Night Sights: actually useful, or gimmicky?

[varoadking]

...in a defensive situation maybe you should be retreating or avoiding.

Viable options...IF the opportunity presents itself.

 

[BADUNAME13]

Night sights are fine, but remember they are only good for one shot. In low light condition the muzzle blast will ruin your night vision after the first shot.
Nah, they will still help some. Sides, that first shot is THE most important.
If you really, really have that much time to aim with sites in a defensive situation maybe you should be retreating or avoiding.

Or maby not.

Some of us live in state where we are NOT required by the government to run out the back door of our home abandoning our worldly possessions to any thug who wants to break in our front door.

If you come through that door. I will be in fear of my life, and will do my best to see that you are carried out of it.

Also your second statement shows a lack of knowledge about both shooting or self defense situation.

Aiming (Expecially with night sites... which make aiming faster) takes less time than turning, let alone attempting to run away from someone who does not haveto change directions, may be faster than you, already moving etc...

In short your second comment is not only moronic, but ignores the laws of Physics.

 

[rellascout]

Some of us live in state where we are NOT required by the government to run out the back door of our home abandoning our worldly possessions to any thug who wants to break in our front door.

If you come through that door. I will be in fear of my life, and will do my best to see that you are carried out of it.

Also your second statement shows a lack of knowledge about both shooting or self defense situation.

Aiming (Expecially with night sites... which make aiming faster) takes less time than turning, let alone attempting to run away from someone who does not haveto change directions, may be faster than you, already moving etc...

In short your second comment is not only moronic, but ignores the laws of Physics.

Did you thump your chest after you typed this?

Declaring for all on the internet your intention to kill any and all intruders is not a smart move IMHO.

This is still the High Road right?

 

[fastbolt]

Night sights are fine, but remember they are only good for one shot. In low light condition the muzzle blast will ruin your night vision after the first shot.

I've had a different experience. Whenever I do low light/reduced light night shooting my vision isn't affected to the point where I loose the ability to easily see my night sights.

Even when I've been shooting in strong moonlight, meaning strong enough to see the threat target, I've still been able to retain sight of the night sights and my eyes are closer to 60 than 50 years old.

Now, I'm just talking about my pistols chambered in 9mm, .40 S&W & .45 ACP, and my M&P 340 J-frame when shooting .38 Spl +P.

Also, most of the ammunition I use on the range is duty-type ammunition that has a reduced muzzle flash signature.

If I were to use my .357 Magnum or .44 Magnum revolvers, perhaps the typical beach ball size muzzle blasts might have more of an effect.

I'd also suspect that this effect may vary from one shooter/gun/ammunition/night sights combination to another ...

 

[BADUNAME13]

Did you thump your chest after you typed this?

Declaring for all on the internet your intention to kill any and all intruders is not a smart move IMHO.

This is still the High Road right?

No, actually. I did the dishes.

And you might want to work on your reading comprehension. What I said was:

If you come through that door. I will be in fear of my life, and will do my best to see that you are carried out of it.

Please enlighten me as to how defending yourself from someone who would wish to do your harm is morality reprehensible?

As for 'being a smart move'... that would be why the boldened qualifier is in there. Everything i have said is legally and morally defendable, thank you for your concern.

 

[357SIG]

My head hurts after reading this thread. I must have lost some brain cells.

I have to ask, does anyone actually have any practical experience with this subject, or are we just using deductive reasoning to make comments?

Fastbolt, I seem to agree with you 99.9% of the time when you post, and this is one of those times.

 

[rellascout]

Please enlighten me as to how defending yourself from someone who would wish to do your harm is morality reprehensible?

As for 'being a smart move'... that would be why the boldened qualifier is in there. Everything i have said is legally and morally defendable, thank you for your concern.

Read your own statement. Read it from a perspective that might not be yours.

If you come through that door. I will be in fear of my life, and will do my best to see that you are carried out of it.

You are declaring your pre-determined intent to kill any "perceived attacker" to the world. Hope that never comes back to bite you in the ass. To me that those are words which can and will be used against you in a court of law if you ever find yourself in a position of defending a self defense shooting. YMMV. In the end I its your neck in the noose so proceed as you see fit.

The the OP they are okay to have but IMHO not a absolute necessity. There are pros and cons to any piece of equipment. Choose what you are comfortable with and train accordingly.

 

[BADUNAME13]

I have, and I have checked with Lawyers on several occasions.

If you are in fear of your life...

Your arguement is JUST like those arguements about 'using an evil weapon' for personal defense.

FAILS when real world statistics come into play.

A good shoot, is a good shoot.

No matter what you are using or your mindset. And you are (Atleast here in the free south) allowed to defend yourself from those who place it in danger.
End of story.

I would say (Since you may be concerned) that my military training, and many shooting classes and such... would do more to do any 'case' for what you are concerned about ANYWAY.

ETA: BTW, I never said "kill" you did. I said 'carried out' as I preach... you are shooting to STOP.

 

[Steve C]

I used to be in the camp that didn't think much of night sights but a few years ago I had a set put on my Glock 19 at a gun show for a very reasonable price just to give them a try. They changed my mind regarding their utility and find they're a good investment for a self defense pistol that may be used in low light conditions.

While you may not use sights in some self defense situations there are plenty of others that being able to see your sights is very useful. They're really helpful in situations where your sights are not illuminated, for example a back lit target. Such conditions could easily exist in a home defense situation or even a night time encounter where you have the opportunity to use the concealment of the dark while an opponent may be partial lit or back lit.

You can train shooting back lit targets with standard sights by squiring your sight picture in the light to the side of target and then moving it to the target, but the sights disappear. With the night sights they're always there.

 

[orionengnr]

Well, I have night sights on nearly all my carry guns (working on the rest), and CT lasers on a few (working on that too).

A tool unused is no big deal.

A tool unavailable...may be the difference between discussing it later, and having your survivors discuss it at your wake.

Over-dramatic? Perhaps. If I never use any of mne, I will be happy. But I practice with all of my available tools.

 

[gym]

Here is my take, it's easier to find your gun in pitch darkness, like in the bedroom. I only use the front sight in close quarter combat, so I put only a front ns on my glock that sits by the bed. As far as the rest, most add ons can be debated either way with dilligance, and a good talker can convince you either wAy. I like them for that main reason if I can get my front sight on the target there is a good chance I will hit it, either moving or standing still. And if you should drop or get the pistol knocked out of your hand, your odds are better in locaing it fast. I am not turning on lights if someone enters my home. I know where my wife is and she knows what I am going to do, and where to go.That "fromt sight" training facility didn't just pick that name out of a hat. My advice put one on your night time carry and bedside pistol.

 

[FatPants]

Night sights are fine, but remember they are only good for one shot. In low light condition the muzzle blast will ruin your night vision after the first shot.

If you really, really have that much time to aim with sites in a defensive situation maybe you should be retreating or avoiding.

I dont know what kind of flame thrower you are shooting, but I have shot many dark (and I mean DARK) IDPA matches, and I think this argument is very much flawed. Muzzle flash in my experience is so fast that it really does not effect night vision at all.

 

[easyg]

Night sights are okay, but certainly not a must have item.

Folks were successfully shooting other folks, in the dark, long before night sights were invented.

In the Army we did plenty of night fire exercises, and we hit targets hundreds of meters out and we didn't have night sights on our rifles.

And unless you're in Iraq or Afghanistan, your attacker is most likely going to be within spitting distance when you shoot.
People generally don't get robbed, mugged, assaulted, or raped from 50 meters away.

I'm not against night sights by any means, but I think that the gun industry often pushes equipment that is unnecessary for most folks.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

Let's see... I have:

XS Sight Systems 24/7 Big Dot tritium night sights on my Glock 19

XS Sight Systems 24/7 Big Dot Tritium rifle night sights on my Remington 870.

XS Sight Systems 24/7 tritium stripe front sight on my M4s.

Prior to this I had MMC multi-color 3 dot tritium night sights on my Beretta 96, which I carried on police patrol.

I've trained and operated extensively at night (including drawing down on bad guys) and I believe tritium night sights provide a great value for aiming a defense gun in low-light/no-light conditions.

 

[Lonestar49]

...

I wouldn't consider them a gimmick, in that, as mentioned many times, IF one finds himself in a HD or SD need in very low to dark conditions and has practiced point-shooting, both eyes open, having a "fast" sure way to see the front/sight and taking from it, one's, actual, muzzle direction, can aid a shooter very quickly without actually sighting, but, rather, having a quick reference point for more, point shooting, accuracy..

OMMV,


Ls

 

[JohnBiltz]

In the Army we did plenty of night fire exercises, and we hit targets hundreds of meters out and we didn't have night sights on our rifles.

I have to say I don't remember hitting targets at hundreds of yards at night unless we had a lot of illumination rounds being fired in support or night vision equipment and I was a grunt for 20 years. The military has gone for red dots in a big way and one of the big reasons is improved night shooting.

 

[easyg]

In the Army we did plenty of night fire exercises, and we hit targets hundreds of meters out and we didn't have night sights on our rifles.

I have to say I don't remember hitting targets at hundreds of yards at night unless we had a lot of illumination rounds being fired in support or night vision equipment and I was a grunt for 20 years.

Illumination rounds would defeat night vision goggles back when I served.
So "a lot of illumination rounds" + "night vision equipment" = no vision back in 1986.
And illumination rounds are a double-edged sword, it cuts both ways....it illuminates the enemy, but it also illuminates you.

No, we did plenty of night fire without illumination rounds and without night vision goggles.
And even night fire in MOPP4 (accuracy was laughable).

I served from 1986 to 1992.
9th ID, 2nd ID, and the 101st Airborne Div. (AASLT)

 

[JohnBiltz]

If you go back and look I did not say night vision and illum, I said night vision or illum. If I remember right the old qualification for night shooting was done at 50 meters.

Quote:
Quote:
In the Army we did plenty of night fire exercises, and we hit targets hundreds of meters out and we didn't have night sights on our rifles.
I have to say I don't remember hitting targets at hundreds of yards at night unless we had a lot of illumination rounds being fired in support or night vision equipment and I was a grunt for 20 years.
Illumination rounds would defeat night vision goggles back when I served.
So "a lot of illumination rounds" + "night vision equipment" = no vision back in 1986.
And illumination rounds are a double-edged sword, it cuts both ways....it illuminates the enemy, but it also illuminates you.

No, we did plenty of night fire without illumination rounds and without night vision goggles.
And even night fire in MOPP4 (accuracy was laughable).

I served from 1986 to 1992.
9th ID, 2nd ID, and the 101st Airborne Div. (AASLT)

 

[oldbanjo]

I did a lot of reading, on this site, before I got a Tritium sight for my PGO. It really is amazing, in total darkness, you always can tell where your barrel is pointed. You could loose power for a few days, due to a wreak or storm. Believe me the Night Sights are very nice to have, in that situation. What's not High Road about saying you would kill someone that you felt was threatening your life. If someone brakes in my House they have made a fatal mistake.....

 

[frankd1279]

To tell ya the truth, I've gone with the Tru-Glo sights on a number of my Glocks & they work great! They're fiber optic with a tritium insert. In daylight or indoors, they glow from the fiber optic. In the dark, the tritium takes over. The front is green & the rear are yellow. They pick up really quick, especially in daylight. Price is around $130.00 depending n the gun.

 

[easyg]

If you go back and look I did not say night vision and illum, I said night vision or illum.

Ah, I see.

If I remember right the old qualification for night shooting was done at 50 meters.

Yep, you remember rightly.
But I'm not talking about qualification.
Surely you guys did night fire exercises in prep for a an NTC rotation or such?
We did so out in Yakima both years that I was at Ft. Lewis before we went down to Irwin.

 

[JohnBiltz]

Surely you guys did night fire exercises in prep for a an NTC rotation or such?
We did so out in Yakima both years that I was at Ft. Lewis before we went down to Irwin.

I never went to the NTC, hard to believe I know but I did the light Infantry one in Arkansas twice, we were there when Desert Storm kicked off. We did a lot of live fire exercises and used illum for shooting even night vision breaks down after a few hundred meters for shooting or at least it did with older generations. The trick with illum was to put it so it was behind the enemy when you were in defense and time it to your advantage when in an assault. Besides in an attack if you are not using it the enemy probably is and either way if illum is up you might as well use it.

 

[Magichelmt]

Recently our local IDPA group has been shooting outdoor night shoots. We wil run a course with difused lights from a generator and then shut them down and shoot the course again with hand held flashlights. This has been an eye opening expiriance for me. I am using an M&P Pro with the fiber optic sight. Trying to shoot with a flashlight takes some getting used to. Holding the light under the gun with my weak hand, I see the fiber sight in the muzzle flash and then loose it in the dark. I tried holding it behind the gun lighting the target and the sights and could not get used to it in one match. I used one of the other guys M&P Pro 4" with the night sights the other night and what a difference. I could see the value in the front sight being a diferent color than the rears, but I will be putting night sights on my carry gun.