Night Sites ?

[Keith]

I have a habbit of looking for the 3 dots to line up before pulling trigger instead of focussing on the front site for close qrtr shooting. I see were Meprolite makes a night site were the rear is orange and the front is green. I think this would help me train myself to start looking at the front site.

The green is usually brighter so that will also help. Does anyone have this type of sight? If yes how do you like it. I have these in all green and love them but they dont fix my above problem as all 3 dots look the exact same. Thanks for any help.

[Pawpaw]

I have them on a Sig P239 and I'm not impressed.

In normal light, there is no difference. All 3 show up as "sorta white" dots.

In low light, the orange rear dots barely show up. It takes longer to line them up than all of my other pistols with all green tubes.

Of the sights on my pistols, I like the Heinie "Straight Eight" sights the best. The front sight has a white ring around the tritium tube. The rear sight only has one tritium tube, without the white ring, directly under the sight notch. Both tubes are green.

In normal light, the white ring makes the front sight really stand out.

In low light you put one green dot on top of the other, creating what looks like a figure 8.

I hope this helps.

[gigag04]

On my TALO Night Commander, the front sight is a Trijicon green, and the back are standard black blade. I shoot this gun extremely well, as in holes touch at 12 yds well. I attribute it to the easy to find sight picture.

[MoJo]

None of my "real" carry guns have 3 dot sights. I have fiber optic front sights and plain black rear. I see no need for night sights because if it is so dark the [abbreviated profanity deleted] won't pick up some light then it's too dark to ID your target - - - use a light. I have night sights on a couple of my guns but they don't get used very often.

Ditch the rear dots and get a BRIGHT front sight and see if acquiring your sights doesn't become easier.

[gigag04]

I like night sights for orienting my grip in dark of night.

[TX0303]

I agree with Mojo, go with an all black rear or the Heini Straight-8s, which give a verticle alignment.
Seven yards and under you really don't need to use the rear sight at all to hit a human sized center-of-mass.

[RECIT]

I say if you are having trouble picking up the front sight the look at the XS big dot sights. They are super easy to pick up in low light setting and the front sight is a big white ring w/a tritium tube in the center and the rear is a very shallow "v" with a white line in the center. You just stack the BIG white dot on top of the line a squeeze.

[RPB]

Back when ALL "Night sights" were green

A company called PT night sights made colors green, orange, yellow

I put different combinations on each caliber so I could tell them apart in the dark, like .40 had orange rear, green front, 9mm have green rear yellow front etc

Those all went dim 20 something years ago,

I can't say any combo helped focus on front sight; personally I always hated lining up 3 dots as it takes SOOO long to do

I was never in total darkness except in a cave, and couldn't have seen a target in total darkness anyway; just the sights

All mine have a laser and AdvantageTactical Sights now, orange rear, yellow front; fastest sight reacquisition I have ever had in "most" any lighting situation

[paulhailes]

All mine have a laser and AdvantageTactical Sights now, orange rear, yellow front; fastest sight reacquisition I have ever had in "most" any lighting situation

What do you think of those sights compared to tradition sights? I think they look interesting but I cant decide if they are a gimmick or if they are actually practical to use.

[RPB]

All mine have a laser and AdvantageTactical Sights now, orange rear, yellow front; fastest sight reacquisition I have ever had in "most" any lighting situation

What do you think of those sights compared to tradition sights? I think they look interesting but I cant decide if they are a gimmick or if they are actually practical to use.

2 years ago I put a pair on my Glock 19, liked them. ordered a pair for my Glock 27, then last year for my Glock 26, and this year for an XD45 .... I now ONLY buy guns that advantagetactical makes sights for.

They aren't a gimmick :)

Massad Ayoob reviewed them and gave them a good review years ago in competition shooting
http://www.advantagetactical.com/reviews.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
My review is also on that page from years ago Ron in Texas ....
in part:

.I have my concealed carry license. I've been owning, collecting and shooting pistols for over 40 years.
My eyes have Myopia, Presbyopia and have Astigmatism. I was born with only 1 hand, ending at the wrist, and previously had trouble safely racking the slide to chamber a round. I ............

I like the tactical part ( no snag, but you can use rear sight on a belt/shoe/forearm/wrist if one hand is tied up with flashlight/doorknob whatever ... to clear a jam or whatever

I also like the second shot followup sight reaquisition speed

Note:
they are not "glow in the dark" sights, ... the company DOES make a device so you can wear on glasses/headband whatever to make it so you can see them in darkness but no one else will see your "glow" and give your position away in the dark. Personally, I don't have that extra device and don't see a need in the city; perhaps in a cave or middle of a lake at midnight, but ambient light at night with room lights off still gives me the triangle silhouette and I've never experienced it but if it's so dark I can't see the person I'd be shooting at, I'd turn on a light (putting a flashlight and laser on the XD45 next anyway, just to make it look awsome.) Also, since they aren't the radioactive glowing sights, they never burn out and need replacing like my old ones did, these are brightly colored plastic inserts like DAY-GLO colors


Seriously, a buddy brought over a Taurus 45, it felt better in my hand than the XD, .... Advantage tactical doesn't make sights for it ... I don't want it. He left it for a week hoping I'd change my mind but .... nope.


I have no affiliation with that company, and I have to pay the same price as anyone else for them,.... I just like them and prefer them to any others

I use bright orange rear; bright yellow front

YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary) I mean after using them for 3 years, I decided I wouldn't have any others ... you may or may not like them; they are good sights; not a gimmick; A retired LEO who owns about 80- 1911s said he wished they made them for his 1911s, lots of shooters in my family like them now :)

[paulhailes]

Thanks RPB

[gringop]

I have a habbit of looking for the 3 dots to line up before pulling trigger instead of focussing on the front site for close qrtr shooting. I see were Meprolite makes a night site were the rear is orange and the front is green. I think this would help me train myself to start looking at the front site.

The green is usually brighter so that will also help. Does anyone have this type of sight? If yes how do you like it. I have these in all green and love them but they dont fix my above problem as all 3 dots look the exact same. Thanks for any help.

My advice would be to stop looking at different color sights and start training in a different manner for close targets. Define what is an acceptable group at what distance. For instance, at 3 yards, shooting very quickly, I'm happy with keeping 2 shots in an 8" circle. I (and you) shouldn't need a hard front sight focus to get those hits.

At 7 yards, on the same 8" circle, I need to see the front sight in the notch to get good hits. It does not have to perfectly centered.

At 15 yards, on the same 8" circle, I need a hard front sight focus with the FS centered in the notch to make good hits. Your brain needs to understand how much sight refinement is needed. That comes from setting goals, practicing and finding out what is needed.

3 dot sights, BigDot sights, brass bead sights and fiber optic sights can all help in situations of low light or poor vision but are not really needed at distances from 3-5 yards. Over the years I have found them all to be distracting and a hindrance to precision shooting.

My 2 cents.

Gringop

[RPB]

If it's on target at 2 to 7 yards, I'm happy. I shoot at 9" paper plates mostly, with a red sticker in the middle (cheap)


Still, I like big easy to see geometric sights where I can make that triangle faster than I can line up 3 dots and check if the front dot is centered exactly between 2 others and at the correct height.

I like sights which assist in 1-handed drills of jam clearing etc
and most companies make such sights as "the ledge" and most Triijicon.Meprolight sights are "tactical" sights which allow you to rack the slide on belt/shoe/corner of building/dumpster/table edge, using only 1 hand etc.

Some "tactical" sights are square and boxy, so they might could snag on clothing when drawing or reholstering

Novak "snagless" sights were invented with a slope which prevents snagging while reholstering (but the tall part could possibly still snag while drawing)

The Advantage Tactical Sights are sloped, and contain several angled & sloped surfaces on front, back, and both sides to stop snagging while drawing or when reholstering, but have a small backside of the rear sight with which you can intentionally use to rack the slide. (Hard to explain, easy to understand when looking at a mounted set)