If you have a Walther PDP or PDP Compact with an optics cut slide then this guide is going to tell you the best Holosun Red & Green dot sights you can put on your pistol and also how to mount them, so keep reading.
This guide applies to the following models:
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What optics footprint is the Walther PDP & PDP Compact?
The first thing you have to know is that from 2022 onward, Walther created the PDP 2.0 optics cut. Therefore depending on when you purchased your PDP you either have a PDP 1.0 or PDP 2.0 cut. Walther did this to accommodate more red dot optics.
You can easily identify which slide cut you have by referencing the picture below. You only need to know this so that you can order the correct optic plates.
Walther uses it's own proprietary mounting footprint on the slide then requires you to get an optic plate once you know the optic you want.
In this case, the optics we will be recommending have an RMR footprint. So you will want to get the RMR optic plate from Walther.
- If you do not already have your RMR plate submit the Walther Optic Plate Request Form on Walther's website and choose your correct optics cut then choose the option that says - TRIJICON RMR, SRO & HOLOSUN 407C,507C & 508T, Riton X3 PRD: (Q-Series 2828359/PDPG1 2844079/PDPG2 5136196)
- If you want to buy an aftermarket adapter plate and don't want to wait for Walther. We have Walther PDP and PDP Compact Adapter plates here.
*We also sell adapter plates for the Walther PDP and PDP Compact. These adapter plates will let you mount a Holosun 407K, 507K, EPS/EPS Carry, or a 509T on the 2.0 or 1.0 optics cut slide. Reach out to us on chat if you are interested in any of these adapter plates. You can see all our Walther PDP and PDP Compact Adapter plates here.
Why do we recommend Holosun Optics vs other options?
- They are affordable but not cheap.
- They are built sturdily with strong aluminum or titanium 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.
- They have a great track record.
When you compare them to other options like Leupold, Trijicon, or others you will find prices are much better and these have more features.
Top 9 Walther PDP & PDP Compact Holosun Optics
Below are the best Holosun Optics you can mount on your Walther PDP or PDP Compact as long as you get the RMR plate from Walther. Read above to learn more about that.
1. Holosun SCS-PDP Green Dot - For PDP 2.0 Cut Only
Buy the SCS PDP At The Best Price
One of our favorite optics for the Walther PDP & PDP Compact models is the SCS-PDP. This green dot optic was made specifically for the Walther PDP Full Size & Compact Models. What's great about it is that it has a slim profile and mounts directly to your slide, eliminating the need for any adapter plates. This lets you co-witness your iron sights through the optic very well.
The only thing worth noting is the features on the SCS-PDP are a little different than other Holosun optics. For example, it has an internal rechargeable battery, doesn't have shake awake, and has automatic brightness modes only. These are not bad things, they are just different.
The solar panels use natural or artificial light to charge the internal battery. The internal battery has a 20,000 hour power reserve, and the solar panel charges the battery faster than the optic consumes battery.
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.
The auto brightness setting is also nice. It looks downrange and adjusts brightness levels according to what you're viewing down range. This means if you're in a dark room, but looking out into a bright outside environment it will adjust to the bright outside environment and not the dark room your standing in.
If you tap the power button it will also increase the brightness if needed.
- Aluminum Housing
- Green MRS Reticle
- 32 MOA Circle + 2 MOA Dot, 32 MOA Circle, or 2 MOA Dot
- 20,000 Power Reserve
- Self-Adjusting Brightness Control
- IPX8 Certified Waterproof
- Parallax-free & Unlimited Eye Relief
- Mounts directly to the slide eliminating needs for adapter plates.
2. Holosun 407C Green & Red Dot
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.
3. Holosun 507C Green & Red Dot
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.
4. Holosun 507C ACSS Vulcan Green & Red Dot
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.
5. Holosun 508T Green & Red Dot
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.
6. Holosun 509T Green & Red Dot
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
To eliminate the need for the plate stacking .. we recommend getting this CHPWS 509T Adapter Plate or this Calculated Kinetics Dogtag 509T Adapter Plate.
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.
7. Holosun 509 ACSS Vulcan Red
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)
To eliminate the need for the plate stacking .. we recommend getting this CHPWS 509 ACSS Adapter Plate
- Enclosed Emitter
- Aluminum Housing
- Red ACSS Vulcan Reticle (learn more here)
- 10 MOA Chevron + 250 MOA Outer Ring
- Up to 50,000 Hours Battery Life (Setting 6 Dot Only)
- 12 Brightness Setting: 10 DL & 2 NV Compatible
- Side Battery Compartment
- Auto Brightness Mode or Manual Mode
- Solar Failsafe™
- Shake Awake™
- IP67 Waterproof
8. Holosun EPS Red or Green 6MOA, 2MOA, MRS
Last but in no way the least is the Holosun EPS. 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. It comes with an RMR adapter plate so it will mount directly on the Walther PDP and PDP Compact RMR Plate, but you will have two adapter plates. It will be the slide > PDP RMR plate > EPS RMR Plate > Optic.
To eliminate the need for the plate stacking .. we recommend getting this Calculated Kinetics Dogtag Walter PDP to K Series Adapter Plate.
The deck height will be the same as the 507C when using the adapter plate but it’s something worth noting.
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.
- Aluminum Housing
- Enclosed Emitter
- Red or Green Reticles
- 2 MOA, 6 MOA, or MRS Versions Available
- RMR Adapter Plate Included
- Modified RMSc Footprint
- Auto Brightness Mode or Manual Mode (MRS Versions Only)
- Solar Failsafe™ (MRS Versions Only)
- 10 Brightness Setting: 8 DL & 4 NV Compatible
- Side Mounted Battery
- Shake Awake
- IPX8 Waterproof
Read our full EPS Full Size review here.
9. 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.
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
The Walther PDP and PDP Compacts are fantastic firearms. You can't go wrong with any of the above optic recommendations
Each has it's own unique features and benefits and price point.
If you still have questions please reach out to us on chat.
Thanks for reading!
