XS Big Dot Sights?

[bluedog]

Any comments on experiences with these sights for CQB applications? I understand about their two main differences from standard sights:

- non-6 oclock sight picture
- oversized front sight

[Hellfire]

I just put some on a G27, and I like them. The rear sight takes some getting used to, but for me the big front is so easy to pick up...."cover and press" inside 20m is automatic. Longer shots you use the top edge of the front...it works. They are combat sights and inside 20m they are nice...I bet they really shine when acquiring a moving target. I know these sight have good and bad reviews. They are not for everyone, but they are for me and work very well on my G27.

[NCPatrolAR]

This should get interesting.


Personally, I dont like them. Tried them for several months and just never warmed up to them. For me, a Straight 8 formatted sight is the way to go.

[Jay Cunningham]

Any comments on experiences with these sights for CQB applications? I understand about their two main differences from standard sights:

- non-6 oclock sight picture
- oversized front sight

Not that you did anything wrong, but Big Dot threads tend to be controversial because a rather controversial instructor endorses them.

They seem to work well for some...

[bluedog]

^ I've run across those threads. One of the things I am interested in hearing about is the ease or difficulty shooters had in transitioning to big dots, and if they have, did they transition 100% or do they continue to use standard sights as well?

[ToddG]

I gave the XS sights an honest try six or seven years ago. I put them on a Beretta 92G Vertec for a couple of months. During that time I shot thousands of rounds in training and also shot a major IDPA match (AZ State Championship). In addition, I've seen other shooters, particularly new and beginner-level shooters, try them.

Basically, my opinion of them is that they're more gimmick than improvement. Can you make them work? Yes. It's certainly possible to shoot accurately with them, if you practice and understand how they work. But that shouldn't be the question we're asking. The question is whether they will work better in some measurable way. The answer to that, in my experience, is no.

• The XS sights are supposed to be "faster" but for novices I don't find this to be true because most novices aren't on the front sight when shooting fast regardless of the sight.
• The XS sights are supposed to be "faster" but for experienced shooters I don't find this to be true be experienced shooters know how to track their front sights.
• The XS sights are supposed to be "just as accurate" and in rough terms that's probably true. However, because you get a much "rougher" sight alignment with the XS sights, it's harder to judge if your front sight is moving out of place during the trigger press. Therefore, it takes more time & effort to get the same accuracy.
• This "rough sight alignment" issue applies to closer and faster shooting, too. Calling your sights becomes harder, meaning you've got less visual feedback telling you "ooops you yanked the trigger" or "you broke that shot too early" or whatever.

To me, XS sights are nothing more than a way for shooters to have something "different" on their pistols for the sake of having something different.

One exception, though, is shooters with poor vision. If the Small Dot or even Big Dot is the only front sight you can see, it's better than having no front sight at all.

[Alpha Sierra]

They work much better for me than conventional sights.

My new M&P will be wearing them soon. I go by my own experience and not blindly follow any controversial instructor that may be hyping them.

[bluedog]

Thanks everyone, especially Todd for his detailed explanation.There are vision issues involved.

[ToddG]

bluedog -- A sight you can see beats a sight you can't, every time!

[Alpha Sierra]

I found this bit attributed to the late Colonel Jeff Cooper in a similar discussion on 10-8:

From Jeff Cooper, December 1997

"After considerable testing and discussion, we have concluded that the proper answer for a pistolero whose eyes have begun to go is not a pistol ghost-ring, but rather a pistol express sight. The express sight, as you know, was pretty standard on the British heavy rifles of the Great Days. It consisted of a shallow "V" rear sight, mounted well forward on the barrels, in combination with an ample round bead on the front. This sight was intended for very quick use on very dangerous animals at very close range, and it served its purpose well. It was by no means a target sight, but it was a superior defensive sight.

Consider then that a pistol is intended for very quick use at very close range against very dangerous targets. The similarity is inescapable. I am not content with the pistol ghost-ring, for a number of reasons, but the pistol express sight just may be the only important development in pistol sightings in modern times."