I have a Glock 19 and decided to put a flashlight on it, but I also impulse bought some Truglo night sights without thinking about how it much be redundant if I already have a flashlight. Should I bother having the night sights installed anyway? I have the crappy factory sights on right now...
Is it worth getting night sights if I have a flashlight?
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Corpral_Agarn
Member
In short: yes.
Night sights are a good idea because of the flexibility they provide.
and when you are shooting for defense, you cannot afford to not see your sights.
JTQ
Member
Not to me, but I accept others have different needs.
A couple of data points...
Frank Proctor on fiber optic sights https://www.recoilweb.com/a-few-thoughts-on-fiber-optic-sights-and-carrying-a-light-59795.html
Tom Givens -
https://civiliandefender.com/2016/04/01/low-light-red-sights-and-tom-givens-glock-35/
A couple of data points...
Frank Proctor on fiber optic sights https://www.recoilweb.com/a-few-thoughts-on-fiber-optic-sights-and-carrying-a-light-59795.html
Tom Givens -
https://civiliandefender.com/2016/04/01/low-light-red-sights-and-tom-givens-glock-35/
You really cannot afford to not see your target. If your target is sufficiently illuminated to allow identification, then, at worst, conventional sights will be silhouetted against them.
Point a flashlight at a wall in a dark room. Point an unloaded gun at that same wall. You may not be able to see the color of your sights, but their black outlines will be extremely visible.
herrwalther
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Fiber Optic would be more useful with a light. Night sights use tritium to create their own light, while FO sights use ambient light. If you are already using a light on your weapon, you will see FO sights better.
Corpral_Agarn
Member
You're not wrong.
I am just encouraging OP to bring as man advantages/options to a defensive situation as possible.
toivo
Member
It's been said before, but I'll repeat it here: Another advantage of night sights is that they help you find your gun on the nightstand in the dark.
I could be argued that people don't need them, but I haven't heard any compelling arguments that night sights are a bad thing.
I could be argued that people don't need them, but I haven't heard any compelling arguments that night sights are a bad thing.
AlexanderA
Member
Night sights and flashlights address the problem in two entirely different, and contradictory, ways. Night sights let you see the sights, but do nothing about target visibility. A flashlight would illuminate the target, and let you see the outline of the sights against the well-illuminated target, but would make the night sights moot. What I'm saying is that the night sights are negated the moment you turn on the flashlight. This is especially true for dim night sights, such as the ones on the Sig Sauer M17.
earlthegoat2
Member
I think seeing the target is way more important for a practiced shooter. Note practiced shooter. Someone who is familiar with their weapon and is proficient with it will be as likely to hit the target as long as they can see it in an HD situation whether they can see their sights or not. Also note, HD situation, not police duty or armed security or somesuch. In those situations I would think you would want NS because you never know the venue.
At least that is the basket I put my eggs into and Ive practiced it with acceptable results.
If I am waking up to a bump in the night I really don't even need a light as long as I don't lose my night vision if someone else has a light. Since this is a likely scenario, I have a light. I have one Glock 19 with NS and one without. That's just they way they ended up as I bought them that way. I never notice which is which and don't care.
At least that is the basket I put my eggs into and Ive practiced it with acceptable results.
If I am waking up to a bump in the night I really don't even need a light as long as I don't lose my night vision if someone else has a light. Since this is a likely scenario, I have a light. I have one Glock 19 with NS and one without. That's just they way they ended up as I bought them that way. I never notice which is which and don't care.
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Fine Figure of a Man
Member
Yes
shoobe01
Member
Never understood any arguments for night sights being counterproductive, etc. Also IME (and we do a lot of night shooting etc) fiber sights are not remotely illuminated by light shone on the target.
I have tritium on all handguns, most long-guns. Even those with RDS, yes.
Think of what updates are done to day sights: white, or other bright inserts. Fiber. Even before plastics and good paints: the concept of the gold bead. Something to make it attract the eye.
Going back to lining up the silhouette of the irons only once it's night is leaving a lot of speed (or more likely: accuracy) on the table. Get a tritium front (rears much dimmer or not at all) and YES of course always have a light or WML.
I have tritium on all handguns, most long-guns. Even those with RDS, yes.
Think of what updates are done to day sights: white, or other bright inserts. Fiber. Even before plastics and good paints: the concept of the gold bead. Something to make it attract the eye.
Going back to lining up the silhouette of the irons only once it's night is leaving a lot of speed (or more likely: accuracy) on the table. Get a tritium front (rears much dimmer or not at all) and YES of course always have a light or WML.
toivo
Member
Respectfully disagree. A weapon-mounted light shines forward from the muzzle area; the sights are still in semi-darkness. Yes, you can silhouette them against the lighted target, but tritium inserts will give your sights an added degree of visibility, which is never a bad thing.
JTQ
Member
Let me amplify my above post...
While I don't have a need for night sights on my gun, I would definitely change out the factory plastic Glock sights (often affectionally known as dovetail protectors) to something else.
FL-NC
Member
YES. Flashlights can fail. Batteries can die, the light can malfunction/break if the gun is dropped or used as an impact weapon, and shining a light may not always be the best option. Plus, as the OP stated, the factory sights are garbage, so they would be eliminated. I know and respect Frank, and I trained with him, and even trained others beside him. In fact, I even have a set of WOTG sights on my G34 that use for 3G/. multi gun, as well as one of his triggers in that same gun. I guess this is something that Frank and I disagree on.
AlexanderA
Member
Your eyes adjust to the brightest object in your field of vision. (Even more so as you get older.) What this means is that you will see the sights in silhouette against the brightly-lighted target, but you won't see the night-sight dots. The night-sight dots are useful when the whole scene is in semi-darkness, but then you can't be 100% sure of your target.
I would go one further and say that they address different problems.
A WML is a threat engagement tool that allows one the capability to illuminate a target while freeing up a hand that isn't holding a flashlight.
Night sights are tangentially related, allowing one to accurately align their sights in low light. I also just like them for being able to more easily and quickly grab a pistol off the night stand in complete darkness.
True if you arrive at that one very specific point, although having night sights might negate the need for turning on the light in the first place. Or, the night sights can be used to aim without or before the light. For example, a common HD plan is to hunker down in the bedroom. If one becomes aware of an intruder, secures the door, and in darkness lines their sights up on the door, having night sights allows them to aim without the need for a light that could give up their presence or location in the room.
Fine Figure of a Man
Member
Just to elaborate on my own post;
Truglo night sights are $50 on Amazon. Worth getting to replace the plastic dovetail protectors the 19 came with.
nettlle
Contributing Member
I have tritium night sights on one of my pistols but am not a fan of them. I have not, and hope never will, had the need to shoot at night.
I much prefer a fiber optic sight for shooting and fiber optic fronts and a flashlight is much more preferable to me.
Don't like anything, like a mounted light hanging off a gun.
I much prefer a fiber optic sight for shooting and fiber optic fronts and a flashlight is much more preferable to me.
Don't like anything, like a mounted light hanging off a gun.
toivo
Member
Fair enough. But I'm still not convinced that night sights would be a detriment in any way. And if you decided to "go dark" after identifying your target (which is why weapon-mounted lights have the option for momentary switches), night sights would allow you to still see your sight alignment.
Maybe night sights are not the absolute necessity that some people think they are, but I think they still have their uses.
I have all types, and much prefer a green laser vs. night sights or FO sights for low-light conditions. The laser allows me precise aiming while leaving 90% of my concentration for watching what the target is doing. That, to me, in a HD situation, would be the most important thing -- to know what the target is doing, to know IF, God forbid, the trigger MUST be pulled.
I also just enjoy general shooting - targets and plinking - with a green laser. My slow fire target groups are cut approximately in half with a laser vs. iron sights, and at the same time the rate of fire is a bit faster. I went 50 years without a laser, but wouldn't consider having a HD handgun without one now, and tend to want them on some of my range/plinking handguns. That's just me, not a ninja or a professional operator, just a life-long shooter of lots of weapon platforms who finds the laser to be a great aiming device.
I also just enjoy general shooting - targets and plinking - with a green laser. My slow fire target groups are cut approximately in half with a laser vs. iron sights, and at the same time the rate of fire is a bit faster. I went 50 years without a laser, but wouldn't consider having a HD handgun without one now, and tend to want them on some of my range/plinking handguns. That's just me, not a ninja or a professional operator, just a life-long shooter of lots of weapon platforms who finds the laser to be a great aiming device.
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