[Ian11]

Do the issued handguns (or rifles) have nightsights on them? If not, why not? And can you put them on if you choose?

[Handy]

The military does not issue you a gun. You are issued any weapon out of the armory, so no customization.

Night sights are an extra expense the military did not choose to take on.

[Climber]

Handy, I dont know what military you are refering to, However in the US military, soldiers are issued weapons. As a SFC in Army Special Forces I can tell you that each soldier is issued an M4 and a SOF MOD Kit that contains such items as Mil Aimpoint Sight, Trijicon Acog Sight, Pac 14 Infered Pointer, Tacticle Rail Light, Foward Pistol Grip, etc, Many soldiers do "costomize" their weapons depending on the situation.

[tlhelmer]

None of the weapons I used had night sights, but that was before acog, and other optical options.

[Admiral Thrawn]

So Climber, are all infantry now issued the M4?

What about the M-16A2? I thought that was still the basic issue... :confused:

[461]

Special forces is a different animal than the rest of the service. your run of the mill serviceman has nothing fancy and certainly no nightsights. In my 18 years and having been in two services I can tell you it's a crying shame some of the crap I've used in defense of this country and my own life.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a Coast Guardsman and Prior Air force so infantry ain't my thing, but I'll tell you the news only likes to show the flashy stuff.

[Jeff White]

The M11 (Sig 9mm) is issued both with and without factory night sights. At least that's what the technical manual says. I've never seen one to verify it though.

I have no idea who gets the M11 with tritium night sights and who gets them without, My guess would be CID, NIS etc. get the ones with night sights and everyone else who rates an M11 gets them without.

At on time there was an issue night sight for the M16. The first ones had a vial of promethium in them and later ones had tritium. Neither is current now given the switch to night vision goggles and laser aiming lights.

Jeff

[Climber]

All Sf, Ranger, Airborne, Air Assault, and most Leg Infantry Units are issued the M4.

[Poodleshooter]

I'm not military, but the M16A1 manual for the US Army circa 1973 shows a "Promethium sight" that consists of a glow in the dark tritium style front post for use with the M16A1 as a low light system. So at least at one time, there was an interest in tritium style nightsights on military weapons, and they were presumably available on issue weapons.

[Handy]

I'm in the Navy. My squadron had a ton of M11s (all standard sights) and there was no assignment of specific serialed weapons to specific pilots/crew.

I am unsurprised to hear the SF does things differently. SF also makes frequent use of open purchase gear and modified weapons that would never come near normal units. Using SF as examples of how the military works is a little misleading. I was speaking broadly, as many people think the "this is my rifle" thing is somehow standard and permanent.

Excuse me, I have to get back to cleaning the Navy issued Stoner 63 I keep in my desk.

[Onslaught]

As a SFC in Army Special Forces I can tell you that each soldier is issued an M4 and a SOF MOD Kit that contains such items as Mil Aimpoint Sight, Trijicon Acog Sight, Pac 14 Infered Pointer, Tacticle Rail Light, Foward Pistol Grip, etc, Many soldiers do "costomize" their weapons depending on the situation.

Maybe I'm being too hard on the new guy, but all the "Special Forces" guys I've known were highly intelligent, and certainly knew how to spell the equipment they were issued.

SOPMOD - one word.

INFRARED

TACTICAL

Methinks we have another SEEL.

It has been my understanding that the military avoided "tritium night sights" because it could give away your position. I know they're tiny little dots to the naked eye, but just imagine what they look like through "nite vizzin" :D

[blades67]

I'll bet his CO is Cap'n Crunch, who takes orders from Col. Sanders.:rolleyes:

[461]

Don't leave out Colonel Mustard. I'm thinkin' he did it in the Library. :D

[Rally Vincent]

Quote: Handy. The military does not issue you a gun. You are issued any weapon out of the armory, so no customization.




Man those guys over on SOCNET would chew you up.;)

When I was in the Army I seen Guys from Mech units with their M16-A2's and M4's with Red dot sights.

And as far as I know.......Infantry IS issued a personal weapons, be it Mech, light, or AB.

I was an MP and we were issued personal FireArms.

So.............

[Glockster35]

In the Air Force currently only a few special units are issued weapons (Combat Controllers, Para-Rescue, Security Forces and other units who arm on a regular basis).

None of the regular issued weapons have night sights. As someone else stated there used to be tritium sights available for the M16 rifles, but they were treated as hazardous materials and I think that is why they never caught on. I highly doubt the government will use them again in the future. It's more of a headache than it's worth in my opinion.

[Destructo6]

Handy, my experience, as a Corpsman with the jarheads, was that we were issued the same weapon from the armory every time.

When I checked into the command, I went to the armory and was issued my weapon card. The card had the weapon's serial number and rack number. When you needed the weapon in your hands, you went to the armory, handed them your card and they handed you the weapon. When you returned with the weapon, they gave you the card back.

In no uncertain terms, we were told to guard the weapon card as though it were a weapon itself and that there would be dire consequences if one were to lose the card.

[cmsgt]

When I was in the army many decades ago in Europe, all of us GIs were issued our M14. I still remember my serial number, 466915; I looked it up once when I had the book of the M14; was not a Springfield. Even if we were not infantry, we had a weekly weapon ispection -- easiest way to get a pass on the rifle cleaning and a pass to town was to pay the armourer his take; and he would assure you and the commander that it'd be clean. I was surprised we had only an annual qualification.

Today in the AF, a few crew members carry the 9mm concealed, and we have a special ID for that, AF Form 523. We are issued the firearm until the mission is over, signed for by one of the crew members. Would rather have my Sig 239, .40, with meprolights.

[igor]

The Finnish Valmet AK variants M62 thru 95 all have tritiums. A part of our reserves will get an East German or Chinese variant when the whistle blows, though, and none on those.

The sidearm issued to some is an FN HP hammer-drop DA/SA version, definitely no night sights.

[benewton]

I'm in line with cmsgt.

We didn't have weapons cards, but in my decades ago service, I was always issued the same weapon, during basic and with my line unit.

If you think on it for a second, you'll see that this has to be the case now, too. How else can you zero the weapon?

'course then too, there was my NG time.

Weapons were stored in the armory, but the bolts, and their carriers, were stored in the police department vaults downtown. Now, weapons have serial numbers, but bolts....

Anyway, I was a medic, so I had to be there for the unit to fire, and, as most didn't like to shoot, the gun guys and I had a great time after the main body went back for the cold brew.

But I never fired one of the reassembled weapons before at least three others had fired: I know about a concept called headspace...

I suspect that the NG, even if it is as lax now as it was then while in garrison, takes the whole thing a bit more seriously when actually in the line of fire.

Never any night sights in my time, but I figured the A1, with a few 20 round mags, could do the shotgun gig if necessary.

[OEF_VET]

I carried the same M-4 in Kosovo and Afghanistan, not to mention numerous field training exercises (S/N W016312). The Army does issue night sights for M-4's, and goggles for personal wear. However, the original question was targeted toward handguns. The answer to that question is NO, the mainstream, conventional Army does not issue nightsights for its' M-9's. The only thing a soldier could probably get away with putting on his (or her) weapon is either a set of Crimson Trace grips, or mount a laser on the triggerguard. In eight years, I never saw anyone spend their own money to do so. It's probably been done, but I've never seen it.

[Mizzoutiger]

I think someone kinda mentioned this before.

Missions in which you are going to need a weapon with night sights will likely be in complete darkness ala "We Own the Night". Therefore, we would be wearing NV. Nightsights pictured through nightvision would look as if your gun is on fire. That's what the infrared pointer's for.

So I doubt there would really be a need for nightsights anyways.