The concept of mounting red dot sights (RDS) to handguns is not new but it is gaining more and more traction. However, there can be significant downsides to the various ways that people mount their RDS on their handgun. Two of the most common downsides are that the RDS sits too high to be as useful as it could be, or that once your slide is machined for a certain RDS you are stuck with it. The Atom Mounting System from Unity Tactical looks like it is poised to change all of that. This concept really knocked my socks off.
Rather than milling slides to mount a specific RDS, the Atom Mounting System mills the slide with a large dovetail to accept a plate that can be interchanged to accept the RDS of your choice. This system is ingenious. It sits low enough to allow the use of suppressor height sights through the RDS much like typical handgun RDS mounting methods but it also allows the user to change optics as they prefer or as technology advances. To change optics, you simply install a different optic mounted on a different plate. The plates install consistently enough that Unity Tactical claims they will return to zero.
Another benefit of this system is that it is the first practical system for mounting the excellent micro Aimpoints (T-1 and H-1) to a handgun. The micro Aimpoints mount with 4 screws that are affixed to the bottom of the Aimpoint. This means that low mounting one on a handgun was basically impossible or required extensive modification to the slide to allow access to the mounting screws. As a result, people would either surface mount them (which makes them sit very high and adds weight) or they simply used a different RDS. The Atom Mounting System allows easy access to the underside of the mount and is the first practical micro Aimpoint mounting system for handguns.
The Atom Mounting System will be available first for 9mm/.40S&W Glocks. Shortly after, it will be available for the Smith & Wesson M&P, large frame Glocks, and possibly more handguns later. The adapter plates will be available for all of the common handgun mounted RDS – T-1, RMR, Deltapoint, MRDS, and there will also be an iron sight/blank plate available. The modification to the slide will be performed by Mark Housel at L&M Precision Gunworks, LLC. Pre-ordering is available now and regular ordering will be available in about 8-9 weeks.
The Atom Mounting System has already been through extensive testing and evaluation. On paper, this looks like the most practical handgun RDS mounting system yet by a long shot. Check out UnityTactical.com or email Atom.Preorder@