Co-witness a red dot on a pistol?

[ConcernedCitizen]

View attachment 438445 View attachment 438446 This is Mrs308s CZ P09 CGW/w Deltapoint Pro and suppressor height cowitnessed iron sights.

The glass on that Delta Point Pro sure is clear! I love the view, but the frame always looks bulky to me.

Here's my setup:


I like the lower profile of the RMR, even though the window has a bluish tint to it.

 

[benchmark]

View attachment 438445 View attachment 438446 This is Mrs308s CZ P09 CGW/w Deltapoint Pro and suppressor height cowitnessed iron sights.

Absolute co-witness set-up pic thank you. Thanks 308

 

[ConcernedCitizen]

 

[jacknella]

Batteries die, and electronics fail, but it takes an awful lot of force to damage good iron sights.

With rifles, it's a bit easier to pick a good setup due to the prevalence of QD mounts and flip-up sights. Lower 1/3 is usually better for fixed sights, but I prefer absolute co-witness for flip-up sights.

For a handgun, I prefer something closer to lower 1/3, though I'm still new to the red dot scene and don't have much experience with them yet; mostly dry fire practice.

An RMR window is already small enough as it is, and I want as unobstructed of a view as possible. My iron sights are in the very bottom of the window, which I feel is perfect for me. They are there if I need them, but they are not in the way when I don't.

View attachment 438345

I'm also not a big fan of ridiculously tall suppressor-height sights, so I tried to keep everything as low as possible. If you are using a Glock MOS with adapter plate, you'll have to use slightly taller sights than I did, as the RMR sits higher than if you were to have the slide directly milled for it.

On the other hand, if you're just looking to put a red dot on a .22 for plinking or Bullseye competitions, I wouldn't worry about the iron sights much at all, other than making sure they are sighted in properly.

What irons are on this pistol and is the slide cut for the RMR or does it use any adapter plates?

 

[jacknella]

You've got your terminology mixed up.

I would best describe my sight picture as a "lower 1/3 co-witness", even though that's not 100% accurate. During a normal sight picture, the dot is in the middle of the window, and the iron sights remain at the bottom. This provides for a more unobstructed view.
View attachment 438435
The dot does not co-witness with the sights until I aim using the iron sights, which brings the dot down into the "lower 1/3" to match the iron sights. In my earlier photo, notice how much lower the dot is in the window compared to the above photo. This is what most would refer to as "lower 1/3 co-witness".

For an "absolute co-witness", the iron sights and the dot would both line up in the middle of the window. This would require much taller sights, or finding a way to lower the red dot mount further. I'm not sure if anyone even makes an "absolute co-witness" for pistols, due to the limitations on sight height and optics mounting.

As Oregon Quartermaster has said, these two terms are generally used in regards to rifle sights and optics, though I feel they are close enough to convey the intended message with handguns.

What are the iron sights used in this photo? Manufacturer and model? Also what MOA is the RMR used as well?