Introduction

With every passing year, more red dot sights are available on the market. There have never been as many optics manufacturers as there are now, which means that there have never been as many different optical devices as there are now.

Red dot sights have been steadily gaining in popularity – for this reason, they can be found in the offer of most manufacturers of optics around the world. Even companies such as Kahles and Leica, who haven’t manufactured red dot sights before, have recently launched their own versions.

In this article, the most common footprints/mounting standards used on red dot sights are listed. Each standard is described and an image of it is added. At the end of each section, red dot sights that use the footprint discussed are listed.

Docter/Noblex standard

This is one of the most widely used footprints in the field of red dot sights. It has two holes for screws and four sockets in which the pins on the mount/adapter fit, one in each corner. There is a wide range of mounts for this footprint on the market, which is one of the main reasons why it is used by so many manufacturers. Docter/Noblex standard is simple and reliable.

Red dot sights that share this footprint:

* These red dot sights have a Docter/Noblex footprint, but the adapter supplied with them has wider threaded sockets than adapters suited for a Docter/Noblex footprint. Consequently, thicker screws are enclosed. You can mount these red dots on an adapter designed specifically for the Docter/Noblex footprint, but you will need not be able to use the screws supplied with them – thinner screws are needed.

Note: distances between holes (sockets) are measured from and to the center of the hole (socket).

Important notes

Meopta Meosight III uses a footprint that is very similar to the one used by Docter. The four sockets, one in each corner, are in the exact same places. The holes for the screws, however, are not. This is why Meopta Meosight III cannot be mounted on every adapter designed for the Docter/Noblex footprint. Several adapters are designed so that both Docter/Noblex footprint sights and Meopta Meosight III can be mounted on them (see the image below).

Aimpoint Micro standard

Aimpoint is the first company to have used this standard on their Micro small tube sights. Today, other manufacturers of this type of sights use it as well. The surface of the footprint is slightly lifted in the middle – on each side of the lifted section, there are two holes for screws. The lifted section is cut in the middle – this is where the recoil stop fits.

Red dot sights that share this footprint:

Note: distances between holes (sockets) are measured from and to the center of the hole (socket).

Important notes

GPO Spectra uses a footprint that is identical to the one used by Aimpoint Micro. Even though it appears to be the same at first sight, there is a protruding part underneath the illumination knob. Because of it, the adapters designed for an Aimpoint Micro footprint do not fit into place at that side (check the picture below). GPO Spectra uses a unique adapter with narrow side sections.

C-more standard

This is a standard found on C-more’s popular red dot sights, RTS and STS. Some other manufacturers also use it because of its simplicity and reliability. The footprint has two holes for screws and two sockets in which the pins on the mount/adapter fit.

Red dot sights that share this footprint:

Note: distances between holes (sockets) are measured from and to the center of the hole (socket).

Shield standard

Shield sights are incredibly compact, which is why Shield had to come up with a footprint of their own. It is designed similarly to the Noblex/Docter footprint (there are two holes for the screws and four sockets in which the notches on the mount/adapter fit, one in each corner). The sockets, however, are a little bit wider and closer one to another.

Red dot sights that share this footprint:

Note: distances between holes (sockets) are measured from and to the center of the hole (socket).

A modification of the Shield standard

Holosun 407K and Holosun 507K feature a modification of the Shield footprint. The differences are:

the two rear sockets are missing

the sockets in the front are shallower

For this reason, some pistols that are optic ready for Shield footprint need to be modified for the 407 and 507K. Namely, the two rear indexing lugs on the pistol have to be removed and the two front indexing lugs shortened in height. Hellcat and Walther PPS are examples of such pistols (some pistols, such as Sig Sauer P365XL, do not have to be modified).

‘Trijicon RMR’ standard

This footprint has two holes for screws and two sockets in which the pins on the mount/adapter fit – these are in the front, in each corner. Even though the sockets are in the front only, the footprint is somewhat reminiscent of the Docter/Noblex one. Note, however, that the sockets in the corners are farther apart on the Trijicon footprint and bigger in diameter.

Red dot sights that share this footprint:

Note: distances between holes (sockets) are measured from and to the center of the hole (socket).

There are many other, unique footprints on the market. Sig Sauer’s Romeo 1, for example, has a footprint suitable for mounting on certain Sig Sauer pistols – you will need a special adapter if you wish to mount it elsewhere. Steiner uses a different approach for their MRS – there are only two narrow notches in the front, while the holes for the screws are located at the rear of the sight, on both sides, left and right.

‘Trijicon MRO’ standard

There are four screw holes on the footprint, two in the front, two in the rear. The holes on the left are separated from the holes on the right with a lifted section in the middle.

Red dot sights that share this footprint:

Trijicon MRO

Trijicon MRO Patrol

A modification of the ‘Trijicon MRO’ footprint

Vector Optics Centurion 1×30 features a modification of the ‘Trijicon MRO’ footprint. The distances between the screw holes are the same, and so is the thread. The difference is in the lifted section. On Centurion, the middle part of the lifted section is cut out to create space for a recoil stop. For this reason, a mount designed for the Trijicon MRO footprint fits on the Centurion, while a mount designed for the Vector Optics Centurion (with a recoil stop) does not fit on the MRO (the middle part of the lifted section is not cut out).

Red dot sights that have a unique footprint

Note: distances between holes (sockets) are measured from and to the center of the hole (socket).

This article will be constantly updated in the future. With it, we wish to create a collection of useful data that will be of great help to users/potential buyers of red dot sights and those who are looking for a specific mount/adapter for their red dot sight. If you have a compact reflex or small tube sight that isn’t listed in this article, please be so kind as to send a picture of the sight and its footprint to andraz.gradisnik@optics-trade.com – help us expand our database. We greatly appreciate everyone’s help!

Picture gallery

Aimpoint ACRO footprint Trijicon RMR footprint Steiner MRS Steiner MRS footprint Steiner MRS Shield footprint Docter, Noblex footprint Docter, Noblex footprint (top) and Shield footprint (bottom) Docter, Noblex footprint C-more footprint Aimpoint Micro footprint Sig Sauer Romeo 1 Footprint Aimpoint ACRO footprint Trijicon RMR footprint Shield Sight footprint Docter Sight footprint C-more footprint Aimpoint Micro footprint Aimpoint Acro footprint Hawke Vantage 1×25 A Picatinny adapter supplied with Hawke Vantage 1×25 (right) next to the Docter & Noblex footprint adapter made by EAW (left) GPO Spectra footprint Trijicon MRO footprint

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