AR Trijicon/Tritium Sights.

[NYKh]

I've been looking at scopes for some time, but since I can't afford what I want, and won't by any Chinese junk just to have something I've been looking at other options to get the best out of the iron sights.

I found this Trijicon/Tritium sight setup for the AR, it looks like it would be hard to be a bad thing, plus the price is right.

Anyone use or have first hand knowledge of the AR Trijicon/Tritium Sights?

 

[Todd v.]

I checked some out on a rifle and they were very sweet. I have them on the wish list.....

 

[clandestine]

Point the front sight, like a pencil being sharpened. Your groups will improve 50%.

Youll have to blacken the sight after pointing it.

Think about it. trying to shoot a circle target with a flat surface isnt optimal. A point is.

I did the mod for a few Marines that wanted to improve their factory irons. Now all of my sights on my rifles are pointed if posible.

The Trijicons are nice but they only add low light improvement, no daytime improvement

 

[NYKh]

How do you recommended one blacken the sight again, do you have any front post available that you have added a point to?

 

[clandestine]

How do you recommended one blacken the sight again, do you have any front post available that you have added a point to?

You can heat it with a lighter, or cold blue it.

I chuck them up in the lathe at work but chucking them in a power drill would work at home. Use a file to point it.

If you want to try one I can set one up for you. $5 for the pointing and blackening, plus the cost of a factory post in brownells.

Gimme a couple of hours and ill take some pics of mine.

 

[Diesel Kinevel]

I have heard that these sights decrease your ability for precise accuracy. Front sight post is thicker than original sight post.

-Z

 

[alucard0822]

I have heard that these sights decrease your ability for precise accuracy. Front sight post is thicker than original sight post.

-Z

The wider front post is faster to aquire, especially in low light, for "good nuff" alignment at closer ranges. Not designed or suited for precision shooting.

However, shaping the front post as Clandestine describes, or going with a crosshair globe type post(easier to align with a small aperture sight, just line the rings up, and put the pin or crosshairs on the bullseye) along with a replacement rear peep sight that has a small precision aperture around .040"-.050" prefferably with a hood(keeps the glare away, and darkens the back of the sight) will streach the irons out about as far as they can go. Most of the AR aperture sights use interchangeable apertures that are relatively inexpensive, so if you find a .052 leaves the target a little fuzzy when focusing on the front sight, and a .032" is too dark to see well with, a .040" may be just right for bright conditions, maybe the .052" might be better at dusk, or if your eyes are weak. You can swap them in about 30 seconds with a screwdriver, they either screw into the sight without a hood, or screw inside the hood if equipped. A larger aperture lets more light in, and makes the target easier to see with more contrast, a smaller aperture helps to make the post and target clear up and allows you to better focus on both at the same time. With a ghost ring or notch and post sight, you can really only focus on the front sight, the target and rear sight will be out of focus, but when looking through a pinhole, the post is clear, and so is the target, and your eye will naturally try to put the top of the pin and the target in the center. You will be surprised how well you can shoot irons like this with some practice, and you can get some pretty decent groups with it.

crosshair globe style post

hooded rear sight

Interchangeable aperture.

 

[NYKh]

Thanks for the info.

 

[smores]

The Trijicons are nice but they only add low light improvement, no daytime improvement

I put the Trijicon USGI-style tritium sights on my 11.5" AR. First plus is it came with an installation/sight adjustment tool. If you don't have one, it's free in the kit and seems to be reasonably well constructed. I had another one I bought at a gun show, made of steel that broke on the first use, the Trijicon one may be made of aluminum (I'd have to check with a magnet to be sure) but it worked fine for installing mine.

I noted the position of my USGI sights before replacing them with the Trijicon ones. Put them on, went to the range and got just over a 1/2" group at 50 yards with my first three rounds. The set I had were obviously in spec, and that's actually the best group I've gotten with the AR. No idea why the group was so excellent but it MIGHT have been that thin line in the center of the sight.

The pointing technique described by Clandestine is valid. My Steyr and UZI have pointed front sights, and as long as your sight picture is good, trigger and breathing control are spot on those bullets land right at the tip of the point at the proper range.

 

[Apone]

Clandestine is right on. I have put Trijicon tritium posts on all of my rifles. They won't make a hill of beans difference for daytime shooting, but they rock for low light conditions.

Also - his recommendation for modifying the front sight post is spot on. It's an easy install, easy mod, and will definitely make a difference in low light shooting. If you are using your AR for home defense - it's a must have.