If you own or are thinking of owning a Nighthawk Custom 1911 then congratulations good sir, you have excellent taste.
If you are interested in mounting optics on your Nighthawk Custom 1911 then you will need the Nighthawk Custom Interchangeable Optic System (IOS).
You can order this when your order your gun or reach out to them here and have them retroactively add it for you.
In this guide we are going to tell you the best Holosun Red & Green Dot sights you can mount on your Nighthawk Custom 1911 model with the IOS system. We’ll tell you the features and benefits of each, and let you know which IOS adapter plate you need from Nighthawk Custom.
Let’s get started!
Quick Nav
- Pistols this article applies to
- Holosun Optics we recommend for the Nighthawk Custom 1911 IOS
- Holosun vs other brands
- What Optics Footprint is the Nighthawk Custom 1911 IOS
- Optics Adapter Plates for the Nighthawk Custom 1911 IOS
- Best 509T Footprint Holosun Optics for the Nighthawk Custom 1911 IOS
- Best RMR Footprint Holosun Optics for the Nighthawk Custom 1911 IOS
- Holosun 407C - Best Budget Option
- Holosun 507C - Best All Around Option
- Holosun 507C ACSS Vulcan - Best Specialty Option
- Holosun 508T - Most Durable Open Emitter
- Holosun 509 ACSS Vulcan - Best Specialty Closed Emitter
- Holosun 507 Comp - Best Competition Optic
- Best Modified RMSc Holosun Optics for Nighthawk Custom 1911 IOS
- Holosun EPS - Largest Window with Lowest Deck Height
- Holosun 407K - Best Budget Option
- Holosun 507K - Best All Around Option
- Holosun 507K ACSS Vulcan - Best Specialty Option
- Holosun EPS Carry - Best Closed Emitter Option
- How to choose between red or green reticles
- How to choose between open vs closed emitter
- How to decide which reticle style is best for you
- Conclusion
Which Nighthawk Custom 1911 IOS models does this apply to?
The optics recommend in this guide will apply to any of these Nighthawk Custom models as long as they have the Interchangeable Optic System (IOS).
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Which Holosun Optics do we recommend for X?
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Larger Optics Using the IOS Holosun/RMR Plate
Using the IOS 509T Plate |
Smaller Optics Using the IOS Shield Plate - *But you must reach out to them to tell them to modify it for a Holosun K Series footprint! |
Why do we recommend Holosun Optics vs other options?
- They are a good combination of high quality and affordability.
- They have the longest battery life and batteries can be changed without removing the optic.
- They come in red & green reticles with different sizes and styles.
- They are strong with 7075 aluminum or titanium housings and glass.
- They have convenient features like Shake Awake, easy to press brightness buttons, and Side Mounted Batteries.
- Some models have Solar Panels which will power the optic if the battery dies.
- They have a Limited Lifetime Warranty.
- They are reliable, water proof, and have a great track record
When you compare them to other options like Leupold, Trijicon, Crimson Trace, Burris, Bushnell, Aimpoint or others you will find the Holosun’s are more affordable or have more features, longer battery life, and a proven track record with millions of optics sold in the last 10+ years.
What optics footprint is the Nighthawk Custom 1911 IOS?
The Nighthawk Custom IOS (interchangeable optic systems) is Nighthawk's custom proprietary optic mounting system. It’s really clever and well engineered. What we like most is the amount of footprint options they give you.
In this guide we are going to cover Holosun RMR Footprint optics, 509T footprint optics, and K Series footprint optics.
Once you know which Holosun Optic you want to mount on your Nighthawk 1911, then that is the IOS plate you want from Nighthawk Custom. So if you want a 508T for example, then you will want the RMR IOS plate from Nighthawk. If you wanted the 509T, then the 509T IOS plate, etc, etc.
We will make it clear below which IOS you should get for each optic.
Here's a video of Nighthawk Custom explaining and showing their IOS system in action
What adapter plates exist for the Nighthawk Custom 1911 IOS?
Nighthawk Custom has all the adapter plates you need for your 1911 IOS model. You can see all of them here but for this guide we are going to focus on these ones:
- Nighthawk Custom Trijicon RMR/Holosun IOS Plate
- Nighthawk Custom 509T IOS Plate
- Nighthawk Custom RMSc Shield IOS Plate - *IMPORTANT* This one you want Nighthawk to modify for you to fit a Holosun K Series footprint. Learn more about the K Series vs RMSc footprint here.
Best 509T Footprint Holosun Optics for the Nighthawk Custom 1911 IOS
Below are the best 509T Footprint optics you can put on your Nighthawk Custom 1911 with the IOS System. You will need the Nighthawk Custom 509T IOS Plate to mount these and your pistol must have the IOS system installed on your gun.
1. Holosun 509T Green & Red Dot - Most Durable Closed Emitter
Buy the 509T At The Best Price
The 509T is going to be the most heavy duty pistol optic you can buy from Holosun. It's an enclosed emitter and made with a titanium housing. The titanium is not to make it lightweight, it's to make it more durable.
The 509T comes with and RMR adapter plate but you will want this Nighthawk Custom 509T IOS Plate for optimal mounting.
The enclosed emitter ensures that nothing can obstruct the view of the emitter and the lens, meaning water, dirt, lint or any other molecule will not get inside the optic. It will also make the optic easier to wipe off if it were to drop in mud or something like that.
The 509T is not going to be the lightest optic, but it will be the toughest.
It also has a nice big FOV and is filled with nitrogen which will help with fog-mitigation, just like a scope.
It's available in Red or Green reticles and they come with Holosun's Multi Reticle System, which is a 32 MOA ring + 2 MOA dot, and can be toggled to show only the 32 MOA Ring or just the 2 MOA dot by holding down the "-" button for 3 seconds.
It has shake awake, a side removable battery, solar failsafe with auto brightness or manual brightness modes, 10 daylight and 2 nightvision settings, and is IP67 waterproof.
Read our full 509T review here.
Best RMR Footprint Holosun Optics for the Nighthawk Custom 1911 IOS - Larger Optics
These are larger optics that will have larger windows and some overhang on the slide.
Below are the best RMR Footprint optics you can put on your Nighthawk Custom 1911 with the IOS System. You will need the Nighthawk Custom Trijicon RMR/Holosun IOS Plate to mount these and your pistol must have the IOS system installed on your gun.
1. Holosun 407C Green & Red Dot - Best Budget Option
Buy the 407C At The Best Price
The most budget friendly option is going to be the 407C. The 407C has a 2 MOA dot only. The housing is aluminum.
If you are ok with having just a 2 MOA dot all the time, then the 407C is a great option.
It has shake awake, a side removable battery, solar failsafe with auto brightness or manual brightness modes, 10 daylight and 2 nightvision settings, and is IP67 waterproof.
Read our full 407C review here.
2. Holosun 507C Green & Red Dot - Best All Around Option
Buy the 507C At The Best Price
The Holosun 507C is very similar to the 407C except it has Holosun "MRS" reticle.
It's available in Red or Green reticles and the MRS (Multi Reticle System) lets you use a 32 MOA ring + 2 MOA dot, or it can be toggled to show only the 32 MOA Ring or just the 2 MOA dot by holding down the "-" button for 3 seconds.
It has shake awake, a side removable battery, solar failsafe with auto brightness or manual brightness modes, 10 daylight and 2 nightvision settings, and is IP67 waterproof.
Read our full 507C review here.
3. Holosun 507C ACSS Vulcan Green & Red Dot - Best Specialty Option
Buy the 507C ACSS Vulcan At The Best Price
The 507C ACSS Vulcan may pique your interest. It's just like the 507C except is has the ACSS Vulcan reticle. This reticle features a 250 MOA Ring and a 10 MOA chevron - sounds crazy right? Well it's crazy awesome! It helps new red dot shooter and experts alike, and allows for the most precision out of all optics mentioned here.
You can learn more about the ACSS reticle here but to summarize, the 250 MOA Ring helps you find the center dot quickly if you are off center and the 10 MOA chevron acts like a BDC reticle and also has a very precise point for precision work.
It's available in Red or Green reticles and if you wanted to turn the outside ring off you can by holding down the "-" button for 3 seconds.
It has shake awake, a side removable battery, solar failsafe with auto brightness or manual brightness modes, 10 daylight and 2 nightvision settings, and is IP67 waterproof.
Read our full 507C ACSS review here.
4. Holosun 508T Green & Red Dot - Most Durable Open Emitter
Buy the 508T At The Best Price
Next on the list is the Holosun 508T. It's very similar to the 507C except it has a stronger housing made out of titanium and a square window that's a little bigger.
The 508T's square titanium housing is made to give it extra durability, both from the shape and the material.
It's available in Red or Green reticles and they come with Holosun's Multi Reticle System, which is a 32 MOA ring + 2 MOA dot, and can be toggled to show only the 32 MOA Ring or just the 2 MOA dot by holding down the "-" button for 3 seconds.
It has shake awake, a side removable battery, solar failsafe with auto brightness or manual brightness modes, 10 daylight and 2 nightvision settings, and is IP67 waterproof.
Read our full 508T review here.
5. Holosun 509 ACSS Vulcan Red - Best Specialty Closed Emitter
Buy the 509 ACSS Vulcan At The Best Price
Similar to the 509T is the 509 ACSS Vulcan. It is an enclosed emitter optic, but it has two major differences. It’s made out of aluminum and it has the ACSS Reticle (10MOA Chevron + 250 MOA Outer Ring)
This optic is a good option is you need an enclosed emitter and must have the ACSS Reticle.
6. Holosun 507 Comp Green & Red Dot - Largest Window Competition Reticle
Buy the 507 Comp At The Best Price
Next on the list is the Holosun 507 Comp. This is one of the newest and most sought after optics from Holosun. Comp stands for "Competition" because this optic features a VERY large window, meant for competition shooting. It's the largest window in the industry.
The 507 Comp has some key differences vs the other optics listed here. First it has the C.R.S. which is the Complete Reticle System. This gives it many reticle configurations like a 2 MOA Dot only or a 2 MOA dot + 8 or 20 or 32 MOA Circle or just a 8 or 20 or 32 MOA Circle.
The 507 Comp also does not have a solar panel on it which means there is also no auto brightness setting.
It has a 7075 aluminum housing, shake awake, a side removable battery, manual brightness modes, 10 daylight and 2 nightvision settings, and is IP67 waterproof.
This is a large optic.
Read our full 507 Comp review here.
Best Modified RMSc Footprint Holosun Optics for the Nighthawk Custom 1911 - Mostly Smaller Optics
These optics are smaller in size and will have smaller windows and less overhang on the slide, with the exception of the EPS Full Size.
Below are the best Modified RMSc/K Series Footprint optics you can put on your Nighthawk Custom 1911 with the IOS System. To mount these you will need the the Nighthawk Custom RMSc Shield IOS Plate - *IMPORTANT* This one you want Nighthawk to modify for you to fit a Holosun K Series footprint. Learn more about the K Series vs RMSc footprint here.
1. Holosun EPS Red or Green 6MOA, 2MOA, MRS - Largest Window with Lowest Deck Height - Best All Around Larger Closed Emitter.
This is Holosun’s latest closed emitter optic and is made out of aluminum. It has a lower deck height than the 509T and 509 ACSS Vulcan. It comes with an RMR adapter plate but you won't need it once you get the proper IOS plate from Nighthawk.
These EPS models come in red or green and either a 2MOA, 6MOA, or MRS Reticle. The MRS Reticle has a solar failsafe and auto brightness mode, the others do not.
Read our full EPS Full Size review here.
2. Holosun 407K Green & Red Dot - Best Budget Option
Buy the 407K At The Best Price
This is the most affordable micro optic Holosun makes and is available in a 6 MOA green or red dot.
If you are looking for a single dot optic that is very affordable and great for plinking then this might be the one for you.
The 6 MOA dot is a really nice size. It's big enough to pick up rather easily, but still small enough to be precise with.
It has an aluminum housing, side removable battery, manual brightness controls, shake awake, is IP67 waterproof, and 50,000hrs of battery life.
Read our full 407K review here.
3. Holosun 507K Green & Red Dot - Best All Around Option
Buy the 507K At The Best Price
The next step up from the 407K is the 507K. This has all the same features like an aluminum housing, side removable battery, manual brightness controls, shake awake, IP67 waterproof, and long battery life but it also has Holosun's Multi Reticle System (MRS).
The MRS Reticle is a 32 MOA Ring with a 2 MOA dot. It's really cool when you look at it - it's similar to an EOtech's reticle if you've ever seen them.
The other cool thing is you can toggle the reticle holding down the "-" for 3 seconds. So if you wanted to, you could use just the 32 MOA Ring, the 2 MOA Dot only, or both the 32 MOA Ring + the 2 MOA Dot.
Read our full 507K review here.
4. Holosun 507K ACSS Vulcan Green & Red Dot - Best Speciality Option
Buy the 507K ACSS Vulcan At The Best Price
Next on the list is the 507K ACSS Vulcan. This 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 reticle 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 EPS Carry - Closed Emitter Option - Best Enclosed Emitter Option
Buy the EPS Carry At The Best Price
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. It also has the highest waterproof rating at IPX8.
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.
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.
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Conclusion
As you can see in true custom fashion, the Nighthawk Custom 1911 has a very flexible optic mounting system. Your choices are endless.
If you are looking for the ultimate in durability then we recommend the 508T (open emitter) or 509T (closed emitter).
If you want an EDC enclosed emitter then the EPS (larger window/size) or EPS Carry (smaller size/window) would also make excellent choices.
If you need the ultimate in precision and speed, then we recommend the 507C ACSS Vulcan.
We hope you found this guide helpful. If you have any further questions, please reach out to us on chat.
Thank you for reading.