Re-Thinking Handgun Sights

[bjxds]

I was/am a believer in night sighs/Highly visible sights, and I think the three dot system is great for precision shooting. I have found that with a highly visible front sight and dimmer rear sights it was easier for me to pick up and get on target with the front sight.

Then today when shooting with my wife I was trying to get her to shoot faster in a CQ environment 3-7 yards by focusing more on the front sight and not trying to get a perfect sight picture, so I blacked out the rears. I felt she was talking to long to align the sights at close distance. Then I was showing her how fast to run thru it, and the fiber optic rod popped out. There was no difference in my shooting, it was as good or bad as it usually is. When I gave the gun back to her she said WTF did you do to my gun?? She did not have a good day at the range up to this point. I said sorry but just use the now black front and keep shooting, NO Excuses, but I thought it was all down hill from here. Damn if she didn't. As a matter of fact she shot better than she did earlier. As the daylight faded, it did get harder to see the sights.
It could have been that she was getting warmed up, but I feel it actually made her focus more, and we just had a talk about how much a mental game shooting is.

I am now re re thinking my previous decision to go with a traditional equally bright 3 dot night sight system, although I do see merit in a situation where I may be in the dark but my target may be illuminated enough to determine if it is a threat.

I know for sure the cheap ass replaceable fiber optic rod sights WILL be REPLACED with something, just not sure what yet.

Opinions on this in general, and options for a subdued rear, and brighter front. I feel this is the best of both worlds, fast CQ target acquisition and the ability to place a precision shot at loner distance , if required.

[Magsz]

The competition world for the most part "lives and dies" by the front sight. Very few shooters are using any kind of aiming reference on their rear sights whether it be dots, dashes, fibers, or anything of the sort.

There ARE a few exceptions to this and they are exceptional in their talent but they can basically shoot anything, ie Mr Miculek.

The idea is as follows: The less you have to focus on, the easier it is for the eye to find what it wants to find, ie the front sight.

[Rosco Benson]

I know for sure the cheap ass replaceable fiber optic rod sights WILL be REPLACED with something, just not sure what yet.

Opinions on this in general, and options for a subdued rear, and brighter front. I feel this is the best of both worlds, fast CQ target acquisition and the ability to place a precision shot at loner distance , if required.

The attached link has some good info on installing fiber optic rods so they are less likely to come out.

http://modernserviceweapons.com/?p=8613#more-8613

I prefer a plain black rear sight (with an ample notch width) and something on my front sight...a white-ringed tritium vial, a gold bead, fiber-optic, paint, or just about anything to make it stand out. I've got one pistol with Chuck Roger's "white ball" front sight. It is highly visible.

Rosco

[LMT Shooter]

Have you looked at XS Big Dot dights, yet?

[watertower]

At one time I thought everything needed night sights, except my competition guns, which needed a fiber optic front. In the past couple years I've grown to really appreciate all black sights. All black sights are easier for me to line up for a more precise shot as there is less stuff in the line of sight. Plus they tend to be much less expensive than night sights or fiber optics, a big plus if you have several guns that need sights (I hate the cheap plastic sights that come on Glocks).

Last week I found a youtube video of Kyle Defoor discussing this very issue. Thought it was interesting that one of the big name trainers was endorsing all black.

[C4IGrant]

I was/am a believer in night sighs/Highly visible sights, and I think the three dot system is great for precision shooting. I have found that with a highly visible front sight and dimmer rear sights it was easier for me to pick up and get on target with the front sight.

Then today when shooting with my wife I was trying to get her to shoot faster in a CQ environment 3-7 yards by focusing more on the front sight and not trying to get a perfect sight picture, so I blacked out the rears. I felt she was talking to long to align the sights at close distance. Then I was showing her how fast to run thru it, and the fiber optic rod popped out. There was no difference in my shooting, it was as good or bad as it usually is. When I gave the gun back to her she said WTF did you do to my gun?? She did not have a good day at the range up to this point. I said sorry but just use the now black front and keep shooting, NO Excuses, but I thought it was all down hill from here. Damn if she didn't. As a matter of fact she shot better than she did earlier. As the daylight faded, it did get harder to see the sights.
It could have been that she was getting warmed up, but I feel it actually made her focus more, and we just had a talk about how much a mental game shooting is.

I am now re re thinking my previous decision to go with a traditional equally bright 3 dot night sight system, although I do see merit in a situation where I may be in the dark but my target may be illuminated enough to determine if it is a threat.

I know for sure the cheap ass replaceable fiber optic rod sights WILL be REPLACED with something, just not sure what yet.

Opinions on this in general, and options for a subdued rear, and brighter front. I feel this is the best of both worlds, fast CQ target acquisition and the ability to place a precision shot at loner distance , if required.

MAGZ basically covered it well. We just taught an advanced CCW class this weekend. We had students tape their rear sights in an effort to get them to focus on whats important (the front sight) and to shoot faster at 7yds. Then we left the tape on and shot NRA B8 @ 25yds. They all did MUCH better than they normally do with the covered rear sight. I would call this a clue.



C4

[Arctic1]

Anyone have a good technique for a non-permanent solution for blacking out the rear sights? I had a set of all black Heinie sights, but switched them out last week for a set of Battlehook tritium front/rear.
The point of the switch was to get a better reference for my front sight.

I don't mind the two dots on the rear sight, I would just like to try with the rear sight blacked out to see how it affects acquiring my sights.

[T2C]

My 2 cents.

I have been using three dot, bar dot and other sights on several pistols for over 25 years. I have used them in both bright lighting conditions and low light with and without a flashlight. I moved away from having night sights on pistols.

After years of trying different combinations, my current preference is for a flat black serrated surface on the rear sight. The front sight on a few of my pistols has a single Hi Viz dot. My favorite pistol for shooting in lighted and no light conditions with a flashlight has a flat black front sight with serrated surface.


Artic1,

Try burning a Styrofoam cup with a lighter and holding the pistol upside down with the sights over the burning cup.

Another technique I used years ago was to put a dab of wheel bearing grease on the end of a Q Tip and apply a flame to it while I waved it under my sights with the weapon held upside down.

[Arctic1]

Artic1,

Try burning a Styrofoam cup with a lighter and holding the pistol upside down with the sights over the burning cup.

Another technique I used years ago was to put a dab of wheel bearing grease on the end of a Q Tip and apply a flame to it while I waved it under my sights with the weapon held upside down.

Roger, I gather the purpose is to use the soot from the smoke to black out the rear sights?

[T2C]

Roger, I gather the purpose is to use the soot from the smoke to black out the rear sights?

That's the idea. We used carbide lamps to blacken sights years ago, but a Styrofoam cup or a dab of grease on a Q Tip will work in a pinch.

[bzdog]

IMO, you don't need to black out the rear sight in order to accent the front. I paint my fronts with high viz yellow and the rears with high viz orange. Turns out the yellow is brighter in relationship to the orange, which makes it pop and makes it easy to index.

-john

[Surf]

For anything other than bullseye I prefer a fiber optic or high visibility dot front sight with an all black serrated rear sight. For precision bullseye I like a narrow front black and black rear. I like a set up that draws a hard focus on the front sight rapidly and the fiber front with a blacked out rear accomplishes that much quicker for myself.

I have numerous Glocks with various combo's of sight types and manufacturer makes, but my most common combo right now is the overmolded HiViz front and an all black serrated Battlehook. While the Battlehook has a bit of a gimmicky name, it is my favorite rear sight. A bit like a bullseye rear sight, gives me everything I like in a standard rear, but if you ever need to do one handed / incapacitation malfunction manipulations, this sight is awesome.

[glocktogo]

At my age, a FO front sight "pops" better for quick acquisition. I used to like FO dots on the rear as well, but now prefer a plain black blade. For defensive work, I think there's a lot of merit in the newer Trijicon HD/Ameriglo front night sights paired with a three dot rear that's subdued like the HD rear is. The sight picture they offer in full daylight is nearly as good as FO, with the benefit of a good sight picture reference in low light.