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Recently, the world of handguns has seen a significant evolution with the introduction of red dot sights.
This cutting-edge accessory has become exceedingly popular among enthusiasts and professionals alike.
Through this article, I aim to explore the best options for pistol red dot sights and discover the reasons behind their popularity and why people are evening milling their pistol slides to make them optics-ready.
So what qualifies as the best pistol red dot sight? It depends on your needs.
But what we will do for you in this article is break down the features of each dot and try to cut through the marketing speak and give you unbiased feedback.
Top features to check on pistol red dots:
Our goal is to give you enough information on each red dot sight on our list so you can make an informed purchasing decision.
The best pistol sight is often followed by a high price tag, but that doesn’t always ring true. Some pistol red dot sights are expensive but aren’t worth the money.
Those aren’t worth discussing here because we are talking about the best. Here is our list, including the reasons why they make the cut.
Starting with the ever famous Trijicon RMR.
The Trijicon RMR is by far the most popular pistol red dot sight and is considered by most to be the best pistol red dot by far.
Often, the RMR is held as the gold standard of pistol optics and is even used on tactical shotguns, like the Benelli M4, and AR-15 pistols.
The Trijicon RMR design has impressive durability and battery life. You can see a ton of durability test videos of the RMR on Youtube where reviewers take the RMR and use it as a hammer and it doesn’t damage the optic and the optic holds its zero.
The Trijicon RMR has 4 different models:
Are you unsure which to choose or which is right for you? Let’s break each one down quickly.
The RMR dual-illuminated version uses fiber optics and tritium to illuminate the sights reticle. This is a great option for someone who prefers to not worry about having to change batteries on their red dot sight.
In low or no light areas tritium illuminates the sights reticle which works like your typical iron night sights.
This sight footprint and durability are the exact same as the LED and adjustable LED RMR models.
The RMR Type 2 Adjustable model has three available dot sizes 1 MOA, 3.25 MOA, and 6.5 MOA.
The biggest difference between the Type 2 adjustable RMR and the Type 2 LED is the adjustable model features push buttons that allow you to manually control the illumination brightness as well as toggle between manual and automatic brightness modes.
You can also power down the RMR for storage with the side buttons to save the battery.
The RMR Type 2 LED model has two different dot sizes 3.25 and 6.5 MOA.
Type 2 automatically adjusts the brightness of the dot to your surroundings. In darker environments, the light will dim and in brighter environments, the dot will get brighter.
Leupold is well known for its scopes but has only recently started to dip its toes in the red dot sight game.
One of the Deltapoint Pro’s main selling points is the MST, or motion sensor technology, which helps save battery life.
Motion sensor technology will turn the reticle of the red dot off if there is five minutes of no movement and will reactivate if movement is detected.
The Deltapoint Pro has two different size reticle options: 2.5 MOA and 6 MOA.
The Deltapoint Pro currently only comes with a red reticle, so there is no green option for the DPP. The optic body is available in both black and FDE.
Deltapoint Pro’s mounting is proprietary and shares the same mounting pattern as the Shield and SIG Sauer Romeo 1. This mounting pattern is offered referred to as the DPP mounting pattern as the Deltapoint Pro is the most popular optic that features this mounting footprint.
In a conversation with a few friends in the firstarm industry at SHOT Show this year, we all noticed how busy the Holosun booth was and we are pointing out how Holosun has proven itself in the optics market.
They have fought their way out of Noname-cheap optic land to the land considered mid to high-end.
The Holosun 507C is their flagship pistol red dot option and for good reason.
The 507C has features that even outpace the Trijicon RMR, but the RMR still takes the cake as the most battle-tested and durable pistol dot.
The 507 has a red dot and green dot option, so if you are like me and prefer a green dot sight, then Holosun has you covered! (Also, science says it’s easier to see green, in case you were wondering why)
Next up in the awesome feature set is the multi-reticle option. Ever use an EOTech HWS? Well, Holosun brought that amazing optic to a pistol, yes you heard me right.
The center dot is a 2 MOA dot like most optics, but the large 32 MOA crosshair circle is around it.
This optic makes target acquisition a breeze and makes you more accurate with a pistol, I use this red dot on my PSA Dagger.
Overall, it’s a fantastic pistol red dot for the money.
If you are on a budget and need to watch your dollars and cents, you might want to pay attention to this list of solid budget pistol red dot sights.
Don’t worry, I won’t recommend something that isn’t quality, no matter how cheap.
The Primary Arms RS-10 is brand new to the market! Just released in the middle of 2022, this is quickly becoming one of my favorite pistol red dots for two reasons: quality and price.
This all-metal $200 pistol red dot optic is perfect for nearly any pistol as long as it had the Glock mounting pattern.
Currently, the included plate seems to only work on my Glock pistols, but if you have a Glock, I would not overlook the Primary Arms RS-10.
You can see our full review of the Primary Arms RS-10 and I’ll tell you upfront – it does well!
Next on this list is the Holosun 407C!
The Holosun 407C is an extremely capable pistol sight and you shouldn’t give it the cold shoulder just because it’s not the 507.
I own the Holoson HE407C, and I even did a full review of it. I love this red dot.
You can easily access the battery on the right side of the optic it features a solar panel that helps increase your battery life.
Like most of this list’s best red dot sights, it has an all-aluminum construction.
It weighs just a mere 1.5 ounces are you can hardly tell the dot is on your gun once it’s installed.
The HE407C offers a red and green model and a single 2 MOA dot size. I prefer the 2 MOA dot, so the lack of options in dot size is no big deal.
The Sig Romeo Zero is a relatively new offering from Sig, raising the bar for pistol red dot sights. While it only works on newer sub-compact pistols with thinner slides, it’s a great option.
What it lacks in durability, it makes up for in awesome reticle sauce.
The fact that this red dot has two different reticle options for a sub-$200 price point is crazy.
It features a circle dot and a regular 3 MOA dot.
Compatible with all SIG Sauer P365 optics-ready pistols. Also included are custom mounting screws for compatibility with pistols such as the Springfield® Hellcat® OSP™ and Glock® 43X MOS.
Sig Sauer ROMEOZero ELITE 1x24mm Product Page
I like the flexibility of the reticle in this small optic, and it ups the pistol red dot stakes for other companies like Trijicon and Holsun.
The only two cons I can find are that this is a polymer optic and isn’t as rugged as the metal counterparts.
The second con, this only fits on smaller pistols like the P365 and the Glock 43X MOS.
Burris is a brand that everyone seems to sleep on for some reason. Personally, I think Burris is a fantastic scope and optics manufacturer and you’ll be seeing more Burris reviews and feedback on Lynx Defense very soon. But is Burris Fasterfire 3 the best pistol red dot? Here’s the rundown.
The pistol dot offering from Burris is the Fastfire 3. According to Burris, this is their best-selling red dot across all of their red dot product lines.
The Burris Fastfire is nice because the battery access point is at the top of the optic, which makes battery swaps a breeze.
The battery life is estimated at 5,000 hours but the optic does have an auto timeout feature that turns it off after 8 hours.
The red dot itself is available in 8 MOA and 3 MOA and red is the only dot color option available.
One of the newest pistol red dots on the market is the PA Micro Reflex Sight. This extremely lightweight dot from Primary Arms clocks in a 40,000-hour battery life and a clean and crisp 3 MOA dot.
The all-aluminum housing provides a fantastic optic for $149.99! This optic could quickly become my number one recommendation for a budget optic.
If you read my full optic review, I can’t praise it enough for overall quality and construction.
The Holosun HE509 with the ACSS Vulcan reticle is quickly becoming one of my favorites. The unique ACSS Vulcan allows you to quickly get on target and the chevron reticle has always been one of my favorite reticles.
If you want a fully enclosed pistol dot option, consider picking up this red dot. It’s a collaboration between Primary Arms and Holosun and they did a great job on it.
The Viridian RFX35 is a relatively new offering by Viridian Weapons Technologies. I’ve had mine for a few weeks now, and it seems to be solid. I really like green dots, so this one grew on me quickly.
I’ve been running it on my FN Five-Seven pistol and it fits like a glove with the RMR footprint.
The controls are simple and adjustment is extremely easy. It features 30,000 hours of battery life and an instant-on feature to save battery when not in use.
The RFX35 does come in on the budget side of pistol red dots but it’s still built with 6061-T6 aluminum alloy making it in line with the other pistol dot options in terms of material.
So, after all those options, what is the best? Well, that’s subjective, but I think the answer is simply that the best is the highest quality optic that fits your needs and budget.
There’s not a one-size-fits-all solution for pistol red dot sights, or there would be no need for multiple options to exist.
For example, if you have an astigmatism, you might want to consider what the best pistol red dot for astigmatism is and purchase that red dot.
First and foremost, you want to make sure the red dot you choose for your pistol is within your budget. There are plenty of quality red dot sights that are affordable.
It’s worth noting, though, that pistol red dots are somewhat newer, more compact, and thus a bit more expensive than your average AR-15 red dot sight.
Most pistol red dot sights feature a single dot confirmation but more and more options are becoming available.
Right now the largest difference is the ROMEOZero ELITE 1x24mm pistol red dot which features a dual dot option that you can change between a circle/dot with a 2 MOA dot or a 3 MOA single dot.
The best red dot for your pistol is one that fits your budget and is the highest quality red dot you can buy. The Trijicon RMR is often held as the champion of pistol dots but other options are giving the RMR a run for its money in terms of quality and price.
Yes, pistol red dots increase accuracy for nearly everyone who uses them. They are functional and once you get used to them you’ll likely never look back. While they can be expensive but the benefits largely justify the cost.
Yes, special forces and other military attachments are using pistol red dots. Infantry soldiers have not yet adopted pistol red dots but could likely adopt them in the future as prices come down.
MOA is widely used for red dot sights and optics. MOA stands for minutes of angle and is a unit of measurement of a circle. Specifically, it refers to the size of the dot in a red dot sight and how much of the target it will cover at distance.
The MOA dot size of a pistol red dot is pretty hotly contested and largely boils down to personal preference. If you like a larger dot, which makes it easier to see, and can spare the accuracy it’s a great option.
You can go the small 2 MOA dot and get a more accurate shot but it will be hard to acquire the dot quickly when you draw and raise to your target.
I don’t see pistol target use listed. By that I mean as accurate as you can shoot vs a self defense type. Not talking the various fast competitions, just a personal target shooting to see what the best your pistol can do.
I would think a 1 MOA for a target use would be the best.
I agree on the Green, I have Red Dot sight and a green dot pointer and the green dot shows up much better.
I’m curious as to why the larger optics were not covered. A large sight window is so important with regards to the speed of acquisition. There are several compelling options including the Trijicon SRO and the Sig Romeo 3 Max or the newer Sig Romeo 3 XL.
We update this article a few times a year with the latest optics. Several you mentioned are on our list to evaluate and add on our next update.
As the one gentleman said, I’d like to see a review where the talk about top or side loading batteries, I’d like to see a review of some sights that have close to the same size lens as the trijicon sro and test them to see which ones have the best optical clarity and if the lens is indeed glass or if it’s just polycarbonate, I’d like to see what’s available for retinal sizes as I know some have from 1moa 6moa, and the same sight even offers a 10moa dot, one manufacturer offers a 2moa dot along with the circle around the dot, there are several with the larger windows like the sro, sig offers the one with the circle and dot, and the other small dot, viridian offers a 35mm lens with the green reticle or even a few red options now. Me personally won’t buy a sight I have to re zero just to change a battery, and am also leaning for either a circle and a dot reticle or something with a bigger dot so as to pick up the dot faster which is gonna pick up time on my shot strings which is what we are all after is speed. Maybe include in the test for durability look up the forums of these retailers and use their horror stories as to give people a heads up on things to watch for. They may never encounter the same issues. Maybe where they’re made not a deal breaker by any means, but a heads up like any German glass that I’ve acquired from Europe has usually been head and shoulders better than us counterparts. Thank you for what you did I’ve been reading everyone’s reviews and been trying to narrow down the option for my race gun that I plan on ordering to get a bit more serious about my shooting. So thank you again. Rick Bonnell
the most important feature for me would be top or side loading battery, the idea of having to remove the sight just to change the battery is crazy, also a low adapter free mount that allows for iron sight co-witness… which ones have these 2 features?
Lots of good info here however, still searching for a good pistol red dot review site that gives mounting details for each sight reviewed. Seems reviewers only fully cover certain sights, and nothing about suppressor heights. I want one that I can use with my S&W M&P 40c, M&P 9c and M&P 22lr (Walther) which all have identical dovetail mounts. Any suggestions?
Gotta be honest, never thought about covering the mounting of each one! I think I’ll go back and address that for each one of them. Might take a few days but I’ll get this article updated. As for your immediate question, I don’t know of a single solution for all of those guns but I’ll do my best to address the mounting of the listed options above.
Why is it so difficult (except in cheap models) to have a sight that has BOTH green AND a red dot in the same sight? (I’m a novice, so don’t be mean!)
I’m really not sure. But I’m guessing it has to do with battery life, possibly? I agree with you though the option to have both would be great.
Could also be able the amount of space the diode takes up in the sight itself.