Night sights:

md123 · Apr 21, 2017

I'm starting to doubt the practicality of night sights. Four main points here.

-If it's too dark to see your sights, you probably can't see the target and therefore shouldn't engage. Maybe you're hiding in a dark closet and the target is illuminated but that's a pretty unlikely event.

-In a self defense situation, you're probably inside 5 yards and can index a gun to accurate hits at that distance.

-I've heard from guys who would know...in that split second of pure adrenalin, most people don't even look at their sights.

-Low light encounters seem rare as well. What are we planning for? Candle light burglary? Hitting dimmer switch on a chandelier? I just think the house will be dark or lit.

What say you?

AssMan · Apr 21, 2017

I've found them useful at the range at dusk.

jonathanglock · Apr 21, 2017

Ditto at the range. I like my dim night sights on my Glock 22. Better than stock Glock sights

md123 · Apr 21, 2017

Curious about opinions based on a self defense scenario as opposed to range time...unless you are saying that experience at the range translates.

clandestine · Apr 21, 2017

Night Sights are worthless IME. I would prefer an old school gold bead and serrated black sight over a set of night sights.

alucard0822 · Apr 21, 2017

A good set are "dusk to dawn" sights. They are bright enough to be readily visible in fading light or indoors, and elp speed up sight alignment when painted dots aren't as prominent. They are only a tool though, and low-light training helps teach their use with and without a light, painted or FO dots are far from useless in low light, just slower to pick up. The majority of violent crime is committed dusk to dawn, and while point shooting at close range is an important skill, and most defensive shootings happen close, there is no reason to handicap yourself if that isn't the scenario you are faced with.
Obviously when it's too dark to see your target you must have a separate light, that isn't what night sights are designed for.

mopar92 · Apr 21, 2017

I vote yes. I don't own a defensive gun without either night sights, red dot optic or white light. Or in general all 3.

Second. Basing your SD planning on "averages and statistics" is stupid.

Last I saw data roughly 2-3% of the population had been involved in investigated shootings. So if you want to play statistics and averages..........sell your guns and carry a rape whistle.

Now
1. Carry a light and use a WML. Get training for both, end of discussion
2.If you have time to practice indexing hundreds/thousands of rounds to develop that skill, nevermind if you can do it from a dead sleep
3. Absolute BS. If a person is properly trained to a high standard their mind won't concentrate on the sights but on the threat. Thus they'll remember what the threat was doing not what they did. It's called unconscious competence. Next time you talk to em ask em what brand socks they where wearing.
4. Too many scenarios to cover but plan forworst case scenario not sunny day.

Tactics · Apr 22, 2017

Night Sights for life. Makes it easy to find it (on the dresser) in the dark. A good light is a must also, at least for me.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

jrumann59 · Apr 22, 2017

I bought a set of tritium night sites for the M&P9, i like them even in my bed room with room darkening shades I have enough ambient light to see shapes at least with properly adjusted night eyes. My wife still wonders how I can walk around our bedroom without stubbing my toe on anything in complete darkness.

md123 · Apr 22, 2017

I should have added that the genisis of this was that I bought some warren tactical sights.

The small red front sight & blacked out rear sight are so much better for shooting at distance during my daylight matches that I started pulling night sights off my guns one by one.

I believe that you are giving up daytime performance with MOST night sights in exchange for that night capability.

hogarth · Apr 22, 2017

A personal struggle for me.

My favorite pistol sights have been the all black Defoors by Ameriglo. Shoot with them better than anything.

However, after my first low-light class with Paul Howe, I was suddenly more interested in night sights. Now, perhaps my white light technique was not up to the challenge, but I found that I couldn't get a good sight picture using those sights on a black target (think bad guy in black hoodie) at night. So now I use night sights.

Having said that, there are many accomplished BTDT guys who do not favor night sights, such as Kyle Defoor, Tom Givens, Mike Pannone, Mike Seeklander, Frank Proctor, etc. Tom Givens has had 65 or more of his former students use their pistols defensively and none needed night sights, even at night. He likes to say that criminals need to see you, so they generally don't ply their trade in absolute darkness. Modern parking lots and sidewalks tend to have plenty of light available, even at night.

My own feeling is that there could be situations where bad guy is backlit or lighting is otherwise inconsistent whereby I can ID bad guy as a threat but cannot properly align my sights without tritium. So I favor night sight of the Dot the I variety.

Pinecone · Apr 22, 2017

Daylight matches are not HD at night.

I don't have night sights on my competition pistols. I do have them on some of my HD pistols. And red dot/illuminated reticles for the long guns.

redeemed.man · Apr 22, 2017

mopar92 said:
I vote yes. I don't own a defensive gun without either night sights, red dot optic or white light. Or in general all 3.

Seriously? All 3? Quite the tactician

I vote no. Get something that points like an extension of YOU. That way you can hit your target at self defense ranges even with the complete absence of sights.

Minuteman · Apr 22, 2017

md123 said:
I'm starting to doubt the practicality of night sights. Four main points here.

-If it's too dark to see your sights, you probably can't see the target and therefore shouldn't engage. Maybe you're hiding in a dark closet and the target is illuminated but that's a pretty unlikely event.

-In a self defense situation, you're probably inside 5 yards and can index a gun to accurate hits at that distance.

-I've heard from guys who would know...in that split second of pure adrenalin, most people don't even look at their sights.

-Low light encounters seem rare as well. What are we planning for? Candle light burglary? Hitting dimmer switch on a chandelier? I just think the house will be dark or lit.

What say you?

Agree with you, good points.

This question keeps coming around, like all good questions.

This is a topic that is often discussed and debated, I don't think there is a universally accepted answer. Since we are talking defensive firearms, I like to consider what military and police use, and most likely defensive shooting situations for civilians.

In short, I rely most heavily on Tom Givens data from his students that have been in shootouts; which to me reveals that most shootings happen in well (enough) lit areas, like gas stations and parking garages, business parking lots; but 'during the hours' of darkness. They also tend to happen at close distances, say just out of arms reach to about the far end of a vehicle. <how's that for a visual and not using feet or yards] :rolleyes:

So, I'm currently in the camp of the -- it probably makes very little difference except in some rare circumstances.

Silverlode · Apr 22, 2017

When you are concealed carrying and don't want the added bulk of a light attached to your gun, useful. Until you can get your EDC flashlight into play.

dist1646 · Apr 22, 2017

The only night sights I find effective are the type with a bar on the rear sight and dot on the front like those on the Kimber Grand Raptor II. Simple and extremely fast to aquire alignment. The three dot type sights are simply a PITA and time is wasted trying to decipher the front dot from the rear dots. You would be surprised at how many " highly trained professionals" miss at point blank range simply because they do not focus where they need to.

Blaster229 · Apr 22, 2017

I'm only here for the comments.

todbiker · Apr 22, 2017

I stand with the plan for the worst. Keep a light near or attached to my pistols.
Streamlight TLR-4 on one and a CT on another.

Started replacing the front sights on some glocks with the ameriglo orange ring around a fluorescent dot and like them quite a bit. Daytime, that orange stands out and low light gets the help from the fluorescent dot, overall dot is slightly larger than stock.

Only recently did I opt for factory NS when I bought a HK VP, work just fine for me in daylight or low light. Other than that, some used pistols came with them and seem to still work fine for their age.

AssMan · Apr 22, 2017

The Sig night sights are quite nice. Maybe even a bit too bright as I can see their emissions through the gaps around my dresser drawer.

redeemed.man · Apr 22, 2017

Blaster229 said:
I'm only here for the comments.

I'm only here because I was waiting for you to comment.

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