Best Canik TP9 Elite SC Holosun Red Dot & Green Dot Optics + How to Mount + Adapter Plates

*Note: If you are looking for Holosun Red Dots that fit the Full Size and Compact TP9 Models then click this link --> Canik TP9 Holosun Optics Guide.

The Canik TP9 Elite SC is an awesome subcompact pistol. It has great ergonomics, comes at an affordable price point, and has excellent aesthetics.

If you are wondering which red & green dot optics will fit on it and how to mount them then keep reading. We are going to tell you the best Holosun Optics you can mount on the Canik TP9 Elite SC and the different ways you can install them on the slide.

How do you mount a Holosun 407K, 507K, EPS Carry, or SCS Carry on a Canik TP9 Elite SC? 

The Canik TP9 Elite SC has a slide cut that will let you mount a Holosun 407K, 507K, EPS Carry or SCS Carry  directly on it. However there are no "recoil lugs" on the slide so we recommend using the Calculated Kinetics TP9 Elite SC Holosun K Series Adapter plate.

Recoil lugs are useful because they help distribute the forces placed on the screws.

By mounting the optic directly on the slide you will be putting all those recoil forces on the screws. People install their optics like this, and it may be fine, but if you want extra peace of mind there are 3 options.

Option 1 (Least Reliable) - Mount directly on the Slide: This option you would mount a Holosun 407K, 507K, EPS Carry, or SCS Carry directly on your slide. 

• Pros: You don't need to purchase an adapter plate, you will be able to co-witness your iron sites quite a bit.
• Cons: You will be putting all the forces of recoil directly on the screws only, this "could" cause reliability issues down the road. 

Option 2 (More Reliable) - Modify your included adapter plate: This method involves you taking the polymer adapter plate that comes with your TP9 Elite SC and filing down the rear recoil lugs and front recoil lugs. If you are a DIYer then this is pretty straightforward.

• Pros: You will have recoil lugs to help distribute the recoil forces, this will increase longevity of screws. You will still be able to co-witness your iron sights.
• Cons: The adapter plate will be made of polymer. You will have to do extra DIY work yourself.

Here is a video showing you how to modify your included polymer plate.

Option 3 (Most Reliable) - Buy a Calculated Kinetics TP9 Elite SC aluminum adapter plate: We consider this to be the best most bomb-proof option. Calculated Kinetics has tackled the problem with the TP9 Elite SC by creating their own aluminum adapter plate. This is the strongest and most well thought out solution to mounting a Holosun 407K, 507K, EPS Carry, SCS Carry to your TP9 Elite SC.

The Calculated Kinetics TP9 Elite SC Holosun K Series Adapter plate comes with everything you need, including screws, to mount your 407K, 507K, EPS Carry, or SCS Carry to your Canik TP9 Elite SC.

• Pros: It's made out of strong aluminum, is made in the USA, and comes with all hardware you need to install. You will be able to co-witness your iron sights.
• Cons: It's an additional cost you may not have planned for.

What footprint is the Canik TP9 Elite SC? 

The Canik TP9 Elite SC has an proprietary cut slide that will let you mount a Holosun 407K, 507K, and EPS Carry directly on the slide. However for maximum reliability we recommend using the Calculated Kinetics TP9 Elite SC Holosun K Series Adapter plate. Read our mounting section above to learn more.

Why do we recommend the Holosun Optics vs other options?

• They are affordable but not cheap. 
• They are built sturdily with strong aluminum housings and glass. 
• They have convenient features like Shake Awake and Side Mounted Batteries.
• They have a Limited Lifetime Warranty.
• They are reliable.
• They are waterproof.

When you compare them to other options like Crimson Trace, Bushnell, or others you will find prices are similar but the other options do not have as good of a track record and do not have as many features.

Top 5 Holosun Red & Green Dots we recommend for the Canik TP9 Elite SC

In our opinion these are the best bang for your buck optics for your Canik TP9 Elite SC. 

1. Holosun 407K. Most Budget Friendly Option.

Buy the 407K At The Best Price Available in Red Dot or Green Dot

Features: 6 MOA dot Shake Awake 50,000 Hr Battery Life Removable Side Battery IP67 Waterproof 10 Daylight Brightness Settings and 2 Night Vision Aluminum Housing

The 407K is an affordable optic. It's lightweight, made out of aluminum, and has really nice controls. The 6 MOA dot is a great size for a pistol.

Read our full 407K review here.

2. Holosun 507K. The Next Step Up.

Buy the 507K At The Best Price Available in Red Dot and Green Dot.

Features: MRS Reticle - 32 MOA Circle + 2 MOA Dot Shake Awake 50,000 Hr Battery Life Removable Side Battery IP67 Waterproof 10 Daylight Brightness Settings and 2 Night Vision Aluminum Housing

This optic is exactly like the 407K except it has Holosun’s famous MRS reticle which is a 32 MOA circle and 2 MOA dot. The MRS reticle can be toggled by hitting the “-“ button. So you can use the 32 MOA circle plus 2 MOA dot, just the 2 MOA dot, or just the 32 MOA circle.

3. Holosun EPS Carry - Closed Emitter Option

Buy the EPS Carry At The Best Price Available in 2 MOA Dot, 6 MOA Dot, and MRS, Red Dot or Green Dot.

Features: MRS Reticle or 2 MOA Reticle or 6 MOA Reticle  Shake Awake 50,000 Hr Battery Life Removable Side Battery IPX8 Waterproof 8 Daylight Brightness Settings and 4 Night Vision Aluminum Housing Enclosed Emitter

 

The EPS Carry is very similar to the 407K and 507K except it has one major difference, it is an enclosed emitter optic. This means the laser emitter is protected by a hood. So dirt, mud, or debris will never get in the way of the emitter to distort the reticle. 

There are 3 versions of the EPS Carry. The 2MOA, 6MOA, and MRS Versions

The MRS version has a solar panel on it which acts as a solar fail safe to power the reticle of the battery dies. It also gives you an extra auto brightness feature which can be toggled on or off.

Read our full EPS Carry review here.

4. Holosun 507K ACSS Vulcan Green & Red Dot

Buy the 507K ACSS Vulcan At The Best Price

The 507K ACSS Vulcan is exactly like the 507K except is has the ACSS Vulcan reticle. This reticle has a 230 MOA dotted outer ring and a 3 MOA center dot.

The purpose of this reticle is to help you find the center dot quickly if you are off center. To learn more about the ACSS Vulcan check out our article here.

The dotted outer ring can be turned off by holding down the "-" button for 3 seconds.

The main advantage of the ACSS Vulcan reticle is to be able to find the center dot quickly when drawing the pistol.

All the features are the same as the 507K except for the reticle, and this is available in both red & green.

Read our full 507K ACSS review here.

5. Holosun SCS Carry Green Dot - Best Solar Recharging Option

Buy the SCS Carry At The Best Price

The SCS Carry is similar to the EPS Carry in that it is an enclosed emitter, except it features Holosun's latest "Solar Recharging Technology". 

It has an internal rechargeable battery with theoretical unlimited battery life. The battery has a 20K hour power reserve which is constantly being recharged. The optic charges the battery faster than it consumes. It has the MRS (multi reticle system) and is available in green dot only. You can use the 2 MOA dot, 2 MOA Dot + 32 MOA Circle, or 32 MOA Circle only.

This model doesn't have Shake Awake like the others, but recommend from Holosun, you just leave it on and it will stay on. It is constantly recharging from natural and artificial light sources. It does have a power off button if you wanted to turn it off.

This optic is a great option if you are looking for something super sleek, and where you never have to worry about batteries. Just turn it on and keep it on!

Choosing between Red or Green Reticles

You may be wondering if you should get a red or green dot reticle. We get this question a lot so I am going to list a few bullet points for you to consider.

• Green reticles are less straining for the eye to see.
• Green reticles can help with astigmatism. If you have astigmatism you will see a blurry dot, we have been told by a few customers that Green dots help with their astigmatism, making the dot look more crisp than the red version.
• Green will not washout on backdrops like green grass, foliage, or green colors.
• In theory Green dots can have a longer battery life because Green is brighter, so for example a green dot on brightness setting 6 may be the same brightness as a red dot on setting 7 - which would save battery life.

If you want to learn more check out our full article about Red vs Green Dot Pros & Cons here.

Choosing between Open vs Closed Emitters

The simplest way we can break down open vs closed emitters is to look at how you plan on carrying the pistol. If you plan on being outdoors in the elements with rain, snow, sleet, then a closed emitter will be beneficial.

If you plan on carrying OWB most of the time and plan on being outside then closed emitter would be beneficial.

If you plan on carrying IWB or don't plan on being outside using your red dot in the pouring rain or heavy snow then an open reflex is fine.

Open reflexes will still work in the rain or snow but the closed emitter will give you extra peace of mind.

An open reflex can collect dust and debris on the inside of the reticle over time, so you'll want to clean it out from time to time. An enclosed emitter is easier to clean in this aspect.

To learn more about Open vs Closed emitters you can check out our Open vs Closed Emitter Guide here.

How to decide which reticle style is best for you

In this guide we covered a few different reticle options. If you need some help deciding which is best for you here are some of our thoughts on each.

	2 MOA only : This dot is quite small which makes it precise. The downside is that it can be hard to “pick up” upon drawing the weapon. If you are experienced shooting red dot sights on pistols then this may not be an issue for you. If you are new, we recommend you practice “finding the dot” at home to become proficient. If you can train your muscle memory to find the dot then 2 MOA is a great choice.
	6 MOA only : This dot is decently larger than the 2 MOA dot. We classify this as more user friendly than the 2 MOA dot as it’s a bit easier to pick up upon drawing. The 6 MOA dot will not be as precise as the 2 MOA dot at long distances (50+ yards) but it is still plenty accurate at all distance ranges. The 6 MOA dot is a nice size and it gives you a less cluttered reticle. Some people prefer it over the MRS.
	MRS Reticle (32 MOA Ring + 2 MOA Dot): This reticle is a good combination of both large and small. You have the 2 MOA dot to be precise with, and the 32 MOA Ring to help “find the dot”. The 32 MOA Circle is quite hard to miss. The nice thing about this reticle is the flexibility. You can use the 32 MOA Ring only or the 2 MOA dot only or both together. This way you can find what you prefer and stick to it.
	ACSS Vulcan with 3 MOA Dot and 230 MOA Dotted Outer Ring : This reticle is going to have a 3 moa dot and the 230 MOA dotted outer ring. The outer ring is only visible when the dot is not centered. The purpose is to help you find the dot quicker upon drawing the weapon. The 3 MOA dot give you a slightly larger dot than the 2 MOA dot, but it’s not that noticeable. The real value to this reticle is the outer ring and it’s assistance with helping you get on target faster by quickly adjusting your grip to “find the dot”

Conclusion

All of these optics are fantastic for your Canik TP9 Elite SC. You won’t find a better combination of quality and affordability. 

Each optic also has it’s unique features and benefits. I wouldn’t say one is better than the other. 

The 407K’s 6 MOA dot is really nice and some people prefer it over the MRS Reticle. The MRS reticle is larger which makes it easier to pick up when drawing. The EPS Carry is super cool because of the enclosed emitter.

If you have any questions, reach out to us on chat or leave a comment!

Thanks for reading!