Are Night Sites Worth the $?

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anyone know how easy to take off night sights off existing glock to put on another model.

i have sights on my g31 that need to be moved to a g26. is it easy?
 
I am not saying, "shoot from the hip." Will you actually have the time to focus on the night sites or will you shoot more from feel and practice towards center of mass. I guess I am just trying to determine the true value of night sights with regards to cost.
 
I like them and plan to upgrade my defensive handguns to them over time. I do have somewhat bad luck with "infant mortality." A Novak and a Meprolight - both front sights - stopped glowing altogether just a few weeks after I got them.
 
I used to have my doubts about the usefulness of night sights but after putting a set on my Glock 19 I've been sold on them for a defense handgun.

There could be times when your target is in a darker area and you have little to no light illuminating your sights where they would be invaluable. They would also allow you to tactically retreat into some relative cover of darkness and still use aimed fire on an assailant that's in a more lighted area. They are certainly faster than aligning your sights in a lighted area to the side of the target and then bringing it to the darkened target.
 
After an Army night fire range I realized that hitting targets in the dark is very difficult. Plus I won't be shooting tracers inside the house.

After installing Trijicon sights on my AR, my hit ratio went up dramaticaly. Since then I've installed them on most of my pistols and ARs, one of my FALs, and my HK91. The only real pain was re-zeroing each one.
 
Night Sights are absolutely the single most important "improvement" you can safely make to any firearm that MIGHT have a self defense application. Two of my carry guns actually have a different hue front sight than the standard rear green dots. My Sig P226 Blackwater Edition has a red front dot and my Sig P245 has an orange front dot. This is to differentiate the front sight so that you don't mistake it for a rear dot and accidentally send a round in a really different direction! A contrasting front dot also draws your eye naturally making for an easier sight picture acquisition.
 
I won't carry a weapon without night sights. In the event that I need quick acquisition of the target even OVER the sights, they show up and it's just natural to line them up, even without concentrating on it. Something that is almost impossible to confirm without night sights in a low light situation.
Good luck!
SRT
 
Please don't take this the wrong way: nothing is a cureall, there's no magic wand, and anything can be an incremental benefit as long as it doesn't get in the way. I say those things only for the purpose of suggesting a way of thinking that doesn't seem to be common but might be interesting.

My own experience with night sights is that they come into their own only during brief periods of the day outdoors and under certain conditions indoors. Those times are when there's enough light to see the target but not quite enough to get good sight alignment and sight picture without work. Think twilight outdoors and dimly lit places indoors. Then the glow of night sights helps a lot for a situation that requires sighted shooting. In sunlight outdoors or in well illuminated places indoors night sights have little to no value for me. I also don't see any value to night sights in a hand-to-hand defensive situation no matter what the lighting conditions.

To summarize, if I know that I'll be attacked outdoors in sunshine, indoors in a well lighted room, or at a distance not much greater than three yards, I wouldn't spend the money on night sights. But if I know that I'll be attacked I wouldn't be there in the first place, so all other considerations--including night sights--would be a waste of time and money too.

All you get with night sights is a bit of an edge in certain limited situations. That edge is worth the money to me. It might not be worth it to you. You decide. Me, my desire to continue living is so strong that I'll explore and probably adopt anything that can give me an edge.

So I have night sights on every handgun I might carry. I also have detachable weaponlights when possible and I always carry a flashlight. The flashlight is habit, mainly, as is a pocket knife: it's what I've done since I was a young teenager and I feel naked without them.

For additional perspective, I have absolutely no intention of ever shooting anyone. I don't like hurting people and I absolutely do not want to end the life of someone else. I will do anything possible to avoid a deadly force situation. So my thinking is never about intention, always about preparation.

All the above is about me and my thoughts. None of it is a recommendation for anyone else.
 
I have them on my hunting sidearm. Very useful for those low light situations where you might take a deer and protection from predators that like to hunt in low light.
 
Definitely. If anything, they'll help you find the gun in the dark, as long as it's pointing away from you.
 
I've never been in a gun fight, much less in the dark (as I would guess is the case with most folks here). For my part, I wouldn't know the definite answer to your question. And honestly, I hope I never find out.

I would however suppose that they'd be a good idea. Better to have and not need than need and not have, eh? For $100 why chance it. There's no down side to having them.


-T.
 
A Novak and a Meprolight - both front sights - stopped glowing altogether just a few weeks after I got them.
Click to expand...
Check the date on the sides of the sights they have a 10-12yr warranty on them and they will replace them free off charge

As for the NS I have them on all except a 22lr pistol. The things about night site is that if you don't practice in low light then they are wothless. it is totaly diferent shoting with them in low light (full moon) shooting than it is shooting off the blade.

They are a good thing to have and I wouldn't have a handgun for long before it has them on it. but I do have a place that I can shoot at night with them.

It is worth it to me to buy them already installed. This way you don't have to change them and resite then move them and try again.
 
I have tritium night sights on my carry .45 and I think they make a huge difference. I have a Sig 226 and a 1911 full size without them, and even at the range I have to take more time to aim.
 
Are Night Sites Worth the $?
In a true home defense scenario, will you truly have the time to take aim?
Click to expand...

No, and a even BIGGER NO

Remember if your ever in a bad situation, you're not going to have the time to aim like you do at the range. Focusing on the front sight will be hard if not impossible when there is a threat closing in on you. It that situation I would rather look over the top of the barrel focusing on the threat (which is more natural) and have some conformation (like a laser dot) that I'm on target.

When I went with my XD-9sc for my primary carry firearm. I purposely skipped the night sights and went with the Crimson Trace Grips with the above in mind.
 
I've heard people say "if it's too dark to see the sights, how do you know what you're shooting at?" I think Massad Ayoob came up with this scenario:

You are in a dark room. In the lit hallway outside you hear someone yell, "death to all infidels!" You hear shooting. You see them in the hallway, but your gun is in the dark, as you are.
 
Are they worth it?

The military, and every Law enforcement agency, think so:)

A good flashlight is also worth it.
 
I like them allright, I have them on half of all my autos now.
Before i ever purchased any, the local dealer let me step into the bathroom with a bluegun training gun that had a set of Mepro Lights on it. I was amazed at the amount of light and how easily discernible the night sights were.
If they are worth, is really up to you.
 
I'd rather put my money into a laser. In fact, I have. It's lasers for me, with a white light only for a quick BG ID confirmation if needed.
 
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