Iron sights
![Sight picture through iron sights of an H&K MP5 submachine gun. The annular shroud around the front post sight is aligned with the rear peep sight to ensure the weapon is properly trained.](/Images/godic/202501/21/Visierlinie4223.jpg")
![A sight picture with focus on the front sight; the out of focus gray dot represents the target](/Images/godic/202501/21/Fuzzy_sight_picture.svg4223.png")
![Aerial gunnery iron ring sight on a GAU-21 that allows for compensating for the roll-pitch-yaw of an aircraft.](/Images/godic/202501/21/US_Navy_040424-N-5319A-003_Aviation_Warfare_Systems_Operator_2nd_Class_Patrick_J.P._Neeley,_from_Plainfield,_Ind.,_fires_a_.50_cal_machine_gun_out_of_an_SH-60B_helicopter4223.jpg")
![A selection of open sights, and one aperture sight suitable for use with long eye relief: A) U-notch and post, B) Patridge, C) V-notch and post, D) Express, E) U-notch and bead, F) V-notch and bead, G) trapezoid, H) ghost ring. The gray dot represents the target](/Images/godic/202501/21/Open_sight_types.svg4223.png")
Iron sights are a system of shaped alignment markers (usually metal) used as a sighting device to assist in the aiming of a device such as a firearm, crossbow, or telescope, and exclude the use of optics as in telescopic sights or reflector (reflex) sights.