Suppressor height sights are iron sights that are taller than standard ones, so you can still see your front post over the top of a suppressor. If you shoot a pistol with a suppressor on it, you may need them. If you shoot only with a red dot, you may not.
This post covers what the sights are, the typical heights, how they work with a red dot, and when you can skip them. It ends with how sight installation works at our shop.
What suppressor height sights are
A suppressor sits out past the muzzle and is wider than the barrel. On many pistols, that blocks the view of standard-height sights. Silencer Shop says shooters can end up “aiming through” the suppressor in that case.
Suppressor height sights fix this by raising the front post, and the rear sight to match, so the front post shows above the body of the suppressor. Silencer Shop describes them as taller versions of iron sights that keep the front post visible so you can use a traditional sight picture. They also work as a backup for a slide-mounted red dot.
Silencer Shop’s page focuses on pistols, and says most pistol suppressors work with these taller sights.
How tall is tall?
Silencer Shop gives typical heights in inches, and says they vary by maker and model.
| Sight type | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 0.150 to 0.200 in | 0.200 to 0.250 in |
| Suppressor height | 0.300 to 0.450 in | 0.400 to 0.500 in |
So a suppressor height front sight is roughly twice as tall as a standard one. One maker, Rost Martin, lists its suppressor height set at 0.401 inches in front and 0.444 inches in the rear, which sits inside those ranges. Check the numbers on the set you are looking at, because a mismatch between front and rear will throw off your sight picture.
Suppressor height sights and a red dot
If your pistol has a red dot on the slide, suppressor height sights can double as your backup. Silencer Shop says they allow lower third or absolute co-witness with most red dots. Co-witness means the iron sights line up in your view with the dot.
Rost Martin, a sight maker, says its set allows a lower third co-witness with most, but not all, red dot optics. It advises checking that your sights and optic plates are compatible. So the answer is “usually,” not “always,” and it depends on your optic and your mounting plate.
Why bother with irons at all if you have a dot? Silencer Shop says that if the battery dies or the lens fogs, gets dirty or is damaged, you can aim with the irons without removing the optic.
Do you actually need them?
Not always. Silencer Shop lists a few cases where you may not:
- Slim suppressors. It says a slim can, such as the Dead Air Odessa-9, may work fine with standard sights.
- Very large suppressors. It says some wide ones, like those for pistol-caliber carbines, can still partly block the view even with taller sights.
- Red dot only. If you rely mainly on a red dot, you may not need the irons much.
- Low profile. Taller sights are not always preferred. Silencer Shop says shooters who want a low profile may stick with standard sights.
If you are not sure, a simple test helps. With the gun unloaded, put the suppressor on and look down the slide. If the front sight is hidden, you have your answer.
Rifles are a different story
Most of what you read about suppressor height sights is about pistols. Silencer Shop’s page focuses on pistols, and we found no maker figures for suppressor height iron sights on rifles, so we will not give any.
For a rifle, the thing to look at is how your optic sits relative to the can, not a special sight. A hot suppressor can put a heat shimmer in front of a scope. Our guide on how hot a suppressor gets explains that shimmer, called mirage.
Before you buy a set
A short checklist keeps you from buying the wrong thing:
- Heights. Look for the listed front and rear heights, and compare them to the ranges above.
- Fit. Rost Martin’s page for its set does not name compatible guns, so confirm the listing says it fits yours.
- Your optic. Rost Martin advises checking that your sights and optic plates are compatible, since a lower third co-witness works with most but not all red dots.
- Your suppressor. A very wide can may still block the view even with taller sights.
Zero with the suppressor on
Adding a suppressor can change where the gun hits. Silencer Shop’s page has a section on adjusting for a possible point of impact shift and says to “always zero your pistol with the suppressor attached to confirm accuracy.”
That means if you change sights, sight them in with the suppressor on if that is how you plan to shoot. Our post on bore sighting a rifle explains why bore sighting only gets you on paper and not zeroed.
Sight installation at Lakeside
Our posted gunsmithing price list has a line for handgun sight install at $40. An optic mount is $45. If you buy a part from Lakeside Munitions, we install it for free. Walk-ins are welcome and you do not need an appointment.
A few notes:
- Posted prices assume a firearm in factory condition. If it has other changes, we look at the job first and the cost may vary.
- We do light gunsmithing, not complex machining. Our list covers sights, optic mounts and similar installs.
- The work is done in the shop.
- Rost Martin says gunsmith installation of its sights is recommended. Ask us before you buy if you are unsure your gun and the sights are a match.
Every posted price is on our gunsmithing page. We are not saying we stock a specific sight set. Ask the counter what we can get.
Bring your pistol and your suppressor, or bring just the suppressor, to our Cumming shop and we will look at your sight picture with you. You can also use the contact page first. If a suppressor is still on your wish list, our suppressors page explains how buying one works.
