Iron sights

Iron sights are aiming aids built into most firearms. Common to all designs is a front element near the muzzle opening, and a rear element at the rear of the barrel or above the weapon's action.

Two common classes of sights include open sights, which use a notch at the rear, and aperture sights, where the user looks through a ring or opening in a rear panel. Leaf sights are another type that feature graduated markings along a folding panel at the rear to assist with long-range targeting.

Other hardware on the weapon may reduce the effectiveness of iron sights by reducing the shooter's field of vision. For instance, the FAMAS in Battlefield 3 has a large rear panel that can completely conceal distant targets. By contrast, the thin frame of the PP-19 allows the shooter to easily track those same targets, and add-on sights sit well above the weapon, offering a better view.

Earlier games
From Battlefield 1942 through to Vietnam, many weapons used iron sights, with the notable exception of scout/sniper rifles.

In Battlefield 2 and 2142, only pistols and some shotguns used irons sights. Many of the other weapons were equipped with short-range sights or long-range scopes.

Battlefield 3
Along with the wide variety of sights and scopes, all weapons in Battlefield 3 can be used with iron sights. Using the iron sights gives the shortest aim down sight (ADS) time, with only hipfire offering faster response. Equipping a sight or scope increases the time needed to ADS.

The leaf sights featured on the M60E4 and standalone M320 are not accurately portrayed, although the markings can aid those who have studied the weapons' actual in-game ballistics.