If you’re thinking about a new gun or a new build and don’t want to get your slide direct-milled, I would strongly encourage you to look into the Accuracy X Multi-Sight / Slot Sight system, as it looks like the best engineered system for an actually functional modular sight system.

It may be over-engineered for someone who is only looking for an optics cut / plate until they decide what red dot to use, but if you’re looking for the capability to reconfigure your sights as needed and switch between optics and irons, it appears to be the only one that really allows you to do so without significant compromises, especially when it comes to having “normal” height iron sights when not using an optic and being able to adjust your cowitnessed irons.

Beyond that, if you’re looking for longevity and overall future-proofing / long-term availability of parts and accessories (including optics adapter plates), if the “Glock Optic Cut” wars of a few years back, I would recommend looking at / going with either the Staccato/DPO cut or Springfield/Agency AOS (Prodigy cut).

This is not a statement about functional superiority necessarily, but really production volumes and established standards more than anything—once Glock released the MOS, despite various issues and complaints with the interface, it has basically wiped out almost all other options, try finding a Unity ATOM plate these days for a modern optic, even if you can get someone to cut your slide.

The Nighthawk IOS looks like a great system, however as a much smaller semi-custom shop that’s not cranking out nearly as many optic-cut guns as either Staccato (already more or less the “established standard” for 2011-style guns) or Springfield Armory, which could affect future prospects for sustained support.

I realize that the Accuracy X system I recommended previously is also in a similar position, if not more so, being an even smaller name / manufacturer / gunsmith shop, but I do think it’s the best one out there I’ve seen from a modularity standpoint.

Moreover, I realize that the custom / semi-custom 1911/2011 market is not the same as the Glock market, so there will probably always be a few more options / variations on the market simply due to particular smiths / shops creating and preferring and even designing their own systems, however it’s worth considering that the pool of good gunsmiths continues to both age and dwindle, with many great shops and smiths having either closed their books or even their shops entirely in the last decade, and they are not being replaced by younger smiths at nearly the same rate as times in the past, the pistols may have lasted 113 years, but the smiths do not. And as those numbers get smaller, more and more emphasis will be placed on production-style and light semi-customs and what is available within those envelopes.

~Augee

@glazer1972
Where did you get this done?

Did this come optics ready or did you get it cut?