Adjustable Sights On Defensive guns

S

SPUSCG

New member
Always see on these forums "you shouldnt put adjustable sights on a defensive gun."

Never says why. Adustable sights ive used on some 1911s, cz85, various smith/ruger taurus wheelguns, feel very solid and strong. For decades police were carrying adjustable sighted wheelguns in their holsters, so is there a definitve reason not to carry them?
 
1. Adjustable sights are not as rugged as fixed sights.
2. Adjustable sights tend to snag on clothing.

Some of the new adjustable sight designs (STI, Novak, etc) eliminate the snagging.
For a service handgun, fixed sights makes sense to me.
For a personal defense handgun, adjustable sights are OK (no snag design) but when shooting at close range, adjustable sights may not matter. So, the simpler more durable fixed sights makes more sense.
For home defense/range -- adjustable sights.
 
pilpens summed it up nicely. A risk of snagging with some sights, and they aren't as durable in most cases.

It ties in with the durability, but adjustables also run the risk of being bumped and accidentally adjusting the point of aim from the point of impact. For a gun that you carry a lot, its not hard to imagine bumping the gun on something. Most of the time this won't matter, but there is a chance it will move a sight and you won't have proper accuracy. At self defence distances, probably not an issue, but still a point of concern.

I tend to favor fixed sights for that reason. It just takes a little practice to learn the gun and how to shoot it well. That said, some of my guns do have adjustable sights and I will still carry them. They're generally pretty rugged and stay put very well. I just make sure I shoot those guns on a regular basis to ensure the sights are where they need to be.
 
I don't have adj sights on any "carry guns" ...unless I was to consider some of my old revolvers as carry guns ...like model 19's, etc. / but like you said - I had 2 LE Officers in my family - that carried model 27 and 28 S&W's revolvers for over 25 yrs ....with adj sights .../ in and out of their veh's all the time as a Deputy Sheriff and a Highway Patrolman ...( from the 1940's - 1970's).

But I think these days ....while most of us have fixed sights on our 1911's, or Sig, or whatever - there are adj sights that are very durable / and relatively low profile - that are probably just fine for carry. I know the local PD here - is experiementing with some small red dot / holographic sights on their handguns as well ...
 
I don't think it matter that much. Police used adj. sighted revolvers (S&W 15, 19, 27, 28, 66, 686, etc) for possibly 70 years (so far). I have observed several departments over 20 years myself, and I cannot recall any department I had contact with taking a revolver out of service because of fragile or damaged sights. In a few cases, a sight was replaced within 24 hours by dept armorers, just as a cracked stock might be.
 
In my thirty year le career I can report the same experience that Sharpdressed Man had. Imo, the only times an adjustable-sighted handgun will ever be a possible liability is when you have to draw from "deep cover" (say, from a pocket or maybe an ankle holster). The only time I ever had an adjustable sight break while on duty was on a K-framed Smith revolver, and that occurred during a scuffle with a parolee that didn't want to be returned to prison and at such a close range that no kind of sight would have made a bit of difference had I been forced to shoot the miscreant.
In any circumstance other than drawing from a pocket, I much prefer my handguns to have adjustable sights for the many advantages they offer.
 
I carried a Model 19 2 1/2" ane 4" and sometimes a Model 29 on duty for years. Never had a issue with knocking the sights out of adjustment or snagging on anything.

Bill
 
I prefer fixed sights for dedicated SD guns. certain forms of carry make it almost a requirement IE I pocket carry a lot they're all fixed sights.
That said I had a warm fuzzy comfortable feeling here a while back carrying my 70 series Goldcup:D
 
A few adjustable sights are strong enough for SD.

Just avoid 'target' sights and look for those made for extreme duty.

There are a few good ones!

Deaf
 
Adj sights; DA revolvers, semi auto pistols...

Some of the members made posts with my exact thoughts so I won't repeat it.

In short, I like the merit(s) of adj type sights on DA revolvers but I'd get fixed or Novak type night sights for duty/carry semi autos.
I like the aim/sight picture of sights on revolvers but for most pistols, fixed would hold up a lot better to rough use or common duty factors(rain, mud, sand, rocks-gravel, fog, etc).

Adj pistol sights are ok for target or race guns but not the best for LE, armed security or military service.
 
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