Fiber optic sights...Any Opinions?
- Thread starter JellyJar
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cougar1717
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IMHO, there is no free lunch with sights. Fiber optic sights give you the ability to acquire the target faster than iron sights. The downside is that if you are looking for accuracy, irons work better. With an iron front sight, you can see how much is daylight between the front and rear sights. With fiber optic, the eye will naturally focus on putting the highlighter dot in the groove of the rear sight. It's more difficult (but not impossible) to focus on where that front sight is in relation to the rear for minute adjustments. There is a reason slowfire pistol shooters use a carbon lamp to smoke their front sight!
Animal Mother
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I've tried both traditional irons and fiber optic sights. For target shooting, I much prefer iron sights.
ForumSurfer
Member
Hi.
I agree with this:
That doesn't make it a "problem." It just means that it is an unfortunate side effect. I do pick up the front sight faster with FO, but for the long 50 yard+ pistol shots, it takes me longer to line up my shot. My eye tends to focus on that giant, glowing, colored dot and I need a second to center it up. I love FO sights and find them mildly annoying all at once. If I was never making 50+ yard shots or shooting competition, FO would be the way to go. If I was going for absolute precision with no focus on speed, you just can't beat black on black sights with a thin front post IMO. I have them on my 22 target pistol, but I would also love to have a thin blade to throw on there.
I like a fiber optic insert in the front sight blade of my competition guns...it helps me pickup the front sight faster as my eyesight declines with age.
A common misconception about a fiber optic front sight is from folks who use it as an aiming point, like they try to do with 3-dot sights. That isn't what they were originally designed to do. They were designed to catch to attention of your eye as the sights were coming up, you were still supposed to aligned the front blade in the rear notch.
For coarse sighting...read close...you can use the fiber optic as you would a red dot, but you'd still have to center it in the rear notch. If you are seeing your aligned sights correctly to begin with, you don't gain much, if any, speed doing this. The fastest proven combination is the Fiber optic in the front blade matched with a U-notch in a plain rear blade.
A common misconception about a fiber optic front sight is from folks who use it as an aiming point, like they try to do with 3-dot sights. That isn't what they were originally designed to do. They were designed to catch to attention of your eye as the sights were coming up, you were still supposed to aligned the front blade in the rear notch.
For coarse sighting...read close...you can use the fiber optic as you would a red dot, but you'd still have to center it in the rear notch. If you are seeing your aligned sights correctly to begin with, you don't gain much, if any, speed doing this. The fastest proven combination is the Fiber optic in the front blade matched with a U-notch in a plain rear blade.
swampshooter
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I tried them for IDPA and didn't like them. They're O.K. for a flash sight picture, but hamper accurate aiming.
I can't use this sight in IDPA, but it's what I installed on the XDm 3.8 9mm I carry every day.
I like it a lot. It's no harder to pack than the same gun with standard iron sights. When the gun comes up, the dot is right there.
The JPoint:
I like it a lot. It's no harder to pack than the same gun with standard iron sights. When the gun comes up, the dot is right there.
The JPoint:
royal barnes
Member
I have them on all my defensive carry guns along with wide slot, all black, rear sights. My 66 year old eyes love them. My target guns have plain black front blades.
I've never used FO sights, but I would like to try them. I have heard that they "glow" only in good light. Of course, in good light conditions is when a high vis sight is least needed. Can someone comment on this?
A second question is this: Most older gun do not have a dovetailed or pinned front sight. How are FO sights attached to such guns? For example I'd like to have a FO front sight on several older S&W J frame revolvers, but the original sights are milled. I can see nothing to do but file down the front sight and super glue the FO unit in place - and that sounds a little iffy.
A second question is this: Most older gun do not have a dovetailed or pinned front sight. How are FO sights attached to such guns? For example I'd like to have a FO front sight on several older S&W J frame revolvers, but the original sights are milled. I can see nothing to do but file down the front sight and super glue the FO unit in place - and that sounds a little iffy.
I did in post #7, under conditions of good lighting is when fiber optics are most useful. You're not supposed to aim with the dot, it is just to make picking up the front sight easier
That is exactly how they are installed, depending on your gun.
If you have a rib on top of the barrel, the rib can be dovetailed. I've actually seen a fiber optic tube drilled through a front sight blade. The fixed sighted J-frame are difficult because their blades are so short
FOs are standard issue on my IDPA & USPSA guns.
As far as loss of accuracy, I technically agree, but it's easily overstated. For formal target shooting, I'd use standard Patridge sights, but if your fundamentals are sound (e.g., you're really looking at the front sight), you can be plenty accurate with a FO. Below are 15 yard targets shot on the same day with the same ammo and with my FO'd and DAO 686 I use for IDPA and my stock 6" K-38 with Patridge sights.
BTW, if you like FOs and Patridge sights, you can have both by having a Weigand interchangeable sight base installed.
DAO 686 with FO front sight:
15 yards with my 686, unsupported, fiber optic front sight (the FO caused the flier
):
15 yards with my K-38, unsupported, Patridge front sight:
As far as loss of accuracy, I technically agree, but it's easily overstated. For formal target shooting, I'd use standard Patridge sights, but if your fundamentals are sound (e.g., you're really looking at the front sight), you can be plenty accurate with a FO. Below are 15 yard targets shot on the same day with the same ammo and with my FO'd and DAO 686 I use for IDPA and my stock 6" K-38 with Patridge sights.
BTW, if you like FOs and Patridge sights, you can have both by having a Weigand interchangeable sight base installed.
DAO 686 with FO front sight:
15 yards with my 686, unsupported, fiber optic front sight (the FO caused the flier
):
15 yards with my K-38, unsupported, Patridge front sight:
crafter32034
Member
With age, the old eyes are having more and more trouble picking out the front sight against most backgrounds. Fiber optic sights make a world of difference for me.
For defense guns look at TruGlo TFO's. Works well in light and dark conditions.
http://www.truglo.com/IW_Products.m4p.pvx?;item?ItemCode=5600-00-0131GT1?company=TGI
http://www.truglo.com/IW_Products.m4p.pvx?;item?ItemCode=5600-00-0131GT1?company=TGI
swampshooter
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I would be interested in a purchase of the sight that japle has on his revolver. Can someone identify it for me.
swampshooter said:
it is in his post just above the picture
Japle said:
wow6599
Member
I know this is a little off topic, but I am a big fan of gold bead front sights........picks up light like a fiber optic, but still in a front post - best of both worlds IMHO.
YMMV
YMMV
VA27
Member
For 'pure' target I prefer irons. For plinking, hunting or HD fiber optics rock!
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