Night Sights- Window Dressing or Life Savers?

[Mountain]

Not trying to be a prick regarding anyone who swears by them, but I question the utility of sights for 'low light' conditions- even for myself. A few years ago I bought a Sig P220 Compact with all the bells and whistles including Trijicon night sights. I was thinking, if it's dark enough that I need the Trijicons, is it light enough to readily identify my target?

I shoot iron sights regularly for both handguns and rifles. I have found that by the time the light is low enough that the tritium sights are useful, it's basically too dark to easily ID a target unless I already know the target. I've done the good guy / bad guy pop up and computerized simunition training and can get a perfect score. Doubt I could do that in semi-darkness. A fiber optic front blade works well for so-so lighting, but for me so does a solid plastic orange or white insert.

What say the group?

 

[kalash]

I think a WML is far more useful than night sights.

 

[IPSC_DRL]

If I had to shoot in the dark, I would use a flashlight regardless of sights. I'm not against illuminated sights, I have just never had a gun so equipped. Having shot IDPA at Worcester has given me some good perspective on what that might be like and I have practiced the method.

 

[Lokdog]

Sights have never been an issue to me because if I have to use my sights to accurately hit my target, I'm probably going to jail for a long time because that's too far away to be shooting at

 

[kalash]

Sights have never been an issue to me because if I have to use my sights to accurately hit my target, I'm probably going to jail for a long time because that's too far away to be shooting at

Are you a cowboy...

...or a gangsta?

 

[Ultrarunner]

The biggest advantage to night sights isn't target acquisition, it's being able to see the handgun on the nightstand quickly at 3 am without a light.

 

[Lokdog]

Are you a cowboy...

...or a gangsta?

Neither. Just smart enough to know if, God forbid, I ever have to use my firearm in self defense then they better be on top of me or I'm going away for a long time

 

[Waher]

A laser is best under stress, flash light very helpful too, but both use batteries which can fail. Tritium is good for at least 10 years without fail. I personally think night sights are a good backup plan for other aiming aids.

 

[uwaeve]

White light. In the past I have bought with night sights specifically because they came on the config I wanted (P320), or have a more advantageous shelf on the front for one-handed manipulations (VP9 night sights vs. normal sights, which have the ramp on the front of the rear sight). Years ago when I was brand new I sort of thought they were important but after getting a bit of training and actually thinking about it, their usefulness seems to be dubious at best. I'm sure there are like HSLD theory crafting situations where they are a must, but I have a hard time imagining a situation for me where the night sights would be a factor. I don't disagree with nightstand thing in principle, but it doesn't apply to my situation of young kids in the house.

I have handguns from the mid 90s where you can just barely see the glow any more, and if they were to be my HD or carry gun I wouldn't feel a burning need to replace the sights to get them glowing again, would just slap a white light on and call it a day (night).

 

[greencobra]

great, you can see the sights at night. can you see the target?

 

[Glockster30]

It's mostly situational dependent and you will read and/or receive opinion on a variety of pros and cons. For example, if you're hiding behind cover or even after firing a shot, night sights are easier to pick up after a muzzle flash. As someone else said, finding the gun in the dark on the nightstand makes it easier to find the gun. Same thing if you happen to drop the gun. Night sights also work better (for me) during daylight too. I use night sights with an orange ring on the front site that makes it stand out much better than a white painted sight in daylight.

 

[Caveman]

sights on a defensive are great when you're standing on a line punching paper.

 

[cockpitbob]

You need to be sure of your target AND what's behind it. I live in a house with my wife and 2 kids, so what's behind(visible and through walls) is critical to me.

The advice I've gotten from people I trust is to always have a light handy and a fiber front sight is all you need. If it's so dark, and the BG is so far away, that you need tritium to aim, it's too dark to be shooting. You can't be sure of the target much less what's behind it.

 

[bfm]

In low light, like inside my house where there is normally enough light coming in from the street that I can see my way around, there is enough light for me to tell if I am looking at roommate or stranger, but not enough to easily pick up a non illuminated front sight against the backdrop.

 

[SS1]

I find that it helps to get on target a little quicker than Plain Janes

 

[mac1911]

With my dad many years ago fishing stumbled across some no good-doers. Standing behind my dad while facing a gun I can tell you my dad was not in a position to to do much but talk . I don’t think any sights would have helped. Fortunately growing up we where able to do all sorts of stuff with rifles and pistols including testing muzzle flash.
With those experiences in mind and the rush of adredelin destroying motor skills I’m doubtful sights will help much.
My thoughts are if you think you need to pull the trigger on a unidentifiable target your probably half way to a good beating.
Call me a chicken shit but if it’s dark and I’m in danger I’m kicking into self preservation mode. Round up and identify family then bug out or bunker down?
That said my 4013tsw has night sights and they are old as shit but still glow and the most useful part of those sights is seeing it in the safe to grab quickly

 

[M60]

I've been shooting for a log time, so I like my iron sights. Then again, If I have to defend myself, I want every advantage that I can have. I'll take the night sights.

 

[Len-2A Training]

First off, I purposely train to grab a defensive handgun from the safe/lockbox in the dark. Not an issue.

Secondly, if it's light enough to ID the target and what is beyond it, I shouldn't be shooting.

Therefore, Dawson fiber optic front sights work great on my carry guns. A flashlight nearby is also very helpful.

Yes, I have a couple of guns that came with tritium sights and honestly they aren't the most visible during daylight even though they glow very nicely in low/no light.

 

[TomMontana]

I always thought tritium and fiber optics sights were only to help me pick up the targets quicker at the range.

 

[Admin]

Some of you need to shoot in the dark more.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Some of you need to shoot in the dark more.

I'm not aware of any gun club that allows it. We simulate low light with very dark glasses when I teach NRA PPOH, but that is it. Otherwise the last time I shot in the dark was a police qualification back in the 1980s. Neighbors complaints about gun shots at night and the chief stopped all night shooting by our PD.

 

[Toast]

I'm not aware of any gun club that allows it.

Mass Firearms will allow you to turn the range lighting down with the agreement of the other people on the line. The lowest light level apparently is the same as "candlelight" according to the description at the range.

 

[AM13]

I have night sights on all my carry guns, but Stu here from cloverleaf put in perspective in another thread, he said something like if it's dark enough were they work then you need a light to know your target and behond(paraphrasing), but he really made me rethink it. My HD gun has a WML and I carry a small streamlight now always. The NS are secondary, but good to have. I think in todays market more gun company's should make them standard on guns marketed towards CC

 

[Buck F]

I have night sights and a laser/flashlight combo in my primary home pro handgun. I have night sights on all of my carry guns. I imagine the likelihood of ever needing them is remote but I’d rather have them than not. If money were an issue I’d probably go with the laser/flashlight than tritium but thankfully I can afford both. One of my carry guns came with tritium sights standard so it wasn’t really even much of a thought, the other I changed and don’t regret it even if I may decide not to use it. Also being able to find the gun in the dark or if I drop it is a plus.

 

[enbloc]

My club's indoor range is only 50 feet, with no short shooting. It does have however, three rows of lights going down range with the first and last lights on a dimmer.
What I do is lower the target lights to almost off and all other light fully off. I can clearly see the and differentiate the black from the tan rings. All other lights are fully off and the range has gone very dark.
My trijis are now a Godsend.
Remember. you may be clearly able to see your target and determine it is a full-on threat, (and not an innocent ) but not see your all-black pistol one bit.
If this is the case, having and training with night sights will most likely make you the victor and the last thing your opponent will see in his life is the muzzle flash reaching out at him from the darkness...

Night sights all night, every night.

 

[Mass-diver]

I have them on all my pistols, although I’m not sure how helpful they are in many situations, I don’t see a negative besides cost. My home defense as a surefire on the rail, although certainly there are people that are opposed to this idea as well.

 

[M60]

Like many here, I've done some shooting in the dark. No matter how much experience you have, or how much you practice, shooting in the dark is a shit show at best.

 

[bigblue]

Sights have never been an issue to me because if I have to use my sights to accurately hit my target, I'm probably going to jail for a long time because that's too far away to be shooting at

How do you shoot the hostage without sights?

 

[bigblue]

How do you shoot the hostage without sights?

TBH, in reality my night sights are there are much for me to find the gun at night lol. it has a WML and a flashlight next to it as well but I also just like the Trijicon HD front sight in the day.

 

[oldguy68]

They don't add weight or size and can be seen only by the user.
That's a good thing.

Now figuring out which green dot is the front sight..
Well, not so much..

I like the flashlight.
Blind someone like a deer in headlights and pow, pow, pow..

Like has been said in any shooting situation. Know your backstop!