Ask anyone who owns an AR (or might be in the market for one) why the platform is so appealing — beyond their world-dominating looks — and it almost universally comes down to the customizability of the platform.
It’s rare to find an AR owner that doesn’t want some kind of optic on their rifle — and with self-defense applications in particular, a red dot or holo sight is a great choice. With these close quarters optics you can keep both eyes open — allowing you to get on target and stay situationally aware without losing your peripheral vision.
These optics are also, however, failure points. That’s where offsets come in. This article is part of our ongoing Guide to Everything AR.