Are Night Sites Worth the $?

[TestPilot]

Some people will say if you can see the opponent you can see the sight, and if you can't see the sight you can't see the opponent anyway.

DO NOT listen to them. Real life lighting is dynamic, and there are situations where ambeint light is in such a condition that you can identify the opponent but you cannot clearly see the dark iron sights.

I always prefer night sights installed on my combat pistols for that reason. However, that's just to be more on the safe side. Non-night sight, just white dots with no glowing inserts may also work when the ambient light is too low for the dark color iron sights to show clear contrast.

 

[TG13]

i think that they would help.. i'm wanting to replace the sights on my XD45ACP with SureSight Tritium night sights..

or, i'm going with an inexpensive solution, tritium-encapsulated phosphorescent (Litroenergy) paint on my stock sights.. the Litroenergy paint isn't out yet, but as soon as it is, i'm going to get some to try it out.. it says that it will glow for 12 years, but if i get even a few years of usefulness and have to repaint them, it would be worth it..

this is the retail site that will sell it as soon as it's released..

http://www.glopaint.com/

 

[f4t9r]

I have found that I like the front sight only to be a night sight.

 

[ozarkhillbilly]

RyanM
If anything, they'll help you find the gun in the dark

I second this statement, they are great for bedside guns because they do help you find the gun in the dark.

 

[loop]

I gave up on night sights. I once took a Glock 20 with night sights hunting. I was very happy with the sights because they were so bright. I left camp for my stand about an hour before dawn. My eyes adjusted to the limited light very well. About halfway to the stand I saw a huge buck that was just standing broadside to me at about 10 yards.

I slowly drew the Glock and raised the gun to aim at the buck. When the sights came in line with the buck all I could see was three green dots. I realized it was too far before dawn to take the deer, but I also realized I lost the shot because I lost my night vision when I saw the sights.

The use I can see for night sights is locating your pistol in the dark.

My spare mag holder has a Surefire flashlight and I've become quite adept at the Harries technique.

I also shoot IDPA and USPSA as often as possible and at the kind of ranges you'll find in a house I really don't use my sights very often. It takes much too long to form a sight picture. I can probably get off three COM shots in the time it would take to get a sight picture.

Regardless of your choice, the most important ingredient is practice.

 

[Fish828]

hey TG13, that Litroenergy paint actually sounds like a pretty good idea and investment. any idea when it will be released or how much it will cost?

 

[The Tourist]

I own a two-tone SIG P-229 that came with tritium (sp?) sights. It belonged to an FFL salesman who never shot it. I think the firearm was +one years old when I bought it. That was seven years ago (?) and I only shoot it as a target pistol.

Supposedly, the sights are to last for ten years, and I will be there quite soon.

If the sights crap, the slide will be sent out to Terry for some of those large red/white Milletts. I have a bit of presbyopia and I can line up my sights better with that style.

I find the tritium sights too small to really regulate the muzzle. When I come in from a lighted area my eyes are blurring enough from adjustment to dark to make the entire slide murky.

I do not find them useful, and I would not pay to have them replaced. In this age, I think a small light or a laser would actually be more worthwhile.

 

[rcmodel]

but I also realized I lost the shot because I lost my night vision when I saw the sights.

That's pretty darn odd!
You must have something seriously wrong with your eyes.

I have several guns with Meprolite & Trijicon night sights, and also wear a Luminox watch with 14 Tritium vials in the face & hands.

I can assure you that none of them are anywhere near bright enough to ruin your night vision in total darkness, let alone in pre-morning twilight.

rcmodel

 

[possum]

will they give me an edge in a defensive sittuation? they might they might not, but if there is any chance that they might i want them on my handgun. and money dosen't even factor into what i add to my guns. the lives of my loved ones are priceless and i will send whatever money that i need.

 

[RyanM]

That's pretty darn odd!
You must have something seriously wrong with your eyes.

I think he didn't mean actual night vision, but... I dunno the name of the thing.

In very low light, a source of light can prevent you from seeing things very close to it. Like trying to see things at the very edge of a narrow flashlight beam. I dunno.

 

[Bridger]

Better to have and not need than need and not have. There is a reason every major law enforcement agency in this country uses them

 

[sm]

To me personally the new offerings of "night sights" are not worth it.

The old proven gold bead front sight most definitely is worth the money!

 

[Ed Ames]

Tritium rocks the real world. They are perfect for all those lighting conditions where you can see people, see the world, but standard black (or white dot) sights aren't clear. Those glowing dots are great.

Not so special if you only shoot in full daylight or in the controlled lighting conditions of an indoor range.

 

[ZombiesAhead]

I have night sights on my CZ-75 but not on my Glock. I like them...but when I had $100 and had to decide between night sights and a good light to ID my target, I prioritized a light over night sights.

 

[loop]

Don't know what you may want to call it, but I do know that when the target is considerably darker than the sights you can't see the target.

Personally, I decided I'd rather see the target than the sights. I'll settle for point and shoot...

Again, practice...

 

[lvcat2004]

OK, so WHICH night sights would folks here recommend. I have a Trijiconon my CZ75B, and they are not that bright IMHO.

 

[Waywatcher]

Are Night Sites Worth the $?

In a true home defense scenario, will you truly have the time to take aim?

Even if you don't conciously look for your sights, your subconcious will pick up three glowing green dots and it will be an aid in the dark. If you have a need to aim then they will be decidedly superior.

Its only $69 or so...

 

[Zach S]

I had Mepros installed on a 4" kimber, they're really bright. So bright that I found that they would wash out the target. The front dot didnt seem any brighter than the rears and that made it harder to focus on the front sight.

A while after having mepros installed I read a post here where a member said he prefers a night sight up front with a plain rear, so I tried it on a Colt 1991A1. Works great for me. The trijicon front sight is easy to find and stay focused on, and isnt so bright that it washes the target out. I currently have that setup on one of my 5" Kimbers, and my G19. I had the rear sight on the G19 spun around backwards to get rid of the white outline for good (I was coloring it with a sharpie).

For home defense, I use an AR15 that doesnt have night sights. It does have an EOTech and a 9 volt surefire though...

 

[Ed Ames]

OK, so WHICH night sights would folks here recommend.

My experience is limited to Meprolight on a CZ (because meprolight was the only outfit selling night sights for that particular gun). They work fine. I'm planning to get additional sets for other firearms. Can't say whether other brands are better but these were good quality (uniform finish on steel, decent looking vials, clear markings, etc) and the price is acceptable.

 

[buzz_knox]

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.

Have you practiced this with dry-fire around the house? You might find that even if you are in a dark room, the same light the frames the target will also frame your sights and allow for an adequate sight picture.

I've done a night excercise including a house clearance with a weapon without night sights. I've also done a house clearance with night sights. There really was no difference, as I needed light to identify the target anyway.

The real issue for me is that some night sights are set up in such a way that you can't tell which is the front sight. Some of the solutions to that (such as bars or different color for front and rear) are not optimum, as they wash out the front sight.

The best of both worlds is probably a tritium front sight and plain rear. You get a visual index with no chance for confusion.

Even if you don't conciously look for your sights, your subconcious will pick up three glowing green dots and it will be an aid in the dark. If you have a need to aim then they will be decidedly superior.

Getting those three dots in the right order is the trick. And some people won't see just three dots in the dark because of a medical condition whose name escapes me at the moment (I'm not the opthamologist in the family). They'll see more than three unless they concentrate on the sights and that slows them down.

 

[BAT1]

Night sites

I love mine, you can find it in the dark, which saves you valuable seconds. Wish they were bigger for daytime use, but they are worth it.

 

[Chipperman]

Better the have and not need....

My CCW guns have night sights. Do some low light shooting and "you will see the light."

 

[rcmodel]

I just put a new set of Meps on a SIG P6 last month.

I got the Green front & Orange rear this time.

The Orange rear dots are about 1/2 - 2/3 as bright as the Green front, so not only is the color different, but also the brightness.

I really like them better then all three green on my other guns.

rcmodel

 

[skinewmexico]

No, but fiber optic and a good flashlight are. Don't shoot something you can't see. Sure people can come up with end of the world scenarios, but the odds of them happening are about a billion to one.

 

[KenW.]

Worth it? Every penny of it.

You still need a good flashlight though for target identification. Don't want to shoot a family member that got up for a glass of water.