Best Red Dot Handgun Sights: Improve Your Speed & Accuracy
The best red dot handgun sights are small, rugged and reliable. And with a little practice time to adjust to these sighting devices, you’ll be on target more quickly and you’ll shoot more accurately.
Straying From Simplicity With A Red Dot
Not long ago, I never would have dreamed that I would make such a statement. I’ve always believed in focusing on the basics for defense. Keep your equipment simple. The more complicated the gear, the more that can go wrong, especially when electronic devices enter the picture.
But in my testing of some new handguns recently, I found I was getting better than usual accuracy.
Was I becoming a better shooter? Were these pistols more accurate than previous guns I tested?
The answer was that each of these pistols had a red dot reflex sights mounted. And during various shooting drills, I found I was getting on target more quickly too.
Red Dot Sights Offer Several Advantages
There are some real benefits of having a red dot reflex sight on your handgun. First, there’s not lining up a front sight with a rear sight. You have a single red dot that you superimpose over your intended target when you raise your pistol.
The red dot is readily visible in all lighting conditions. It’s just easier to see. Fiber optic sights need daylight. Night sights and lasers need low light. And thanks to long battery life, that red dot will be there when you need it.
A red dot sight can operate for thousands of hours before the battery needs to be replaced. Carry the gun with the dot activated; there’s no need to fumble with a switch when you draw the pistol.
If you decide you don’t want one of these sights on your pistol, remove it and install the slide cover that came with the pistol and you’re back just the irons if that’s the way you’re more comfortable.
Consider The Gun, Sight And Holster
There are things you have to keep in mind when considering a red dot on a concealed carry pistol. First, unless you want a gunsmith to start cutting away your favorite pistol’s slide, you will be limited one of the guns that comes optics-ready from the factory.
Glock, FN, Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory, CZ, Walther, SIG Sauer and SCCY all offer optics-ready models. If none of these suit you, don’t despair. You’ll see many more models available in the near future.
A proper holster is another concern. Mount a reflex sight on your handgun and unless your usual holster has a low cut at the front, your pistol might not fit. Again, more manufacturers are offering rigs for guns with optics. A few minutes doing an Internet search will usually get results.
Keeping iron sights as a backup to a reflex red dot sight is a good idea, but be aware that you might need higher, suppressor-height sights so that you can use the irons with the reflex sight in place.
Choosing The Dot Size
When shopping for the best red dot handgun sight for your handgun setup, you’ll have to choose from dot sizes ranging from 1 to 8 MOA. The larger the number, the larger the dot.
A large dot is great when you’re first transitioning to a reflex sight. It’s also a great choice for getting on target quickly at the close distances likely encountered in one-on-one conflicts.
A smaller dot, say up to 3.5 MOA, is better when precision at distance is needed, such as on a handgun that might be used for hunting.
Most red dot reflex sights are adjustable for brightness. Naturally, you want to the dot to be bright enough to be highly visible. But if the dot is too bright, it might appear fuzzy and be distracting.
Some Of The Best Red Dot Handgun Sights
Here’s an overview on some of the best red dot handgun sights out there right now.
Trijicon RMR Type 2 Adjustable LED
The Trijicon RMR Type 2 is an updated version of the original, popular RMR. I have one of the original RMR models on my long-slide Glock 40 10mm pistol and I love it. The Type 2 features upgraded the internal electronics and battery contacts. The adjustable LED models have both auto and eight manual brightness modes. If you select an manual brightness setting, the sight reverts back to auto mode after 16.5 hours. The RMR Type 2 Adjustable LED models are offered in 1.0, 3.25 and 6.5 MOA dot sizes. MSRP: starting at $699.
Trijicon SRO
The Trijicon SRO (Specialized Reflex Optic) features a nearly round window size of 25 x 22.5mm. The single CR2032 battery that powers the unit can be replaced through the top without removing the sight from the firearm. Trijicon offers the SRO in 1, 2.5 and 5 MOA dot sizes. It features both auto and eight manual brightness modes. I have an SRO on a Glock 19. It’s very good. Aluminum construction. MSRP: starting at $749
Burris Fastfire 3 and 4
The Burris Fastfire 3 is available with either a 3 or 8 MOA red dot. I have one mounted on my FN 509 Midsize MRD. It has a single button to power it on and off and to select from the auto or three manual brightness settings. It’s powered by one CR1632 battery that can be accessed through the top of the unit. MSRP: $240.
The new Burris Fastfire 4 lets you choose among four reticles. It has a bigger sight window, a brighter do and longer battery life. It comes with a removable weather shield. MRSP: $455.
Aimpoint Acro P-1
Aimpoint ACRO P-1
The Aimpoint ACRO P-1 is a fully enclosed and protected sight.
Aimpoint claims it’s waterproof to 25 meters, although I don’t foresee putting that to the test.
The ACRO P-1 features a 3.5 MOA red dot. It runs on one CR1225 battery. This sight features 10 brightness settings. MSRP: $660
Truglo, Leupold, Shield
Truglo Tru-Tec Micro
The TruGlo Tru-Tec Micro lineup includes reflex optics with either a red or green dot and with standard or offset Picatinny mounts for carbine use. These reflex sights feature a 3MOA dot, great for all-around use. These sights have 10 manual brightness settings. I have one on my FN 509 Compact MRD and it’s excellent. MSRP: $235.99.
Leupold Deltapoint Pro
Leupold offers its Deltapoint Pro with either a 2.5 or 7.5 MOA red dot. A motion sensor activates the red dot when you draw your pistol. It turns off automatically after being motionless for five minutes. You can mount an available rear sight onto the unit’s housing to co-witness with the red dot. (A higher front sight would be needed). MSRP: $519.99
Shield RMSc
The Shield RMSc has automatic brightness control only. I used one while reviewing the Springfield Armory Hellcat OSP and found it to be very good. It’s very compact. The model I used featured a 4 MOA red dot. It’s also available with a 8 MOA dot. MSRP: $430.
Nikon, JPoint
Nikon P-Tactical Spur Reflex Sight
Nikon’s P-Tactical Spur reflex sight has a 3 MOA dot with 10 brightness settings. This sight has an aluminum housing and is waterproof and shockproof. It features a low battery indicator. A Picatinny rail mount is included for carbine use. MSRP: $219.95
JPoint
The JPoint reflex sight from JP Enterprises weighs just ½ ounce. You can choose between red dots with 4 or 8 MOA or a circle/dot reticle. It features automatic brightness adjustment. This sight uses one CR2032 battery. MSRP: $299.95
Vortex, Holosun, SIG Sauer
Vortex Razor
The Vortex Razor comes with either a 3 or 6 MOA red dot. It’s powered by one CR2032 battery accessible through the side of the unit. Battery life is listed at 150 hours on the brightest setting or 30,000 hours on the low settings. Vortex includes a Picatinny rail mount too. MSRP: $499.99
Holosun 407C V2 And 507C V2
The latest V2 versions of these Holosun reflex sights include a side-mounted battery tray. Their constructed with an aluminum housing. Each has 10 brightness settings. The 407C V2 comes with a 2 MOA dot. The 507C V2 has multiple reticles: 2 MOA dot, Circle only, circle/dot. These sights have Holosun’s Shake Awake technology. MSRP: $282.34 (407C V2); $364.69 (507C V2)
SIG Sauer Romeo1 Pro
The Romeo1 Pro fits pistols with a SIG Sauer Pro slide cut. It’s available with either a 3 or 6 MOA red dot. The sight features 12 brightness settings. It’s powered by a CR1632 battery. It has aluminum construction with a glass lens. MSRP: $519.99
Steven Paul Barlow is a retired sergeant/station commander and former firearms instructor with the New York State Police. He is an avid hunter, fisherman, and enthusiast with all things related to firearms, knives, and survival. He has been writing on outdoor topics for more than 35 years. His collections of outdoor humor stories are available at BriarHill Books.
Silencers