Alllen Bundy
Member
The stock Sig P365 rear X-Ray sight can disappear under certain daylight conditions, such as being in the shade, or under filtered sunlight under a tree, while you are looking out onto a brightly sunlight target. This is very apparent in my apartment when I dry fire with the afternoon sun shining in. Also, under dim lighting it can be difficult to see the normal sights, but still have too much ambient light to be able to see the luminous tritium inserts in the sights.
Granted, a person should train to raise a pistol into shooting position with the front and rear sights already aligned. But sh*t happens and people make mistakes, especially under stress. If under adverse lighting conditions you don't raise the pistol with the sights already aligned, you may waste critical time while trying to align the front and rear sights to acquire the target.
Because of this potential issue I installed a set of "Speed Sights" on my P365XL & P365. Speeds sights add white diamond shapes to the rear sight and the front sight is available with a larger and brighter fluorescent green, fluorescent orange, or fluorescent pink diamond shape. The sights are available with or without luminous tritium inserts. The front and rear sights do not cover up as much of the target as conventional rectangular sights do.
speedsights.com
I also wanted a "Center Hold" sight picture" instead of the "Combat Hold" sight picture that Sig uses. Speed Sights are supposed to be set up for a "Center Hold" sight picture where the peak of the front sight bisects the target. However, I found that the POI of the Speed Sights seemed to be a little low when aiming with a "Center Hold" sight picture, whether I was firing from a bench rest, two handed, or leaning against the shooting stall wall at the gun range. I bought a shorter front sight to compensate. I took about 3 weeks for the special order shorter sight to be delivered. It was priced the same as the standard height sight.
I'm not 100% sure if the normal Speed Sights for the P365 are actually set up for a "Center Hold" sight picture, or if it is my shooting technique that is the problem. But for now the shorter than standard front sight seems to provide the POI with the sight picture that I prefer. YMMV.
When I hold my P365XL at arm's length, the diamonds on the front and rear sights appear to be much closer to the same size than they appear in this photo. This was the best photo that I could take with my crappy camera.
The rear sight also has a set screw to help lock the sight in place.
I can see Speed Sights under adverse lighting conditions in which the Sig sights disappear. With the Speed Sights in a dark room I can see the luminous dots, but when I begin to open the door my eyes transition from the luminous dots to the fluorescent diamonds and I'm always able to see the sights during the lighting transition.
Speed Sights claim that you can acquire your target faster with their sights. I haven't used their sights long enough in good lighting conditions to verify their claim. However, Speed Sights allow me to acquire the target faster under unfavorable lighting conditions. Considering that many, or perhaps most, self defense situations will likely occur under unfavorable lighting conditions, the greater sight visibility is more than enough justification for me to use them. For my concealed carry application Speed Sights are a big improvement over the stock Sig sights.
But on the negative side, I do think that the rear sight is set back just a little bit too far, and both the front and rear sights sit a little bit higher than the stock Sig sights, making the Speed Sights slightly more susceptible to impact damage. The normal height front Speed Sight sits about 0.067" higher than the stock Sig sight. The shorter front sight that I special ordered sits about 0.054" higher than the stock Sig sight. The rear Speed Sight sits about 0.084" higher than the stock Sig sight. You would need to check your holster for clearance. Speed Sights fit into my holster without any modification needed.
To install the sights you will likely need to carefully sand the underside of the dovetails on the sights to obtain the correct amount of interference fit. You will need a sight pusher, and preferably a sight pusher that pushes on the dovetail instead of the side of the front sight. The dovetail on the rear sight is flush with the side of the sight so a sight pusher that pushes on the side of the rear sight is not a problem. Tapping the sights into place will very likely damage the tritium inserts, so use a sight pusher or have a gunsmith install the sights for you. FYI, the stock Sig sights were very tight and difficult to remove.
After installing, Speed Sights recommends adding a drop of medium strength blue Loctite to the dovetail joint and letting it wick inside. However, normal Loctite is NOT activated by the aluminum from which the sight is made or the nitrided stainless steel from which the slide is made. In order for Loctite to cure, not only does there need to be an absence of oxygen, but the Loctite also needs to be exposed to the correct metal ions so that the catalytic reaction will begin and cure the Loctite. Copper and Iron are two metals that will activate the Loctite.
There are some alloys of aluminum that contain trace amounts of copper. However, it's a crapshoot as to whether or not there is enough copper in the alloy to activate the Loctite.
Although stainless steel contains iron, the same chromium oxide in the stainless steel, that covers over the iron atoms on the surface of the stainless steel that prevents the iron from rusting, also prevents the iron atoms from coming in contact with the Loctite and prevents the Loctite from curing properly.
To prove this I used 99.9% pure isopropyl alcohol to thoroughly clean the underside of the aluminum dovetail on the sight and clean the side of the slide. I applied the commonly used medium strength blue Loctite #242 onto the underside of the dovetail on the sight and onto to the side of the slide and then placed the sight onto the side of the slide. 10.5 hours later I removed the sight from the slide without any resistance whatsoever and the Loctite was still liquid!!!
I rubbed a brass nut over the underside of the sight to smear the remaining uncured liquid Loctite onto the nut and then placed the nut onto the slide where the sight had been. Brass alloys contain a significant amount of copper. In less than 15 minutes the Loctite #242 had set up and I was able to lift up the slide by the brass nut! I removed the nut from the slide by force and removed any traces of the cured Loctite.
Normally, if you want Loctite to cure when used on stainless steel and aluminum, you need to first apply a special primer, such as Loctite 7649 Primer N or 7471 Primer T, and let it dry before applying the Loctite. Otherwise, even if the Loctite eventually cures, it will not cure to anywhere near it's normal holding strength. But Loctite has created several new formulations that will cure against aluminum and stainless steel without the need to apply a special primer. The medium strength blue primerless formulation is Loctite #243. The high strength red primerless version is Loctite #263. Most auto parts stores now carry both Loctite #243 and #263.
I added a drop of Loctite #243 to the slide and placed the sight on top of the Loctite. After 25 minutes I was able to lift up the slide by the sight. I had to use force to break the sight loose from the slide.
FYI, normal Loctite also has problems curing against a black oxide steel finish without using a special primer or using a no primer required Loctite formulation. Sometimes the black oxide may be scratched enough that it exposes enough of the iron in the steel underneath the oxide layer to activate the Loctite. But that is a crapshoot. With a black oxide finish, it's best to either use a primer or use a no primer required formulation of Loctite.
Note that while I was researching "Speed Sights", I found a number of people that complained that their Speed Sights drifted laterally in the slide while shooting. There are two likely causes for this. The first problem may be sanding off too much material from the underside of the dovetail on the sight resulting in a loose fit in the slide. The 2nd and most likely cause for the sight drifting is using regular medium strength blue Loctite formula #242 WITHOUT a primer. FYI, there are over a dozen different Loctite formulations for special applications, including high temperature versions.
Not using Loctite primer or a no primer required version of Loctite is one of the most common mistakes that people make when using Loctite threadlocker or Loctite sleeve and bearing retainer.
My main reason for not using a red dot sight is that it is too large for my methods of concealed carry. A secondary reason is that I don't trust the electronics or battery to be reliable enough. I'm also more likely to be involved in a self defense situation at close range where an RDS doesn't have much of an advantage. But I haven't ignored the very real possibility that I might need to fire at longer distances.
There are some people that love Speed Sights and others that call them a gimmick. But after weighing the various issues, Speed Sights are the better compromise for my concealed carry use. I like these Speed Sights enough that I also bought another pair for my P365. Cost was not a factor in my decision to use Speed Sights instead of an RDS. YMMV.
If I was to open carry I could easily carry with an RDS. But I don't want to deal with transitioning between the two different types of sights. So I've chosen one type and brand of sight and I use it on all of my pistols.
Has anyone else tried Speed Sights and have anything good or bad to say about them?
Granted, a person should train to raise a pistol into shooting position with the front and rear sights already aligned. But sh*t happens and people make mistakes, especially under stress. If under adverse lighting conditions you don't raise the pistol with the sights already aligned, you may waste critical time while trying to align the front and rear sights to acquire the target.
Because of this potential issue I installed a set of "Speed Sights" on my P365XL & P365. Speeds sights add white diamond shapes to the rear sight and the front sight is available with a larger and brighter fluorescent green, fluorescent orange, or fluorescent pink diamond shape. The sights are available with or without luminous tritium inserts. The front and rear sights do not cover up as much of the target as conventional rectangular sights do.
Speed Sights for Sig Sauer
Best Night Sights for Sig Sauer - High Visibility Sig Sauer Sights - High Visibility Weapon Sights for Sig Sauer handguns made and assembled in the USA
speedsights.com
I also wanted a "Center Hold" sight picture" instead of the "Combat Hold" sight picture that Sig uses. Speed Sights are supposed to be set up for a "Center Hold" sight picture where the peak of the front sight bisects the target. However, I found that the POI of the Speed Sights seemed to be a little low when aiming with a "Center Hold" sight picture, whether I was firing from a bench rest, two handed, or leaning against the shooting stall wall at the gun range. I bought a shorter front sight to compensate. I took about 3 weeks for the special order shorter sight to be delivered. It was priced the same as the standard height sight.
I'm not 100% sure if the normal Speed Sights for the P365 are actually set up for a "Center Hold" sight picture, or if it is my shooting technique that is the problem. But for now the shorter than standard front sight seems to provide the POI with the sight picture that I prefer. YMMV.
When I hold my P365XL at arm's length, the diamonds on the front and rear sights appear to be much closer to the same size than they appear in this photo. This was the best photo that I could take with my crappy camera.
The rear sight also has a set screw to help lock the sight in place.
I can see Speed Sights under adverse lighting conditions in which the Sig sights disappear. With the Speed Sights in a dark room I can see the luminous dots, but when I begin to open the door my eyes transition from the luminous dots to the fluorescent diamonds and I'm always able to see the sights during the lighting transition.
Speed Sights claim that you can acquire your target faster with their sights. I haven't used their sights long enough in good lighting conditions to verify their claim. However, Speed Sights allow me to acquire the target faster under unfavorable lighting conditions. Considering that many, or perhaps most, self defense situations will likely occur under unfavorable lighting conditions, the greater sight visibility is more than enough justification for me to use them. For my concealed carry application Speed Sights are a big improvement over the stock Sig sights.
But on the negative side, I do think that the rear sight is set back just a little bit too far, and both the front and rear sights sit a little bit higher than the stock Sig sights, making the Speed Sights slightly more susceptible to impact damage. The normal height front Speed Sight sits about 0.067" higher than the stock Sig sight. The shorter front sight that I special ordered sits about 0.054" higher than the stock Sig sight. The rear Speed Sight sits about 0.084" higher than the stock Sig sight. You would need to check your holster for clearance. Speed Sights fit into my holster without any modification needed.
To install the sights you will likely need to carefully sand the underside of the dovetails on the sights to obtain the correct amount of interference fit. You will need a sight pusher, and preferably a sight pusher that pushes on the dovetail instead of the side of the front sight. The dovetail on the rear sight is flush with the side of the sight so a sight pusher that pushes on the side of the rear sight is not a problem. Tapping the sights into place will very likely damage the tritium inserts, so use a sight pusher or have a gunsmith install the sights for you. FYI, the stock Sig sights were very tight and difficult to remove.
After installing, Speed Sights recommends adding a drop of medium strength blue Loctite to the dovetail joint and letting it wick inside. However, normal Loctite is NOT activated by the aluminum from which the sight is made or the nitrided stainless steel from which the slide is made. In order for Loctite to cure, not only does there need to be an absence of oxygen, but the Loctite also needs to be exposed to the correct metal ions so that the catalytic reaction will begin and cure the Loctite. Copper and Iron are two metals that will activate the Loctite.
There are some alloys of aluminum that contain trace amounts of copper. However, it's a crapshoot as to whether or not there is enough copper in the alloy to activate the Loctite.
Although stainless steel contains iron, the same chromium oxide in the stainless steel, that covers over the iron atoms on the surface of the stainless steel that prevents the iron from rusting, also prevents the iron atoms from coming in contact with the Loctite and prevents the Loctite from curing properly.
To prove this I used 99.9% pure isopropyl alcohol to thoroughly clean the underside of the aluminum dovetail on the sight and clean the side of the slide. I applied the commonly used medium strength blue Loctite #242 onto the underside of the dovetail on the sight and onto to the side of the slide and then placed the sight onto the side of the slide. 10.5 hours later I removed the sight from the slide without any resistance whatsoever and the Loctite was still liquid!!!
I rubbed a brass nut over the underside of the sight to smear the remaining uncured liquid Loctite onto the nut and then placed the nut onto the slide where the sight had been. Brass alloys contain a significant amount of copper. In less than 15 minutes the Loctite #242 had set up and I was able to lift up the slide by the brass nut! I removed the nut from the slide by force and removed any traces of the cured Loctite.
Normally, if you want Loctite to cure when used on stainless steel and aluminum, you need to first apply a special primer, such as Loctite 7649 Primer N or 7471 Primer T, and let it dry before applying the Loctite. Otherwise, even if the Loctite eventually cures, it will not cure to anywhere near it's normal holding strength. But Loctite has created several new formulations that will cure against aluminum and stainless steel without the need to apply a special primer. The medium strength blue primerless formulation is Loctite #243. The high strength red primerless version is Loctite #263. Most auto parts stores now carry both Loctite #243 and #263.
I added a drop of Loctite #243 to the slide and placed the sight on top of the Loctite. After 25 minutes I was able to lift up the slide by the sight. I had to use force to break the sight loose from the slide.
FYI, normal Loctite also has problems curing against a black oxide steel finish without using a special primer or using a no primer required Loctite formulation. Sometimes the black oxide may be scratched enough that it exposes enough of the iron in the steel underneath the oxide layer to activate the Loctite. But that is a crapshoot. With a black oxide finish, it's best to either use a primer or use a no primer required formulation of Loctite.
Note that while I was researching "Speed Sights", I found a number of people that complained that their Speed Sights drifted laterally in the slide while shooting. There are two likely causes for this. The first problem may be sanding off too much material from the underside of the dovetail on the sight resulting in a loose fit in the slide. The 2nd and most likely cause for the sight drifting is using regular medium strength blue Loctite formula #242 WITHOUT a primer. FYI, there are over a dozen different Loctite formulations for special applications, including high temperature versions.
Not using Loctite primer or a no primer required version of Loctite is one of the most common mistakes that people make when using Loctite threadlocker or Loctite sleeve and bearing retainer.
My main reason for not using a red dot sight is that it is too large for my methods of concealed carry. A secondary reason is that I don't trust the electronics or battery to be reliable enough. I'm also more likely to be involved in a self defense situation at close range where an RDS doesn't have much of an advantage. But I haven't ignored the very real possibility that I might need to fire at longer distances.
There are some people that love Speed Sights and others that call them a gimmick. But after weighing the various issues, Speed Sights are the better compromise for my concealed carry use. I like these Speed Sights enough that I also bought another pair for my P365. Cost was not a factor in my decision to use Speed Sights instead of an RDS. YMMV.
If I was to open carry I could easily carry with an RDS. But I don't want to deal with transitioning between the two different types of sights. So I've chosen one type and brand of sight and I use it on all of my pistols.
Has anyone else tried Speed Sights and have anything good or bad to say about them?
