Glow in the dark paint

[Just One Shot]

Here is an interesting product that I found. It's way less expensive than night sights. Has anyone used this product before? Do you like it?

http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0012808222400a.shtml

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Glow pigment is activated by brief exposure to light ...

Therein lies the problem. If you've been carrying your pistol concealed for a time, left it in a lock box, desk drawer, etc. where it will not be exposed to light, and then have to use it in the dark, it will be no better than normal paint.

 

[orchidhunter]

Just One Shot, I use Testors #1367 (orange) model car paint. Make sure the sight has no oil on it before you paint it. It makes it easy to pick up the front sight. orchidhunter

 

[Just One Shot]

orchidhunter,
Is that a phosphorescent paint?

 

[rcmodel]

Truly glow-in-the-dark paint has been outlawed by the NRC since all the girls that painted watch dials back in the 40's died of radiation poisoning from licking the paintbrushs to keep them pointy!

IMO: If it won't safely glow indefinitely without light exposure, (Tritium) then it is not suitable for night sights.

rcmodel

 

[Gord]

I'd be interested to see how this stuff or United Nuclear's glow paint (scroll down) performs for somebody...

United says that UV charges its paint up, so it seems to me that you could simply mount a blacklight above your nightstand (or wherever else you put your handgun) and simply leave it on at night...

 

[withdrawn34]

If you're set on a product like that (as a compromise to tritium sights), then might as well try something like this:

http://www.nitesiters.com/

People say it works pretty well for what it is, and it doesn't seem too expensive. I have no experience though, just throwing that out there. There's a youtube vid or two as well, but you do have to "charge" it up at night... which is sort of inconvenient, but for $10 I guess its an acceptable trade off.

 

[rcmodel]

All well & good, but what about CCW in a holster 24/7, or locked in a drawer to keep the kids at bey, or in the glove-box of your car, or??

rcmodel

 

[orchidhunter]

Just One Shot, It's not phosphorescent, but it does standout in low light. Even the best night sights, will not look like there is a light on it. orchidhunter

 

[uberberzerker]

I bought a small container of the stuff from Glow Inc., but the solvent base - not the water based. http://glowinc.com/detail.aspx?ID=41

It's pretty good on the sights - use a toothpick or needle to drop it in there after a good cleaning. It glows pretty well with a quick charge from a flashlight. I have not timed how long it stays lit, but if you keep a gun holstered away from light all day obviously you'd have to charge it with a quick blast from some light. I like it for range shooting because where I shoot they have some poor lighting over the shooter booth and a quick charge makes finding sights a bit easier. I have also used the paint for my 4 button bedside safe and all my flashlights - which get plenty of charge during the day so that at night they are still glowing and I can find them easily on the night stand. In addition, I have painted some light switches and garage door buttons with it so no fumbling for them in the dark - no windows in the garage.

The $10 bottle is a nail polish sized container. You barely use any of it for each application, so I gave it to a friend to do his pistol/rifle sights and will pass to another friend for his pistols as well. It's not the replacement for tritium sights, but it is a poor man's alternative, and it does work.

 

[Boba Fett]

Nightsiters seem like a good gimmick to sell some extra UV flashlights. And why would I want to "quickly charge it if necessary?"

I can see the situation unfolding like this:
*CRASH* Your front door window breaks and a couple of burglars enter your house in the middle of the night.

You suddenly find it necessary to charge your nitesiters. "Hey burglars," you yell downstairs, "give me a few moments to charge my nitesiters night sights! I can't find the darn UV flashlight in the drawer. Ah there it is. Just give me a few seconds to charge them up. OH DARN IT! One of the industrial adhesive dots has fallen off...where did it go??"

"It's on your forehead," one of the burglars says right before shooting you. *BLAM*

Hey, it's your life...do you really want to be cheap?

 

[elsullo]

Typewriter Correction Fluid

Don't laugh! It works great for a low-light setting. It will not GLOW in the dark, but it will catch whatever light there is. Correction Fluid is basically just cellulose fibers in solvent---every fiber is a mini-light-pipe. Just TRY it! If it does not work for you, it easily comes off with any solvent........................elsullo

 

[OcelotZ3]

This is going to a bit of an extreme, however it would be very simple to use a cheap wall transformer (spare from a broken electronic gizmo) and wire it up to a white led with a resistor to drop the excess voltage, and then snake the LED into wherever you store the gun (drawer, safe). Then the sights would always be "charged".

One could use a UV LED to charge, but then you might have to be careful of not damaging your eyesight...