on my 7.5" pistol, it seems to shoot well with them. I have a cheap EOtech clone I could put on, but do I really need the added weight. I don't have a brace, just a phase 5 tube.
Don't get me wrong, I usually shoot better with a RDS, and my shorter carbines have them, but I'm thinking the pistol is fine w/o. Whaddaya think

If that's what you want then go for it.

K.I.S.S.

I'm planning on leaving both my 11.5" and 7.5" pistol builds iron sight only.  The 11.5" has a FSB and is getting a DD A1.5 rear; I'd like to find another set of Centurion Diopters for the 7.5", but it will probably get a fixed Troy front and rear for the time being.  I find shooting short, handy ARs with irons to be a lot of fun, and the weight savings on a pistol is important to me.

If I do decide to add some kind of RDS later, it would probably be something small and light like an RMR.

Hey, VA - I asked over in your GD thread but you may have not seen the question.  How do you like the new GM barrel so far?  How is it shooting and functioning?

I am running my 7.5 with only Daniel Defense irons.  I love it.  I had an Eotech but I ditched it because of the weight and I just liked the irons on my little KISStol.  I currently run it with an Inforce WML, DD Irons, and a single point sling.

KISS irons all the way

I'm building for iron sights, I can always add a co witness red dot later.

Kyle Lamb had an interesting comment on this in the latest American Rifleman, and suggested if it was going to be a truck gun or hauled around in a vehicle it would be better with irons. I worked in a Group Support Staff fifteen years back and had feedback from repair techs in light equipment repair companies. Red dots are nice for quick target acquisition - I bought a first gen Aimpoint in the early '80s, I get it. The techs reminded me that they had a conex full of broken red dots, tho, because the lenses are NOT impact resistant. At all. No gorilla glass or whatever. So, drop it hard enough, it's toast.

If that's not a problem, the next issue is power. Run a lesser dot with a button cell battery, you need  actually run it down to know what it really does. And that battery needs to be dirt common, not some special little pest like the 1/3 N I suffer in that Aimpoint to this day.

Then how it mounts comes into play, if the base isn't integral or included, add $80-100 to get it up and running. That has a budgeting affect.

For a pistol I'm considering a front chevron with open rear notch for quick express sight picture. And no free float tube, even if I deflect the barrel 2MOA using it it's still shooting just a 4" hit zone instead of a 2" at 100m.

That is well beyond the range of self defense, but still quite effective hunting whitetail deer.

Goes to - what is the gun for? Range and target, then choose the targeting system that fits the application. I see a very limited improvement in effective accuracy or reliability for the expense of an optic in this size firearm.

Sunday I was walking out of the hunt zone with my son, 62 degrees in a down pour and we flagged up another deer. I took a quick look a the reflex mounted on the rail of my 6.8 and it was useless with the rain on the lens. With iron sights up I would be able to take a shot.

There's no promise a conflict is going to occur in a semi arid zone and adjusting to the local conditions should be a part of the final choice. An optic may need lens covers and I can guarantee they will slow you up - my son was still trying to get them up 45 yards later when the deer easily lost us.

I like red dots but the Army still issues irons for a reason.

I've got irons on my 12". I do have a Holo on it too but just for grins.
Pistols aren't for long range. And there's a lot to be said for less weight.

I've only got irons on my 9" build. Little harder to get sight picture than a fullsize w/irons or a pistol with a RDS, but I can still shoot decent groupings with it.

Do it.  I'm building my 7.5" with an A2 upper and standard FSB.  And my 10.5" can take an optic, but I haven't gotten one yet.  The BUIS works just fine.  Sure, a red dot is on the list, but the irons are good, too.

Irons will always be there for you.

Irons only (for now!) but I prepared for a red dot by using a flip up front sight

Those new Magpul SL hand guards are growing on me.