Ghost ring sights

[Enachos]

Has anybody used these before? Any thoughts on them? Anyone use them on glocks, specifically?

[9mmepiphany]

ghost rings are great for rifles and shotguns, not so much for handguns...assuming that speed of acquisition is your goal.

with a handgun you lack the alignment of the buttstock which makes ghost rings fast and the rear sight is too far from your eye to take advantage of the self-centering feature

[Oro]

"Diamond Ghost" rear sights on handguns work exceedingly well for accuracy and fast acquisition - Is that what you are asking about? Combine them with a f.o. front post and you can get some impressive results. S&W is now kitting out some of their guns stock this way, albeit without the full diamond at the rear, just the "V" lower notch.

Pardon the cruddy pictures, but these are some of the "fastest" pistol sights I've ever used.

[9mmepiphany]

you could take a look at the Warren rear combined with a Dawson F/O front

[Wilson2]

I've often wondered about ghost ring sights on pistols because I like peep sights on rifles. I would like to try this. Seema like the rear sight would have to be even larger for a fast alignment.

Any ideas about who sells ghost ring sights that would go on most 1911s or on Sigs?

Thanks...

[AK103K]

I tried one of the early ghost rings on a 1911 when they first started showing up. I found them to be slow and confusing, and not worth the effort, or at least the "round" ones I tried were.

I see now days, someone offers a rear sight thats an octagon (instead of round), with a break that allows for an alignment point, something the round sights lack, which is what made them confusing to use for me. Unlike a rifle type ghost ring/aperture sight, where the sight is close to your eye and you simply look through it, you still need to align the pistol type ghost ring, and it will mess with your brain causing you to think about it to much.

The only way your going to know for sure is to try a set and see how they work out for you. They may turn out to be the next best thing to sliced light bread. Mine went the way of my pistol mounted laser, and more than a few of the other "gimmicks" I wasted my hard earned money on. well, it wasnt really wasted, I did learn something. I'm a sucker for good advertising and something new but not necessarily improved.

[TDR911]

I still use the traditional blade sight. I have tested most of the new sights out there. The hex site that AK103K refered to is a Goshen Hexsite. I have tried this one also. Everyone has a different opinion as to what is the perfect sight for them. Unfortunatly the only way is to buy and experiment yourself. The Hexsight concept is very interesting and I completely understand the way the mind processes the sight picture and think Tim is on to something. I have not had the time to devote to fully testing the prefered pistol for me. I have been on a long range rifle kick lately but this winter I am going back to pistol sight testing and training. Below are a few of the more promising sights made.


Hexsite link great reading: http://www.goshen-hexsite.com/index2.htm

Speed Sights: http://www.speedsights.com/index.htm

Advantage sights: http://www.advantagetactical.com/

[9mmepiphany]

the Hexsite always reminds me of the old ASP Guttersnipe sight

[AK103K]

I'd prefer the Guttersnipe to the ghost ring on a pistol.

[9mmepiphany]

I'd prefer the Guttersnipe to the ghost ring on a pistol.

me too...now that i've learned not to overthink sight slignment

just curious, do you know if anyone makes a copy of the guttersnipe today?

[AK103K]

I think NAA was putting one, or something similar, on one of their little pocket pistols, other than that, I havent seen any.

Since you brought up the Guttersnipe, are you familiar with Paris Theodore and his "Quell" system?

[9mmepiphany]

yes i am...yes i'm old enough to remember when the Quell system was "new and cutting edge"

i tried it for a few months to see if it would get me off a plateau i was stuck on

Pro:
1. it is very stable
2. it's easy to assume
3. it was based on controling recoil
4. it forces the subconscious to align the sights

Con:
1. it doesn't do well when movement is involved
2. you can't control recoil, you can only manage it
3. you can't force the subconscious to do anything

Overall:
it is great for static shooting, but lacks the fluidity for rapid transitional fire

[AK103K]

That pretty well sums it up. I tried it for awhile back then too.

For a fast, accurate, and precise first shot, it works well once you have it down, but as you stated, movement isnt the easiest.

I always thought the initial sight alignment was more mechanical than thought based, due to how the head is positioned on the arm with the left eye being dominant. After that first shot and any switch in targets that changes somewhat though. I believe the basic idea was to make that first fast shot, the only shot, with that point just under the nose on the upper lip the intended target, or anywhere along that latitudinal line around the head that bisected the "kill switch".

Pretty cool and interesting stuff as to the whole process. But like the P7 I was using at the time to work it out, it tends to force you to dedicate yourself to limited things. And the beat goes on as they used to say, and here we are now in another place.

[9mmepiphany]

yes we are, aren't we

you're right the position is mechanical, but by using the left eye you're trying to let the subconscious take over the alignment...right brain thing

[AK103K]

Its always been my understanding that the reason for using the left eye to sight with, along with the more or less instant sight alignment, was the right side/left side thing, which had to do with perception of danger and how our brains process it.

For me, with my head down on my bicep properly, the alignment just seems to already be there without thought when its acquired, or at least more so than when I use my right eye in a more traditional stance.

I never really thought about the subconscious coming into the alignment issue, but maybe thats why, it was all subconscious.

From that stand point and the ghost rings though, with the rifle mounted apertures, you really dont think about it and I suppose it is your subconscious taking over in that respect. For me, I definitely have to focus and concentrate on the same type sight when its on a pistol and so far forward, and thats even before the confusion of what to line up comes in.

[9mmepiphany]

i don't mean to sound condescending or that i'm talking down to you, but if you would like to understand sight alignment at the next level...

go to www.graygunstraining.com, go to the last tab on the right "Dryfire Packet", ping the link and a copy of the packet will be sent to your e-mail. read and enjoy

you're on the verge of of understanding, you have to decide if you want to step across the threshold.

[AK103K]

Thanks, I'll check it out.