Holosun HS507K Red Dot Sight Review

[MadPick]

Yes, the HS507K is the little one, made for the Shield RMSc footprint.

My P365 is my carry gun, and I had the slide machined to accommodate a red dot . . . and the red dot that I wanted from the get-go was the Holosun HS507K. I own a bunch of the HS507C sights (the bigger ones, made for the RMR footprint), and I wanted similar features in the mini sight for my P365.

One of the features that I like is Shake Awake, which means that the sight turns off when there is no movement for 10 minutes (or longer, if you set it that way), and automatically comes on when it senses movement. It should make an awesome battery life even awesomer, right?

I got my HS507K in October 2020. I set it to constant-on, and left it that way for four months and it ran fine. Then I set it to Shake Awake, and BAM, two days later it was dead. WTF. I replaced the battery, and it was dead again in two weeks. I did this with two more batteries, each dying in 1.5-3 weeks. Most of the batteries I used were Energizer (a good brand, right?), and one was a Chinese brand. Same result.

I emailed Holosun and explainted the situation. "Here's how to send it back to us, here's a shipping label." OK. I mailed it back on 4/12, and today (one week later) I received a replacement sight.

I just mounted it, and set it it Shake Awake using the battery that came with the sight. And now we wait.

By the way, I'm using brightness setting 7 out of 12; a couple of batteries with the original sight used setting 8.

I'm really happy with the features of the sight. I'm really happy with the RMA process with Holosun. Obviously I wasn't happy with the battery life of the original sight, so let's hope this new one is better.

On a related side note, I'm still unsure whether having a red dot sight on my carry gun is the right answer. I like dots on pistols in general, but carry guns have some particular challenges:
- The dot makes the gun a little bigger, and a little harder to carry and conceal.
- If you need to use the gun, you don't know how bright your surroundings will be, or how bright it will be around your target . . . so what brightness should you leave it set to? Having a sight with auto-brightness doesn't necessarily help, if for example you are in a dark area and your target is in a bright area.
- You need to make damned sure your battery doesn't die.

It seemed like a really good idea at first, but I'm starting to wonder if some good old-fashioned iron sights aren't the better alternative....

[BlDtyLry]

What about installing suppressor height sights and co-witness? Then you have a backup for when the red dot dies.

[MadPick]

There’s a mini rear sight built into the Holosun, which is *pretty* close to accurate when used with the front sight. It works as a backup, though it’s not ideal.

[oldkim]

Sorry to hear. That is totally unacceptable. Battery life is so important and to have a feature that was designed to prolong it yet reduces it so drastically is disappointing to hear.

I also carry the Sig P365 but I have the Sig Romeo Zero and I have had it since we swapped. Same battery.

I was so looking forward to a good review.
I am pro red dot on carry guns and I can barely make out my irons (not truly cowitnessed) but workable if they go out.

Hope they get the bugs worked out.

[jukk0u]

Well that cake-belly probably delivers a pretty regular shake-awake jiggle...

[Sinus211]

Great write up! I remember you and the canuck going back and forth over this vs the shield rms. Hope the replacement is more reliable with the shake awake feature. My 507c has been on shake awake for about a year now. Not on a regular carry pistol. But it wakes up promptly every time I pick it up.

Hopefully just a fluke.

[Fishinpnw]

I've done a back and forth a few times with red dots on my carry pistol (glock).

I'm sure the red dot is pretty reliable, but Murphy's Law always seems to have a particular interest in me, and the thought of the sight failing at the worst possible moment definitely seems like something that would happen to me. So in the interest of just being able to sleep better at night, I keep it iron sights for me.

[oldkim]

Sure red dots aren’t for everyone.
Cost
Re engineering of existing carry
Reliability issues
New tech

Extreme examples are folks that just default to revolvers for as close to reliability as possible.

But there are measures one can take.
-Change the battery on a frequent basis.
-Have suppressor height sights and co-witnessed to red dot.
-they do make red dots that work with available light etc

But for those newer to carry (shooting) and aging eyesight - red dots are Huge Advancement in technology.

[Fishinpnw]

Hard to argue with that as well.

[MurphyEF]

Hope it all works out for you and that it was a faulty unit. Currently have the 507k installed on my Shadow Systems MR920 Elite and have had no issues over 3 or 4 weeks so far.

[Pvanderzee]

Been two months. Has the battery held up? Problem solved?

[MadPick]

I received the new sight on 4/19 and installed it. The battery died on 6/12 and was replaced. I’m still tracking the progress, obviously.

It definitely seems better … but it still seems to be a long ways from where it should be.

[Pvanderzee]

Well that stinks. Two months is nowhere near the ratings. Doesn't bode well, as I'm looking for a P365XL to put my 507K on.

[MadPick]

Doesn't bode well, as I'm looking for a P365XL to put my 507K on.

Let us know how yours does. I've done some web searches and haven't really found much in the way of others with the same problem.

[MurphyEF]

I received the new sight on 4/19 and installed it. The battery died on 6/12 and was replaced. I’m still tracking the progress, obviously.

It definitely seems better … but it still seems to be a long ways from where it should be.

Man that sucks. I would say maybe Murphy's Law, but that would be me. I imagine the possibility of two bad units in a row, while not impossible, is very low.