The ultra-light weight and great visibility make the Shield Mini Sight a good option for handguns like this Glock MOS.

The ultra-light weight and great visibility make the Shield Mini Sight a good option for handguns like this Glock MOS.

When I first opened the Shield Mini Sight, I have to admit I had a bit of a ho-hum reaction. That’s because they’re made of polymer, so I had a gut reaction that they might not be all that durable.

On further reflection, it occurred to me that durability is achieved in two ways – rigidity and flexibility. Some gear is made of steel and not intended to flex at all ever. Other gear is supposed to “give” a bit rather than break. Heck, even buildings are designed to move and sway so they won’t fall down during high winds, earthquakes, or Michael Moore jogging nearby.

Random bunny trail: Did you know that the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (2,717 feet tall) sways in the wind about six feet? If it weren’t for dampening systems that slow the acceleration, you’d get nauseous on the upper floors, even when avoiding the bar.

Anyway, lots of things we use are made of polymer, starting with the frames of many popular guns. So as I thought about this a bit more, it occurred to me that having a little flex and give in something like an optic might not be such a bad idea.

In fact, it’s not just the body of the Shield Mini Sight (SMS) that’s made of polymer, so is the lens. Why? According to the company, it can withstand ten times the impact of a glass lens; that’s why. Since I had to send this one back, I was not able to do any mini-sledge testing, so I’ll have to take their word for it.

The window is huge compared to some other mini sights on the market.

The window is huge compared to some other mini sights on the market.

The sights are made by Shield Firearms and Sights, a British company located on the Southern Coast of England in the town of Bridport. As a result, you’ll see words like “whilst” on their website, as in “Shoot early with both eyes open, hit early whilst providing large peripheral vision.” The company has been in the sight business for about 30 years. During most of that time, they made sights for other firms to sell under their own brand names including Firepoint, Tasco Optima, Trijicon RedDot or JPoint.

The Shield Mini Sight comes with three dot options, all of which are powered by a CR2032 battery driving a red LED. The available dots are 1 MOA with a 65 MOA ring, 4 MOA, and 8 MOA, which was the model I tested. I found the dot bright and crisp around the edges. It was exceptionally easy to pick up in daylight conditions. The intensity auto adjusts based on ambient light conditions, so in the dark, it runs at a very low setting which is compatible with night vision if you’re into sneaking around and playing Ninja of the Night.

Read the rest at GunsAmerica.