Optics for the money

Edgar32 · Jan 15, 2026

What red dots are you guys running for pistols and or rifles

64MercurysRule · Jan 15, 2026

The Holosun 507K X2 green dot for concealed carry applications .

Samberna · Jan 15, 2026

Olight Osight C on my EDC

200+ rounds through it, still zeroed, and I use it to rack the slide.

Nosferatu · Jan 15, 2026

Trijicon

1775usmc · Jan 15, 2026

Trijicon RCR or Aimpoint Acro for pistols.

For rifles if refer Aimpoint T2s or Eotech.

spookshack · Jan 15, 2026

Holosun EPS for pistol.

TTSX · Jan 15, 2026

Anything made of chinesium with stolen intellectual property is my ideal unit

JWolff · Jan 15, 2026

Holo 507cx2 for full frame pistol; 407cx2 for lil buddy.
Holo 510c w/ 3x magnifier on AR.

All are decent.

titsonritz · Jan 15, 2026

What's your favorite red dot sight?

Hello! What is your favorite red dot sight? I'm currently looking at a Holosun 407c (red) and was wondering if there are better alternatives? Putting this on a Glock 26, BTW.

www.northwestfirearms.com

ilikegunspdx · Jan 15, 2026

Vector optics. They hold up, have circle dots, and are reasonably priced.

NinjaTard · Jan 15, 2026

I'm so glad to find this thread today, I have no idea what I'm doing as I've had guns for years but only ever used iron sights. I just got an AK Pistol and it seems like pistols use a stereotypical flat back/glass upright "red dot" form factor where rifles use a more scope-y/tubular form factor. Is it just personal preference for a pistol in a rifle caliber?

I really like the OSight SE or Holosun 510 but I don't know that I could use it due to the AK cover plate's irons. A riser seems excessive or silly though. Anyone running a green dot or red dot on a big pistol? Am I overthinking this?

Adding a picture of a similar gun, mine has a pictinny rail mounted from the side that goes just above the cover so I could mount in front or behind that rear iron.

Bolt_308 · Jan 15, 2026

TTSX said:
Anything made of chinesium with stolen intellectual property is my ideal unit

Typical Thursday, @TTSX has to bring up his 'ideal unit' . . .

Bolt_308 · Jan 15, 2026

NinjaTard said:
I'm so glad to find this thread today, I have no idea what I'm doing as I've had guns for years but only ever used iron sights. I just got an AK Pistol and it seems like pistols use a stereotypical flat back/glass upright "red dot" form factor where rifles use a more scope-y/tubular form factor. Is it just personal preference for a pistol in a rifle caliber?

I really like the OSight SE or Holosun 510 but I don't know that I could use it due to the AK cover plate's irons. A riser seems excessive or silly though. Anyone running a green dot or red dot on a big pistol? Am I overthinking this?

Adding a picture of a similar gun, mine has a pictinny rail mounted from the side that goes just above the cover so I could mount in front or behind that rear iron.

View attachment 2229886

Holosun 510 is a fantastic red dot for the price- i think i have like 5 of them. To your question about iron sights- no you wont be able to use them with the red dot on, but the beauty of the Holosun 510 is that it comes with a Quick Detach mount- you can rip it off the gun very quickly. So if you red dot were to go down in a truely life or death situation , just reach up, rip it off, and gtg to use irons. You can of course get risers for optics, which will allow you to use the iron sights beneath the red dot. With decent red dots, of which there are many out there, I think the odds of an average joe who isnt a Navy Seal having a red dot break/fail is pretty slim . . .

NinjaTard · Jan 15, 2026

Bolt_308 said:
Holosun 510 is a fantastic red dot for the price- i think i have like 5 of them. To your question about iron sights- no you wont be able to use them with the red dot on, but the beauty of the Holosun 510 is that it comes with a Quick Detach mount- you can rip it off the gun very quickly. So if you red dot were to go down in a truely life or death situation , just reach up, rip it off, and gtg to use irons. You can of course get risers for optics, which will allow you to use the iron sights beneath the red dot. With decent red dots, of which there are many out there, I think the odds of an average joe who isnt a Navy Seal having a red dot break/fail is pretty slim . . .

Yeah no not worried about using the irons, although great point about SHTF and dot is down. I wasn't sure if the dot was mounted in front if I could see it through the irons, if it mounts kind of low or if they're assumed to be used in tandem or with irons. I guess I'll get a 510 from Amazon and then I can test fit it and if I can't see it I'll figure something out or return it.

Thanks for the reply! I was so confused if I was looking at the red dot style when I should have been looking at the tube style (I just don't like the aesthetic for a pistol, although I guess function is the point not how it looks)