It sucks to get older...

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Shipwreck

Shipwreck

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Man, it sucks to get old... It really gets harder to use handgun sights as you get older.

I picked up a new Gen 4 Glock 17 about 2 weeks ago. And, I finally got my 2 dot Warren Sevigny sights in over the weekend. So, I brought the slide to the local gun shop today, and I had them put the sights on the G17 slide.

Now, I had a 4th Gen Glock 17 that I used for USPSA a few times about 6.5 years ago. And, I had these exact sights. And, they were awesome. I missed that gun. So, I tracked down a new 4th Gen Glock 17 (not easy to do, as they are making 5th gen models now), and got the exact same sights installed... Basically trying to recreate the same gun...

Gun shot well today, but I don't love these sights as much as I did 6.5 years ago.

The 2 dot sights are similar to the ones on the Dan Wesson 1911s. Instead of 3 dot sights - lining them up horizontally. You line up 2 dots, vertically. Back in early 2015, the sights were fast and accurate for me. I preferred them to anything else at the time... I LOVED them on a few Dan Wessons I have previously owned. But that was several years ago.

Fast forward to age 49. I have noticed for a while now that I have a bit of a hard time seeing the outside outline of the front sight. Not the dot - but the top and outer side edges of the front sight at the indoor range. So, even when I line up all the dots, I don't always have the front sight perfectly centered in the rear notch - causing me to shoot a little to the side (1 way or the other)...

Now, I find myself loving the Ameriglo sights with the orange circle around the front tritium now. I have them on two other Glocks. And, when I had a Beretta APX, I had those sights put on that gun as well. That orange front dot around the tritium doesn't solve the problem of seeing the outer edges of the front sight, but it does make the front sight stand out a bit more.

Now, I find myself wishing I had just bought another set of Ameriglo Bold sights, and had them installed. But, I paid $130 for these Warren sights, plus $15 for the install. And, the gun shot well. I just don't like the 2 dot sights as much, now that my eye sight is slightly worse...

I did compare the gun back to back with a Glock 19 with the Ameriglo Bold sights. I shot the G17 a tad better. Not much, but a tiny bit. But damn if I didn't have to work for it - straining my eyes.

I swore I would never get into red dot optics on handguns. I just don't care for them. But, I can see that this is in my future in another 10 years. Just a matter of time....
 
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Shipwreck said:
Man, it sucks to get old... It really gets harder to use handgun sights as you get older.
Click to expand...
It still beats the alternative!
But I can relate. I'm still blessed at the moment to have good vision and no glasses yet. But I have noticed fine print, dim light, and the tiny iron sights on my CZ52 are starting to get harder to use.
 
The alternative sux

I have worn glasses since I was 8 years old, but bifocals are debil's invention.
Luckily, Cowboy Action is 10" steel at 10 yards or less.
Any kind of precision work and it is scope or lazer time.
 
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Well, I wear glasses to see far away. I have since I was about 13. I used to be able to read with them as well.

Starting at age 40, I had text start to get blurry when wearing my regular glasses. Now, That is a pain in the butt, when I am just quickly reading something for a few seconds.

I do NOT need reading glasses, at least. But, I have to take my glasses off to read text/books. 9 years of that getting worse every year equals having more issues seeing those front sight edges....
 
I shoot primarily USPSA and Steel Challenge Matches. I've been shooting with a red dot for over 30 years with great luck. It takes a few rounds to get use to but once you get comfortable you will wonder why you didn't do it before.

Good luck and good shooting.
 
I have been near sighted since a kid and have worn contacts to correct it nearly 40 years. When, it came time for readers in my late 40's, my doctor suggested multifocal contacts. I have no problems with open sights. I can read the finest of print. About the only time, I need readers is in low light conditions.
 
Shipwreck said:
Well, I wear glasses to see far away. I have since I was about 13. I used to be able to read with them as well.

Starting at age 40, I had text start to get blurry when wearing my regular glasses. Now, That is a pain in the butt, when I am just quickly reading something for a few seconds.

I do NOT need reading glasses, at least. But, I have to take my glasses off to read text/books. 9 years of that getting worse every year equals having more issues seeing those front sight edges....
Click to expand...

It sounds like you DO need reading glasses or bifocals.
 
I paraphrase when I read this some time ago. "I am afraid of what my 25 year old brain will put my 70 year old body through".
I have my doctor prescribe glasses for long distance shooting and driving which and one for close up and reading. Can't wear bi-focal I get nauseated.
 
I went to a progressive (non-lined bifocal) pair of glasses to shoot. First plane is “computer distance”, so with my head upright it keeps the front and rear sight crisp. Tilt my head down a tiny bit and the target is in focus.

I went from 20/17 to glasses in a matter of a couple years. I had lasik 15 years ago, but it only lasted a couple of years before I was back to glasses :(.

Try to find a set of lenses that work for you, shooting is too much fun to get discouraged and stop.:thumbup:

Stay safe.
 
I found these on recommendation from someone here a while back.

https://sspeyewear.com/collections/top-focal-tactical

Safety/shooting glasses with the bifocal part at the top, in just the right place to shoot with (for a handgun).

If you shoot both eyes open, Ive found for it to work best, you need to get a set of plain lenses and a set of corrected, that way your strong eye sees the sights clear, and your weak eye sees the target clear.

I wear them as my daily safety/sunglasses, so I pretty much always have them on and its not like Id forget them when I go to the range.
 
I'm 71, had cataract surgery last January, don't wear glasses anymore. I now have 20-15 vision.

I have a Hellcat with a red dot and a Sig Sauer 320 V-TAC with a red dot.

2 of the most accurate guns I've ever shot.

Love the red dots.
 
I have had glasses since the sixth grade. Long long ago in a far away galaxy.
Recently had cataract surgery. WOW I’ve never been able to see so well before.
That’s giving me a much better site picture for shooting.
 
Well, I suffer from optical migraines that tighten my neck and shoulder muscles, to the point where my neck locks up. I see the chiropractor A LOT. I tried 8 pairs of glasses and even contacts, with no luck. All that works is wearing my old glasses, but with the lens tilted at a 45 degree angle.

So, no bifocals or anything else unfortunately. I cannot even get a new pair of normal glasses.
 
I resemble that remark. I find fiber optic sights work well for me, but haven't decided if I like the green better than the red.

BTW, "If they don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." -- Red Green
Jeff62 said:
I use 2.0 readers and struggle to define the front sight on pistol and rifle especially in low light which is anything short of noon sun. I have more dayglo front sights and red dots than I used to. They work. They’re ugly.
My wife says I’m still good looking so I got that going for me.
Click to expand...

Side by side S&W M629 HIVIZ Sights 210516 4.jpg
 
My former eye Dr. prescribed me glasses with correction for an astigmatism in my dominant eye, and .5 magnification because I'm "at that age where I'll need it sooner or later".
Can't see worth crap with them. She said I'll get used to them. Seemed like I'd be screwing up a perfectly good other eye, so I got a 2nd opinion.

My new eye Dr. gave me a contact for the one eye with astigmatism, which helps a lot. I have to wear it to shoot with a scope, but not handguns so far. Always thought my dad was just being lazy when he asked me to tie his fish hooks on. Now I gotta close one eye to do it.
 
Like Hugger said, it beats the alternative. I had my cataracts removed last December and now I shoot iron sights on both rifles and pistols with ordinary safety glasses. It sure beats those years I was using increasingly powerful reading glassed to get the front sight into focus.

Howland, I went to an eye doctor for my first pair of glasses and they were so bad that I would lose my balance when looking around while squatting to work on something. His fix was to wear them and get used to them. Baloney is what the new eye doctor I went to a few weeks later said and he demonstrated that in his office with a set of frames that he put my prescription in to try out. Sure enough I could see clearly with his "try" glasses and when I received my new glasses they worked from the get go. "Getting used to" is probably necessary with something like false teeth but not eyeglasses. Personally I don't think your second doctor was much better than the first.
 
I've got one eye corrected for cataract and waiting thru recovering from Covid and pnuemonia for the other.

Had lenses been an alternative in the days of Lasik they way they are now I would have jumped on them out of pocket to get the surgery done.
 
doubleh said:
Personally I don't think your second doctor was much better than the first
Click to expand...

The 2nd one did what I asked...get me something that would make my crosshairs not appear in triplicate. I don't wear the contact daily, since I can't even tell my right eye is screwed up until I either close my left eye or look through a scope.
 
Shipwreck said:
I have to take my glasses off to read text/books.
Click to expand...

I went through that phase. My Mother was still alive at the time and she told our ophthalmologist "Put some bifocals on him, taking his glasses off to read is driving me nuts."
It was a while, but eventually I had to go bifocal, actually progressive.

I have been shooting mono vision for a long time, right eye focused on sight, left eye at distance. But not in daily wear and I sure would not do it permanently with Lasik or implant.
 
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