Oldest useable night sights?

[Navy87Guy]

I’m just curious what kind of useable service life people have gotten out of their tritium night sights.

I have a set of Trijicon sights that are at least 16 years old — I’ve had them that long and I got the gun used. I also have a set of TruGlow that I installed about 15 years ago. Both sets are still visible - although certainly not as bright as new sights. Trijicon warranties their green tritium sights for 12 years...but I wonder how long they actually last.

I was just curious how many years people have gotten out of theirs. I consider both of these “serviceable”, although if either one were my primary home defense weapons is change them out.

 

[herrwalther]

According to the DOE, Tritium has a half-life of 12.3 years. Based on the minuscule amount that a sight can hold, I would not expect them to be bright any longer than 18-20 years.

 

[chicharrones]

I've only had two sets of Trijicon pistol sights. Both were too dim for me by 10 years of my ownership. I'm not sure how long those sights sat in warehouse inventory before I bought them.

The glow in the dark paint used by some makers seem to last decades, but of course needs to be charged with a flashlight before use.

 

[Jimfern]

I just replaced the factory Trijicon set on my LB TRS 1911 last year. I believe the pistol is 15 years old. I probably should have done it sooner because they were dim, but they still glowed even when I sent them in. BTW, it was super easy and relatively fast to get Trijicon to replace them.

 

[AK103K]

I think most makers warrant them for 12 years. Meprolight does anyway.

Ive found that by 9 years or so, they are usually noticeably less bright and I usually replace them around then.

By less bright I mean, you don't usually see any glow in daytime indoor light, and even in lower light, you're eyes really need to be adjusted to the lower light to even see them. Put them next to a fresh set, and you instantly see the difference.

Compared to unlit sights, or older NS's, you should be able to easily see them in a room in the daytime against a dark background (one of their advantages).

 

[Jim Watson]

As said, the half life of Tritium is about 12 years, so by then the sight will be half as bright as new, at best. Maybe less, depending on the nature and age effects of the phosphor that is actually doing the glowing under radiation from the Tritium.

Once upon a time, there were Radium sights.

There was once a line of electrically illuminated sights, with LEDs under the S&W red insert and in kind of a bustle to illuminate the white outline. A battery in the grips, a switch under the middle finger, and grooves cut in frame and barrel for the fine wires.

 

[gotboostvr]

There was once a line of electrically illuminated sights, with LEDs under the S&W red insert and in kind of a bustle to illuminate the white outline. A battery in the grips, a switch under the middle finger, and grooves cut in frame and barrel for the fine wires.

That's the first I've heard of that! Got anymore reading on it or pictures?

 

[Lineman65]

I have a set of tritium sights that are 18 years old now. They are indistinguishable from normal iron sights. Now that you’ve reminded me, I’ll have to get them changed out.

 

[RevolvingGarbage]

When the trijicons I put on my Colt Government were new, I could read text off a page by their light in a totally dark room. Now, just about ten years later they are certainly still visibly glowing in low light ( in other words, still functioning as night sights) but no longer produce enough light to read by. I guess I’ll have to get a lamp.

The steel of the sights have almost no finish left on any side, and have been dented pretty hard in a few places however the tritium vials have held up to that just fine.

 

[welldoya]

I’ve been looking at a Glock 43x with night sights and was wondering how long they would last. It’s only $30 more than with normal Glock sights but are they useless after they go dim or can you just use them like regular sights?

 

[AK103K]

They can still be used, they just wont glow. Easily replaced and only cost you a couple of bucks a year over time.

 

[BigBlue 94]

Para C7.45 LDA with factory tritium. Been dead about 5 years or so now, and I acquired it in 2004 from my grandpa. He had it only a year or three IIRC.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

I have MEPs installed on my BHP that are almost 30 years old and they're basically dead. A wee bit of glow in a totally dark room if your eyes are dark adapted. My feeling is that they retained some usefulness til around 22-25 years but I don't recall exactly. In all likelihood I'll never replace them as the ol' venerable BHP has mostly been relegated to occasional target use.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

18 years have now elapsed on my Mepros, on a Kimber Ultra CDP, and they glow faintly in pitch black, but are pretty much dead now.

 

[MCFLYFYTER]

I have never been able to create a scenario where I could both see the tritium glow and identify a target in which I couldn't also see non tritium sights. To me night sights are as effective on day 1 as day 1 million.

 

[AK103K]

I have never been able to create a scenario where I could both see the tritium glow and identify a target in which I couldn't also see non tritium sights. To me night sights are as effective on day 1 as day 1 million.

Have you ever used night sights on a regular basis and in all lighting conditions?

There are a lot of lighting conditions where its hard, if not impossible to get a sight picture, especially against a dark background. And thats when is still daytime and plenty of light to identify what it is you're looking at. Even in near dark, its still usually pretty easy to identify your target, and not see your sights at all. They give you that added contrast that you can often lose with changing lighting conditions.

For the few bucks a year they cost to have on the gun, they give you that added advantage you wouldn't otherwise have.

 

[MCFLYFYTER]

Have you ever used night sights on a regular basis and in all lighting conditions?

There are a lot of lighting conditions where its hard, if not impossible to get a sight picture, especially against a dark background. And thats when is still daytime and plenty of light to identify what it is you're looking at. Even in near dark, its still usually pretty easy to identify your target, and not see your sights at all. They give you that added contrast that you can often lose with changing lighting conditions.

For the few bucks a year they cost to have on the gun, they give you that added advantage you wouldn't otherwise have.

Can you describe one of these many conditions so I can attempt to replicate it? I have spend a good bit of time trying to setup ideal conditions for night sights, but have failed this far.

 

[AK103K]

With the lights low in the house, pick a dark object across the room and put your sights on it. Its even more noticeable it what you're sighting on is back lit and or its dark where you are and your sights have no light on them.

Move around from dark to light, light to dark, throughout your house, or out in the yard, etc, you'll find plenty of examples.

Just because you always see your sights when you shoot at the range where things are usually well lit, doesn't mean you always will when you need them elsewhere, in conditions you normally don't shoot in.

And regardless the type of sights you have on the gun, you had better be comfortable and competent shooting without using them at all should that need arise.