand.

For those running an optic on your EDC — have you actually had a failure that forced you back to irons, or is co-witness just theoretical comfort at this point?

Read the full article in The Handbook →