Sidearms & Scatterguns SRO on older 320 X5

[bobke]

Have looked at older threads regarding correct mount or sealing plates for an SRO on 320 X5, but as most of those threads date back to 2021, what is current recommendation for solid mounting solution for this application? Figure better tech has come along in 3 years, and my eyes have sent me a clear signal it’s time to go dot. Here’s pic of slide top-threaded holes are about .562 on center. Appreciate the assembled wisdom.

 

[bobke]

For the record, for the older, pre-Legend and other 320X5 variants, this worked.

 

[ToddM]

Tough call, I ended up modifying a Leupold DPP to fit. I won't touch anything but a steel optic plate these days, the Springer plates used to be aluminum, at some point I think they added steel inserts but only for the slide mount not the optic mount. There's a reason pretty much every firearm manufacturer that includes optic adapter plates are using steel. I've seen a couple dozen optics come off slides over the years, a couple bloodied owners, and every one of them had the same thing in common an aftermarket aluminum adapter plate. Now maybe they ham fisted them and damaged the threads, maybe they didn't. Tiny screws with almost no thread engagement in aluminum holding on a relatively heavy optic on a reciprocating slide is just a bad idea.

A lot of slides/ optics now use such small screws that there's just not enough thread engagement on a thin aluminum plate for my comfort.

 

[owtlaw]

Athena Precision has a plate for that. Their mounting plates are 2nd to none in quality and their service is spot on.

https://athenaprecision.com/

 

[bobke]

Appreciate the comments. Athena shows a plate for Legend and a straight 320, though what they show would not work on the older X5 I have in hand. I’ll see how this holds up in match and regular use and keep these links for reference. Thanks.

 

[ToddM]

It looks like this might be an option, a bit more expensive than a plate, but it looks like they can take a Romeo 1 cut, and upgrade it to a Romeo 1 Pro cut and/or mill it for an SRO directly.

Hard to say for sure, and I have no idea on the rep of the shop etc.

SIG P320 / P226 / P229 Romeo1 to Romeo1 Pro or RMR Footprint Optics Ready Upgrade - C&H Precision

Slide Models: P320 / P226 / P229 / P220 We offer to upgrade your factory SIG Romeo1 optic cut to the most recent SIG OEM optic cut - Romeo1 Pro Cut with RMR Holes This includes upgrading the Romeo1 cut to Romeo1 Pro ($90), adding RMR holes to your Romeo1…

chpws.com

Lot's of options, some of them less than clear, but it seems like they have options for re-milling the first gen Romeo 1 optic cut including one for direct milling to an SRO, or conversion from Romeo 1 to Romeo 1 Pro so you can use the standard Sig Romeo 1 Pro steel plates. Depending on refinishing and options it seems to run from like $100-$250. They also say some slides of a lightening cut inside so they cannot be setup for direct RMR/SRO mounting, not sure if that applies to the original X-five. Worst case you could just get it milled to the current Romeo 1 Pro and use a

 

[bobke]

I saw options from CHWPS, but there are a substantial number of quality issues that have been documented here and elsewhere that led me to avoid using them. QC and customer service response being big problems. Thx for reply.

 

[ToddM]

Yeah, not too shocking, CS and QC have gone to shit the last few years sadly, but yeah a quick search of CHWPS turns up a lot of unhappy folks with similar stories all over the place, so probably a bad option, sorry about that. There are quite a few shops that seem to specifically refuse to make this particular modification to the original Romeo 1 cut when it's come up other forums etc. Most of the aftermarket plates tend to be Aluminum probably as a cost cutting measure. Probably for a good reason but perhaps just due to lack of demand since most probably either take their chances with the Springer adapter plate, or replace the slide. I've thought of replacing my slide, but for what Sig wants for a new slide it's just not worth it to me. If I really loved the gun I'd swap the slide out, but I'll keep running my DPP.