front night site only - Page 2

OD · September 8th, 2005, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Any one with night sites game to try covering the rear dots with some electrical tape and giving us a report no how you think it would work for you?

I've done it Mike, that's what I based my opinion on.

CLASS3NH · September 8th, 2005, 10:17 AM

I've also done the same as OD has. The 3 dot sight system is a much better picture, than just the front sight only.

Betty · September 8th, 2005, 11:34 AM

I have XS Sights Big Dots on my USPc - the front sight is a giant white dot with tritium, and the rear is a single vertical bar of tritium. So you just line up the two. They're meant to be fast acquisition sights, and they work well for me. They're also great for someone like me who can't see squat without glasses or contacts.

rocky · September 8th, 2005, 01:26 PM

The XS sights are really nice. Someone posted a while back witha pic. of em. If I were to upgrade, I might go with that type over 3 dot.

Bumper · September 8th, 2005, 04:25 PM

My Nighthawk Enforcer has a blank, unmarked rear sight and a tritium front sight. I didn't think I was going to like it when I bought it, but after taking it to the range I found I actually found it helped in quickly picking up a target and putting it where I wanted it. Below is the only picture I have of the rear sight. Trying to improve on the idea, and since the tritium front sight was a little small, I added a XS Big Dot front sight. While you can get on target very quickly and, no doubt would be good in a defensive situation, the size of the front sight definitely has an effect on the preciseness of your targeting. My plans are to replace the front sight now with a brighter, but smaller, tritium and surround. The blank rear sight, in itself, seems to work pretty well, for me, for point shooting or controlled fire on the range.

DirksterG30 · September 8th, 2005, 05:34 PM

My Springfield 1911 came with green night sights front and back - the brightness between the two is about the same, and it works OK for me. I prefer tritium in front and rear sights.

I am interested in having a different color in back to help me focus on the front sight - I believe the sights are Ameriglo Operators. The rear sights are also a little dimmer than the front.

older gunner · September 8th, 2005, 05:51 PM

In a tactical shooting course I took, we were taught to focus on the front sight only for rapid defensive shooting. We were shooting two to four shot strings at multiple targets from 7 to 21 feet. Some scenarios required lateral movement, kneeling behind barriers, rapid reload, etc. This method worked well for me. It's not target shooting, but you can score COM hits this way. Sometimes not all will hit. I remember one string involved four targets with fast as you can lateral movement and two shots each. On the second target I only hit once, but it was a good hit. With this kind of activity and pressure to get it done quickly, front sight aquisition works well.

rfurtkamp · September 8th, 2005, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike_1

Any one with night sites game to try covering the rear dots with some electrical tape and giving us a report no how you think it would work for you?
Mike

Don't have to - the front sight on my newest 226 is still warm and the rear was never tapped and the dots are painted on.

If I could get a sight picture, it'd be ambient light,not the front sight illuminating things.

If they were that bright, you'd illuminate the entire top of the slide *and* your face.

gunthorp · September 8th, 2005, 11:19 PM

When you practice point shooting, the sights don't matter, especially from retention (gun at hip,) thrust (gun outstretched at belt level, centered, while slightly crouched,) and shilouette (gun at neck level, low light, using the whole gun as an aiming device.) If you have the luxury of time and the confidence that you'll control your focus, you'll need the front dot and rear dots or bar to get the fastest flash sight alignment. All the better if they glow in the dark. But Seattle PD noticed a disturbing corona effect at night coming from tritiums in humidity or fog. Still, I carry them. Logically, a night encounter will be at extremely close range where point shooting, without sight acquisition, will be used. Positive identification of a more distant target and what's behind it at night won't be easy. In the daytime, painted white dots suffice.

Tangle · September 16th, 2005, 11:32 AM

Isn't this kinda like asking if we need a rear sight on our gun? If we believe the rear sight is important in good light, why do we think it is less important in poor lighting conditions?

I can do anything with front and rear night sights that I can do with a front night sight only. But, the reverse is not true. The front-night-sight-only presumes a tight range and a large COM target. What if niether is true? Then we need to see our sights.

I believe both front and rear night sights will solve far more scenarios than the front sight only. If you normally shoot with the front and rear sights, what happens when it's dark, not up tight and big, and suddenly you can't see your rear sight?

September 8th, 2005, 11:34 AM	#13
Betty Assistant Administrator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Nashville Posts: 2,719	I have XS Sights Big Dots on my USPc - the front sight is a giant white dot with tritium, and the rear is a single vertical bar of tritium. So you just line up the two. They're meant to be fast acquisition sights, and they work well for me. They're also great for someone like me who can't see squat without glasses or contacts. __________________ "Americans have the will to resist because you have weapons. If you don't have a gun, freedom of speech has no power." - Yoshimi Ishikawa Broodings, Blunders and Broadsides: The Betty Blog (Friends only - Email me through there to let me know who you are first!)

September 8th, 2005, 05:51 PM	#17
older gunner Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Florida Panhandle Posts: 569	Tactical Course In a tactical shooting course I took, we were taught to focus on the front sight only for rapid defensive shooting. We were shooting two to four shot strings at multiple targets from 7 to 21 feet. Some scenarios required lateral movement, kneeling behind barriers, rapid reload, etc. This method worked well for me. It's not target shooting, but you can score COM hits this way. Sometimes not all will hit. I remember one string involved four targets with fast as you can lateral movement and two shots each. On the second target I only hit once, but it was a good hit. With this kind of activity and pressure to get it done quickly, front sight aquisition works well.

September 8th, 2005, 11:19 PM	#19
gunthorp Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Duluth MN Posts: 591	When you practice point shooting, the sights don't matter, especially from retention (gun at hip,) thrust (gun outstretched at belt level, centered, while slightly crouched,) and shilouette (gun at neck level, low light, using the whole gun as an aiming device.) If you have the luxury of time and the confidence that you'll control your focus, you'll need the front dot and rear dots or bar to get the fastest flash sight alignment. All the better if they glow in the dark. But Seattle PD noticed a disturbing corona effect at night coming from tritiums in humidity or fog. Still, I carry them. Logically, a night encounter will be at extremely close range where point shooting, without sight acquisition, will be used. Positive identification of a more distant target and what's behind it at night won't be easy. In the daytime, painted white dots suffice. __________________ Don't dither. The nick of time comes just before the moment lost.

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September 8th, 2005, 10:17 AM	#12
CLASS3NH VIP Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Southern New Hampshire Posts: 2,547	I've also done the same as OD has. The 3 dot sight system is a much better picture, than just the front sight only.

September 8th, 2005, 01:26 PM	#14
rocky Senior Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: MI Posts: 11,133	The XS sights are really nice. Someone posted a while back witha pic. of em. If I were to upgrade, I might go with that type over 3 dot.

September 8th, 2005, 05:34 PM	#16
DirksterG30 Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 430	My Springfield 1911 came with green night sights front and back - the brightness between the two is about the same, and it works OK for me. I prefer tritium in front and rear sights. I am interested in having a different color in back to help me focus on the front sight - I believe the sights are Ameriglo Operators. The rear sights are also a little dimmer than the front.

September 16th, 2005, 11:32 AM	#20
Tangle Senior Moderator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Chattanooga Posts: 5,245	Isn't this kinda like asking if we need a rear sight on our gun? If we believe the rear sight is important in good light, why do we think it is less important in poor lighting conditions? I can do anything with front and rear night sights that I can do with a front night sight only. But, the reverse is not true. The front-night-sight-only presumes a tight range and a large COM target. What if niether is true? Then we need to see our sights. I believe both front and rear night sights will solve far more scenarios than the front sight only. If you normally shoot with the front and rear sights, what happens when it's dark, not up tight and big, and suddenly you can't see your rear sight?