Red Dot Sights

Four decisions cover almost every purchase here. Body style comes first: an open reflex sight is lighter, lower and cheaper, while an enclosed emitter is sealed against rain, dust and pocket lint. Reticle is second — a small dot around 2 MOA favours precision at distance, 3 to 6 MOA is quicker to find up close, and the multi-reticle and circle-dot options let you switch between a fine dot and a surrounding ring for speed. Third is power behaviour: solar failsafe panels and motion-wake circuitry mean many of these optics are left switched on permanently rather than being turned on when needed.

Fourth, and most often overlooked, is the mounting footprint — the bolt pattern cut into the base. It decides which pistol slides and which adaptor plates an optic will sit on, and it is not interchangeable between patterns. Rifle optics avoid the problem by shipping with a Picatinny mount, but a pistol optic must match the slide cut. Which one do you need? Read the pistol red dot footprint guide, and the optic mount height guide for co-witness on a rifle.

Explore more: Enclosed Red Dot Sights, Green Dot Sights, Gold Dot Sights, RMSc Footprint, RMR Footprint, or Scope Mounts & Optic Risers. £5 tracked UK delivery in 7–10 business days.