Night sights worth it?

[XDn00b101]

I use a surefire flashlight, and I was wondering if night sights for your handgun is a good investment?

 

[10-Ring]

I find myself on both sides of the fence on this subject. Sometimes, I think they represent the 2nd coming and most, if not all of my guns have them. Then there are other times (like now) that the only reason I have them is to make it easier to find in the dark IMO, it's important to properly ID a target and if night sights are all I can see then I'm in trouble. I now employ a Surefire w/ my handguns and feel properly equipped.

 

[XDn00b101]

So basically like you said, even with night sights, with the absence of a flashlight, you still cannot properly identify a target in poor light conditions. hmmm... Thanks man!

 

[Soybomb]

In my house there are plenty of times parts of a room would be illuminated but my sights would not be. Will they be useful? Probably not. But at $60 every 10 years its a cheap gamble that they might for me. Ymmv.

 

[leadcounsel]

I have way too many handguns to put night sights on them all. It'd be a nice luxury, but at minimum $60+ each, just not that interested in spending it. I do have one set on a handgun I use as my primary bedside gun, but again the problem would be identifying the target so some light source is necessary anyway. I'm not about to shoot at a shadowy figure without at least identifying it (Unless it's shooting at me!).

 

[JR719]

My night sights have become very dim over the last 13 years. I replaced them with heine sights (regular). With my LE job, I've found when I do unholster at night, I have a flashlight with me. As long as the target is illuminated, you can find the front sight. If the target is not illuminated and cannot be identified, you should more than likely not be shooting. In that instance, firing would only be for cover fire, which would not be advisable due to not knowing where your rounds are going.
On the other hand, my father likes the night sights due to his eyesite diminishing with age, a lot easier to find that front sight in low light.

To sum up... personal preference. I really don't have a use for them. My co-workers could find me very easily when sitting on perimeter because of the glowing sights (at least the ones at the right angle, so could bad guys). If you want to spend the extra, and it makes you more comfortable, by all means get a set. We have many at our dept. that have the sights and would not have anything else.

 

[Ala Dan]

Currently, only one of my handguns is equipped with night sights~

Of course, its my Les Baer Thunder Ranch Special 1911~

 

[stevelyn]

Night sights worth it?

Go out and do some night/lowlight shooting and see for yourself if you think they may be worth it.

Having done and instructed nightime/lowlight shooting and flashlight drills, I highly recommend them.

Also having thumped dumpster diving brown bears in the arse with steel shot, I also recommend lighted forends on shotguns too.........but they can be a bit spendy and a subject for another thread.

 

[Chipperman]

For target shooting? NO

For a CCW gun? ABSO-Friggin-Lutely!!

Take the advice above and do some low light shooting. Even with a flashlight, there are times that you can ID a target, but cannot see the sights well.

Night sights will Not help you ID a target. They Will help you actually hit it.

 

[up_onus]

I have never used my night sites to actually FIRE on someone....
but, i can imagine that it sure as hell would make it easier to aim IF i had too.
So the question comes back to you....are you ever going to use the gun in low/no light situations?

 

[Seismic Sam]

Not to me..

50 GI's come with all the goodies including heine night sights, and while they're nice and DO allow you to line up the gun correctly in total darkness, they pale in comparison both figuratively and literally to Crimson Trace lasergrips. If I had a pile of money for either, 100% of it would go for a laser and 0% of it would go for tritium night sights.

 

[Brian D.]

After having spent a fair amount of $$ putting night sights both front and rear on several handguns, I now find that only putting the tritium up front is just as good for my use--and cheaper! Wish I'd figured that out a little sooner.

 

[MadMercS55]

I prefer stock sights on my SIGs, even though most already have night sights. Same with my Beretta's. Only weapon I prefer night sights over stock sights would be with Glocks. I feel a good flashlight is more beneficial than night sights, in most cases I've encountered. Just my opinion though.

 

[Correia]

Even with a good flashlight to illuminate your target, they sure do make it easier to find your frontsight. I'm a big proponent of nightsights. Personally I like the Ashley Express sights in the dark.

 

[warmrain]

So basically like you said, even with night sights, with the absence of a flashlight, you still cannot properly identify a target in poor light conditions. hmmm...

But the BG and your gun may not be in the same light... With any luck you've found darkness while he may still be under a streetlight, or... I've found them very usefull during dark room training scenarios... Will they be in real life? I hope I never have to find out. Do they hurt at all, I can't see how... So all my carry guns have them.

My night sights have become very dim over the last 13 years.

That's about their lifespan...

they pale in comparison both figuratively and literally to Crimson Trace lasergrips.

But laser grips are not available for all pistols. They have the same problem in that they do not ID the target. I am a fan of both CTC and tritium. You must practice with both. I found that you can transition to night sights with no real time but getting used to shooting with a laser takes some real practice.

 

[Zundfolge]

I would never have spent the money for night sights, but my current carry gun (Kahr MK9) came with them so I have them.

I don't know if they will aid in my night shooting, but they do make it much easier for me to find my gun in the dark ... so for that they're worth something

 

[WYO]

I was an early adopter of night sights, but I no longer consider them necessary on a carry gun. If your technique is correct, after a while you realize that they are merely a double check of your technique. I discovered this when I bought a gun for which night sights weren't a factory option. I never bothered to add them. With that said, I still buy them for carry guns if they are a factory option.

 

[jdmb03]

I like a plain rear sight and a front night sight.

 

[ozarkhillbilly]

Don't underestimate the value of using them to find your gun in the dark especially if it is your bedside gun.

 

[TheFrontRange]

My two most recent handguns were both purchased "used" and both came with night sights (CPO SiG P228 with SigLites and Springfield Armory "Loaded" 1911A1 with Novaks)...my first experience with night sights and I am enjoying them. Ditto the help they provide in finding the bedside piece in the dark. I do keep a lithium flashlight nearby, too, though.