fiber optic sight questions

[socalbeachbum]

as compared to tritium night sights, how well do the fiber optic sights perform, specifically in use at night indoors?

picture you have lit up a room with your flashlight, to identify what threats may be there. is the lighting sufficient to pick up the fiber optic sights?

no other light besides your trusty tactical light.

which is better, fiber optic or night sights, or white dot, white outline?????

 

[Jim Watson]

Depends on how you hold your flashlight.
A lot of grips don't put side scatter on the sight and nothing works real well.
The problem with night sights is that they do nothing for target identification.
I am coming around to a weapon mounted light

 

[socalbeachbum]

weapon mounted light, ya, sure, and does it throw enough light onto a fiber optic to make it glow?

I'm guessing there are plenty of variables here, weap[on light in a dark colored basement vs same in a family room with white ceiling and walls, etc.

overall, what's a good choice for night use, while illuminating and clearly identifying your target?

 

[railroader]

From my experience fiber optic sights work great in daylight. The fiber tube needs light directly on it to work. With a frame mounted light at night you will easily be able to see the silhouette of the front sight but it will look dark not glowing.

 

[Zerodefect]

The same as all other sights.

With your weapon light on, you'll see a plain black front sight, and a plain black rear. But the FO type race sights have the advantage of a thinner front sight. As long as it isn't too thin and gets "washed out" by the light.

The FO won't glow with a flash light. But neither will Tritium.

A plain black Warren Sevigny comp or carry sight is, IME, the best type of rear sight. You can interchange front sights any way you see fit. As long as you don't go wider then .125" on the front sight. I built a nighttime Glock 23 and a day time Glock 23. Dawson front sight on one, Dawson .110-.115 FO front on the other. Even after plenty of nighthouse training, that's my preferred setup. The daytime setup, works fine in a nighthouse as well.

Don't underestimate the need for point shooting practice, and practice without your contacts in, if applicable.

Surefire XC1 is another must have for me now.

 

[JTQ]

I don't have any first hand experience with fiber optic sights, but have been researching them recently. Here are a couple of articles I've found.

Jerry Jones http://www.personaldefenseworld.com...ber-optic-front-sight-everyday-carry-pistol-1

Frank Proctor http://www.recoilweb.com/a-few-thoughts-on-fiber-optic-sights-and-carrying-a-light-59795.html

Tom Givens on low light shooting https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/low-light-skills-for-the-armed-citizen/

 

[Chuck R.]

I've got a few sets of FO fronts:
Dawson Precison
S&W
Les Baer

All work great in daylight, do pick up some ambient light in "low-light", but when it's dark enough to use a light to ID a target aren't any better than a regular front sight. With most flashlight techniques; Harries, Rogers, Graham (or any other technique with the light held parallel with the slide), the sight won't pick up any light. But as others pointed out your sights will be silhouetted against the target.

My favorite sight picture is a plain black rear and "something" up front, either FO or Tritium. A good (actually great) compromise I've found are the Trijicon HDs. The front sight with large luminescent ring around the tritium is actually brighter than some of my FO front sights. The rear has two tritium vials without surrounds, so in daylight they're ignored, but they're there when needed.

Chuck

 

[swede4198]

I use tritium fiber optics on my pistols which light up bright in the daylight plus the tritium lights up in low/very low light conditions. It is the best in my opinion.

 

[socalbeachbum]

so I guess I have to ask, in a dark area, where you are using a decent light to identify everything, would there be any benefit to tritium night sights?

maybe night sights are only for firing at known targets?

The Trijicon HD's do look a nice setup.

 

[Chuck R.]

I'm slowly switching back to wanting night sights (Trijicon HDs) after switching to Fiber Optic fronts.

I've taken multiple low-light classes and shot a bunch of low/no light stages in matches. I actually have my own range out back where i can practice low/no-light when ever I like.

I think there's a narrow band of usefulness when I can ID a target, but not see my sights when nightsights do come in handy. Dusk, dawn, in buildings, lighted parking lots etc. when the ambient light just isn't enough to get a good sight picture, but I can still ID a target. When it's truly dark(er) and I've got to use a light to ID my target, then the nightsights are negated as there silhouetted in the light. I've never had nightsights "washout" due to muzzle flash, I can still see them.

If in doubt, take just your slide with you and check it out in some of your normal haunts such as lighted parking lots, garages etc. I wouldn't put nightsights as one of those make or break a carry gun things either. IF forced to make a budget choice between NS and a good light, I'd take the light.

The HDs are sort of a compromise as the front is actually brighter than my Dawson Precision FO fronts, and the rear doesn't have white outlines around the vials. They replicate my preferred FO front and plain black rear sight picture in daytime that I use for my match pistols.

Chuck

 

[9mmepiphany]

so I guess I have to ask, in a dark area, where you are using a decent light to identify everything, would there be any benefit to tritium night sights?

Night sights are very useful for locating your gun on a nightstand, when you first wake up and haven't yet turned on the lamp, or in a dark closet...really, it makes it easy finding your gun in the closet without having to turn on the light.

Night sights are mostly useful at twilight when there is enough light to identify your target but not quite enough to pickup your sight picture

 

[socalbeachbum]

and what about a red dot sight, I would guess it would be like having dark tint on your windows and it would make it harder to see a target at night?

plus you are staring at a bright red dot, probably makes it difficult to see your target, right?

 

[Chuck R.]

and what about a red dot sight, I would guess it would be like having dark tint on your windows and it would make it harder to see a target at night?

plus you are staring at a bright red dot, probably makes it difficult to see your target, right?

It would probably depend on the quality of the RDS, something like the Leupold DeltaPoint, that automatically adjusts for ambient light shouldn't be an issue. All of the quality RDS have an ability to adjust brightness, and also pretty clear glass.

Chuck

 

[CDW4ME]

Get both. TruGlo TFO are fiber optic night sights.
Green front, yellow rear makes a nice contrast.

 

[AZAndy]

My fiber optic sight (Novak) needs daylight to really work well. There isn't enough light at the local indoor range to bring it fully to life. I'm thinking about just putting lasers on everything I carry.

 

[Zerodefect]

As already mentioned. The chances that a tritium anything is going to really help, is limited at best.

Contrast rules, try a plain rear sight.

As for the RDS post, a decent RDS is obviously going to be far superior at night. But sometime it'll wash out for a bit when you turn your light on. So don't under estimate your iron sights and point shooting, still. I prefer plain black irons on a RDS'd pistol.

Keep in mind how insanely close all of this is going to go down. If you have distance, and darkness, retreating in silence is a valid option.

 

[TRX]

Fiber optic doesn't do its thing in poor light, but it will work in bright light forever.

Tritium isn't as bright as fiber optic in the daytime, but it will work in total darkness. Until the tritium decays and you just have ordinary sights again.

Given a choice, I'd run fiber optics for general-purpose shooting and tritiums for a defensive gun.

 

[george burns]

If you can't see your target, night sights and all other sights are worthless. You need a light either gun mounted or hand held. That is another subject entirely, weather you are in the hand held or gun mounted camp.
I have found that during the daylight hours, it makes no difference to me what kind of sight is on a handgun for defensive purposes.
Only a competition set of sights for competing in some kind of distance shooting make a difference.
But I always put a front night sight, on all of my guns. I don't want to search for the front sight at night, and that may happen if you use stock sights and can't tell your gun is not level. But no matter how visible the sight is, if you can't see the target, what good is it?
I have several different types, most recent is the Veridian, that comes out already illuminated when drawn from the holster, using the strobe cycle it really blinds the threat, making your job a lot easier if you have to use your gun.