Night Sights?

[Frogwalking]

I have two .45 acp. hand guns (one of which is a S&W 1911). The other is a Sig p220 dak. I am considering buying night sights for the Sig for home defense use. The sig is easier to rack, and seems absolutely reliable. I have neuropathy, which makes the S&W harder for me to operate under pressure.

From the information I have gathered on-line, the Trijion sights appear to be a good choice.

I will need a #8 front and rear as the gun shot low with the standard factory #6 front site.). I bought a used #8 front sight from Numrich for pocket change, and the lower height is better. My Sig is about 15 years old (I bought used) and it's factory night sights are quite dim, and of little or no use in the dark. What is your experience with night sights, including brand? Are they really helpful at 30 ft in the dark for a defense situation?

I shoot often, and could probably make an intruder's life miserable in the dark with no sights. but why not do everything to make the odds better ? I am not interested in laser sights; been there, done that.

Thanks,

Frog

(I know you know what these guns look like, but a post with pictures is more interesting.)

 

[URIT]

I'd rather depend on nightlights strategically placed to my advantage in identifying an intruder than depending on night sights on a gun locked away in the dark for days.

I can just imagine an attorney taking shots in the dark at you in court following a shooting incident.

Remember, your defense shooting doesn't end at the scene, and you may have to defend yourself in criminal and civil courts.

I don't own a Sig so I'll let others who do speak to the best choices for your pistol.

 

[ContinentalOp]

I think I'm in the minority camp, in that I think night sights can be useful under some situations, but I wouldn't consider them essential. I think it's more important to be able to identify your target.

I do have a tritium front sight and plain black sights on my Beretta PX4 Compact, but I have to admit the main reason I got them was because of the rear sight's profile, which makes it a bit easier to rack the slide one-handed if that should be necessary. I also wanted to try the tritium front/plain black rear combo.

I like Ameriglo sights. They offer a lot of options, and I'm sure if you go through their website you should be able to find something that will suit your needs. I have the Compact Carry sights on my gun, and I believe Ameriglo's Hackathorn sights are similar, with a tritium dot surrounded by flourescent orange on the front sight and plain black rear sights. So far they've worked well in a variety of lighting conditions for me.

FWIW, I painted the sights on my 642-1 black, and I used a black Sharpie to cover up the dead tritium inserts on my Beretta 92FS. Both guns have served in the HD role for me, with a flashlight on my nightstand. And even though my PX4 has night sights, I still keep a flashlight on my nightstand.

 

[IAhunter]

I have carried pistols with nite sights for just about 25 years. Trust me, with proper training nite sights are very useful.

 

[Gunna1day]

My Coonan .357 mag come with trijicon night sights. I don't use them in the dark but I was surprised how bright they are. Not cheap to buy from memory.

 

[Oscar Zulu]

I have three revolvers with front only night sights. And a few semi autos with full sets. I am really starting to prefer front night sights only.
Oscar Zulu

 

[fredj338]

I like night sights on a defensive pistol. It allows more precise shooting in low light when no flashlight is available. I prefer Heini Straight 8 on my guns.

 

[Racer X]

you might be able to get your night sights relamped reasonably priced if you can identify the maker.

 

[Rastoff]

My spin on night sights is that they're OK, but certainly not necessary. Regular sights with white dots for easier acquisition work for me.

The idea is that if it's light enough to positively identify the threat, it's light enough to see the sights.

 

[Wise_A]

If it's too dark to see the sights, how are you IDing the target?

 

[chief38]

I just recently bought a Sig P365 that came with Night Sights and that is my first set I've ever owned. While the sights on the Pistol are excellent, I would not have purposely installed the night sights had they not come standard. If heaven forbid, I ever need to shoot someone, I want to make sure I am shooting the right person! Shooting at a person in a place dark enough to need night sights is a huge dilemma, to say the least and I hope I am never in that position!

That said, they do glow nicely - as unlikely as it would be that I'd ever use them.

 

[JayFramer]

I dig nighters.

 

[Frogwalking]

Thanks. Please keep the comments coming.

 

[keith44spl]

I personally use tritium inserted sights on my defense sidearms.

I can see them in low light without my spectacles.

.

 

[SMSgt]

I've found I can see the dayglo-orange paint on my sights in any light where I can see the target. If it's too dark to see one, it's too dark to see the other.

 

[Protected One]

When I went to have night sights installed on my home defense gun, the armorer let me into his dark room to see Trijicon and Tru Glo sights side by side on pistols in TOTAL darkness.

The choice (for me) was obvious... Tru Glo, front and rear.

 

[Murdock]

The night sights on my Kimber Desert Warrior were nice while they lasted. Their best feature was letting me know exactly where the pistol was in in a dark room when I was not holding it or wearing it, like on a night stand.

If it was dark enough for them to be truly needed to shoot accurately, then the light mounted on the pistol -- when energized -- made the sights stand out quite well in sillouette, and completely obviated the need for night sights. I do not recall the tritium in the nights sights being apparent at all when I ran the Terminator at Thunder Ranch. The weapon mounted light was critical, however.

Sending the slide back to Kimber for replacement of the now dimmed night sights is going to cost at least $150. I don't know if I will bother.

If the weapon you are considering has no provision to mount a light, buy a good, hand-held tactical flashlight before you invest in a set of night sights.
Heed previous posters who stress the need to identify the target. Night sights won't help you to do that.

 

[Protected One]

If it's too dark to see the sights, how are you IDing the target?

That's not a concern for everyone. For example: My wife and I have no one living with us and NO ONE else has a key or permission to enter our home. Therefore, anyone we find in our home in the dark of night doesn't need to be identified if I see them...but I do need to know that my front sight is on them.

 

[diyj98]

I've got a few guns with night sights, but that's just because it's the way they came. I like them, but haven't ever bothered installing them on guns that didn't already have them. I figure if I'm shooting at night, it's going to be point blank range where I probably wouldn't even be using the sights anyway.

 

[brucev]

Bought a Sig P-226 Legion in July. Simply excellent. Night sights are outstanding. Have fired at least 1,200 rounds through this pistol. Simply perfect function. Very excellent accuracy. Even w/ arthritic pain in my hands and glaucoma I can manage to keep everything mostly in the X/10 ring of a B-27 out to 20 yds. (which is the limit of the range currently available to me). It is remarkable how well one can aim this pistol in low light/dark conditions using the night sights. Well worth the money. Sincerely. bruce.