Holosun 407K, 507K dont buy

[Mag56]

On my experience, Holosun optics have quality products for the price. I do agree with most of the comments in this forum about doing your homework before purchasing any product and if you have questions keep asking lol. A great place to ask for information and prices is Heart of Texas Armory. Honestly that is my place to go for any questions and purchases now. 

[Cuz]

I just got my 43x slide back from Battle Werx, it was milled for a 407k and I must say I am very happy with it.  The work was great, my stock sights provide a lower 1/4 co-witness which keeps them out of the way and not blocking the window.  The Holosun sits very nicely on the slide.

 

Battle Werx also did a G17 slide for my SRO and I am happy with that as well.  I will certainly use them again for any Glock milling I need.

 

Still waiting on my Sig P365 slide that I sent to Maple Leaf to be milled for another 407k red dot.

[STILLWILL]

On 8/13/2020 at 9:28 AM, Boomstick303 said:

Regardless what any items is labeled or called, proper research is required to make sure it works for you.  When I don't properly vet a product to make sure it works for what I need, which I have done a couple of times, I don't blast the product or those who designed the product.  I accept accountability for my error and fix the issue.  I understand passing on what I have found to others so they do not make the same mistake I made, but I don't tell people to not buy something for an error I made.

 

Well, there is definitely a problem and I appreciate the OP taking the time to alert/inform  other consumers who are doing that very research you are recommending they do.

 

For proof of the confusion, you don't have to look any further than this thread where one poster stated the 407 and the 507 had a particular footprint  -  apparently under the erroneous impression that the Cs and the Ks shared the same footprint.  

 

To use the K, apparently  some weapons using the RMSc footprint have to be modified -  others do not.    

 

Recently I was looking at plates, and all the plate manufacturer indicated in its sales information was that it worked with the 407 and the 507.     They failed to mention whether they were referring to the 407/507 c or k.   (I know it had to be the c, but others may not).

 

In any event, the K's are more limited in their compatibility (absent modification of the weapon and or plate) that it might appear at first.     

 

Hopefully people speaking of their experience will alert others so that they know of the need to do further research.  

 

The problem of compatibility of the RMSc footprint doesn't seem limited to any one product.    

 

I helped someone trying to find a solution for mounting a Romeo Zero to a Taurus using the TORO hardware, which ended up requiring ordering some different screws online.   TAURUS customer service was of no help and in fact it seemed like their CS rep had never seen their own product.   Furthermore, after I found a solution I told them I would send them the information on the hardware if they would like it - they apparently had no interest as they never responded.

 

[Boomstick303]

10 minutes ago, STILLWILL said:

Recently I was looking at plates, and all the plate manufacturer indicated in its sales information was that it worked with the 407 and the 507.

 

10 minutes ago, STILLWILL said:

TAURUS customer service was of no help and in fact it seemed like their CS rep had never seen their own product.

 

Sorry, but I do not understand how other manufacturers selling their products has anything to do with Holosun and they way they design or name their optics, as this is somehow Holosun's fault.  Or how Taurus's crappy customer service is somehow akin to someone buying the wrong product from Holosun.  

 

Holosun is not required to make their optic fit anyone's gun.  In fact Holosun did the shooting world a solid by making a good portion of their optics fit on the RMR footprint.  Something many other optic companies seem to care little about.  You think Holosun is confusing try figuring out what optics Sig guns are cut for.  Many of their own optics do not direct mount to their own hand guns.  

 

I do not mind people sharing the experiences and helping to prevent others from make the same mistake they made.  The first step is to acknowledge you made the mistake.  What I do have issue with is people calling for people's jobs and/or tell people to NOT buy a product because they made a mistake in vetting the product to make sure it suited their needs.  

 

I can agree that Holosun could have used a better naming convention for their product, but that does not absolve the end user from finding an optic with the correct footprint for their firearm.  

 

I do not see people crying about getting the wrong gun when they buy a Glock.  To the uninitiated the naming conventions for their products makes no sense, yet people seem to find the proper caliber they are looking for, and do not find the need to blow their product up on a forum on the internet.  

[GrumpyOne]

17 minutes ago, Boomstick303 said:

 

 

Sorry, but I do not understand how other manufacturers selling their products has anything to do with Holosun and they way they design or name their optics, as this is somehow Holosun's fault.  Or how Taurus's crappy customer service is somehow akin to someone buying the wrong product from Holosun.  

 

Holosun is not required to make their optic fit anyone's gun.  In fact Holosun did the shooting world a solid by making a good portion of their optics fit on the RMR footprint.  Something many other optic companies seem to care little about.  You think Holosun is confusing try figuring out what optics Sig guns are cut for.  Many of their own optics do not direct mount to their own hand guns.  

 

I do not mind people sharing the experiences and helping to prevent others from make the same mistake they made.  The first step is to acknowledge you made the mistake.  What I do have issue with is people calling for people's jobs and/or tell people to NOT buy a product because they made a mistake in vetting the product to make sure it suited their needs.  

 

I can agree that Holosun could have used a better naming convention for their product, but that does not absolve the end user from finding an optic with the correct footprint for their firearm.  

 

I do not see people crying about getting the wrong gun when they buy a Glock.  To the uninitiated the naming conventions for their products makes no sense, yet people seem to find the proper caliber they are looking for, and do not find the need to blow their product up on a forum on the internet.  

Well, I was very disappointed when I bought a G34 and it didn't shoot 34 caliber ammo, but I bought a 9mm conversion barrel and made it work. It wasn't Glock's fault.

[STILLWILL]

14 hours ago, Boomstick303 said:

 

 

Sorry, but I do not understand how other manufacturers selling their products has anything to do with Holosun and they way they design or name their optics, as this is somehow Holosun's fault.  Or how Taurus's crappy customer service is somehow akin to someone buying the wrong product from Holosun.  

 

Holosun is not required to make their optic fit anyone's gun.  In fact Holosun did the shooting world a solid by making a good portion of their optics fit on the RMR footprint.  Something many other optic companies seem to care little about.  You think Holosun is confusing try figuring out what optics Sig guns are cut for.  Many of their own optics do not direct mount to their own hand guns.  

 

I do not mind people sharing the experiences and helping to prevent others from make the same mistake they made.  The first step is to acknowledge you made the mistake.  What I do have issue with is people calling for people's jobs and/or tell people to NOT buy a product because they made a mistake in vetting the product to make sure it suited their needs.  

 

I can agree that Holosun could have used a better naming convention for their product, but that does not absolve the end user from finding an optic with the correct footprint for their firearm.  

 

I do not see people crying about getting the wrong gun when they buy a Glock.  To the uninitiated the naming conventions for their products makes no sense, yet people seem to find the proper caliber they are looking for, and do not find the need to blow their product up on a forum on the internet.  

 

My point was that with respect to the shield footprint, the problem of identifying which pistols and plates are compatible is not limited to Holosun.

 

My intent is not to disparage Holosun generally, my impression is that they make quality, innovative products at decent prices.    

 

But, I do perceive a problem with the degree to which information about the compatibility of the Ks is readily available to the consumer - or even information to the consumer that they need to be particularly careful with the "modified" footprint.    Your average consumer is not on notice that a deep dive into compatibility is needed.  

 

I just looked at Holosun's site and issues raised by the "modified" footprint is not even addressed under the FAQ.

 

I looked at a listing for the 407k at one of the most well known optics sites and the statement regarding the 407k was that it was compatible with most RMR milled slides.

 

The title of this thread may have been overbroad.    If you have, for example, a 365 then by all means - buy the 407k with confidence.    But others who think their pistol or plate is compatible need to be extra careful because the information can be particularly confusing  with the 407k and 507k modified footprint. 

 

 

[andyivan]

I've had great luck with all my Holosuns

[JackinSD]

6 hours ago, andyivan said:

I've had great luck with all my Holosuns

X2

[teros135]

6 hours ago, andyivan said:

I've had great luck with all my Holosuns

 

Mine, too

[sfinney]

Best sight for the money.

 

Of course mine was a 507C and used the full size RMR footprint.

When I researched the K a month or so ago, as I was curious on the lower price, It  jumped out to me in about 5 or 10 minutes from online reviews and specs it was designed as a small sight to fit the compact guns like a 43 or 365. You could of course put it on a full size gun if you have it milled, or maybe find the right adapter plates, but why?

 

If google and Youtube reviews cant answer your questions, forums like this are GREAT resources to ask questions about such products - rather than later post your disappointments that a spec page didn't include enough data. 

 

 

[AKJD]

Thanks for  this very informative thread.  Soon will be ordering a 407K for my new 365xl.

 

I use 510c's on my PCC and shotguns and they have been great.

[Rasro]

On 8/13/2020 at 11:42 AM, Boomstick303 said:

I agree with your premise that it would be nice if the industry standardized equipment. The key phrase being that would be nice. All red dot manufacturers tell you exactly what their foot print is for mounting their optic. If you don’t care to do the research it is not their fault if you purchase the incorrect optic for your required application. They should not be hammered on some forum about how people should not buy their equipment and people for that company should be fired because people can’t or don’t research on what they are buying.
 

 

 

This could not be further from the truth.  In fact, the opposite is true.

 

Nearly three years after your post, hardly any manufacturers tell you what footprint their optics comply with.  One must go to a NON-US website to find something that even remotely comes close to a comprehensive explanation (and listing) of the disparate footprints various optics use.

 

https://www.optics-trade.eu/blog/footprints-on-red-dot-sights/

 

On 12/25/2021 at 6:49 PM, 4eyedNshaky said:

I wrote Holosun and asked them directly if the Holosun 407k x2 would work with my S&W M&P Shield Plus 3.1".  A Daniel Sosa with Holosun wrote me back and said "yes".  I then purchased the optic.

 

When I read this post I immediately cancelled my order.  I am not going to void my warranty over an optic.  

 

I do see that there is now  an Holosun 407/507k to Shield rmsc adapter plate, but that would add another $63.00 to the optic cost.  As much as I would like to have the 407k, I'm not doing it on principle.  They could have got it right, but they didn't.  As another poster said, they screwed the pooch on this one.

 

I'm really aggravated about this. 

 

Holosun making an optic with a footprint that is 100% unique is pretty stupid.  Were they thinking their 407K/507K "modified Shield RMS/SMS footprint" would somehow create a new standard everyone else would magically have to follow?  It would have been easy to make their K products Shield compliant.  Instead, they cause unnecessary pain for a lot of people who want to use their product.

 

Regardless, now that optics are commonplace, end-users should not have to Dremel or file their optic, gun, or gun manufacturer's adapter plate – or buy an additional aftermarket (and expensive) adapter plate adding overall height – to get a popular optic to fit a popular optics-ready pistol.  Saying Holosun screwed the pooch on this one is being way too kind.

 

Luckily enough time has gone by (about 18 months since your post) that several shops willing and able to mill a slide to fit a particular optic have emerged... so finding someone to mill a slide to fit Holosun's one-off 407K/507K footprint is pretty easy now.

 

Edited June 6, 2023 by Rasro

[Boomstick303]

Weird.  I have never bought an optic that did not fit my gun.  It goes something like this.

 

1.  Research Gun of interest and which Optics are on my short list of Optics to install on identified gun.  This includes:

     a.)  Is the gun Optic ready?

     b.)  If the gun is Optic ready what adapter plates for which optics are available for that gun?

     c.)  Does my application require direct mount to the slide, or is an adapter plate a viable option?

2.  Buy gun of interest, or for specific purpose if I KNOW I can install the optic of choice on the gun.

3.  Identify optic options for said gun.

4.  a.)  Does that optic fit gun?  Proceed to step 5.

     b.)  If Optic does not fit gun Skip Step 5 and Proceed to Step 6.

5.  Buy Optic

6.  Do NOT buy Optic and/or gun , or understand I have to mill slide to accommodate optic or buy an adapter plate accommodate the optic, which should have been done before buying the gun and optic.

 

It really is not hard at all.  

 

I guess some people face certain challenges in life. 

 

People can keep bitching about having to do some sort of ground work before you buy stuff.  As I mentioned somewhere in this thread, would it be nice if every gun and optic company worked together to create one universal footprint?  Of course, but its not the world we live in.  Figure it out.  

 

 

 

[45 Raven]

Never a problem with Holosun products.  That currently includes:

407K

507K

507K X2

508T X2

509T X2

 

All on Glock and CZ pistols, and all direct mounts after machining by Jagerwerks, Primary Machine, Maple Leaf Firearms, and CZ Custom.

 

Zero problems.  None.  That includes quite a bit of competitive shooting, as well as EDC, so none of them are safe queens.

[Boomstick303]

31 minutes ago, 45 Raven said:

Never a problem with Holosun products.  That currently includes:

407K

507K

507K X2

508T X2

509T X2

 

Weird.

[Joe4d]

Hard to buy an optic that fits when the MFG uses the exact same model number of an optic that fits but makes zero mention its a completely different sight, on its own webpage or in the vendor description. The ONLY thing they said that differenctioated it from the other 407 and 507's was a pistol specific reticle... All the literature said 507's would fit my plate and gun..   SO with 10 different digits they coulda used Holo sun decided to use the exact same 3, and just add a letter to a completely different sight..
I wish I could change title of thread to buyer beware the K is completely different... 
Glad u guys like ur holosuns,,, I'll duct tape a drinking straw to my slide before I would use one.

[stick]

28 minutes ago, Joe4d said:

 I'll duct tape a drinking straw to my slide before I would use one.

That I would like to see!

[GeezerGun]

For all who need info on Holosun MODEL NAMING INFO:

Knowledge Bomb: Holosun Naming Convention Posted by Andy Kim on Jan 5th 2022 Hey guys, Let’s talk about Holosun optics. While Holosun has an amazing array of Optics to fit a variety of budgets, and a plethora of different platforms, the vast numbers of their products forced Hoolsun to adopt a naming system that is more like serial numbers than a proper name. Because of this we get hit with questions all the time about what a certain model Holosun is and how is it different from other existing models. So let’s dive Into it.
Holosun has a naming convention that is made up of 3 parts. First a 2 letter code, Followed by a 3 digit code, which is then followed up by another code that can be either one or two letters.

Part 1: Letters Holosun has two types of Letter prefixes.
HS: Holosun (baseline models)
HE: Holosun Elite (flagship variants)

Part 2: Numbers
The 3 digit numerical code can be easy to decipher with just a little bit of practice

The First Digit: Either a 4_ _ or a 5_ _.
The 4 denotes that the optic has a single type of reticle (Ex: 2 MOA dot)
The 5 denotes an adjustable Multi reticle system t (Ex: 2MOA dot/65MOA Circle)

The Second Digit: Second digit is either a _0_ or a _1_

0 denotes standard accessories (Ex: Bolt-on Mount, Bikini Lens Covers) 1 denotes enhanced accessories (Ex: QD optic mount, or Flip-Down Lens Covers)
Third Digit: The third digit determines the type of optic body:
_ _ 0, _ _1, and _ _6 = 30mm Optic

_ _3, and _ _5 = 20mm Optic

_ _7, _ _8, and _ _9 = Pistol Optics

The Final Suffix of the naming system is a letter code:

B: Side mounted battery tray secured with two screws

C: Solar Failsafe (adds Auto Mode and Solar Power)

K: Sub-compact carry pistol optics

M: 7075 Aluminum Housing, Water Resistant to 30 meters for 30 minutes

O: Open Circle Reticle 

R: Rotary Switch for brightness selection

T: Titanium Housing

So based on that information we can breakdown the Nomenclature of this Holosun HE508T optic:

It’s a Holosun Elite(HE) Multi-reticle(5) with standard accessories(0) pistol Optic(8) made with a Titanium Housing(T)

Hope that helps, if you have any questions regarding the Holosun naming convention or any other type of question related to gear/kit/accessories feel free to hit us up via DM on social media or shoot us an email. Stay Safe and Stay Focused, -The Musa Team

[rtl]

Tag so I can find this - THANKS

[Cuz]

This is no longer an issue for me. I’ve moved on from the 507 Holosun series. I’ve migrated to SRO for competition and the Shield for EDC. I did keep the 510c on my PCC. 

I will add that it would have been nice if the Shield optics would have fit on the Sig and Glock slides I had milled for 407k optics. Now they are somewhat useless. 

Edited June 12, 2023 by Cuz

[mandiesel]

I have sent back way more trijicon products (MROs and SROs) than I have any holosun stuff..

 

On a side note. Both manufactures have a pretty unreasonable wait time for repair/replacement. 

[Rasro]

1 hour ago, Cuz said:

This is no longer an issue for me. I’ve moved on from the 507 Holosun series. I’ve migrated to SRO for competition and the Shield for EDC. I did keep the 510c on my PCC. 

I will add that it would have been nice if the Shield optics would have fit on the Sig and Glock slides I had milled for 407k optics. Now they are somewhat useless. 

 

Does Shield have green-dot sights? 

Because that's a deal-breaker with me.

[Cuz]

12 hours ago, Rasro said:

 

Does Shield have green-dot sights? 

Because that's a deal-breaker with me.

I don't think so, mine are both red. 

My problem with the 407k was the thick border around the optic, the Shield is probably less than half as thick.  I also couldn't get used to the fixed brightness.  Manually adjusting the dot brightness is fine on my competition guns, but on an EDC I want it to auto adjust.

 

I moved one of my 407K dots to my Sig P322 and it is great on that gun.  Quite a fun range toy for sure.