AO Sights

I had the tritium "Big Dot" on a Glock, and for me, it was the best "combat sight" I've ever seen, before or since. Long distance (>25 yds) shooting might suffer due to the large sight. It's so quick to acquire the sight picture, it's phenomenal.

Too bad they won't just "bolt on" to all guns, or I'd have'm on every pistol I own.
 
jack, it depends. Big help, right? If you shots are going to be COM under 15 yards I think it is hard to find a better sight than a big dot front with a tritium insert. If, however, you are going to have to neutralize two targets at 35 yards as we did on an IDPA stage last weekend, that Big Dot will cover the whole target and you will miss. As some did.
 
I have the AO (24/7) standard dot sights on my Kahr P9, the big dot was just a little too large for my liking. Nice and bright. I agree with Mr. Dobbs, they are about the best combat sights I have ever seen.
 
I like the three dot trijicons on my P7M13 for idpa, however I have the AO Big Dot night sights on my P7M8 for ccw. My reasoning is, as a non-leo who qualifies for a ss discount and always wears glasses, the AO system fits into my belief system that any attack upon me will be close in and personal maybe even after I've "lost" my glasses. Besides, I met Ashley Emerson in Ft. Worth Tx, and he took my wife and me out to lunch. I found him to be quite the "gentleman in bluejeans"!:)
 
I run the small dot express sight with a tritium front only on my G29. I LOVE it. If I had it to do over, I might have gone for the big dot tritium and give that a try.

- Gabe
 
There have been numerous threads on here discussing the Big Dot sights and it appears that you either love them or hate them. I am in the latter catagory. I bought a set for my IDPA gun. I found that I shot much faster and with better accuracy using the factory sights. This includes close range, they just don't work for me. If I really take my time, I am OK, but when I try for speed I just spray the target. I belive the problem isn't with the big dot itself but with the rear sight. For me, there is just nothing to align quickly. I wish I hadn't done it, but I guess I can always remove them.
Another common discussion topic on here is whether or not to use sights at all, at close range. Using that logic, if the target was close, you wouldn't use your sights at all, at further range the Big Dots just don't allow precise shot placement.
 
my take...

As 444 said, a search will turn up gobs of opinions. I have a set on a K9, and I like them. I think if I had time to shoot them more, I would like them even more. This is for an off-duty carry. In our IDPA group, one guy put them on and was so put off by them by the end of one match, I thought he was was going to beat them out of the dovetails before he left the range. Another shooter put them on, started shooting faster and better, and loves them. One thing I do notice when using them-I have to sort of make myself "ignore" the rear sight. I get caught up trying to align it perfectly with the front, and the time keeps ticking. Works better when I just throw it up there, see the front sight, and pull the trigger. I have the tritium normal sized dots, I was afraid the larger do would be too imprecise. I'd like to try it though.
 
interesting

And informative comments...

Since initializing this thread, I'd e-mailed Gunsite and asked them if the AO sights would fit where they had installed the Novak's....they said yes and when I asked opinion about the standard versus the "big dot"...they said that some folks liked the "big dot" but that those that didn't....REALLY didn't....so they recommend the standard size AO

:)
 
From what I understand. The rear sight has a vertical line in the middle. The front sight is either a big dot with a smaller circle around the big dot. Or the small dot has a bigger circle around the dot. Now for the sight picture. Which is like dotting an i. Do you put the circle or the dot over the line?
 
jack_the_sailor asked:
Do you put the circle or the dot over the line?

Yes...that's exactly what you do.

I ordered and installed the AO Big Dot Tritium Express sights for my Kahr P40; I'm very pleased. Would I do it again? YES! :)
 
George Stringer put a set of the standard sized Ashley Express on my Kimber Compact and I love them for speed. I can keep them in the black at 25 yards but it's not a target site by any means in my hands.

All the Best,
Bill Daniel
Life Member NRA
 
I have a tritium big dot on my Glock 22C. I really did not appreciate it until I had to qualify for my CHL. It REALLY made a difference for quick target acquisition. I only had difficulty when the longest range shooting stage came up, but I managed to come in first in my class. My advice, find someone who has a set, and try it out under timeed conditions. Only then can you truly find their value on a defensive handgun.
 
Ive had Big Dot sighted guns and Im of the "disliked it flavor of the month club"...but maybe I wasnt using them right. For fast sight acquistion they were great...but I was getting used to the gun at the range and couldnt get used to not being able to see the target! For point and shoot...I would see the merit of the BD front sight..
I still like plain 3 dot nights.
Shoot well
 
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