Is it enough to rely solely on optical sights, whether they are scopes or electronic sights? Or do we need backup iron sights (BUIS) on our firearms? There are arguments for both, but let’s break it down and lay out the facts.
Tactical Principles
The old tactical principle of “Two is one; one is none” certainly applies to sighting systems. At least when we’re referring to glass optics, but not so much when it comes to iron sights because we don’t typically have backup iron sights for our iron sights.
If we’re out in the field hunting, and our scope goes down, it’s normally not the end of the world, but rather an irritating inconvenience. Should the scenario be defensive-oriented, or police or military-oriented, then things change dramatically. You’re counting on that weapon to deliver or your birth certificate could expire. Because of that, there’s no tolerance for failure.
If Plan A doesn’t work, then Plan B had better work. If you’re using a weapon for social purposes, backup sights are not optional — they are mandatory. Many people will call me a dinosaur (guilty), claiming that today’s scopes are so awesome that they don’t need backup sights. They’re certainly entitled to their views. Yes, scopes have come a long way in the durability department, but they’re still not bulletproof.
Backup Iron Sights and Optics
Backup Iron Sights (BUIS) come in many flavors these days, with several prominent companies making their version of them. Many of these sights are designed to fit into cramped spaces under scopes. Their use is as an emergency afterthought more than main sights in many cases. As a result, they are made to fold down and be compact.
As an example, Magpul has introduced a number of polymer front and rear sights with various adjustment methods. Other manufacturers have sights available in aluminum, steel, and polymer.
Rifle Scopes
Nowadays, rifle optics are extremely reliable as long as they are high quality. That sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s a way of saying that you get what you pay for. But in all honesty, you really don’t need to spend thousands on a rifle scope (unless you want to). A few hundred bucks will get you a mid-range scope that should handle most tasks reasonably well. There are dozens to choose from.
If we go cheap, we’re going to probably get crappy performance along with a ton of frustration. Merely attempting to zero a cheap scope can be a maddening proposition because many times, the internal gears are such low quality that they won’t be reliable or repeatable. Aside from that, the seals on a cheap scope might not stand up to the elements and the low-quality glass will leave us wanting more. And don’t even think of dropping a scope like this; they just can’t withstand abuse. You’ll find them in pieces or damaged beyond repair. They’re just not worth it.
Scopes that are of higher quality are better in each of these respects. However, even high-end scopes can fail. Granted, it’s rare, but we live in a world where “stuff happens.”
Is there room for backup iron sights?
One consideration that we’re forced to address is whether or not there is room to mount a BUIS on the weapon. For example, I once mounted a BUIS on a AR-15, and the fit between the bottom of the scope’s ocular lens and the top of the BUIS was very tight. This particular BUIS was of the folding type and laid very low on the Picatinny rail, but there was precious little room because the mount was not a high one.
Well, just use a higher mount then, you’ll say. Fair enough. But at that point, I’d have had to go out and buy another mount, requiring additional investment. And even if I’d done that, now I’d be faced with a scope sitting higher on the rifle, which creates new challenges; getting a cheek weld on the rifle stock is tough when the scope is up high.
Rifle Red Dot Sights
We can usually get our iron sights on the rifle to co-witness with the red dot on our rifle. This is to say that the red dot and our rifle sights are both zeroed to the same point. When we look through the red dot and see those iron sights, the dot should, ideally, rest right on top of the front sightpost so that the two are in harmony. That way, if the Red Dot Sight (RDS) craps out, the sights are right there to pick up the ball and run with it.
This is a real advantage because I’ve actually had red dot sights on a rifle crap out on me. It can and does happen from time to time. Between the sensitive electronics and the batteries, problems sometimes arise. It’s one of the reasons that I am cautious around electronic gadgets; they can be very temperamental. The good news is that, as technology advances, so does the durability of electronic firearms optics.
Quick Detach Mounts
Tons of quick-detach scope mounts are available today. Many attach to Picatinny rails via a lever system. Throw the levers one way and you attach the mount to the rail. Throw the levers the other way, and you detach the mount and scope in mere seconds. If your scope goes on the fritz, you pop it off and now you have your iron sights to fall back on.
The selection of these sorts of mounts today is staggering. Another great aspect is that many can be detached and reattached with very little deviation (or none at all) from their zero. So we can take them off and on and still expect to be relatively on target. I’ve used a few that had no loss of zero at all when they were removed and remounted.
Pistol Optics
Currently, pistol optics are all the rage, with more and more people adding them to their handguns. Most feature a red or green dot. Mounting of these optics is to the pistol’s slide, either directly or via a mounting plate.
If the battery fails (which happens more often in cold weather), at least we can view our iron sights through the optic’s window. So having a set of iron sights on our pistol is still rather paramount for redundancy.
With that said, realize that pistol red dot sights can actually disable your iron sights if they fog up, which is a real possibility in cold weather. Also, water and other debris such as dirt or mud can obstruct the view not only of the dot, but also of your iron sights looking through the window of the optic. And since there are no quick-detach mounts for pistol optics (yet), that would really suck. Finally, if the window of the optic is shattered/spiderwebbed, our view of the iron sights can be erased or obstructed.
Some good news about pistol optics is that they are amazingly durable these days. While failures are a distinct possibility (as with any optical or electronic sights), pistol optics are made to withstand being slammed by the slide with each round fired. When you think about it, that’s pretty amazing! Consider the G-force involved in that sort of abuse.
In Summary
Shooters will decide whether or not they want iron sights on their firearms based on how they plan to use them. Other factors to consider include how quickly the sight might need to be accessed, whether or not the receiver has room under the scope to allow a sight to be mounted, and what sort of scope base the scope will be mounted on.
While it’s not rocket science, it can be slightly more involved than it initially appears. Fortunately, we have a myriad of options available to use these days from which to choose.
We’d love to hear some solutions that readers have come up with. So how about it – what route have you guys taken to solve this issue?
