Red Dot Sights for Ruger GP-100

[Gary S]

I just purchased a Ruger GP-100 stainless steel with a 6" barrel. Does anyone have recommendations on which type of the red dot sights to buy? What's the difference between tube and tubeless sights?

[Wolfeye]

The only red dot sites I know of for the gp100 are made by Crimson Trace, but you'd need to use a separate set of grip inserts for those. (They're identical in style to the old factory grips.)

[s4s4u]

He's not talking lazers Wolfeye ;-)

What's the difference between tube and tubeless sights?

Size, pretty much. I have had this on my GP a time or two, now it's on my 45LC.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l284/s4s4u/Bisley45LC-1.jpg
Tube sights do pretty much the same thing but are bigger.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l284/s4s4u/hawkeye.jpg
There are pros and cons to both. It really depends on what your uses are going to be. Tube sights have the optical pane sealed against moisture, rain on the glass of an Optima, Halosight, Docter, Fastfire, etc makes for a muddled sight picture. Tube sights seem to align quicker, as your eye lines up in relation to the tube. Reflex units may take a bit of rehearsal to get used to them, but once you are tuned in they are great. You can get a Tasco PDP2 for 50 bucks or so, where a good reflex starts around 200. If you can try before you buy it would behoove you. Red dots are like any other optic, you get what you pay for.