Anybody put better sights on pocket pistols
- Thread starter Hunter2011
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I have a Rohrbaugh R9. I spent some time today just practicing drawing from the pocket of my business slacks. I didn't have any snags or hangups.
The sights are usable but I practice with my targets 10 to 21 feet away.
Ya I don't know at what distance a confrontation is going to take place but I don't try to turn a pocket pistol into something it's not. I don't try to tow a bass boat with a Toyota Yaris either.
IMO you have to make a decision on what types of situations you want to be prepared for and then choose your equipment accordingly.
If your pocket pistol isn't adequately equipped to do what you want it to do in all the eventualities that you want to be covered then I would say the decision isn't whether or not to get a pocket pistol with better sights - the real decision should be if your primary should even be a pocket pistol.
The sights are usable but I practice with my targets 10 to 21 feet away.
Ya I don't know at what distance a confrontation is going to take place but I don't try to turn a pocket pistol into something it's not. I don't try to tow a bass boat with a Toyota Yaris either.
IMO you have to make a decision on what types of situations you want to be prepared for and then choose your equipment accordingly.
If your pocket pistol isn't adequately equipped to do what you want it to do in all the eventualities that you want to be covered then I would say the decision isn't whether or not to get a pocket pistol with better sights - the real decision should be if your primary should even be a pocket pistol.
meanmrmustard
Member
The short sight radius, effectiveness of the cartridge out of a short barrel, and the shooters effectiveness in overcoming these two obstacles are going to dictate the gun and shooters ability to put rounds on target with a pocket pistol in a high stress situation.
If there's a situation where im out and have to draw a pocket pistol, I'm not shooting to get as close to a threat as I can, I'm fighting to get further away. I know my limitations with a mouse gun, and duking it out at 25 yards isn't on the list. Trying to get to the exit farthest away from the crazy is.
While I agree "better" sights can aid accuracy at longer distances, only one truly effective modification to the pocket pistol can cement it, even more so than sights; training, and tons of it.
Your last statement is flawed: The guns effective distance is that which its owner has trained and can be effective with it. Not the other way around. Guns aren't shooting themselves these days.
You don't get to choose the distance when it happens!
hariph creek
Member
NWCP, my Sig P290RS has REAL sights. Standard Sig-Light night sights, #8 front and back, to be specific. It is essentially the same size as the PM9/CM9. I pocket carry it, often.
I like real sights on any gun, especially XS Big Dots. But, for practical SD purposes? I'm in the point shoot camp.
I am looking for a P32. When/if I can ever find one. I'll be ok with the "sights" it has. I qualified enough times with a J-frame. COM isn't that hard.
When in doubt there's always lasers. Not my thing though.
ETA: Sub-compact nines are my minimum threshold. I prefer sights.
The P32 and it's brethren, are for those rare occasions, when minimal won't work. Being such a specialized piece. I want the smallest, lightest, thinnest, snag-free gun I can trust. I'll sacrifice sights, if necessary.
I like real sights on any gun, especially XS Big Dots. But, for practical SD purposes? I'm in the point shoot camp.
I am looking for a P32. When/if I can ever find one. I'll be ok with the "sights" it has. I qualified enough times with a J-frame. COM isn't that hard.
When in doubt there's always lasers. Not my thing though.
ETA: Sub-compact nines are my minimum threshold. I prefer sights.
The P32 and it's brethren, are for those rare occasions, when minimal won't work. Being such a specialized piece. I want the smallest, lightest, thinnest, snag-free gun I can trust. I'll sacrifice sights, if necessary.
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Whenever you become involved in a gun fight ,it's better to know you have usable sights you can actually see. Even Glock 26 & 27s have an accuracy level that benefits from good adjustable sights. I myself need an accuracy level of at least 50 ft. distance. More is always better and you may need to set your sights better if you have to change ammo brands or weights. We never can be sure where our pistol may hit .
My P238 with it's very good sights is very capable at 50 feet.
meanmrmustard
Member
But I do. I don't plan on standing still when getting return fire.
Planning on making yourself a static target?
SharpsDressedMan
member
Depends on how good my cover or position are. I think it stupid to expose one's self to fire if you have a good position or bullet resistant cover.
meanmrmustard
Member
You also don't get to decide how many rounds an assailant has, only how many YOU do.
Plan on holding that position with a pocket pistol?
There are no positives, but I believe that in most cases firing one shot at an assailant will usually change their mind about coming after you and unless you have them cornered they most likely bug out.
KCWebPlaza
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I put a Dawson Precision F/O front site on my Beretta Nano. This picture doesn't show just how bright the site is. This site makes a big improvement for me and makes it consistent with my other pistols.
meanmrmustard
Member
As do most people being shot at.
You say I don't get to pick my distances. I say I do: as far away as I can get. Hell, I may never have to even shoot.
I see your point, but what can agree that firing as an evasive procedure is probably best. If your sights are adequate, and you've trained with them, this is a very real possibility.
On topic: Night sights. Best mod to your sighting you can do. Those fancy blacked out Novaks don't do jack if you are in a low or no light environment.
If you think you can always determine the distance why do you even need a pistol?
meanmrmustard
Member
Because society dictates where I can feasibly carry a loaded AKM, or a concealed and loaded pocket pistol. It's the nature of the beast.
Are you in implying that the best carry weapon for close quarters is a rifle?
I don't recall having said that, nor that I could foresee the distance with which I may engage in a gunfight. I remember saying that I choose to fire from evasive positions (ones that change in distance) to get more distance between myself and an assailant.
So I'm unsure of what point you're making.
Mine is this: The best sights in the world are not proper alternatives to training, practice, and readying ones self with their carry arm for a defensive situation. I am, however, a proponent of night sights.
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A few posts back you said and I quote "You say I don't get to pick my distances. I say I do:". So I'm just asking why you even need a pistol if that's the case?
meanmrmustard
Member
Pretty positive I answered that question. But, ill do so again.
I cannot walk into my local movie theater with my AK strapped to my back. It also advertises to potential adversaries what I'm packing.
Let us use logic here. Are you fighting to get up close and personal to a bad guy, or trying to usher your loved ones to safety while returning fire? What are your sights doing for you at this point? They're not a learning curve for lack of training, control, proper trigger squeeze, and knowing your surroundings.
Icing on the cake? Maybe. But, my pocket guns have limits that I've trained to either overcome or adapt to. I can shoot on the run, put hits on target, and if the time comes, getting the hell away from the bad guy. All done with factory sights. The only time I feel a need to upgrade is to night sights.
What's MY point? Carrying a pocket gun limits users with the available cartridge in a true pocketable gun, barrel length, sight radius, and safeties. Better train with it and get the hell away from the guy carrying a bigger, badder gun ASAP. My distance is point blank to as far the hell away as possible. If I'm not hitting the other guy, its because outside my effective range...which is probably a good thing as I'm on my way to safety.
Edit to add: Pocket carrying a .45 is awesome, I'm just not able to do so. Too big a frame, even single stacks for me comfortably.
I agree. My Sunday gun is a Kahr P380. It's the same size and weight as a LCP, but has usable night sights and a good trigger.
It's very easy for me to hit a steel gong at fifty yards.
My daily carry is a Kahr P45, which is admittedly easier to shoot at fifty yards. But having good sights and trigger on a pocket pistol do let you extend the range.
I don't think that I could make fifty yard shots with my old Ruger LCP.
Handgun instructor Tom Givens has documented incidents of legal self defense use of lethal force scenarios, out to 30 plus yards, by his students.
You don't carry a pocket pistol at all because of its superior capabilities. Its not like its a better weapon up close because that is what it was designed for. It my BG380 more effective at arms length than my M&P9C? Nope. I would also argue that many of you don't have much trigger time at distance with some of these pistols either. When I get some 380 loaded up I'll do some shooting at 25 yards with my bg380 and I think it will surprise some of you. In my experience the LCP and BG380 are much more capable than people give them credit for.
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