Used in competition for years, a non magnified red dot optic has shown to increase speed and accuracy for the operator. Recently, non-magnified red dot optics have become the standard on carbines. They are extremely rugged. The optic will probably be out dated and upgraded before the battery ever runs out.

As of late, some have been exploring the use of a red dot optic on fighting handguns. The best incarnation I have seen thus far is the work by Bowie Tactical Concepts. He mills the slide on a Glock or M&P and attaches a small JPoint optic. The optic sits very low on the gun and the center of the optic is very close to the line of sight with irons. In fact, there is a notch at the bottom of the optic to co-witness with the front sight so there is a back up if the optic goes down.

I have used guns with this or a similar setup on a few occasions and it works great. It is even quite concealable. As technology advances and companies are able to produce smaller and more durable optics, we will begin to see more and more optics on fighting handguns. Just as optics are the standard on fighting rifles, I expect that in the not too distant future, optics will become the standard on fighting handguns as well.