To night sight or not

I call urban legend/marketing pitch...
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So you are claiming that having a yellow front sight is a negative quality ?

I don't know if this is a marketing pitch, urban legend or whatever. If something like this makes it easier to shoot straight, why not ?
 
Night sight are on all my HD/SD handguns.

In total dark, night sights make it easy to see the holstered firearm sitting on the night table. :-)
 
I was the Army CID's representative on the XM-11 pistol project. I fought successfully to have night sights included into the specs on the M-11. Since retiring, however, after 15+ years of teaching judgmental use of force and gunfighting tactics to law enforcement agencies, I'm just not sure any more that night sights are worth the extra money they cost.

<snip>

If it were me, I would spend the extra money on a laser that adds to the effectiveness of point shooting, because the aiming point is projected onto the target. Of course, lasers, like tracers, work both ways, but it's an option that can make your shooting much more effective in low light. Of course, it need not be used unless needed.
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This is fascinating, because I reached the exact same conclusions for the exact same reasons after years of making sure all my HD pistols had night sights.

Lasers are battery-dependent, but if you check them on a regular basis, you'll see when they are starting to go, and then you can install new batteries.
 
sdj said:
In total dark, night sights make it easy to see the holstered firearm sitting on the night table. :-)
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Exactly. I have no strong feelings about them either way but it is nice to see that little glow when you may have to find your pistol in the dark. I guess I'm saying I kind of like them but I don't like them an extra $100 worth.
 
The Mepros on my Kimber UCDP II are starting to fade. I know that I'll miss them enough to want new ones, but can't find an answer to replacing the inserts, which I thought was possible, or replacing the entire sights.
 
Interesting thread. I was kind of thinking about installing some on my SA Mil-Spec. After reading this and doing some pondering, I'll stick with the sights it came with. Thanks
 
I was thinking of getting night sights for 3 of my pistols but after reading these comments it looks like they're more suited for range shooting than practical use. $100 or more for each pistol for not much gain is not practical in my mind. It looks like practicing the point and shoot would benefit me more. Thanks folks.
 
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I'm a huge fan of night sights for home defense. On those few occasions I've had to check out things around my house in the middle of the night, I was very glad to have them. In fact, I wouldn't have a handugn for home defense without night sights.

FWIW, my Glock's trijicon night sights are now about 19 years old. They still work, but really do need to be repalced. Just because the night sights loose some brightness over the years, doesn't make them useless. I'd say that they need to be replaced every 15- 18 years or so.
 
I'm no LEO but I do have an opinion. I have 2 pistols with night sights and prefer them over my ones without. I also prefer night sights to a flashlight or room light during an HD scenerio. With a flashlight or room light, the BG can see you clearly (or your flashlight beam) while he's in the dark. With night sights, the darkness is on your side. Also, most homes aren't completely black at night. Mine isn't. We keep a night light on in the kitchen and there's street lamps casting a glow in from behind the shades. I would definetely have an advantage over an intruder using my night sighted gun with no flashlight.
 
I'm a retired LEO, armorer and firearms instructor. I have night sights on many of my defense firearms. Our agency issued firearms with them for the last 20 years. On the range I saw many shooters shoot better at night than in the daytime. The night sights caused them to use their sights more effeciently.
Dave
 
I also prefer night sights to a flashlight or room light during an HD scenerio. With a flashlight or room light, the BG can see you clearly (or your flashlight beam) while he's in the dark. With night sights, the darkness is on your side. Also, most homes aren't completely black at night. Mine isn't. We keep a night light on in the kitchen and there's street lamps casting a glow in from behind the shades. I would definetely have an advantage over an intruder using my night sighted gun with no flashlight.
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I agree with you 100% on this. But, be prepared - you and I are probably the only two people on this forum that think this way. The way I see it, is I know my house. It's extremely quick and easy for me to verify loved ones locations, and it's easy for me to know that NOTHING should be moving in the other 90% of my house. Ambient light is enough for me in most locations, and if not, all I have to do is flip a light switch. Also, there's no getting to the sleeping quarters without going through a fairly long hallway. I've been through systematically checking out my house with a firearm several times now - I can do it quicky, quietly, safely and confidently if there ever was a breakin.

Some houses are laid out very well for using nothing other than a gun with night sights and existing lighting. You just need to know your own situation.
 
Opinion on night sights from a trainer:
Do we need Tritium? I admit that many of my pistols have tritium in the sights, but when I have bought sights for my new guns I have gotten plain black sights with no tritium.

Why?

Because here is the thought - if it is dark, but there is enough ambient light to see my adversary, I neither need "night sights" nor a flashlight. I just shoot as I do during the day. If he is close, he is a short time frame problem. I shoot him. If I can see some sights, cool. But I am not waiting to see them. If he is far away, I probably won't be able to see where he is in dark environments so nights sights are of no benefit.

The more I work with this, the more I am convinced that plain black non-illuminated sights are the best option for a CCW pistol. -Gabe Suarez
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I like mine on my carry gun(s). I also like it on my nightstand gun. It is easier to see/find in the dark bedroom on the nightstand. It's only $100. Could mean the difference between a hit and miss.
 
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