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MartyZ

Best sights for carry guns

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I would like everyone's opinion on best sights for carry guns.

Standard white dot? Tritium same color? Tritium different colors? fiber optic? etc...

Thinking about changing the sights on my P30SK from the factory illuminated sights. I'm thinking that in a self defense situation I won't have time to charge the factory sights

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Honestly I don't differentiate between a "carry gun" and the others I have.  I change (or keep) the sights based on what works best for my eyes, not based on whether it's a "carry gun" or not.

I didn't like the stock sights on my Glock so I changed them out for a green fiber optic.

The stock sights on my compact 9mm and my revolver are fine, so I didn't change them.

I have a full size 9mm that I use for action shooting that I used bright nail polish on the front sight to help with visibility.

Your eyes are different than mine, so it's difficult for me to recommend what's best for you.

I've never fired a P30SK, but from the pictures it looks like the sights are the same as my action gun, so I'd probably put hot red nail polish on the front sight over the stock white dot and call it a day.

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1 minute ago, 124gr9mm said:

Honestly I don't differentiate between a "carry gun" and the others I have.  I change (or keep) the sights based on what works best for my eyes, not based on whether it's a "carry gun" or not.

I didn't like the stock sights on my Glock so I changed them out for a green fiber optic.

The stock sights on my compact 9mm and my revolver are fine, so I didn't change them.

I have a full size 9mm that I use for action shooting that I used bright nail polish on the front sight to help with visibility.

Your eyes are different than mine, so it's difficult for me to recommend what's best for you.

I've never fired a P30SK, but from the pictures it looks like the sights are the same as my action gun, so I'd probably put hot red nail polish on the front sight over the stock white dot and call it a day.

I'm fine with my sights for day shooting. I have the same sights on my VP9 and I like them. What I was thinking about is I had to use it for low light situations. The stock sights are photoluminescent, meaning you have to "charge" them with an external light source to get them to glow in the dark. In a self defense scenario, "charging" the sights will be impossible.

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19 minutes ago, MartyZ said:

The stock sights are photoluminescent, meaning you have to "charge" them with an external light source to get them to glow in the dark. In a self defense scenario, "charging" the sights will be impossible.

Yeah, that's definitely a limitation.

Maybe put a light on it?

 

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I am not a big fan of night sights. Do they let you align the front a rear sights better in low/no light situations? Sure.

However, they do nothing to help with the 3rd element of a sight picture - the target. If you can't positively identify your target, should you really be shooting at it?

This is a crappy picture of a set of Ameriglo sights in low light - sorry I just don't know how to take a good picture with no light. However, as you can see the front and rear sights are visible.

893940872_nightsightsnoflashlight.jpg.601f934da1e83a25d83bf7720cf6d1d2.jpg

When I add a flashlight the dots on the sights start to get washed out and sight alignment is most easily achieved using the outline of the sights. The flashlight is a Fenix PD40R set to 350 lumens.

 

1012676612_nightsightswithflashlight.jpg.8dd68c2a9823f5f2e5ad6d1e156b90b2.jpg

 

Turning the light up to 1000 lumens the Ameriglo dots are completely washed out. Is there really any point in having them at all?

1203545970_nightsightswithflashlight1000.jpg.ffe9faa340c93c28c1fa00454fbdde70.jpg

 

The final picture is a set of Dawson Precision sights with a red fiber optic on the front and a plain black rear with the flashlight set to 350 lumens. As you can see, there is no discernable difference between the two sight pictures with the light set to 350 lumens.

1891549775_fiber-blackwithflashlight.jpg.9b32b743de91bc67190e70ec7e23053b.jpg

 

I run the Dawson Precision red fiber front & plain black rear on all my match guns. It is a consistent sight set that I am very used to. Using the same set up on the guns I carry works best for me. A familiar, consistent sight picture can be argued as bringing some value. Glowing sights that don't do anything functionally at the time of being used are pointless IMO.

Additionally, the front sight, in order to be able to accommodate the tritium vial, is typically never less than 140-150 thousandths of an inch wide. I much prefer a narrower front sight and ditching the tritium and going with a fiber front allows the front sight to be 100-105 thou wide.

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1 minute ago, Mr.Stu said:

I am not a big fan of night sights. Do they let you align the front a rear sights better in low/no light situations? Sure.

However, they do nothing to help with the 3rd element of a sight picture - the target. If you can't positively identify your target, should you really be shooting at it?

This is a crappy picture of a set of Ameriglo sights in low light - sorry I just don't know how to take a good picture with no light. However, as you can see the front and rear sights are visible.

893940872_nightsightsnoflashlight.jpg.601f934da1e83a25d83bf7720cf6d1d2.jpg

When I add a flashlight the dots on the sights start to get washed out and sight alignment is most easily achieved using the outline of the sights. The flashlight is a Fenix PD40R set to 350 lumens.

 

1012676612_nightsightswithflashlight.jpg.8dd68c2a9823f5f2e5ad6d1e156b90b2.jpg

 

Turning the light up to 1000 lumens the Ameriglo dots are completely washed out. Is there really any point in having them at all?

1203545970_nightsightswithflashlight1000.jpg.ffe9faa340c93c28c1fa00454fbdde70.jpg

 

The final picture is a set of Dawson Precision sights with a red fiber optic on the front and a plain black rear with the flashlight set to 350 lumens. As you can see, there is no discernable difference between the two sight pictures with the light set to 350 lumens.

1891549775_fiber-blackwithflashlight.jpg.9b32b743de91bc67190e70ec7e23053b.jpg

 

I run the Dawson Precision red fiber front & plain black rear on all my match guns. It is a consistent sight set that I am very used to. Using the same set up on the guns I carry works best for me. A familiar, consistent sight picture can be argued as bringing some value. Glowing sights that don't do anything functionally at the time of being used are pointless IMO.

Additionally, the front sight, in order to be able to accommodate the tritium vial, is typically never less than 140-150 thousandths of an inch wide. I much prefer a narrower front sight and ditching the tritium and going with a fiber front allows the front sight to be 100-105 thou wide.

So you are saying that the use of a wml makes tritium sights useless in low light since they are washed out? If that is the case then I see no reason to upgrade. Thanks. so do you suggest practicing with some tape on the dots to simulate a silhouetted sight for low light shooting?

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12 minutes ago, MartyZ said:

a wml lets me see a silhouette of the sights, but not the front dot.

I think you have to accept that low light conditions present a challenge and prepare/train for them.

I'm fortunate that I'm a member of a private range, so I occasionally turn the lights off to simulate night/low light conditions (there's enough ambient light from the ready room so I can safely see what I'm doing).

I've practiced that way with a WML, flashlight in my hand, and no lights.

I don't think the 'perfect' sights for all scenarios exists, so train with what works best for you, then practice, practice, practice...

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2 minutes ago, MartyZ said:

So you are saying that the use of a wml makes tritium sights useless in low light since they are washed out? If that is the case then I see no reason to upgrade. Thanks. so do you suggest practicing with some tape on the dots to simulate a silhouetted sight for low light shooting?

For me, dots on the rear sight serve only to distract me from the dot on the front sight. Lining up 3 dots never worked for me so if it were my gun, at the very least I would black out the rear dots completely.

As for practicing for low light the best thing you could do would be to shoot in low light. However, having access to a range where you can do that is problematic. What you can do is low light dryfire. You training objective for this is to activate your WML and acquire a sight picture under low light. What follows from that - firing a shot - is no different whether the lights are on or not.

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13 minutes ago, ESB said:

Red Dot Sight.  At the CCW quals I went to, the only people to have tight groups where those with RDS.  Also RDS works well in low light conditions.  

 

You can't buy skill. RDS are no more precise or accurate than iron sights on a handgun.

They also have the limitation, that if you don't have a vice like grip, you will lose sight of the dot during recoil.

Also, if you set the dot bright enough for sunlight, it's going to be way too bright in low light. Can you still shoot with an overly bright dot? Sure, you can, but your sight picture is not going to be as precise as normal lighting because of the flare coming off the dot, obliterating your view of the target.

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My Crimson Trace CT-1500 RDS automatically turns on and adjust to light. 

I find follow up shots with my RDS are far quicker and more accurate than with my iron sights.  It took me a while to initially find my Red Dot upon initial presentation, much longer than I was at acquiring a good sight picture with iron sights, but with a lot of practice I'm now pretty quick with it and usually about on par with getting on target with iron sights.  But to your point, both require practice!  

 

 

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