I’ve been carrying since 2000, everything from a full size 1911 to a small compact Springfield XDS 45. Now all my EDC has the option of attaching a red dot. Here’s my question….how do you carry with a red dot optic? On? Off? I’m asking because during an intense, high-stressed “moment of truth” with your weapon drawn, you really don’t think about anything except self (or loved one’s) protection.
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Many have a battery life exceeding 50,000 hours. (5.7 years) They have shake awake technology, which turns them on with the slightest movement, and turns them off after a pre-determined amount of time. Always leave them turned on. Change the battery once a year (Maybe on your birthday) and you’ll be ready if needed.
Welcome to the forums Stuart!
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Greetings and welcome, Stuart!
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The answer to your question starts here
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Congratulations for coming over to the light side. Okay, the dot side? Wow. Sorry…
To answer your question directly, with the red dot on. Depending on which optic you buy, it might always be on, might have a shake-awake option, or some other option, but even for the ones you can turn off, they typically last a very long time on a battery, but be ready to change it when needed. I change mine every birthday, just in case and always leave it on. Good luck!
Okay, I think I got it now… May the Dot Be With You!!
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Welcome, on your subject I can’t help I don’t use them on my EDC
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Buy the optics with “shake awake” function.
Keep it on (even you sleep 5 hrs only, your dot will be “on” for about 16 - 18 hrs per day → it’s less than 7,000 hrs per year).
Most of good optics has battery life between 30,000 hr - 50,000 hr, depending on brightness used.
Replace battery each year. @Ron43xMOS gets a brilliant idea with Birthday
Post some info about yourself at “Welcome” thread. @Karacal gave the link.
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Not my brilliant idea. Heard about it here.
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I have a Holosun 507C. It has solar to power the optic if the battery dies. I still change the battery at a set interval anyway as others suggested just to be sure. Ron43xMOS birthday idea sounds like a great idea.
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Take the credit and be done with it so you seen it here but you’re sharing it with others.
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“Shake to wake” is critical on your CC if there is any chance at all (and of course there is) you will need to use your weapon. Searching for that little “on” button could end up being the last thing you ever do.
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At my house, birthday is also change the batteries day…flashlights, optics, bug out equipment, clocks…everything.
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I didn’t read all the responses, but I know mine turns on automatically when I pull from the holster. I don’t have to even think about it. Great for a quick response situation.
“Shake awake” is the ONLY way to go.
You missed this post when you joined, start here.
I was talking with a buddy that has been LE for a long time. He said when his department first started issuing duty pistols with red dots they had a problem with the shake awake feature eating batteries because they were on every time they moved, walking, riding in a car, etc. So, they stopped issuing them for a while until as has been pointed out already, battery life is dramatically improved now days.
His current duty setup is an FN 509 with a shake awake Leopold red dot. It probably stays on all day, but he says it has never failed to be on whenever he draws it.
Edit: Maybe its the ammo he uses, or the specific pistol model design, but I always note the red dot looks really dirty at the end of a training session. Is it common to need to clean the red dot frequently? His is an open emitter and it looks like it would be a PIA to clean it?
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“Shake Awake” feature works good as a “night off switch”. It is non-usable during the day… unless you work as an art model. 
However it still conserve your battery life a lot.
Dirty optic’s windows depends on ammo and pistol / optic’s model setup.
In my case ammo doesn’t matter. My RMR is far enough form ejection port and never gets dirty.
I see a lot of dirt on RMR HD or RSO - these are sitting very close to ejection port, sometimes I can see ejected case hitting the optics.
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Welcome Stuart33.
Lots of great answers here already. My teacher from my first ever permit class passed around his unloaded EDC firearm to us - he emphasized the red dot he used.
I don’t use one on my EDC, but go “Amish”. I imagine it can be helpful having one which automatically turns on once pistol drawn, but changing the batteries on a fixed regular date no matter what, and checking it daily - can help as well.
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