Surefire's nifty Rapid Transition Sight are canted at 45 degrees to allow them to be used alongside scopes on 3-gun competition rifles. I have seen, and blogged about, canted picatinny rails for red dot sights but this is the first canted iron sight that I have seen with a built in rail attachment.
Surefire has them listed on their website for $238.
[ Many thanks to Heath for emailing me the info. ]
I know a man who shoots competition with a doctor sight on one of these its a good deal and helps in tactical shoots.
1 
0Uh, do you really need windage/elevation and a small aperture on these? Besides, there should be a handicap for optics in competition anyway. If you want to use optics that are so high powered you lose time up close but score better far away, that’s cool. But both? Just stick a reflex on the other side as well then, that way you’ll never, ever miss.
1 0I think Bill answered my question, different classes. Maybe I shouldn’t comment so early!
1 0$238? I think I can wait a year or two for Magpul to make a plastic version.
1 0I’ve actually always thought this was an ingenious idea…my solution was to mount a scope on a top rail and a reflex optic on a side rail. Not as good as this, but certainly cheaper.
I approve, now lower the price tag $200.
1 0People are starting to like them for competition. I saw a few pictures of Magpul guys using them couple months ago.
1 0Cool sights. Not cool price.
1 0Great comments on the article.. if anyone is interested in more info on the sights they can check out http://www.dueckdefense.com There are some very good videos on the website which show the RTS sights in action.
0 0Surefire is the Monster Cable of firearms
0 0An A2 rear sight, really? I can see setting it up as the A1 style, with the A2 knob, but the elevation drum seems to be totally useless.
0 0Does anyone know what rail is on that weapon?
It doesn’t look like any Surefire rail.
0 0Haven’t these been around for a while already? And why wouldn’t someone just put flip-up sights on offset mounts instead of this?
0 0Guh. As in A.
0 0This sight is designed for 2 purposes according to Barry Dueck.
1) As a close range sight for 3-Gun shooters to more quickly engage targets when using a magnified optic to be a faster alternative than adjusting the scope and when at close range a magnified optic reduces FOV to an impractical range.
2) As a fast transition for tactical units if the primary optic goes down. Dueck uses the example of a hostage situation when the primary battery fails.
The reason that this is not a ‘flip up’ sight is that this sight is a transitional back up. If it was a flip up then the speed advantage of transitioning would be nullified.
Also the benefit to 3-gunners using this mount as suppose to a secondary red-dot is that it keeps the gun out of the open class. As stated by Bill. If you have two optics on your rifle then all your weapons are allowed optics so your competing against guys with crazy race guns (pistols and shot guns w/optics).
This sight is for operators who need to be able to transition to close range optics faster than having to engage flip up sights or transitioning to a secondary weapon and also don’t want a ‘shadow effect’ of co-witnessing iron sights through the primary optic
0 0@ Jaime
LMT MRP platform. You can see the proprietary barrel nut.
0 0Take a look at the top of a susat sight sometime. It has a small peep sight and front blade. Despite the very short sight radius, it actually was ok for CQB-type short ranges.
Cheers – Rusty
0 0Looks like an LMT MRP, you can see the little recesses at the end of the right side rail.
http://www.lmtstore.com/monolithic-rail-platforms-mrp-cqb/standard-mrp-rifle-version.html
0 0@Jaime, that’s an LMT monolithic upper.
0 0I think it’s for 3 Gun audience, not gangstas. Doing the iron sights keeps on in the tactical class and not into the open class designation I believe. Otherwise one would add a small reflex optic to complement a 4X scope for close-in situations.
0 0Seems like you’d have to re-train your shooting specifically to factor in the 45 degree tilt…
On top of that, would this have any use whatsoever outside of matches? I can’t imagine SWAT teams bustin’ through windows, holding their scoped weapons at an angle.
0 0Add an extra 45° of cant and you’ll have Surefire GRS (Gangsta Rapid Sights) ! 
0 0Probably no coincidence that one of their sponsored shooters, Barry Dueck, makes the exact same sight.
0 0I’ve seen similar in IPSC shooting for years, main difference is that the ones I’ve seen were mounted on the free float and imitated the regular pistol sights which IMHO are faster in close & fast shooting. And with the short range they are commonly used they tend to actually outperform peep sights.
0 0I’ve see quite a few people doing this with a 1x reflex sight. At $238 for iron sights might as well spend a few more $$ and go that route
0 0Agreed, but now you can co-witness your reflex with a pair of canted irons for only $238 more… not because you have to, but because you can
0 0That’s a pretty good idea. They more or less took the concept of early top-fed machine-guns like the Bren or the MAC24/29, which had canted sights so the magazine would not interfere with the sight line.
0 0Holy SureFire mark up Batman!
0 0Yea…. I’ll be keeping my $238 thank you very much.
0 1so theyre only half gangsta?
0 1
Great comments on the article.. if anyone is interested in more info on the sights they can check out http://www.dueckdefense.com There are some very good videos on the website which show the RTS sights in action.
This sight is designed for 2 purposes according to Barry Dueck.
1) As a close range sight for 3-Gun shooters to more quickly engage targets when using a magnified optic to be a faster alternative than adjusting the scope and when at close range a magnified optic reduces FOV to an impractical range.
2) As a fast transition for tactical units if the primary optic goes down. Dueck uses the example of a hostage situation when the primary battery fails.
The reason that this is not a ‘flip up’ sight is that this sight is a transitional back up. If it was a flip up then the speed advantage of transitioning would be nullified.
Also the benefit to 3-gunners using this mount as suppose to a secondary red-dot is that it keeps the gun out of the open class. As stated by Bill. If you have two optics on your rifle then all your weapons are allowed optics so your competing against guys with crazy race guns (pistols and shot guns w/optics).
This sight is for operators who need to be able to transition to close range optics faster than having to engage flip up sights or transitioning to a secondary weapon and also don’t want a ‘shadow effect’ of co-witnessing iron sights through the primary optic
@ Jaime
LMT MRP platform. You can see the proprietary barrel nut.
Looks like an LMT MRP, you can see the little recesses at the end of the right side rail.
http://www.lmtstore.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/l/7/l7ra1a.gif
http://www.lmtstore.com/monolithic-rail-platforms-mrp-cqb/standard-mrp-rifle-version.html
@Jaime, that’s an LMT monolithic upper.
Guh. As in A.
Does anyone know what rail is on that weapon?
It doesn’t look like any Surefire rail.
Surefire is the Monster Cable of firearms
An A2 rear sight, really? I can see setting it up as the A1 style, with the A2 knob, but the elevation drum seems to be totally useless.
Haven’t these been around for a while already? And why wouldn’t someone just put flip-up sights on offset mounts instead of this?
Take a look at the top of a susat sight sometime. It has a small peep sight and front blade. Despite the very short sight radius, it actually was ok for CQB-type short ranges.
Cheers – Rusty
I think Bill answered my question, different classes. Maybe I shouldn’t comment so early!
Agreed, but now you can co-witness your reflex with a pair of canted irons for only $238 more… not because you have to, but because you can
Uh, do you really need windage/elevation and a small aperture on these? Besides, there should be a handicap for optics in competition anyway. If you want to use optics that are so high powered you lose time up close but score better far away, that’s cool. But both? Just stick a reflex on the other side as well then, that way you’ll never, ever miss.
I think it’s for 3 Gun audience, not gangstas. Doing the iron sights keeps on in the tactical class and not into the open class designation I believe. Otherwise one would add a small reflex optic to complement a 4X scope for close-in situations.
That’s a pretty good idea. They more or less took the concept of early top-fed machine-guns like the Bren or the MAC24/29, which had canted sights so the magazine would not interfere with the sight line.
Holy SureFire mark up Batman!
I’ve see quite a few people doing this with a 1x reflex sight. At $238 for iron sights might as well spend a few more $$ and go that route
I’ve seen similar in IPSC shooting for years, main difference is that the ones I’ve seen were mounted on the free float and imitated the regular pistol sights which IMHO are faster in close & fast shooting. And with the short range they are commonly used they tend to actually outperform peep sights.
Seems like you’d have to re-train your shooting specifically to factor in the 45 degree tilt…
On top of that, would this have any use whatsoever outside of matches? I can’t imagine SWAT teams bustin’ through windows, holding their scoped weapons at an angle.
I’ve actually always thought this was an ingenious idea…my solution was to mount a scope on a top rail and a reflex optic on a side rail. Not as good as this, but certainly cheaper.
I approve, now lower the price tag $200.
Add an extra 45° of cant and you’ll have Surefire GRS (Gangsta Rapid Sights) !
I know a man who shoots competition with a doctor sight on one of these its a good deal and helps in tactical shoots.
$238? I think I can wait a year or two for Magpul to make a plastic version.
People are starting to like them for competition. I saw a few pictures of Magpul guys using them couple months ago.
Probably no coincidence that one of their sponsored shooters, Barry Dueck, makes the exact same sight.
Cool sights. Not cool price.
Yea…. I’ll be keeping my $238 thank you very much.
so theyre only half gangsta?