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tb-av
08-13-14, 10:48
I read a lot about various sights and honestly don't have a really good grasp on why you choose one or a certain combination over another.

I get the height of front sight deal making the firearm shoot high or low. But what else is important and why do you choose what you do/

For instance U shaped rear notch.. why

Front blade width and type , dot vs illuminated tube, etc.

considerations for old eyes.

I notice many seem to like a thin front sight. When I use a thin sight it seems like I spend too much time sorting out the left/right gap especially at distance... but maybe that's because the front sight shouldn't just be a blade like an old 1911.

So any wisdom on sights is greatly appreciated. If anyone wants to take a stab at a specific recommendation I have two scenarios you can consider.

Kimber 1911 with black target sights. rear adjustable.. I have thought that perhaps I should change that front sight to something more eye catching but don't know what.

VP9 - should I grab one of these, I would really like to get a set of sights that actually worked for me rather than me trying to work them.

I don't get the opportunity to see/use much in the way of custom sight setups.

nate89
08-13-14, 11:27
Sights seem to be something you need to find what you personally like. I do not like any marks, fibers, dots, etc. on my rear sights. I usually have black rear sights, and a front sight with either a tritium dot or a fiber. My Sig 226 came with a TFO front site and I have liked that as well. If you are having a hard time picking up the front site, I would try a fiber front, something from 10-8 perhaps.

Guns-up.50
08-13-14, 12:14
The U shaped rear helps the shooter determine if the front post is centered faster. I personally like the warren its not a complete U due to its flat bottom, also the sloped edges help the shooter focus at the top of the sight. I also prefer a blank rear, but a tritium dot will help in odd low light situations.

As far as the front goes the trijicon hd has been good for close fast shots, and I assume ageing eyes. Although I have got many hits on steel with it at distance (100y) it wouldn't be my first choice for long shots.
The .144 width makes it hard to find the center not to mention it covers the target at any real distance.
I am trying a warren front that has a white outline tritium dot but is only .125 wide. For me it seems to cover many bases, it quick, good in low light, and at distance it doesn't cover the target, making precision shots easier.

mizer67
08-13-14, 14:38
In general:

Fast shooting = you want more light between front sight and rear sight (wider rear sight or thinner front blade, or both) and something to catch your eye on the front sight like a F/O rod or High visibility dot (orange, etc.) or gold bead. Sight alignment while going fast isn't as critical as a good trigger press and with more light between front and rear, they're quicker to re-acquire and line up "good enough".

Precision = less light between front and rear sight (same or closer width front and rear (i.e. .125" front matched to .125" rear, or in general less delta of light showing between them). However, given less "room" between the sights makes them harder or slower to track and align in some cases. Typically all black sights are more precise/less distracting, although that's a preference, not a rule. A narrower front sight in general is more precise, however, you can't generally find rear sights with a notch less than .125" in my experience, although I'm sure someone like Dawson could make one for you. The minimum width you can have a tritium vial put into is usually .125", so that's the practical limit if you want a vial in your front sight.

The U notch rationale has been covered.

Having something on the rear sight (i.e. not all black) is really preference. I find three dot sights more distracting than helpful. The multiple visual stimuli distracts my focus from the front sight, so I'd either opt for an "I-dot" night sight setup or an all-black rear sight, but again, that's preference. If it works for you, drive on.

You need to find the balance that works for you and what you want to do with the gun. Sights are a very personal thing. Your setup for shooting bullseye may also be different than one for USPSA for instance so you need to adapt your sights to your intended purpose.

Voodoo_Man
08-13-14, 14:48
Point of aim and point of impact shift is also pretty important.

Plenty of information out there to read over.

SlimMan
08-13-14, 16:11
I think mizer67 gives a nice quick overview. There are so many variations, that one really has to decide what works best for their particular circumstances.

kevN
08-13-14, 17:30
Yeah, sights are not unlike holsters in that you may go through a few options before you figure out what works best for you.

Invest in a sight pusher tool now, and don't be shy about asking to get behind people's guns at competitions or classes to check them out.

Also, even if they look cool you really have to shoot them a bit to feel them out with regard to recoil/etc.

RWCRaiden
08-13-14, 18:01
Good information. Thanks for posting.

GregP220
08-13-14, 18:24
Good information so far.

I don't know how old you are but I'm 48 and I can't lock onto the front sight as fast as I could 10 years ago. This makes me appreciate larger front sights with something eye catching like the ones Ameriglo sells.

They're best matched with a wider rear notch.

Good luck in your search

MegademiC
08-13-14, 20:39
I got Ameriglo operator I-dots. I didn't think I would like them, but they were all the rage so I tried them... and they are awesome. Accuracy is a non-issue - just as good (maybe better?) as the M&P stock sights. Very quick front sight pickup, nice wide U-notch no help eliminate sight-searching, bright tritium.

I like a hi-vis front, not hi-vis back - but tritium for reference at low-light, and a wide back. Anything that gets you that should be good. I also consider tritium a must for defensive pistols, but ymmv.

I have shot consistent 3"-4" groups offhand @ 25yds with a stock M&P40 and Tula ammo with a u-notch and wide front sight. I think people (myself included sometimes) try too hard when shooting groups, and over analyze the sight picture, especially with wider set ups.

Straight Shooter
08-13-14, 20:49
Im 49, and find myself wanting just a tad more wider rear sight than Ive used up to now. For MY eyes, an eye popping front sight is a complete necessity. I use AMERIGLO CAP sights on my Glocks and love them. They really pop. Been thinkin about opening up the rears a tad, but am afraid to try, don't want to ruin them. Try as many as possible. Ive never been afraid to ask someone to shoot their guns if it has sights on it I mightl like. Always thought the Big Dot sights would be tits, until I shot a Glock 19 that had them.
that solved that.

Up1911fan
08-13-14, 22:31
Try the T-CAP's. I have them on a few Glocks and the regulars on my Shield. I prefer the thinner front.

moonshot
08-13-14, 22:58
I have trijicons on my training Glock and Big Dots on my EDC Glock.

The trijicons offer improved accuracy, and were great when I had 20/20 vision, but I pulled them off my carry gun due to my being able to acquire the front sight of the Big Dot much faster, even if I didn't have my glasses on (I figured I might lose my glasses in a struggle or not have time to get them if awakened in the middle of the night). Additionally, I prefer the rear "V" sight of the Big Dots over the typical rear "U" of most other sights. With my older eyes, I find it's easier and faster to place the big round front dot over the rear bar and "dot the i" rather than place a smaller front dot in between two other small rear dots.

Ultimately, you'll have to pick what works for you. It doesn't matter what I or anyone else likes. Your eyes and your needs are different than ours. The problem is it gets expensive to keep buying sights until you find what you like.

Straight Shooter
08-14-14, 01:18
THANKS Up1911fan!!
Didn't know about the TCAPS..this seems to be EXACTLY what Im needing & wanting!! Appreciate that info, sir.

tb-av
08-14-14, 09:50
Thanks for all the answers. Never heard of the T-CAPS either...

I've got one other question... somewhere here recently I read where someone said don;t just focus on your front sight but on the top edge... Now I know the top edge of front and rear need to be aligned but for some reason the gravity of that statement really struck me. Partly because 'dot' type sights seem to naturally draw my attention to the dot and not necessarily the top edge alignment.

Do any of you have a way to deal with that. IOW, i have found myself with too much attention on the actual dot or even center of dot and not the top edge. How do you all deal with that? I seem to have to acquire dot then align top when it seems like that can be both helpful at first but then counter productive to speed.

Up1911fan
08-14-14, 11:24
THANKS Up1911fan!!
Didn't know about the TCAPS..this seems to be EXACTLY what Im needing & wanting!! Appreciate that info, sir.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yEBxxzfQEdA

TehLlama
08-14-14, 12:02
I don't have tons of experience with other sights, but the reason 10-8's work well for me is mostly due to how well my pistols with them point naturally - 1911's and M&P's work well enough that if I can see the front sight, it's because I'm seeing it through the rear sight and the U-Notch. This lets me focus exclusively on the front sight a little bit easier, so it works (not to mention is simpler and less complex). I can see the Heinie straight-8's working really well since there's a reference for blackout shooting to line up the rears, but there aren't many of those already out that fit my applications. I have basic Novak type three-dot setups on other pistols, and they work, but as the tritium gets ancient on those, I'll just put on new 10-8 or similar sights since that's what I've found I prefer.
The other advantage of the 10-8 (and RB1 derivatives) is the ability to use a solid belt to cycle the slide - not critical in square range stuff, but one attempt at fixing a FTF because it's genuinely hard to do support hand only at odd angles and I was absolutely, 100% sold on the 10-8 rear sight for fighting pistols, or at least something similar that allows that.

Finally, I'd like to try one of the Ameriglo large orange circle sights in front of a 10-8 rear sight (go with a wide rear notch and set up the POA/POI out to 50yd on front sight height) and see how I like that.

kevN
08-14-14, 18:45
Thanks for all the answers. Never heard of the T-CAPS either...

I've got one other question... somewhere here recently I read where someone said don;t just focus on your front sight but on the top edge... Now I know the top edge of front and rear need to be aligned but for some reason the gravity of that statement really struck me. Partly because 'dot' type sights seem to naturally draw my attention to the dot and not necessarily the top edge alignment.

Do any of you have a way to deal with that. IOW, i have found myself with too much attention on the actual dot or even center of dot and not the top edge. How do you all deal with that? I seem to have to acquire dot then align top when it seems like that can be both helpful at first but then counter productive to speed.

The top edge and the dot are in basically the same focal plane. The point is that you need to be aligning the top edge of the front post & rear and place that very point on your target as it should be the true point of aim.

With some sights this matters only a little but if the dot or fiber for instance is almost near the top.

You could also change your gun so that the dot trued up vs the edge but it won't be as precise since the circle as vertical width that the edge does not.

Voodoo_Man
08-14-14, 19:28
I have trijicons on my training Glock and Big Dots on my EDC Glock.

The trijicons offer improved accuracy, and were great when I had 20/20 vision, but I pulled them off my carry gun due to my being able to acquire the front sight of the Big Dot much faster, even if I didn't have my glasses on (I figured I might lose my glasses in a struggle or not have time to get them if awakened in the middle of the night). Additionally, I prefer the rear "V" sight of the Big Dots over the typical rear "U" of most other sights. With my older eyes, I find it's easier and faster to place the big round front dot over the rear bar and "dot the i" rather than place a smaller front dot in between two other small rear dots.

Ultimately, you'll have to pick what works for you. It doesn't matter what I or anyone else likes. Your eyes and your needs are different than ours. The problem is it gets expensive to keep buying sights until you find what you like.

I have had great luck with the trijicon HD's. They are, however, not as accurate as some sights I have had and their POA/POI @ 25y is horrible.

tb-av
08-14-14, 19:47
I have had great luck with the trijicon HD's. They are, however, not as accurate as some sights I have had and their POA/POI @ 25y is horrible.

I've been trying to figure how a sight... and I assume properly aligned, can be inaccurate or somehow change the poa/poi. Can you explain that? I mean isn't poa/poi a function of the blade height alone? I think I'm missing something here.

MStarmer
08-15-14, 11:32
All depends on what you can see and what you want to hit. Some sights like the XS big dots will work great for close up self defense shooting but you aren't going to hit small steel plates at 50yds. As far as the "U" notch goes I have 10-8's on several guns and like them on my 1911's but not so much on Glock's and M&Ps. Mainly due to seeing the flat slides on the plastic guns it throws me off, I much prefer a square notch of the ICE/Ameriglo/Heinie type sights. A wide notch is also helpful if you are getting older. There are so many options out there it's going to be hard to not find something that catches you eye. I've found Ameriglo to be the best value out there, at around half the price of Trijicon and Heinie's they are hard to beat. Here's a pic of my Henie's (front insert only) on my XDM followed by Ameriglo Hack's on my full size M&P. On my glocks I run the I.C.E. Claw rear sights with the Ameriglo front and they work very well.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg68/mstarmer/20130820-DSC_1814-2.jpg (http://s245.photobucket.com/user/mstarmer/media/20130820-DSC_1814-2.jpg.html)
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg68/mstarmer/20140813-DSC_1965-2.jpg (http://s245.photobucket.com/user/mstarmer/media/20140813-DSC_1965-2.jpg.html)

MegademiC
08-15-14, 13:18
...

I've got one other question... somewhere here recently I read where someone said don;t just focus on your front sight but on the top edge... Now I know the top edge of front and rear need to be aligned but for some reason the gravity of that statement really struck me. Partly because 'dot' type sights seem to naturally draw my attention to the dot and not necessarily the top edge alignment.

Do any of you have a way to deal with that. IOW, i have found myself with too much attention on the actual dot or even center of dot and not the top edge. How do you all deal with that? I seem to have to acquire dot then align top when it seems like that can be both helpful at first but then counter productive to speed.

When I shoot, I go in this order. I shoot at whichever step gives the accuracy needed for the target/distance at hand(I have amariglo idot operators):
1: draw, point and see front sight dot on target. (once draw is complete- im here)
2: ensure front dot is over rear dot/in rear u-notch, depending on lighting (usually at end of draw, sometimes there is a need for a quick push of the sight in some direction - usually due to being in a non-typical position. The is typically my sight picture for an 8" circle @ 7yds)
3: quickly even up space on either side of fsp, and place top plane of fsp where I want the bullet (typically gets hits on 3x5 @ 7yds, sometimes drop them high or low)
4: ensure top planes are all even (should hit a 3x5 every time)
5: recheck everything, make minor adjustments (pure accuracy)

Hope this helps.


I've been trying to figure how a sight... and I assume properly aligned, can be inaccurate or somehow change the poa/poi. Can you explain that? I mean isn't poa/poi a function of the blade height alone? I think I'm missing something here.

I think POA/POI is due to the sight hights being different.
Some people find it difficult to even up the sight picture with u-dots. They are accurate in my experience. Line up the top planes, even up the space on the sides and pull the trigger. The light is not even (square post, round notch) so I just look at the space in the top plane - for accuracy shooting, all I look at is the top plane and ignore everything below it cause it will screw with your mind.

H2H
08-15-14, 22:29
Good discussion. Would there be any concern with a fiber optic front sight on a gun used for duty or carry?

Anything detrimental with a FO front sight?

MStarmer
08-16-14, 01:09
Check out this article on F/O sights.
http://modernserviceweapons.com/?p=8613

teutonicpolymer
08-16-14, 08:40
I love fiber optic front sights but they do rely on ambient lighting

MegademiC
08-16-14, 09:26
Good discussion. Would there be any concern with a fiber optic front sight on a gun used for duty or carry?

Anything detrimental with a FO front sight?

Concerns: durability and night effectiveness.

If you get FO, make sure you get a brand recommended for duty use by some knowledgeable people here.

Guns-up.50
08-16-14, 10:12
Good discussion. Would there be any concern with a fiber optic front sight on a gun used for duty or carry?

Anything detrimental with a FO front sight?

You will find more than a few people that carry f/o for defense or "duty". Some will argue that its strong enough, and if it falls out you have a black front.

Personally I wouldn't trust it for anything outside of competition. If it was all i had then I would make do, but if I had other options I would go a different route. I like things to be hard use and as little maintenance as possible, solid steel with a tritium dot is a great blend of hard use and useability, aswell as low maintenance.

Living in a state that had -20 degree days last winter I would fear the f/o would get brittle and snap just like my bow sight.

Devildawg2531
08-16-14, 10:26
I have the AmeriGlo Hack's orange front on my G22 and G17, Trijocon HD orange front on my G34 and the TruGlo Fiber Optic on my G26 (which I usually carry). I've had no issues with any of these 3.

GTF425
08-16-14, 10:33
Anything detrimental with a FO front sight?

So long as the FO rod is properly installed, it won't be a problem.

I had a gunsmith in Savannah, GA, install a set of Warrens on my G17 when he went through and polished the trigger components. I have the same green rod in place after a few thousand rounds and although I will very likely never use it for fighting (I'm not a LEO or Special Operations, so no pistol fighting for my job) I wouldn't hesitate to use it. When I turn on the X300U, all I see is a black front site post anyway, so if low-light is a concern, I wouldn't sweat it if you run a weapon mounted light.

My CCW, a G26, has a Warren plain black rear/tritium front and to be honest, I may very likely swap it over to a FO front when I get back home. I love how fast the sight picture is with that glowing FO up front. Also, the tritium block makes it a little hard for me to perfectly focus on the front site in daylight shooting. It just looks like a big, white dot and I can't perfectly make out the outline of the front post. With FO, the green is my aiming point and very easy to see in my peripherals on the push-out and to track from shot to shot.

One of my friends at work has some brand's gold bead front sight on one of his 1911s and it is very easy to pick up in low light and just as easy as a FO in daylight.. If you're concerned about FO breaking, that may be an alternative to look in to.

MStarmer
08-16-14, 10:44
If for duty or SD use I would only recommend the 10-8, it's the most robust by far.

Edited to add talking about Fiber Optic here...

tb-av
08-16-14, 13:27
Man,,, this is a lot to think about... That red dot up above .. ameriglo ? that looks like something I would like. That really jumps out to me.

I may have to plan some sort of day trip to VA Arms... maybe they have some variety I could look at... Have to get my passport in order... That how NoVA experience is hard for me deal with.

what sort of an ordeal would it be for me to change out front sight on a first gen Kimber stainless slide for that red dot above?

tb-av
08-16-14, 13:31
One of my friends at work has some brand's gold bead front sight on one of his 1911s and it is very easy to pick up in low light and just as easy as a FO in daylight.. If you're concerned about FO breaking, that may be an alternative to look in to.

I see the gold dot mentioned a lot... is that why? they simply show up in any light?

Someone showed me their sights one day but I didn't know what I was looking at. He was raving about them. We were under a cover, I didn't see anything special... then he said walk out of the shade and the thing looked like someone clicked a switch on and lit it up.

wwdkd
08-16-14, 13:36
I have switched to Hackathorn sights on all pistols because they work best for me. You may just have to do a little trial and error and find what works best for you.

MStarmer
08-16-14, 17:01
I've tried the brass bead front sights they are OK, but that's about it. They have their place and look fantastic on a 1911 and some wheelguns but there's far better choices out there.

To the OP, how's your vision and age? I would suggest spending some time on Ameriglo's website and google image some sight pictures. Sights are pretty hard to look at in the gun store sitting in the package you need to see them on the gun to see the width of the opening and how quick you pick them up. Google Hackathorns, CAP sights, T-Cap and ICE Claw. Then compare to the Trijicon HD's.

H2H
08-16-14, 21:17
All, Thanks for the good input and discussion on the FO front sights.
GTF425, Just to clarify when using a weapon mounted light there is not enough substantial ambient light to see the FO in the front sight?

tb-av
08-16-14, 21:50
I've tried the brass bead front sights they are OK, but that's about it. They have their place and look fantastic on a 1911 and some wheelguns but there's far better choices out there.

To the OP, how's your vision and age? I would suggest spending some time on Ameriglo's website and google image some sight pictures. Sights are pretty hard to look at in the gun store sitting in the package you need to see them on the gun to see the width of the opening and how quick you pick them up. Google Hackathorns, CAP sights, T-Cap and ICE Claw. Then compare to the Trijicon HD's.

vision is ok but for some reason I get blurred images. I think my contacts sort of cause that to a degree. 60. Sometimes if the light is right I can get a super sharp image though. But I seem to get a lot of back and forth focusing and have a hard time seeing out to the front sight and thats when it gets fuzzy. So I was thinking if I can find something that pulls my focus forward and lessen my rear sight attention.


eta, when I say ok, I mean it's just ok... not great but not really bad

Voodoo_Man
08-17-14, 06:41
Guess I should hurry up and do an ameriglo sight review

Tigereye
08-17-14, 07:30
Lots of good information. I have 10-8's with black rears and red FO fronts as described by others on 1911's. M&P Pro with the green FO front that came on it. Glock 17 has Warren black rear and red FO front. G19 has Warren black rear and Tritium front. The FO front guns are great in the daylight shooting IDPA and USPSA. The G19 with tritium works well for IDPA but is a carry gun. I don't have a light mounted on any of these and the difference in the sights really showed up in a low/no light training course. Using a hand held light, it was difficult to use the M&P when shooting beyond 10 yards. The G19 was much easier to shoot at 10-20 yards. Maybe with enough practice you could hold the light in a way that will create enough ambient light to use the other sights but the tritium was so much easier to pick up.
If you have a chance to shoot an IDPA/USPSA match, you may be able to see different set ups and shoot someone else's set up.

GTF425
08-17-14, 08:31
GTF425, Just to clarify when using a weapon mounted light there is not enough substantial ambient light to see the FO in the front sight?

In my experience, the amount of light on target gives me a clear outline of the front sight, and I don't even notice the FO rod anymore. I can tell the rod is still there if I focus on it, but it doesn't jump out to me like it does in daylight.

GTF425
08-17-14, 08:32
I see the gold dot mentioned a lot... is that why? they simply show up in any light?

It was definitely noticeable in low light. It was literally the only time I've ever shot a pistol with them, so I only have a sample of one to draw from. But I had no problem tracking the front sight at all.

brickboy240
08-18-14, 10:13
Does anybody else just like plain black sights?

I am running Kyle DeFoor's Ameriglo black sights on my G19 and just ordered a pair for my older G17.

Seriously....I just like plain black sights and you can have the fiber optics and tritium stuff.

-brickboy240

Voodoo_Man
08-18-14, 11:01
Does anybody else just like plain black sights?

I am running Kyle DeFoor's Ameriglo black sights on my G19 and just ordered a pair for my older G17.

Seriously....I just like plain black sights and you can have the fiber optics and tritium stuff.

-brickboy240

I have a set. I am going to put them on my g17l.

I had them on a 19. I really like them. Very accurate at 25y.

mizer67
08-18-14, 11:18
Does anybody else just like plain black sights?

I am running Kyle DeFoor's Ameriglo black sights on my G19 and just ordered a pair for my older G17.

Seriously....I just like plain black sights and you can have the fiber optics and tritium stuff.

-brickboy240

Black sights are the best, in my opinion, if you're shooting at a known background without lots of visual clutter.

tb-av
08-18-14, 11:38
Black sights are the best, in my opinion, if you're shooting at a known background without lots of visual clutter.

My 1911 sights are plain black and that is my very issue. I feel like I just can't stay attached to that front sight. Plus if your vision gets blurry that front sight turns grey. I agree is you get super sharp black sights they look great... but 90% of the time my "normal" life of shooting will end up with much less than desirable sight picture. I don't want to set up for what would be perfect in a perfect world.. I'm trying to see if there maybe something that simply improves my undesirable but real world situation.

But I agree, I have had times when might sight picture is just incredible like a text book example and I love it. Unfortunately most of the time it's not.... and the AR BUIS is like X10 worse because I'm cross eye dominant. With a pistol I at least get my good eye as the one actually sighting.

It seems like if I can get sunlight on my front black sight I am good that's why I was thinking maybe some sort of self-lit front may be what I need. The other issue of concern for me was what will give me the fastest and most target accurate alignment with the rear sight notch.

So my desires are .
1. Pull my focus to front sight
2. Get front sight to settle properly and quickly in rear notch
3. Have 1 and 2 also allow me to actually know where on my target I am actually aiming.... for instance let's say a white steel body/head shaped target. I know I will see white but I want to also know if I'm at white head, white neck, white left, white right ... not just that I'm make it go ding! when I pull the trigger. ... and perhaps 3 is a technique/thought process issue that I need instruction on.

samuse
08-18-14, 11:56
Does anybody else just like plain black sights?

I am running Kyle DeFoor's Ameriglo black sights on my G19 and just ordered a pair for my older G17.

Seriously....I just like plain black sights and you can have the fiber optics and tritium stuff.

-brickboy240


De Foors are great sights. I ran them for a long time when I used to shoot Glocks. Used plain black Novaks on my 1911s. Just have three dots on my Colts these days that I take black Sharpie to the rear dots.

Pistol sights are way over thought. If you can see the front sight and it's relation to the rear, they work. I've used pretty much everything and can use 'em all just fine. Not a whole lot of difference between 'em during the day. Tritium at night helps a little, but not as much as a 500 lumen Surefire.

If you can't see, paint the front sight with some neon fingernail polish. If stuff on the rear sight bothers you, black Sharpie.

mizer67
08-18-14, 12:01
My 1911 sights are plain black and that is my very issue. I feel like I just can't stay attached to that front sight. Plus if your vision gets blurry that front sight turns grey. I agree is you get super sharp black sights they look great... but 90% of the time my "normal" life of shooting will end up with much less than desirable sight picture. I don't want to set up for what would be perfect in a perfect world.. I'm trying to see if there maybe something that simply improves my undesirable but real world situation.

But I agree, I have had times when might sight picture is just incredible like a text book example and I love it. Unfortunately most of the time it's not.... and the AR BUIS is like X10 worse because I'm cross eye dominant. With a pistol I at least get my good eye as the one actually sighting.

It seems like if I can get sunlight on my front black sight I am good that's why I was thinking maybe some sort of self-lit front may be what I need. The other issue of concern for me was what will give me the fastest and most target accurate alignment with the rear sight notch.

So my desires are .
1. Pull my focus to front sight
2. Get front sight to settle properly and quickly in rear notch
3. Have 1 and 2 also allow me to actually know where on my target I am actually aiming.... for instance let's say a white steel body/head shaped target. I know I will see white but I want to also know if I'm at white head, white neck, white left, white right ... not just that I'm make it go ding! when I pull the trigger. ... and perhaps 3 is a technique/thought process issue that I need instruction on.

Probably the best thing I could say here is that you just need to experiment. No one can accurately predict what your eyes/brain will prefer.

I've run both F/Os for quite a while as well as white outlined Tritium front sights.

F/O's are the bees knees in daylight and will do, I believe, what you want while giving you more width options.

It's up to you to decide if F/Os are something you're comfortable with on a defensive gun. I've always ended up losing the rod sooner or later and just had a black front sight with a hole in it in the middle of gun school, for instance. Still totally workable and made my hits, the front sight didn't magically melt off when I lost the rod, but I did have a fraction of a second of: huh? the first time it happened.

The third point you make is in your head, sights won't solve that for you. You have to train to shoot "A's" every time, not just white/brown. Pick a spot and shoot just that spot.

MStarmer
09-09-14, 10:40
To the OP, what did you go with?