Night Sights vs. Fiber Optic Sights

[Spartikus]

So after seeing the Hi Viz front sight (that I accidentally ruined trying to install it myself) I'm not totally sold and sure what direction I should go. Not that it was bad but I'm starting to think that I will want sights in low light situations as well as easy to see in the day time. Mainly I will be using my M&P9c for CC and general shooting as well as a home defense weapon.

I will say that I am becoming a pretty huge fan of all black rear sights and fiber optic front sight but that doesn't help me much in low light. Guess I would love to hear some people's thoughts one way or the other as well as some good product suggestions.

P.S. Also probably going to get the new CT Rail Master laser eventually so with that said does that change the potential need for night sights?

 

[Twoboxer]

I have an M&P9 and an SR22 both with RailMasters. They are not useful in medium to bright light outdoor settings. OTOH, I have not found an indoor situation (up to 25 yds) with any kind of lighting where I didn't prefer the laser visibility to iron sights. And in near total darkness, the laser is superior to any IMO.

So with my old eyes, the laser + iron sights of any kind cover all situations for me . . . except a dead battery lol.

 

[mcracco]

I have Trijicon's on 3 of my M&P's and am very happy with them. I shoot IDPA and for low light / day light they are great.

 

[compshootfl]

Get both with Truglo fiber optics w/night sights....problem solved.

 

[Titan]

Get both with Truglo fiber optics w/night sights....problem solved.

I second that.

I have Truglo TFO sights that combine fiber optic with tritium and they are FANTASTIC.

 

[Sauergrapes]

So after seeing the Hi Viz front sight (that I accidentally ruined trying to install it myself) I'm not totally sold and sure what direction I should go. Not that it was bad but I'm starting to think that I will want sights in low light situations as well as easy to see in the day time. Mainly I will be using my M&P9c for CC and general shooting as well as a home defense weapon.

I will say that I am becoming a pretty huge fan of all black rear sights and fiber optic front sight but that doesn't help me much in low light. Guess I would love to hear some people's thoughts one way or the other as well as some good product suggestions.

P.S. Also probably going to get the new CT Rail Master laser eventually so with that said does that change the potential need for night sights?

I have NS on my pro 4.25''. I think they are the perfect blend for day and night. For HD, night sights trump everything IMO.
I'm so intuned to iron sights, lasers just don't interest me. That said, if you can transition between lasers and irons, I guess it would be viable.
I always figured in a SD situation, sights aren't going to matter that much. It's going to be, point and shoot.

 

[bsaz]

Front sights

I did the HiViz front sight mentioned above and am happy with the results. Went to the range yesterday and the results were good after I got accustomed to the new set-up. Read sight is the S&W provided Trijicon night sight. Be sure to get a front sight that is the same height as the one removed unless you are replacing both to match height. I also ordered a LaserMax rod guide laser. I'll let you know how that works out. I had a $120+ free money (not credit) so I went nuts.. nothing ventured nothing gained! It should be here next week. Anxious to try it out with all three barrels.We'll see....

 

[cracker57]

Tru glo TFO's the only thing I don't like about them is its hard to rack the slide with one hand. But they are great for any light.
Cracker57

 

[g_conway]

I have the truglo TFO's on my M&P 40.

They are great.

 

[offensive]

Factory night sights on both my M&P's, TruGlo TFO's on my XDM

 

[Porsche Paul]

What brand are the factory night sights on the Pro?

 

[offensive]

What brand are the factory night sights on the Pro?

I believe Trijcon

 

[Rican219]

Here is my Fiber Optic Sights I had trijicon on my last M&P Compact I just put these on my Shield to try them out.

M&P Shield - HiViz Fiber Optic Sights - YouTube

 

[RussC]

Here is my Fiber Optic Sights I had trijicon on my last M&P Compact I just put these on my Shield to try them out.

M&P Shield - HiViz Fiber Optic Sights - YouTube

I have XD Big Dot. The center has the night sight outer is a big white dot. They work well for me and great as defense sights.

Russ

 

[scooter123]

I second that.

I have Truglo TFO sights that combine fiber optic with tritium and they are FANTASTIC.

I have to disagree with that assesment. I have the Tru Glow TFO's on an XDM and had high hopes that they would be more visible at the indoor ranges that I shoot at. That is not the case, they are in fact LESS visible than the standard 3 dot sights that my XDm was sold with. The problem is that none of the indoor ranges in my area have overhead lighting in the booths, so there is nothing for the fibre optics to work with.

I also have 2 Sig Sauer semi's that came with Meprolight night sights from the factory. A small bit of good news about these particular sights is that there is a reflective white ring surrounding the tritium vials. As a result at the range that has the area behind the firing line brightly lit I can actually see the dots in the sights. However, that doesn't word at the 2 other local ranges that don't have a lot of lighting behind the firing line.

So, what works the best for this age challenged Old Fart. Reflex sights are truly fantastic for indoor ranges but you can become dependent on them. For an iron sight what works the best for me is 3 BIG WHITE DOTS. Those I can see in a wide range of lighting. A very close second is a gold bead Patridge front sight but this setup leaves the rear sight on my 625 invisible.

Now for an old farts opinion on Night Sights. Like I stated earlier I have 2 Sig Sauers that came equipped with night sights and have those TFO's on my XDm. In spite of this I think that Night Sights are pretty much a worthless gimmick. The problem is that I cannot focus on handgun sights anymore in moderate lighting and in the dark I'm nearly blind to small detail at distances under 6 feet. So, when it's dark enough for night sights to be visible I can't see them clearly enough for them to be of any use. Knowing this, and having a distinct loathing for stubbed toes, I keep a couple of CFL bulbs burning 24/7. What I'm saying here is that night sights are a waste of money once your eyes get to the point where you can't see them.

 

[VMaxSplat]

Another vote for TruGlo TFOs. They are great kit, highly recommended.

 

[TRUST8383]

I'm torn about the idea of night sights. Don't get me wrong, I like that I can see them better at the range, indoor and out. But the funny thing is, in a low light situation you want to see what your shooting at. If you use a light, your night sights essentially become black?! That being said, every single pistol i own has tritium sights on them lol.

 

[OMCHamlin]

I put these on my wife's M&P 9c AmeriGlo Weapon Sights | Complete Sets (see SW-433B "Hack") and they look GREAT, fast in an IDPA match, night sight capability, VERY happy with the results (both of us)

 

[dave421]

I have to disagree with that assesment. I have the Tru Glow TFO's on an XDM and had high hopes that they would be more visible at the indoor ranges that I shoot at. That is not the case, they are in fact LESS visible than the standard 3 dot sights that my XDm was sold with. The problem is that none of the indoor ranges in my area have overhead lighting in the booths, so there is nothing for the fibre optics to work with.

I also have 2 Sig Sauer semi's that came with Meprolight night sights from the factory. A small bit of good news about these particular sights is that there is a reflective white ring surrounding the tritium vials. As a result at the range that has the area behind the firing line brightly lit I can actually see the dots in the sights. However, that doesn't word at the 2 other local ranges that don't have a lot of lighting behind the firing line.

So, what works the best for this age challenged Old Fart. Reflex sights are truly fantastic for indoor ranges but you can become dependent on them. For an iron sight what works the best for me is 3 BIG WHITE DOTS. Those I can see in a wide range of lighting. A very close second is a gold bead Patridge front sight but this setup leaves the rear sight on my 625 invisible.

Now for an old farts opinion on Night Sights. Like I stated earlier I have 2 Sig Sauers that came equipped with night sights and have those TFO's on my XDm. In spite of this I think that Night Sights are pretty much a worthless gimmick. The problem is that I cannot focus on handgun sights anymore in moderate lighting and in the dark I'm nearly blind to small detail at distances under 6 feet. So, when it's dark enough for night sights to be visible I can't see them clearly enough for them to be of any use. Knowing this, and having a distinct loathing for stubbed toes, I keep a couple of CFL bulbs burning 24/7. What I'm saying here is that night sights are a waste of money once your eyes get to the point where you can't see them.

I'm afraid that I have to disagree with your assessment as well. TFOs are great in any light. If you have poor eyesight, that's not a problem of the sight. Night Sights are hardly a gimmick any more than eyeglasses are. If they help you to see what you're doing better, they work as advertised. For the majority of people, they DO help you see what you're doing better.

Personally, I've had TFOs and they were great for 3 dot sights. I actually prefer a black rear sight though and have since switched to Warren Tactical front tritium/rear black u-notch and absolutely love them. For me, they're MUCH quicker for acquisition. If you are a 3-dot person, I think the TFOs are a great option for visibility. They're more fragile than I prefer but if it's a nightstand gun or range gun, you probably wouldn't be able to tell a difference.

 

[walkin' trails]

My 45 with 10-8 Performance fiber optics front sight. Although they are completely useless where there is no light available, clean fiber optics do provide some visible reference when there is some light. For real world low/no light encounters, I would recommed using some type of a light, either hand held or weapons mounted anyway... for the simple purpose of identifying what you are engaging in the dark. Even tritium vials tend to not be visible when light is brought into the equation.