Burris Speedbead vs. Fastfire

[kody]

   I got interested in a Burris Speedbead and purchased a Speed bead mount for my Benelli M1 Super 90. I wanted to check out whether the mount would work with that gun because I've had trouble finding optional equipment that could be fitted to it, such as cast off shims. When I got serious about the sight itself I noticed that there was a Fastfire that was being advertised right alongside the Speedbead and they actually looked nearly identical. The Fastfire though is advertised as coming in 3 versions, each with slightly different capabilities. My question is, what are the differences between the Speedbead and the Fastfire?   kody

[Bigeasy]

I believe they are the same basic sight, with different mounting methods, though there may be a different reticule in the Speedbead sight?  The standard Fastfire is a 4 moa red dot.  I have two Fastfires, one on a .45 cal. 1911, and one on a .223 AR.  Both have held up fine, and work well.  Never tried one on a shotgun, but since you can shoot with both eyes open, I would think they would work well for some shooters.
 
Larry

[kody]

   kody here again, answering my own question for anyone interested. The advertising done by all of the dealers handling the Burris products pertaining ,at least to this range of red dot sights is horribly and needlessly confusing. #1 Burris makes and has made 3 different red dot reflector sights , the Fastfire Mark l ,Mk ll and Mk lll. They were developed in that order ,with ongoing improvements ,as reflected by their costs. [Read all the ads closely] The latest ,the Mlll comes in two versions with different P/Ns ,3 moa reticule and 8 moa. The previous mods had similar options and one of them had a 4 moa reticule. The M lll has the battery replacement cover where you can access it!   The Speedbead is the base designed for a specific gun. It will mount the Fastfire of your choice. In my case it was specifically for the Benelli M1 Super 90. I think most people could make any of the Benelli Mods fit on any of thse guns. Basically they are just a standard base catilevered back over the frame/stock division and attached to a round flat plate that fits like a pitch adjustment shim ,between the stock and the frame. Other guns require a Weaver /Picatinney base for the receiver, or whatever works for another type gun. Ther is more info that I can't describe offhand so If I can help, PM me.   kody

[Henning]

I recently went down the same road. Being lazy, I called Burris to dispel any confusion. The speadbead, as you said, is a gun specific mount with a fast fire II on top. They told me that the Benelli M1 I own (HK version), needs a Super black eagle (original) mount. Unfortunately, you can't get a speed bead combo for the M1, so you have to buy the sight and mount seperately. But, that gives me th option of buying the improved fast fire III anyway. I'm curious did you get them out, and if so how did it work?

[PowPow]

Recently purchased a Speebead mount for my Supernova and mounted a FFII that I took off a pistol.
Comes with two risers that may be stacked to get the appropriate height, for 4 diferrent heights (0, 1, 2, and 1+2)
Think I used only one, the thicker one.

Sighted it in for slugs, then checked it with turkey loads. Neat set up.


Nice thing about the set up is you have some flexibility about how close you hold your cheek to the stock, as the dot appears to move with your head to stay on target, like other red dots. Also, using the one riser, you can still see the barrel beads, if the battery were to go dead.
A little tight in a shotgun case.