I recently asked this question on another board I read and got some good insight, but I thought I'd see what thr has to say about it too. How critical do you think night sights are for a ccw? I'm looking at getting a CW9, but the pinned front sight bothers me so I'm trying to decide if I should spend the extra cash ($170) and go with the P9 instead.
Night Sights
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Guitargod1985
Member
It all depends on what you are comfortale with. Personally, I won't carry an autoloader unless it has night sights. My Sig P232, HK P2000SK, and my USP compact all have them. I'm currently in the market for a 1911 carry piece and night sights are a priority on whatever I get.
Chipperman
Member
I believe night sights are a must on a CCW gun.
Do some night and low light training and I'm sure you will agree. There are many light situations that allow good ID of the target, but difficulty seeing normal sights.
Do some night and low light training and I'm sure you will agree. There are many light situations that allow good ID of the target, but difficulty seeing normal sights.
DENALI
member
Hmm, day or night, don't leave home with out em..................
mljdeckard
Member
Absolute agreement. The majority of armed encounters occur in low-light conditions. There are those who say use a flashlight/laser, which is fine, except that in that case you are trusting your life to an electronic device. The batteries don't die on night sights. (Not for 12 years anyway.)
It is still critical to train in low-light conditions, if you use any, all, or none of these options.
When purchasing a new handgun, if I can't buy it with night sights, I add the cost of installing them to the total.
It is still critical to train in low-light conditions, if you use any, all, or none of these options.
When purchasing a new handgun, if I can't buy it with night sights, I add the cost of installing them to the total.
mainmech48
Member
IMO, the more quickly and positively one can pick-up and index the sights the better. Especially if it happens to be my own Personal Favorite Behind(s) that might depend on it. Tritium night sights are a personal 'must have' for me when choosing a handgun with which I might have to defend myself or my family. Anything that helps me identify the front sight and index it on-target faster and more easily is good, but tritium does that better under more conditions than anything else I've yet tried.
A personal favorite right now is the XS "24/7" system. Highly visible and very, very fast to use.
A personal favorite right now is the XS "24/7" system. Highly visible and very, very fast to use.
Night sights are a necessity IMO. I just got my USPc .40 and the first thing I'm getting for it is either Heinie Straight-8 night sights, or Novak 3-dot night sights. Like someone already said, I assume the price WITH night sights before I even buy the gun.
Yeah, let me go ahead and tape a big sign on my forehead that says, "My money is free as long as you attack me after dark."
Ske1etor
Member
Just got Meprolights installed on my Kimber... don't know how I did without them before...
You know.. I refuse to carry a gun without night sights. It's not that I 100% believe I need them but they are still sights so I did not loose anything there and they glow in the dark so I added another option to my arsenal that just might give me the edge I need. They can't hurt to have them.
A different view
This might be due to my older eyes, but ...if light is present but low, then due to their larger size and glow, fiber optics (e.g., hiviz) help me more than night sights. (And the optics help a lot in daylight too.) If it's really dark, then night sights do enable me to see my sights, but they don't help me acquire the target. For night vision, I'd rather laser sights. So, I'd recommend a combination of optics and laser if you can afford them. I have tried all of these by the way.
This might be due to my older eyes, but ...if light is present but low, then due to their larger size and glow, fiber optics (e.g., hiviz) help me more than night sights. (And the optics help a lot in daylight too.) If it's really dark, then night sights do enable me to see my sights, but they don't help me acquire the target. For night vision, I'd rather laser sights. So, I'd recommend a combination of optics and laser if you can afford them. I have tried all of these by the way.
possum
Member
welcome to thr,
any gun that i am gonna use for hd/sd/ccw has night sights, for 2 reasons one, i want them to be visable at low light as there is a higher likly hood that a defensive situation will take place at night and also i want sights that are bright and quick on target even during the day light. for defense i choose xs
24/7 big dot night sights there are no better for defense in my opinion than them and all my ccw/ guns will have if they don't right now.
any gun that i am gonna use for hd/sd/ccw has night sights, for 2 reasons one, i want them to be visable at low light as there is a higher likly hood that a defensive situation will take place at night and also i want sights that are bright and quick on target even during the day light. for defense i choose xs
24/7 big dot night sights there are no better for defense in my opinion than them and all my ccw/ guns will have if they don't right now.
KBintheSLC
Member
I have read in several reputable articles that the majority of defensive shootings occur in low light situations (something along the lines of 68% or more). This is why I put them on mine and my wifes CC guns. It was worth the extra $75 a piece.
Here is an unpopular view point ........but factual.
For CCW work ..........most attacks happen fast [ real fast ] and at close range .......many times close enough to reach out an touch the attacker.
In 99% of these situations, the person being attacked doesn't have time to align "sights" .......... no less ones that glow in the dark!
Point shooting is the most advantageous method to defend oneself in these situations .......... and it doesn't require you to align 3 small glowing dots.
In 1 1/2 seconds .........its all over ............... your response had better be able to match that time limit. Hopefully "Situational awareness" will give you a jump on the "response curve" .......... because VERY few people are good enough to rely on a "fast draw" to save their lives.
Moving to cover ........... is another tactic a CCW shooter must practice at........ trying never to become a stationary target for the attacker. Again, point shooting will give you an edge in being able to move to cover while engaging the attacker.
The [ unpopular ] point I am trying to make here ............ is that in real life - on the streets ......... the need of "night sights" in a self defense situation will be very limited, but not totally un-necessary. Don't be misguided that having them is the save-all in self-defense. Bringing your weapon to bare on your attacker as fast as possible and laying down some fast accurate fire, is best suited to point shooting techniques ..........and NOT trying to align 3 small glowing dots on your target. IMHO.
Just another point of view ........ flame suit on
JF.
For CCW work ..........most attacks happen fast [ real fast ] and at close range .......many times close enough to reach out an touch the attacker.
In 99% of these situations, the person being attacked doesn't have time to align "sights" .......... no less ones that glow in the dark!
Point shooting is the most advantageous method to defend oneself in these situations .......... and it doesn't require you to align 3 small glowing dots.
In 1 1/2 seconds .........its all over ............... your response had better be able to match that time limit. Hopefully "Situational awareness" will give you a jump on the "response curve" .......... because VERY few people are good enough to rely on a "fast draw" to save their lives.
Moving to cover ........... is another tactic a CCW shooter must practice at........ trying never to become a stationary target for the attacker. Again, point shooting will give you an edge in being able to move to cover while engaging the attacker.
The [ unpopular ] point I am trying to make here ............ is that in real life - on the streets ......... the need of "night sights" in a self defense situation will be very limited, but not totally un-necessary. Don't be misguided that having them is the save-all in self-defense. Bringing your weapon to bare on your attacker as fast as possible and laying down some fast accurate fire, is best suited to point shooting techniques ..........and NOT trying to align 3 small glowing dots on your target. IMHO.
Just another point of view ........ flame suit on
JF.
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Chipperman
Member
I will not argue the point that most defense situations are close range, and will involve more "point shooting" rather than careful aiming.
However, I cannot see any situations where having night sights is a Disadvantage.
Picture this: You are at home at night, watching the Boob-tube. You hear a crash, and your front door gets smashed in. You peek your head around the corner and down the hall. The hall light is off, but the light in the entry way is on. You can clearly see the goblin, but not your sights. The goblin has not seen you yet in the relative darkness. You have time to take an aimed shot, and the distance is 20-30 feet. Would you prefer to have night sights, or not?
However, I cannot see any situations where having night sights is a Disadvantage.
Picture this: You are at home at night, watching the Boob-tube. You hear a crash, and your front door gets smashed in. You peek your head around the corner and down the hall. The hall light is off, but the light in the entry way is on. You can clearly see the goblin, but not your sights. The goblin has not seen you yet in the relative darkness. You have time to take an aimed shot, and the distance is 20-30 feet. Would you prefer to have night sights, or not?
LOL Yeah... That was the point I was trying to make, be it sarcastically.
I agree Point shooting is better if the attacker is right up on you. However, if they are at any distance from you, aiming is still better. Jeanne Assam (the female security guard) in the New Life Church shot that attacker at a pretty good distance.
I have noticed my night sights still glow pretty good at home, even if we still have a few lamps on. I figure why not have every advantage/options possible in a life and death situation?
32winspl
Member
I had never thought much about "glow in the dark" sights until one night, at a USPSC practice shoot (at an indoor range), we did a multiple target shoot under seriously subdued lighting. I was shooting a standard black sighted 1911 with which I usually shot very well in full light cond's. The only way I was able to hit (and at that, VERY slowly) was to sight in on the white "no-shoot" targets, and rotate my rigid upper body to the cardboard colored targets. While I made all "good" hits, I was slower than Christmas! There was a guy there who never did very well against the rest of us... he absolutely cleaned up on us shooting his tritium-equipped Sig 220. I was standing 15 feet behind him and could clearly see his sights. I asked him if I could try his pistol, and he was happy to allow it. I reshot the course of fire, and while I was slower than I would normally be in full-light, I was several times faster than I'd been with my pistol, and had much better hits as well. Count me in on tritium sights, and so what if they have to be replaced after 10 or 12 years!
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