History Main / SightedGunsAreLowTech

Therefore, fictional guns don't bother with gun sights of any kind, since [[NoScope nobody really uses them anyways]]. A HandWave common in SF settings is that some sort of {{HUD}} allows the shooter to aim without actually lining up a bead. A variation of this is when modern weapons that normally ''do'' have iron sights excise those because of an attached optic of some variety, like a scope. While this can be TruthInTelevision (some dedicated sniper weapons only have a scope with no iron sights underneath), it's not ''nearly'' as common as media would have you believe; the vast majority of weapons keep their normal iron sights, even with scopes and the like attached - several of which are even designed to leave the sights clear while a scope is attached - [[CrazyPrepared just to be ready if something knocks that optic out of commission or gets in too close for a magnified sight]].

* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' zig-zags for mobile suit weapons. For the most part, mobile suits, especially in the original [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam Universal Century]] timeline, have targeting systems independent of their weapons, and the typical "real weapons vs ray guns" angle is played straight - kinetic weapons like machine guns and rocket launchers still have sights and scopes, while beam weapons are entirely dependent on the suit's own targeting systems. Even then there are exceptions to this rule, such as ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamThe08thMSTeam 08th MS Team]]'', where Sanders' 180mm cannon has no sights of its own, while the giant beam sniper rifle used by GM Snipers late in the series have equally-large scopes on top.

** And taken to extremes in ''Opposing Force'', an expansion for the first game. Some of the weapons are ''living creatures that spit plasma or acid''. It looks as if it would be tough enough just to point the thing at something and coax it into belching biological death directly in front of it. Never mind sticking any gun sights on their heads. On the other hand, Shephard ''is'' a highly-trained [[SemperFi Marine]] so he might be ''just that good'' at eyeballing.

** Focus on scopes over ironsights isn't limited to bullpups, either. Heckler & Koch put out special-forces versions of their [=HK13=] and HK23 machine guns, the [=GR6 and GR9=], which had no provisions for the improved G3-style sights the originals used but instead had a 4x scope permanently mounted. The PSG1 sniper rifle also eschews ironsights in favor of its scope, though the similar [=MSG90=] keeps G3-style irons alongside a scope rail. Most variations of the later G36 also use optics integrated into the carry handle, a red dot on top and a higher-magnification scope below for their own military and export versions with just the lower scope. That said, the G36 handle does have backup ironsights built in, the more famous [=G36C=] version uses a lower-profile handle with a rail and more prominent ironsights on top (which can also be attached to any of the other variations, and are on some export variants), and later versions of the full-size rifle have since come with new varieties of rails as well (one with the integrated scope and then a rail on top of that where the red dot used to be, and another that eschews the carry handle entirely in favor of a rail directly behind the charging handle).

-->-- ''A Fistful of Mammary Gland'' - A ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2307679/ FanFic]]

** The first game plays this straight for the most part. The energy and other heavy weapons all lack sights of any kind, which is especially odd in the case of the Type-7 Particle Weapon, which is the game's resident DisintegratorRay-as-SniperRifle and gets a sniper scope-like zoom despite no visible magnified optics. The weapons that ''do'' have sights also have the caveat that the aiming mode is just a generic zoom except for the weapons with actual magnified scopes (the ASP and ''Perseus Mandate''[='=]s VES), so the sights weren't designed to actually be lined up properly, such as the AT-14 pistol having a tall front sight with smaller rear ones, or the HV Penetrator having both the front post ''and'' rear wings positioned on the front of the weapon (which the [[DiegeticInterface ammunition counter]] jutting out of the gun just behind them would prevent you from lining up properly anyway). The [=LP4=] LightningGun from the ''Perseus Mandate'' expansion pack justifies it in that the arc curves towards the target, so not much precision is needed.[[note]]None of this has stopped some {{Game Mod|}}s from making a "proper" ironsight mode by simply shifting the models' positions when aiming to the center of the screen[[/note]]

** The first game plays this straight for the most part. The energy and other heavy weapons all lack sights of any kind, which is especially odd in the case of the Type-7 Particle Weapon, which is the game's resident DisintegratorRay-as-SniperRifle and gets a sniper scope-like zoom despite no visible magnified optics. The weapons that ''do'' have sights also have the caveat that the aiming mode is just a generic zoom except for the weapons with actual magnified scopes (the ASP and ''Perseus Mandate''[='=]s VES), so the sights weren't designed to actually be lined up properly, such as the AT-14 pistol having a tall front sight with smaller rear ones, or the HV Penetrator having both the front post ''and'' rear wings positioned on the front of the weapon (which the [[DiegeticInterface ammunition counter]] jutting out of the gun just behind them would prevent you from lining up properly anyway; also note that none of this has stopped some mods from making a "proper" ironsight mode by simply shifting the model's position when aiming to the center of the screen). The [=LP4=] LightningGun from the ''Perseus Mandate'' expansion pack justifies it in that the arc curves towards the target, so not much precision is needed.
** ''F.E.A.R. 2'' for the most part went away from this due to changing the zoom mode into a proper ironsights mode, but still has a few oddities.[[note]]Even beyond going completely crazy with the need to aim, so that even when you ''are'' aiming, if you try to move while doing so [[ATeamFiring your accuracy goes to hell]].[[/note]] One of the most bizarre ''aversions'', however, is the Seegert [=ACM46=] pistol, a [[AKA47 renamed USP]] with ''two'' sets of iron sights... one of which is set on a rail system that blocks the ones on the gun itself, and which no one to this day has figured out how to use properly (if you look, you'll see the aim mode doesn't even line up ''either'' set of sights with where the crosshair would center, instead shoving the model a little ways below and forcing you to aim a few inches below your target). Other oddities include the [=Ultra92=] shotgun only having a front sight, a small handful of other ballistic weapons not having proper ironsights because they have some variety of powered optic like the [=PK470=] assault rifle with its red dot scope[[note]]There were initially two versions of the weapon, one of which had ironsights instead of the scope, though the final game dumped that version.[[/note]] and the Hammerhead with its reflex sight, and heavy or energy weapons (except for the scoped Type-12 {{BFG}} and [=SR5=] missile launcher) still following this trope to the letter. The FL-3 laser weapon at least has a LaserSight alongside the actual laser, but that one has [[DepthPerplexion the added confusion of not actually aiming towards your crosshair past a certain distance]].

* Ditto all of the alien weapons in the ''Franchise/StargateVerse''. Though the earthlings suspect that they're [[JustifiedTrope weapons of terror rather than weapons of war]], and such is borne out in the hordes of ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy graduates that almost universally wield them; a demonstration in season 5 sees Rak'nor, "one of our most skilled marksmen", hitting a stationary target with two out of three blasts from the staff, while Carter, after the target is set swinging, cuts it in half with her "primitive" P90's full-auto, then shoots out the rope holding it up with one shot in semi-auto. The fact remains that some characters (such as Teal'c) are still superb shots with the things. This gets ridiculous to the extent that Goa'uld [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Death Gliders]] lack any sort of targeting systems, requiring their pilot/gunner to aim the staff cannons manually. Mostly, they just [[StandardHollywoodStrafingProcedure strafe their targets]], though.

* Ditto all of the alien weapons in the ''Franchise/StargateVerse''. Though the earthlings suspect that they're [[JustifiedTrope weapons of terror rather than weapons of war]], and such is borne out in the hordes of ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy graduates that almost universally wield them; a demonstration in season 5 sees Rak'nor, "one of our most skilled marksmen", hitting a stationary target with two out of three blasts from the staff, while Carter, after the target is set swinging, cuts it in half with her P90's full-auto, then shoots out the rope holding it up with one shot in semi-auto. The fact remains that some characters (such as Teal'c) are still superb shots with the things. This gets ridiculous to the extent that Goa'uld [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Death Gliders]] lack any sort of targeting systems, requiring their pilot/gunner to aim the staff cannons manually. Mostly, they just [[StandardHollywoodStrafingProcedure strafe their targets]], though.

* The [[CoolGuns/AssaultRifles IMI TAR-21]] was actually initially designed without ironsights, instead meant solely for use with the ITL MARS red dot sight. The production version does have regular ironsights, but it's still heavily designed to work with the MARS, such as having the battery for that sight within the body of the rifle, rather than the sight.

** Focus on scopes over ironsights isn't limited to bullpups, either. Heckler & Koch put out special-forces versions of their [=HK13=] and [[CoolGuns/MachineGuns HK23]] machine guns, the [=GR6 and GR9=], which had no provisions for the improved G3-style sights the originals used but instead had a 4x scope permanently mounted. The [[CoolGuns/SniperRifles PSG1]] sniper rifle also eschews ironsights in favor of its scope, though the similar [=MSG90=] keeps G3-style irons alongside a scope rail. Most variations of the later G36 also use optics integrated into the carry handle, a red dot on top and a higher-magnification scope below for their own military and export versions with just the lower scope. That said, the G36 handle does have backup ironsights built in, the more famous [=G36C=] version uses a lower-profile handle with a rail and more prominent ironsights on top (which can also be attached to any of the other variations, and are on some export variants), and later versions of the full-size rifle have since come with new varieties of rails as well (one with the integrated scope and then a rail on top of that where the red dot used to be, and another that eschews the carry handle entirely in favor of a rail directly behind the charging handle).
** The rise of Picatinny rails allowing for a gun's user to attach whatever accessories suit their likes or needs has lead to a variation on this trope, especially in civilian markets - several weapons, particularly those by Kel-Tec like the [[CoolGuns/{{Shotguns}} KSG]] and [[CoolGuns/{{Rifles}} RFB]], now do not come with integrated ironsights at all, instead having a rail along the top for the user to attach what ''they'' like or need.
** The [[CoolGuns/SubmachineGuns FN P90]] has interestingly played to both extremes. The original model featured an integrated reflex sight, with small backup ironsights on either side. After that came the P90 TR, which replaced the reflex sight with a sight rail.

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