Thinking Man's Corner

Article by: William G.

When I was a child I clearly remember my father’s hunting rifles had iron sights, even when they had a magnified scope on them. I remember when red dots on carbines started coming into the game, and how hard they were resisted as being too unreliable or finicky. Then as time went on, as it is known to do, people began to accept that red dots were faster, and easier to use in a wider range of situations, and started to say they may be ok, but still wanted to have back up iron sights, just in case. Now, there is a disturbing trend to say that electronic optics are so reliable and durable, iron sights are no longer needed. Far be it from me, to question the high-speed internet warriors of our brave new world; but I’m going to be the voice of dissent, since I am pretty good at that.

I got that the electric optics, and some variable power glass today are infinitely more rugged and reliable than those from even 5-10 years ago. However, they are most generally, not more rugged than irons. Yes, I know irons can bend, break, slip, etc.; but they are not as likely to crack as glass, or have batteries die. They are called back ups for a reason. You choose not to carry a back up gun, or wear a vest without light weight rifle plates, or not have two non-deadly weapons on your duty belt, then that is your choice. Me? I will hedge my bets by having a back up in place, as I feel it is common sense.

If you do have back up sights on your carbine, can you actually get them up quickly? Do you have  LVPO on it? Is that, or any other type of optic for that matter, in a quick release mount? What if the glass is cracked or the tube bent? Can you remove it, and get your irons up fast? Fast enough? There is a reason I still use a fixed front sight carbine, with a flip up rear. Think about why that is. It is getting harder to find one these days. So, you can always run the flip up in the up position, or find a bolt on A2 front.

On your pistol, you aren’t going to find a reliable, rugged QD mount for the optic, at least not yet. (That along with Blue Dots for pistols are coming though-seriously, make a note, my crystal ball is really clear right now.) So, until that time, we have to have sights we can see through the optic for practical, rationale, valid reasons. One thing I have come to detest more than optic plates, is tall sights. They hang up on holsters (even the ones designed for them, allegedly), and can be too much of a distraction. Optics that mount low enough to use standard height sights are quicker to pick up, and are easier to draw. While we are talking about this, if the sights have a high viz element to them, make it a different color than the optic.

I have heard lots of reasons for not having iron sights on carbines, and from people that should know better. One such person recently told me that “Dots and optics are so rugged, you don’t need irons and won’t use them.” Then immediately followed up with “when I was facing down multiple terrorists, I just used the outline of my optic, I didn’t even see the dot; and I never would have had time to use irons.” I am not sure how much truth there was to those statements, or how much was actually a false memory, or lack of memory recall (which is how the brain can react sometimes under extreme, life altering stress). What I do know is a lot of much better, and much lesser, men have in fact seen their dots (and even their iron sights) in the face of sudden death. I know it is a an absolute achievable, and repeatable, feat. I also realize that indexed fire is viable under some conditions. I also know that a war zone against enemies of the state is a far different situation than taking a shot as a cop on the streets of Mayberry, USA. Seems like I know a lot of things, doesn’t it? Guess it depends on who you ask.

Is there time to use the BUIS on a dot equipped carbine? Depends on time, distance, and the situation. In some instances, you absolutely can use the optical housing as a large single aperture. Sometimes, you can flip up the front sight, and use the optic as a super large ghost ring (one of the reasons I still like a fixed front sight on an AR.) If you have a fixed front sight, and see exactly where your front sight resides in your optical window, you can draw a line for reference. Once you do that, if your optic goes down, you have a more precise alignment for the front sight in the optic, and can get chest hits to 50 yards pretty easy……. Sometimes, you have time to flip up a folding front, sometimes the back too. It all depends. Why not have the extra insurance? How much weight does it really add, and how much time does it take? What does it hurt to have? I know it can cost lives not to have them, and I would much rather have every advantage I can when life is at stake. Just me, old fashioned, against “progress,” and out of touch.

Same goes for a backup gun. Why in the world would you not carry one on duty? The law allows you to be armed. People know you are armed. Your profession is dangerous, and may require you to use the gun on your hip to save the lives of citizens, your fellow officers, and yourself. There is a violent criminal element that will kill you for sport, out of malice for what you stand for, the uniform and badge you wear, to not to go back to prison, or just because the idea happens to amuse them or arise on the spur of the moment. What if your primary is taken, lost, dropped, or has a malfunction that shuts it down? I have seen so many guns shut down due to a variety of factors that required tools or several minutes to get back in service. I have seen guns blow up from bad ammo, or firing out of battery. Why not carry a back up gun? What does it hurt vs. what it can save?

It should be substantial enough to fight with. That may be a J Frame, a G43, a P365, or in some cases a larger gun. It should be concealed for the element of surprise, but still quickly accessible. It should be reliable, and accurate enough to get hits to 15-25 yards almost as quick as your primary. Anything less is a talisman, and while any second gun may be better than no second gun, some are not much better than nothing at all. Some people can shoot a J frame better than your average person can shoot a G17. Some, can’t shoot one more than across the table. My friend and colleague Claude Werner (The Tactical Professor) coined the term “it (the J frame) is only an arm’s length gun if you are incompetent.” That is very true, but it may not be optimal for you. There is something out there that you can shoot well though. Even the G42 is a formidable option, if you train with it (though that is the case for most everything). Point being, find something you can conceal, access quick, and do good work with. It is one of the most valuable life insurance policies available, and one that a lot of cops have cashed in on. Do we not talk about the Onion Field in mandate anymore, or read LEOKA anymore?

Back to Back Up Irons…… When Jeff Cooper designed the Scout Rifle, the first protoype had irons only. The second had a magnified scope, but also iron sights. When he was working on a battle rifle concept, his HK91 had a Trijicon Reflex powered by tritium and fiber optic, but also had irons. Super Dave Harrington (may he rest in peace), a true wealth of immeasurable in field experience, called them back UP iron sights for a reason. He made extensive use of electronic optics, but had a set of direct co-witnessed irons on his working carbines. Scott Reitz had some experiences on the street to where he actually welded the iron sights to his pistols. Kelly McCann doesn’t use iron sights on his pistols, only an optic (but he is an anomaly of violence, and also carriers a back up gun, knives, and is a weapon unto himself, so don’t compare yourself to the Irish Machine). And that is the point, don’t do something because someone with more experience does it, without rationalizing it, and thinking through it first. Our own experiences shape us, and we have to rely on them, with a little help (or back up) from our friends.