It seems that nowadays every pistol has a red dot mounted to it. It’s a popular trend for sure, and having an optic on your pistol certainly does have its merits. Red dots can help one acquire their target faster than iron sights, but what if for some reason the red dot becomes inoperable? Back to the old trusty iron sights it is. But now that a red dot sits on the slide, standard, low axis iron sights are impeded by the optic’s base.
The same problem exists when using a sound suppressor on a pistol. Suppressors tend to be taller than standard height pistol sights and inadvertently block their usage. Without having to install specific, extra tall suppressor height sights, what other options do you have? It is this predicament that lead us to look at SwitchSight folding iron sights. Created as a collaboration project between Dead Air Armament and KNS Precision, these Glock specific sights are designed so that you do not need to choose between being stuck with high profile sights when you aren’t running a silencer or red dot.
SwitchSight is designed to work with your current holster and optics and allows you to choose the correct sight height for your pistol set up without having to change out the sights. Running a suppressor, flip the sights up. Running a red dot, flip the sights up. Running both? Flip the sights up. Going without the two add-ons? Flip the sights down. It’s that simple.
Designed to be direct drop-in replacement sights for all standard Glock slides, including slides with MOS red dot mounts, the folding sights are made from alloy steel that have been treated with a corrosion-resistant blackNitride+ finish. The sights feature two sets of high-visibility white painted dots, designed to shoot to the same fixed point of aim.
Similar to the folding sights that you’d find on an AR-15, SwitchSight is deployed by the simple lift of the finger. The sights fold forward towards the muzzle end. Mechanisms on the sights give positive feedback on whether or not they have been deployed correctly or not. Folding the sights down are as simple a process as flipping them up. Just flip them back toward the rear and they confidently rest in place.
We found that the sights stay in place under recoil without any problems, but making contact with them on a surface may fold them down, as there is no true locking feature. It would probably be a rare occurrence but it is worth mentioning. It comes with a standard three-dot aiming system, which isn’t fancy but gets the job done just fine. SwitchSight installs as simply as any other standard Glock sights. Fit and finish are top notch and so are its fitment in both the front and rear of the slide.
If you want the flexibility of running your pistol in a number of different ways, suppressed, with or without a red dot, or unsuppressed, all without the hassle of swapping out suppressor height sights or living with higher than normal sights, SwitchSight is definitely worth a look at. If you’re particular about exactly how high your sights are or what type of dot you use, or you’re fine sticking with a single pistol set up, this solution may not pertain to you. Regardless, with optics and suppressors being the hot accessories for pistols as of late, we think that this innovative set of sights may signal more of what’s to come. Text and Images by Michael Grey
Dead Arm Armament
SwitchSight Folding Glock Sights
$195
