Iron Sights

The sights on a firearm are generally referred to as Iron sights. They are stock-standard on almost every gun, exceptions to this are special-applications rifles, such as sniper rifles. However, these almost always come with backup iron sights, incase the sniper rifle's scope becomes damaged or it is simply not practical to use one anymore.

Some sights, such as those on a pistol, are not adjustable, and are usually set for a distance of 25-50m. Most rifles have adjustable sights, to compensate for bullet drop at long range.

If iron sights are not to be used, a tactical sight such as the ACOG scope, or a reflex sight such as the Red dot sight, can be used.

A major factor determining the effectiveness of the sight is how easy it is to focus on the front sight and the enemy. This is why a lot of training is required to become deadly with iron sights.

Types of iron sight
There are many different types of iron sight, each with its own practical uses.



The picture above shows us the most common types of iron sight. Sights A, B, C and H (which is an aperture sight), are specifically the most common styles of sights. The grey dot represents the target, which should be kept in focus. Sights A and B are very common on pistols, and H is a very common style of sight on SMGs and Assault Rifles.

These sights give the user a horizontal and vertical reference in order to hit the target. Most sights are either Open Sights or Aperture Sights.

Special iron sights are required for weapons that do not fire bullets, such as grenade launchers. They allow for the user to easily compensate for the grenade's arch-shaped trajectory.

In Call of Duty
Iron sights are seen on every bullet firing gun in the game. They are vital for killing an enemy at long range, because hip firing would be way too inaccurate to even hit the target at long range.

Conversely, at very close range, aiming down the sights would be very impractical, because it would take too long and besides, hip firing would suffice.

In Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, there are two substitutes for iron sights: the ACOG scope and the Red dot sight. They are unlocked by killing a certain number of enemies. It takes 25 kills on assault rifles, LMGs, SMGs and shotguns to earn a Red dot sight, and 150 kills on assault rifles, LMGs and SMGs, or 100 kills on sniper rifles, to unlock the ACOG scope.

in Call of Duty: World at War, the only other sight is the Aperture sight, which is unlocked after getting 75 kills. However, there are only several guns which may have this attachment.