Night sites vs. flashlight

[Geronimo2909]

What do you think of night sites for home defense?
Our bedrooms are upstairs in the pitch black, and I keep a main level light on, so I can see who is dowstairs from our stairway. This pitch black stairway is my defensive post, hopefully. My thought is that a flashlight to blind an intruder would take too much time between turning it on and pulling the trigger. Giving an intruder time to get the upper hand. So I am thinking night sites (Trillium or however you spell it) is probably the best option.

What are your thoughts?

Jeff Korhorn

 

[RobHazmat]

What do you think of night sites for home defense?
Our bedrooms are upstairs in the pitch black, and I keep a main level light on, so I can see who is dowstairs from our stairway. This pitch black stairway is my defensive post, hopefully. My thought is that a flashlight to blind an intruder would take too much time between turning it on and pulling the trigger. Giving an intruder time to get the upper hand. So I am thinking night sites (Trillium or however you spell it) is probably the best option.

What are your thoughts?

Jeff Korhorn

Honestly it's whatever you can deploy fast and effectively. If youre going to do night sights, look into night fision night sights. Really great sights and won't break the bank. Better than trijicons.

 

[murphydog]

There is no 100% right or wrong answer, but to me identifying the target takes precedence over sight alignment (tritium inserts or no) in a pitch dark stairwell. Plain black sights will be very visible with a bright light on the intruder and will ensure it is not a family member or guest wandering around your house at night.

Whether you use a separate or mounted light is a matter of training. Good luck in your decision.

 

[THEmodelof1989]

I'm a big supporter of hitting perps with either a very bright light or a very bright strobe light. From my experience both will disorient the perp for long enough to to assess and shoot if needed.

I prefer the strobe, because I feel it is harder for a perp to identify its exact origin.

 

[Mule88]

There can be good and bad with the flashlight. It lets you identify what your aiming at, but also lets the intruder know your location. Your call

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I'll take the flash light.......With NS's are you going to shoot an unknown blob/shape before ID'ing it?......Plus after 1 muzzle flash in the dark you NS's are going to be useless.

 

[spirit4earth]

What's a good, not-too-expensive flashlight with a strobe?

 

[xfarfuldog]

The correct answer is both. Use a flashlight to ID target. Then turn off light, fire and then move sideways. I use fiber optic with tritium sights. Many great options for lights and sights. Most police use Trijicons.

 

[Wee Hooker]

My main home defence pistol is a FS M&P 45. It wears Truglo TFO day/Night sights and a LED light on the rail. This covers all options. I really like the way the light lights up the house/back yard while I keep both hands on the gun.
Everything total cost less than $200 to add on. We'll worth it for me.

 

[The_Truth]

Personally I prefer Tritium Fiber Optic nights sights + an extremely bright flashlight (500 or more lumens) for HD.

 

[RobHazmat]

My main home defence pistol is a FS M&P 45. It wears Truglo TFO day/Night sights and a LED light on the rail. This covers all options. I really like the way the light lights up the house/back yard while I keep both hands on the gun.
Everything total cost less than $200 to add on. We'll worth it for me.

But what light are you running on your handgun?

 

[SoCalDep]

If it's an either/or, I vote light. Are we talking about a hand-helld light or weapon mounted light (WML)? Night sights can benefit a couple things... making it easier to access the pistol in the dark, and assisting with sight alignment in specific lighting conditions. I don't think night sights are necessary and have them on some of my guns but not others.

At minimum I think a hand-held light is a necessity for home defense and concealed carry. For home defense I prefer a WML with a remote pressure switch in concert with a hand-held light.

I highly encourage anyone interested in using a WML to obtain training from a reputable trainer (there are many who "claim" to know how to use them but there's a lot of uneducated opinion being thrown around the industry right now) and low-light classes in general can be very "illuminating".

 

[somorris]

Use a flash light so you can identify your target before shooting.

 

[biku324]

Anything you can see, your target can see as far as night sights are concerned. I had to carry a 4506 with tritium sights for a while - you could see exactly where all of our officers were even on the darkest nights. A flashlight should be held away from you body.

 

[CBStuard]

Laser grips and hand held flashlight.

 

[SAFireman]

I keep a flashlight separate from the firearm. I can point the light at anything or anyone without causing panic and/or alarm. What if that is your family member?

I have guns with night sights and without. The night sights are easier to pick up in dim light, but not a requirement for my purposes.

Good luck.

 

[CB3]

The only reason I would come out of my solid core deadbolted bedroom door would be to . . . Well, I wouldn't. Because my wife and I are going to be fine just staying in the bedroom.

I don't feel the need to shoot people if it's not necessary.

First, my motion sensor lights outdoors would light them up.
Then they would have to get through hardened exterior, deadbolted doors, or windows with safety film.
Then my alarm system would be blaring, clearly announced before they break in with window stickers.
At which point I would turn on the lights in my house from the safety of my bedroom while the dogs go crazy and the police get on their way. Our response time is about three minutes.
Only if they attempted to breach our bedroom door would I start sending 00 buck through the door, even without identifying who is on the other side.

I have straight eight night sights and a light mounted to my bedside pistol and a handheld light with three functions on my nightstand. My Saiga 12 has a 10-round drum and a light on it.

Really, I'm not worried. My layers of defense have so far (30 years) deterred any attempts at gaining entry to our home while we are there or away. There are other measures inside the house to make it difficult to get to anything valuable.

I have the equipment I need to give me options. Even a laser on the shotgun for shooting from the hip.

The possibilities are endless.

 

[Saudade]

I have all three! Three you ask?

I have NS on my Sig, a weapon mounted light (WML with strobe), and a small 200 lumen flashlight. It's way faster to flex my wrist to repoint the flashlight than swing my Sig around. I can also illuminate around corners easier. If I have to drop my flashlight (or toss it as a distraction), I still have my WML. In my home, I generally have some lights on in hallways so I don't think the NS do much for me.

YMMV.

 

[kthom]

I can see well enough about anywhere in my home at night with the main lights out to see a person. But I cannot see that person well enough to identify clearly. I carry a small strong flashlight with me anytime I move through the house at night. Target identification is critical. You don't want to make a mistake with that! I can operate my flashlight with my left hand and my handgun with my right hand while holding them together. My personal protection handguns all have Crimson Trace red lasers (Grips or guards that activate with pressure from my grip. For me, these work much better than night sights, which I used to like before the lasers came along. I pay attention only to my sights if ambient light is sufficient to do that, which means I can also specifically identify the target. No kind of sight can identify the target!!!! There are several methods of deploying both a flashlight and a handgun at the same time. With a bit of practice, you can find a satisfactory way to do that. But I personally do not care to use my handgun as a flashlight holder, which requires me to point a loaded gun any place I wish to illuminate. I can hold the light away from my body at arms length instead of directly in front of my body. I can quickly move the light to the same place as my gun is being held if necessary.

Normally, there is no one inside our home but my wife and I, but I still want to see what I am about to shoot at prior to pulling the trigger!!! I will not shoot at a shadow or silhouette unless it has fired at me!!! And at the distances where that is likely to happen inside my home, I have no problem firing with only one hand if that is necessary.

 

[Grayfox]

I prefer a flashlight. Hand held or weapon mounted makes no difference to me. Step 1: identify the target.

I've never seen much purpose for night sights. If its too dark to see your sights, you're gonna be point shooting anyway. Better to practice that.

 

[double-dipper]

My home defense gun has a Crimson Trace laser. Bad guys move around too so its easy to stay on target.

 

[CB3]

My home defense gun has a Crimson Trace laser. Bad guys move around too so its easy to stay on target.

As long as you know where your target is. A laser or (any) night sights are aiming devices, not locating/identifying devices.

 

[ScaryWoody]

I have night sights on my bedside Glock. Honestly, the best advantage is being able to find it in the pitch black. As for shooting, I prefer my HiViz front on my carry Shield. I pick it up much better. In the dark when coupled with a flash light the spill from the light illuminates the sight.

 

[sodacan]

A flashligt held in the off-hand is my choice. A light on a rail makes a great target for the bad guy. With the light you get a silouette of the sight against the target. IMO, night sight are worthless. Target identification is all that matters.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

...But I personally do not care to use my handgun as a flashlight holder, which requires me to point a loaded gun any place I wish to illuminate. I can hold the light away from my body at arms length instead of directly in front of my body. I can quickly move the light to the same place as my gun is being held if necessary.

In some jurisdictions -- primarily municipalities -- I've heard that it's possible to be charged with assault if you use a weapon-mounted light on another -- perhaps an innocent neighbor who came into your yard (i.e., or any where outside your residence). That may be hearsay, but the threat to another person is implied even if not intended.

I have a TLR-4 (LASER/light combo)on my bedside gun, but I've given serious though to flipping the lever to LASER ONLY... since I also have a bright flashlight.

I don't think there's any easy answer to this question, but if I'm handling the gun INSIDE my home, I'm less worried about it. As was the case cited above by CB3, we have a fairly secure, dead-bolted home -- no kids at home any more, and an alarm system -- and like him I don't really plan to be doing much outside the home with a weapon in hand if I think there's some sort of risk of harm to me or mine... (My thinking is that if I'm out THERE, nobody has MY back. I'll probably stay inside while the police come.)

 

[Real Old Navy]

Strobe flashlight, CT green laser, and TFO sights.

 

[BAM-BAM]

Given we are homeowners not ninja's ........ target/thread identification is step one........ I have two sons age 18 & 21 who are known to come home well after the old man's gone to bed or fallen asleep in my chair!

We have night lights at or near the "choke points" in the house ..... bottom of the stairs, foyer and second floor hall........ these are very useful to the family on a daily basis; and are bright enough to help ID an otherwise "blob in the dark"!

By the bed I keep a;
My PHONE... along with a
1.handgun M&P 9mm with night sights with a Streamlight TLR-3 170 lumens weapons light; as well as a ............
2. Maglite XL50 200 lumen with strobe flashlight......
3. inexpensive Coleman 500 lumen CT-50 flashlight and.............
4. a set of electric earmuffs.

 

[nachogrande]

ANOTHER VOTE FOR BOTH.

You MAY NOT need the flashlight but it is good to have. IMO if you have ID'd the threat & REALLY NEED to shoot it, (AKA a real threat of LIFE, NOT PROPERTY) do so & don't waste time or worry about the flashlight. NOT TOO many lumens for me, as a super bright light reflecting from a wall while still 1/2 asleep will blind me as well as an intruder. LED lit electric outlets & light switches are better than night lights & allow me to see well enough to navigate my house when up @ 4am to hit the head. High lumens outside the house are an different topic.

 

[Smoke]

The only reason I would come out of my solid core deadbolted bedroom door would be to . . . Well, I wouldn't. Because my wife and I are going to be fine just staying in the bedroom.

I don't feel the need to shoot people if it's not necessary.

First, my motion sensor lights outdoors would light them up.
Then they would have to get through hardened exterior, deadbolted doors, or windows with safety film.
Then my alarm system would be blaring, clearly announced before they break in with window stickers.
At which point I would turn on the lights in my house from the safety of my bedroom while the dogs go crazy and the police get on their way. Our response time is about three minutes.
Only if they attempted to breach our bedroom door would I start sending 00 buck through the door, even without identifying who is on the other side.

I have straight eight night sights and a light mounted to my bedside pistol and a handheld light with three functions on my nightstand. My Saiga 12 has a 10-round drum and a light on it.

Really, I'm not worried. My layers of defense have so far (30 years) deterred any attempts at gaining entry to our home while we are there or away. There are other measures inside the house to make it difficult to get to anything valuable.

I have the equipment I need to give me options. Even a laser on the shotgun for shooting from the hip.

The possibilities are endless.

Are we answering the question or bragging about our home defense network?

 

[Smoke]

What's a good, not-too-expensive flashlight with a strobe?

I like the Fenix UC35 but apparently they don't make it any more. So I'd go with a PD35