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Backup iron sights — and primary iron sights, for that matter — are an important part of many rifle setups. Slapping a pair onto the top rail of an AR is so easy and affordable that it’s hard to argue against doing just that. While we cover a lot of the latest and greatest cutting-edge gear here at Task & Purpose, a recent range day saw commerce editor Daniel Terrill and I getting reacquainted with iron sights and a 20-inch barrel — and it felt just like old times.
For the purposes of this guide, we selected some of the less common options to try alongside the tried and true A2 carry handle we grew up on during our respective time in the Marine Corps. On the test bench for this gear guide were the UTG Mil-Spec Carry Handle, Trijicon CP250 replacement sights, and Ultradyne C4 backup iron sights. Of course, there were also a few easy selections like the Magpul BUIS and Daniel Defense Rock & Lock AR-15 Iron Sights.
Our assistant for the day was the Smith & Wesson M&P 15 Volunteer VX DMR. The M&P 15 is one of the most popular ARs in the U.S., partially because of the model’s accessible price of entry. The entry-level M&P 15 Sport II starts at an MSRP of just $788. Of course, many bargain-basement ARs don’t stay in stock very long. One of the first things owners do is start upgrading low-hanging fruit like the trigger, bolt carrier group, charging handle, and furniture. The Volunteer VX DMR takes the work out of customizing a new AR-15 with key upgrades like a PWS 556 muzzle brake, B5 Systems stock and pistol grip, Radian Raptor-LT charging handle, and flat-faced trigger. Add options like the 20-inch barrel and flip-up irons, and the result is a rifle that’s ready to rock out of the box with a starting MSRP of $1,599 as tested.
Best Overall
Ultradyne C4
Best Value
Magpul Industries MBUS II
Editor’s Choice
Daniel Defense Rock u0026 Lock AR-15 Iron Sights
Best Night Sights
Trijicon Bright u0026 Tough
Best Offset Sights
SureFire Rapid Transition Sights
Best A2 Carry Handle
UTG Mil-Spec Carry Handle
Why you should trust us
At the risk of becoming a stereotype, I actually did qualify on iron sights during my time in the Marine Corps. There are countless modern products I’d take over an old A2 carry handle, but I do appreciate what iron sights offer and I encourage everyone to gain proficiency with them. As my first marksmanship instructor said, if you can master a pistol with iron sights you can figure out any weapon system there is. I’ve also been around long enough to know that if you’re using iron sights in the real world, it’s either because you’re in some kind of competition or the shit has really hit the fan and your primary optic is down for the count. In either case, you can’t afford to rely on something cheap and flimsy. That is the standard used to create this gear guide.
Types of iron sights
Iron sights might all be used the same way, but they take different forms based on how they’re meant to be used. Most sit on top of a barrel or rail, but some fold out of view when they aren’t needed — those are backup sights that only come into play if your primary optic fails. Others extend off the side of the weapon at an angle so you can rapidly switch between them and an optic. Other special features include the ability to see the sights in the dark or innovative takes on the classic front sight post. No matter which you end up buying, learning how to use iron sights is a simple, important step to becoming a skilled marksman.
Traditional iron sights
Britannica estimates that the first iron sights were used as early as 1450. Back then, matchlock muskets were cutting-edge military tech. For hundreds of years, simple pieces of metal fixed to the barrel were as good as sights got. Several shapes have been used, and Military Wiki does a nice job of outlining the more popular variations. You’re most likely to encounter Patridge sights on pistols and may encounter a similar design on many civilian and older military rifles.
As firearm technology improved, iron sights became more sophisticated to take advantage of increased accuracy over greater distances. Aperture — or peep — sights offer improved accuracy and speed, which is why you’ll find them on competition rifles and more modern military weapons. These are usually adjustable for windage at the rear and elevation at the front. Some, like the A2 carry handle, can be adjusted for elevation at the rear as well, which makes adapting to multiple distances much easier.
Backup iron sights
Assuming that the majority of shooters have migrated to some kind of red dot, prism scope, low-power variable optic, or traditional scope, a few even make the leap to night vision or thermal optics. Those systems are fantastic and we highly recommend them, but they aren’t flawless. Most rely on batteries, and all rely on glass (or germanium), which isn’t known to be the strongest material in the world. It’s nice to have a plan B if your primary sighting system goes down at the worst possible moment.
Backup iron sights can keep your weapon in the fight because they don’t require batteries and are extremely difficult to break. They mount to a Picatinny rail and fold flat when not in use. This allows them to fit under your primary optic. If your scope or red dot goes down, you can remove it and deploy the BUIS to retain your combat effectiveness. Considering how little they cost compared to putting your life at stake, buying a set of quality BUIS is a no-brainer.
Special-purpose iron sights
Traditional iron sights and BUIS represent most of the old-school sighting systems you’re likely to encounter, but there are some more specialized options you should be aware of. They may not be everyone’s cup of bottom-shelf whiskey, but there is a time and place.
One of the most common is night sights. These come standard on many pistols, and they can usually be added later if you like, regardless of whether you’re using a rifle, pistol, or shotgun. Fiber optics are probably the most common, and they work great as long as you have enough ambient light to make them glow. Glow-in-the-dark sights are also available. Our favorites use tritium, which doesn’t need to be charged and will glow reliably for 10 to 20 years.
Another variation you’re likely to encounter is offset sights. These mount to your weapon’s top rail like other kinds of iron sights, but protrude 45 degrees to one side (right for right-handed shooters, left for left-handed shooters). This allows them to be deployed at the same time as your primary optic. They allow you to use a scope or LPVO for distance shooting, then rapidly cant the weapon and look through the iron sights for close-up work.
Key features of iron sights
With the exception of the bead sights found on most shotguns, iron sights involve a front sight post or blade, and an open or aperture rear sight. None, one, or both may be adjustable to establish an accurate zero and shift your point of impact vertically or horizontally. By aligning the two, you can control where a round will impact.
Front sight
When you use iron sights, at the front of your barrel there will be a front sight post or blade. Many front sights are fixed, but those on the AR-15 platform are adjustable. A front sight adjustment tool or pointed object can be used to depress a pin, allowing you to rotate the front sight post to move it up or down. This elevation adjustment is only used to zero the weapon because it’s fairly tedious — definitely not something we’d want to do in the heat of battle.
Pistols and some rifles leave the front sight exposed, but our picks use various kinds of hoods to protect the front sight from being knocked out of alignment. These protective structures also reduce glare from the sun, which can distort the way your front sight post appears and throw off your accuracy.
Rear sight
Rear sights commonly come in two forms: open and aperture. Open rear sights are flat with a notch cut into the center for you to look through and align your front sight. Often, this style can be adjusted by physically changing how high it sits off the barrel. Aperture sights — also called peep sights — present a hole to look through. Almost all aperture-style rear sights are adjustable horizontally, and some can be adjusted vertically, as well.
Aim by placing the front sight post in the center of the aperture. Larger apertures are good for quick shots and low-light situations, but they suffer from reduced accuracy. Tight apertures can be extremely accurate but take longer to acquire proper sight alignment and sight picture.
Adjustment
Front sights are often fixed, and those that can be adjusted are only moved when zeroing the weapon. Once you establish a reliable zero, tuck that front sight adjustment tool in your range bag for safekeeping.
Your day-to-day adjustments will take place on your rear sight. All of our picks offer horizontal adjustment that allows you to compensate for wind coming from the left or right. This is done by turning a knob on one side of the sight. Some also allow vertical adjustment to account for changes in elevation. Rather than mils or MOA, these adjustment knobs are marked with numbers indicating the distance at which the sight will be accurate. That all depends on what you’re shooting — our picks are calibrated to 5.56 rounds, and some even specify a particular load, like the M193. Think of that as an analog BDC reticle.
Benefits of iron sights
How much military tech from the 1400s is still in use today? Not much, but iron sights remain as relevant as knives and a well-thrown punch. They take skill and practice to use effectively; but even if they aren’t as capable as modern optics, they can still drive nails at absurd distances.
Reliability
The main reason for adding iron sights of any kind to your weapon is reliability. They’re chunks of metal or polymer, so there is very little that can go wrong with them. Batteries die, glass fogs and breaks, and reticles get knocked out of alignment. A rear aperture and front sight post are damn near impervious to that kind of damage. In fact, Simo Hayha used iron sights specifically because they handled the Finnish winter better than magnified riflescopes and there are estimated to be more than 500 dead Nazi soldiers to attest to his accuracy.
Iron sights are very practical at close range. While they aren’t as fast as a red dot, they certainly allow quicker target acquisition than an LPVO or scope. That’s why so many hunters still use iron sights only on their deer rifles. A set of BUIS paired with a magnified optic serves as an incredibly cheap insurance policy. Offset sights, in many ways, let you get the best of both worlds.
Transferable skill
Shooting with iron sights is by no means a prerequisite to becoming a competent marksman. Still, you’ll have a hard time convincing me that learning to use iron sights won’t make anyone a better shot. If you can master iron sights, you can master just about any weapon system.
Part of this is a matter of practice, and part is mechanical. Because of the way iron sights operate, you can watch as your adjustments physically move the front sight post or rear aperture. Unlike a reticle that appears stationary no matter what you do, a physical sighting mechanism moving from one position to another can be a valuable lesson in the mechanical foundation of marksmanship.
Compatibility with other systems
My last argument in support of adding iron sights to your weapon is this: Doing so isn’t a mutually exclusive proposition. You can mount iron sights without giving up what you already have. Backup iron sights can slip underneath your scope or LPVO. Offset sights can improve your short-range shooting by mounting alongside your scope. If you have a red dot, even more possibilities open up.
Compatible iron sights and red dots can be run simultaneously, using what is called a co-witness setup. There’s more to co-witnessing than sticking two sighting mechanisms on your top rail, so invest 10 minutes of your time in this video from Vortex Optics to get a working knowledge.
Iron sight pricing
At the time of writing, our most affordable pick is the Magpul MBUS II, which checks in at $82. The most expensive is the Ultradyne C4 at $275 on sale on Amazon. Between the two, the sweet spot seems to be right around $100.
How we chose our top picks
The concept of iron sights is simple, but there are multiple reasons to use them. We started by taking different needs into account — backup iron sights, competition sights, night sights, and offset sights for use alongside a magnified optic all had to be represented. We also considered which platforms would be most applicable to our readers. Sure, iron sights are common on handguns, most people who upgrade are probably doing so in favor of a red dot, not a different set of iron sights. If your handgun came with removable sights, they’re probably pretty good to begin with. If you’re in the market for a set of iron sights, you probably own some flavor of AR-15 with a Picatinny rail, so that’s where we focused our attention, being careful to include proven contenders and new challengers.
FAQs on iron sights
You’ve got questions, Task & Purpose has answers.
Q: Are iron sights obsolete?
A: No — fight me in the comments section. There are absolutely better options for the majority of tactical situations, but iron sights fill a role that I don’t see being eclipsed by technology anytime soon.
Q: Will iron sights make me a better shooter?
A: If you’re an excellent shot but only with a red dot, aren’t you just really good at using a red dot? Buying a set of iron sights won’t turn you into a designated marksman overnight, but the skills you develop will make you a more rounded shooter.
Q: Are BUIS important?
A: Backup iron sights aren’t necessary — until they are. Even if you’re trying to build a super-lightweight rifle, being able to fall back on a reliable set of sights that’s not dependent on batteries or glass can be life-saving.