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Anyone have experience with the XS sights? Thinking about purchasing some for my M&P compact.
XS Sights???
- Thread starter dnabolster4
- Start date
derrelw
Member
I have a set of the XS "regular" front dot night sights on a Sig Sauer P6 and like them a lot. I prefer the "dot the I" sight systems and the XS set works well for me.
Armed Babysitter
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Here is my take on them. I see many new shooters often referred to as newbs buy them because they are often misrepresented by people online that say you don't have to aim with them, or that aiming is easier. While the latter is somewhat true, the former is not. If you know how to shoot a pistol, the XS big dots or one of the other similar sighting systems out there can make for extremely fast sight alignment and quick first and follow up shots. The same can be done with traditional sights by an experienced shooter.
They are marketed as close proximity defensive sights, which is true, but point shooting at close proximity is possible as well. I have shot a Glock 19 with big dots on a steel plate rack up to 15 yards and they were marginally faster for me than a 3 dot setup. How much? I don't know, we weren't timing ourselves but the sound of lead on steel will tell you when you're going slower or faster. Out at 25 yards, that big golf ball front sight was larger than the entire steel plate, but I still managed to get fast hits on the steel with them at that distance, albeit it with a few random misses thrown in there.
Where that type of sighting system really shines is for someone who is cross dominant. My friend is right handed, left eye dominant and has struggled for years to become a good pistol shooter. He put that set of big dots on his Glock 19 and after a few magazines or so to get used to it and being able to shoot with both eyes open he was shooting that pistol better than he ever had.
While they do allow for faster sight acquisition, proper sight picture, trigger press, and recoil management are still required to shoot them well. They will not make up for improper shooting techniqe and lack of fundamentals, in fact, they will magnify the problems associated with the two. They are not the be all, end all sight system that many will claim they are, nor the total junk that some people claim. They have their place and their purpose, and I see new shooters struggling with them more often than guys who have been around a pistol a while and understand the mechanics of shooting a handgun.
If your goal is tight groupings on paper or you shoot bullseye competition, stick with a traditional sight set up. If you already know the fundamentals, and would like to gain a little speed on target for a carry gun, and can live with your groups opening up a bit on paper while still maintaining good hits COM on a bad guy target, give them a try.
They are great carry sights for an experienced shooter, but even then there will be a transition period to adapt to the new sight picture.
They are marketed as close proximity defensive sights, which is true, but point shooting at close proximity is possible as well. I have shot a Glock 19 with big dots on a steel plate rack up to 15 yards and they were marginally faster for me than a 3 dot setup. How much? I don't know, we weren't timing ourselves but the sound of lead on steel will tell you when you're going slower or faster. Out at 25 yards, that big golf ball front sight was larger than the entire steel plate, but I still managed to get fast hits on the steel with them at that distance, albeit it with a few random misses thrown in there.
Where that type of sighting system really shines is for someone who is cross dominant. My friend is right handed, left eye dominant and has struggled for years to become a good pistol shooter. He put that set of big dots on his Glock 19 and after a few magazines or so to get used to it and being able to shoot with both eyes open he was shooting that pistol better than he ever had.
While they do allow for faster sight acquisition, proper sight picture, trigger press, and recoil management are still required to shoot them well. They will not make up for improper shooting techniqe and lack of fundamentals, in fact, they will magnify the problems associated with the two. They are not the be all, end all sight system that many will claim they are, nor the total junk that some people claim. They have their place and their purpose, and I see new shooters struggling with them more often than guys who have been around a pistol a while and understand the mechanics of shooting a handgun.
If your goal is tight groupings on paper or you shoot bullseye competition, stick with a traditional sight set up. If you already know the fundamentals, and would like to gain a little speed on target for a carry gun, and can live with your groups opening up a bit on paper while still maintaining good hits COM on a bad guy target, give them a try.
They are great carry sights for an experienced shooter, but even then there will be a transition period to adapt to the new sight picture.
OKFC05
Member
No offense to the people that like them, but since I spent a lot of time and money getting good at point shooting, I personally would not have a set of XS sights. Yes, I have tried them.
At the short range where they are most useful, I'm looking over the gun anyway, and beyond 10 yds, they are too large for precise aiming. I much prefer FO sights for flash sight pictures. For carry, there is always the Tru Glo option of FO and night sights combined.
At the short range where they are most useful, I'm looking over the gun anyway, and beyond 10 yds, they are too large for precise aiming. I much prefer FO sights for flash sight pictures. For carry, there is always the Tru Glo option of FO and night sights combined.
