City of Industry, CA (May 25, 2021) – Before deciding which Holosun optic to purchase, it’s worth considering what mounting system is best for you.
Pistol optics are becoming more and more common with pistol shooters. Whether your pistol is for self or home defense, for competition, or for general sport shooting, a pistol optic will reduce the time it takes to obtain a sight picture and improve your accuracy and precision. While there is a slight learning curve, the benefits of a pistol optic for most shooters far outweigh the investment in learning to use a pistol-mounted red dot. Knowing which optics fit your pistol can be challenging for first-time users. Ultimately, there are three types of mounting systems that include dovetail plates, optics-ready pistols, and dedicated optic cuts from custom milling or aftermarket slides.
Dovetail Mounting Plate:
A dovetail mounting plate is just that, a metal plate that adapts the optic to a firearm by replacing the rear iron sight with a platform to attach your Holosun optic. There are several brands to choose from, and all of them work well. The benefit of the dovetail mount is the lower cost and you do not have to permanently modify your slide. The downside is that you lose your rear iron sight, the optic sits higher above the bore, and the mounting is not as solid as with an optics-ready pistol or custom milled slide.
Optics-ready Pistols:
Manufacturers now offer optics-ready pistol models such as Glock MOS, S&W CORE, and others. These systems have a factory cut slide that accepts different adaptor plates. Adaptor plates are generally available for specific optics with popular mounting footprints. The plates may be available for purchase from the manufacturers, they may be included with the purchase of the pistol, or they may be available from aftermarket companies. The benefits of an optics-ready system are that they make attaching various optics easy by attaching the corresponding adaptor plate the pistol slide, and then attaching the optic to that plate. This creates a lower overall height and provides a stronger interface between the slide and optic when compared to dovetail mounts. Optics-ready pistols can cost more than the standard pistol models, but the minor additional cost provides the pistol shooter with a factory optics mounting solution.
Slide Milling and Aftermarket Slides:
The ideal mounting solution for optics on handguns is a dedicated optic cut. A dedicated optic cut means that your slide is milled to accept a specific optic model. Since there is no adaptor plate used, a dedicated optic cut provides the lowest mounting height which places the dot closest to the bore compared to other mounting solutions. There are several companies that specialize in milling slides for optics, and there are aftermarket slides that are pre-cut for specific optics if you prefer not to modify your original slide. Whether you choose to have your factory slide milled to accept an optic, or you purchase an aftermarket slide, a dedicated optic cut will offer the strongest and lowest mounting of all the attachment methods. These benefits do come at a cost. A dedicated optic cut or an aftermarket slide that is pre-cut for a specific optic will be the costliest of all the options but will offer the best performance. Using iron sights with pistol optics is recommended as a backup option should you need them. With some models, like the Holosun 407K and 507K, you can use your factory iron sights on most applications due to the small size and low overall height of the optic. With most other optics, suppressor height sights will be required to co-witness, or align, your iron sights with the dot through your optic.
Conclusion:
When it comes to pistol optics, there are mounting solutions to fit all types of experience levels and budgets. Whichever route you take, exploring compatible mounting options that are available prior to making your purchase is recommended. Preferably you will choose a pistol that suits you and your needs and then select your optic. Then, all that is left is to choose a mounting solution that is best for you.
No matter your preference for mounting, Holosun has you covered with a wide variety of innovative pistol optics from which to choose.
Holosun Technologies, Inc., located in City of Industry, California, is committed to creating innovative optic and laser/IR technologies that benefit a broad range of shooting, hunting, law enforcement and professional needs. Using the quality manufacturing standards demanded by some of the best-known optics brands in the world, with a wide range of affordable options, Holosun is at the forefront of development of new sight technologies. Key innovations include Shake Awake TechnologyTM, 50,000-hour battery life, Solar FailSafeTM, Multiple Reticle SystemTM (MRS), Super Green LED, and IR/Laser units that utilize the most recent advancements in laser and LED technology. At Holosun, we pride ourselves on providing cutting-edge equipment at a competitive price that astounds the competition and the end-user. For more information, please visit www.holosun.com
