IMPORTANT: If you are mounting a Holosun 407K/507K to your M&P 5.7 you will need to get #6-32x1/2 screws get them here.
We are very happy Smith & Wesson came out with the M&P 5.7. The 5.7 caliber is super awesome, and we love seeing it in affordable pistols.
The other thing we are happy about is that S&W made these pistols optics ready. If you are wondering what the best optics are for the M&P 5.7 then keep reading.
Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7 Optics Footprint
The M&P 5.7 has a modified RMSc footprint. Which means it has two recoil lugs in the front and none in the rear. This means you can mount a Holosun 407K, 507K, or EPS carry on it.
No adapter plate is needed but you will need 6-32x1/2 screws which we sell here. If you purchase any of these optics from us we can include the screws for you at no extra charge, just contact us letting us know you have an M&P 5.7.
The Best Holosun Optics for the S&W M&P 5.7
The red & green dot optics we recommend for the S&W M&P 5.7 are the Holosun 407K, 507K, the EPS Carry or EPS if you want a little bigger of a window, and the SCS Carry.
We recommend these optics because we believe they are the best bang for your buck.
- 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.
1. Holosun 407K Red & Green Dot
The Holosun 407K is a great optic. It's the most affordable in this list and is jammed with features like shake awake, 7075 aluminum housing, removable side battery and a really nice 6 MOA dot reticle. This is a good size because it's big enough to pick up, but small enough to still be precise.
If your trying to be budget conscious, the 407K is a great choice.
Read our full 407K review here.
Buy the 407K At The Best Price
2. Holosun 507K Red & Green Dot
The next optic we recommend for the S&W M&P 5.7 is the Holosun 507K. This comes in red or green reticles and is almost identical to the 407K except is has Holosun's Multi-Reticle System (MRS) which is a 2 MOA dot with a 32 MOA ring. You can toggle the reticle to have just the dot, just the ring, or the ring and the dot by pressing the "-" button for 3 seconds.
The MRS reticle is nice because it gives you some options, and the 32 MOA ring makes picking the reticle up upon drawing a bit easier.
The 507K has all the same features as the 407K but it is a little bit more expensive due to the reticle.
Read our full 507K review here.
Buy the 507K At The Best Price
3. Holosun EPS Carry Red & Green Dot
The EPS Carry is one of the newest optics released by Holosun. It has an enclosed emitter, which means it has two panes of glass an a hood. This protects the laser beam ensuring nothing can come between the beam and the glass.
This is good for keeping debris, dust, water, lint, dirt, or any other objects out of the line of the laser. We would recommend this for someone who demands the most durability possible.
The EPS Carry can be purchased with three different reticles. Either the MRS, 6 MOA, or 2 MOA. The MRS version also has a solar panel on the top which acts as a solar failsafe and gives the optic auto brightness capabilities.
Read our full EPS Carry review here.
Buy the EPS Carry At The Best Price
4. Holosun EPS Full Size Red & Green Dot
Holosun also released the EPS .. which is a slightly larger version of the EPS Carry. It's an enclosed emitter optic and has all the same features and reticles as the EPS carry, except it's made for more full size pistols.
It will still mount directly onto the S&W M&P 5.7. There may be a little bit of overhang on the slide, but you will get a larger window to look through.
If you wanted something a little bigger we would recommend this optic.
It's available in the MRS, 6 MOA, and 2 MOA reticles, and the MRS version has the solar panels.
Read our full EPS Full Size review here.
Buy the EPS Full Size At The Best Price
5. 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.
6. 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.
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Conclusion
You can't go wrong with any of the red or green dot sights listed in this article. The 407K is great, the 507K is great, and so is the EPS Carry and the EPS. It really comes down to what suits your preferences and also your budget.
We hope you found the article helpful, and if you have any further questions please reach out to us. We are always happy to help!
