The Pros and Cons of night-sights...I'm thinking..
- Thread starter BLUEZ4U
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Technosavant
New member
Pros: Gain a sight picture even in the dark. Helps you locate your gun in the dark.
Cons: They're more expensive than normal sights.
And that's pretty much it. While the dots on "normal" hi-viz sights are easier to see in daylight, you're really supposed to line up the sight outlines (the dots, be they hi-viz or night sights are really only for low-light sight pictures where you can't take the time to make out the outlines) for accuracy.
I consider myself in the pro-night sight camp. One of my guns has them, and I'll probably eventually add them to my other two defensive autoloaders (definitely for the house gun, maybe for the P-01).
The only real disadvantage of them I've ever heard was that they can conceivably help a BG locate you in the dark if he sees their glow (won't happen if he is in front of you, might happen from behind).
Cons: They're more expensive than normal sights.
And that's pretty much it. While the dots on "normal" hi-viz sights are easier to see in daylight, you're really supposed to line up the sight outlines (the dots, be they hi-viz or night sights are really only for low-light sight pictures where you can't take the time to make out the outlines) for accuracy.
I consider myself in the pro-night sight camp. One of my guns has them, and I'll probably eventually add them to my other two defensive autoloaders (definitely for the house gun, maybe for the P-01).
The only real disadvantage of them I've ever heard was that they can conceivably help a BG locate you in the dark if he sees their glow (won't happen if he is in front of you, might happen from behind).
Some time back, I toyed with the idea, . . . someone brought up the question on one of the forums, . . . and one of the wise old guys basically opined that if you needed night sights to shoot at the target, . . . it was probably too dark to be sure of your target.
It took me a while to digest and understand what he said, . . . but he did convince me. Because of the prospect of litigation, legal prosecution, personal loss, . . . I want to be ABSOLUTELY sure of what I am shooting at, . . . and I (me, personally, not everyone, everywhere) I just may shoot a bit early if I have night sights and can line up on that shadowed shape I think is a bg.
I have a set of Kings combat sights, . . . yellow dot on front post, . . . back sight is flat black. It works all the way down to low light. If I can determine the target is worth shooting, . . . my sights will show me where to shoot.
May God bless,
Dwight
It took me a while to digest and understand what he said, . . . but he did convince me. Because of the prospect of litigation, legal prosecution, personal loss, . . . I want to be ABSOLUTELY sure of what I am shooting at, . . . and I (me, personally, not everyone, everywhere) I just may shoot a bit early if I have night sights and can line up on that shadowed shape I think is a bg.
I have a set of Kings combat sights, . . . yellow dot on front post, . . . back sight is flat black. It works all the way down to low light. If I can determine the target is worth shooting, . . . my sights will show me where to shoot.
May God bless,
Dwight
chris in va
New member
Well, it's like having normal sights during the day, except you can see them in the dark. Not sure what negatives you're referring to, besides the price.
curmudgeon1
New member
The "Trijicon" sights work very good in the dark. I wish they had made the white circle around them a little wider for daylight use, at least the front sight.
chris in va
New member
Meprolights have bigger white circles.
There are dinosaurs that claim that if it's too dark to see your sights that it's too dark to identify your target. They are plain old fashioned wrong. I respect their right to be wrong... but they are still wrong. There is a reason that pretty much every law enforcement agency of note either uses them or encourages them. That said I wish those who consider them a waste a long life and much happiness, and plenty of light 24/7.
That brings us to the pros. You can quickly line up your sights in low light situations. Situations where you can identify your target but getting a sight picture is tough and might slow things down when slow might become fatally slow. That's enough to save your life.
Cons... Price... How much is your life worth?
That brings us to the pros. You can quickly line up your sights in low light situations. Situations where you can identify your target but getting a sight picture is tough and might slow things down when slow might become fatally slow. That's enough to save your life.
Cons... Price... How much is your life worth?
Double Naught Spy
New member
Wow, given that night sights help you to aim quicker in a low light environment, you would not use them out of fear that you might be inclined to shoot because you had a good sight picture but not a good target picture? No doubt then you should not have them.
Given that a majority of crime happens in low light or night time situations, I am doubting you will be using your gun for self defense then.
You do realize that you can use night sights with a flashlight too, right?
+1
...I'm thinking...I should 'rephrase' LOL
Perhaps a better statement might be: Keeping an open mind to ideas we may not (yet?) agree with allows us to gather more information to be used in making a more informed decision.
I am not convinced that night sights make sense for every civilian 'social' gun.
They may make sense for most if not all LE and/or military firearms.
They may not.
I have been wrong before; I remain open-minded.
Perhaps a better statement might be: Keeping an open mind to ideas we may not (yet?) agree with allows us to gather more information to be used in making a more informed decision.
I am not convinced that night sights make sense for every civilian 'social' gun.
They may make sense for most if not all LE and/or military firearms.
They may not.
I have been wrong before; I remain open-minded.
But those LEO's aren't a civilian with a gun. Those LEO's have to respond to crime calls. Most of which will happen at night. Night sights make perfect sense for them.
But somebody told me once that my personal CCW gun HAD to have night sights. I let him rant on about it for a while until he ran out of air. Then I asked him how night sights were going to help me if I never go to town when it is dark? I'm in and out of town during the day. At night, I'm at home. With my family and my dogs and flashlights and lots of guns. I leave the night life to the young kids who want to drink beer and fight. I'll be at home reading a book!
Gregg
Never say never. Night is night, whether it is in town or inside your home. And what if you absolutely MUST go into town at night because of an emergency? Can you say that will never happen?
Night sights provide a good sight picture whether you are in shadows or if it is dark all around. Better to have and not need, than to need and not have.
Night sights go on all my SD handguns, except for my old j-frame.
You are reaching! You can take any argument to some extreme level. The truth is that I don't go to town when it is dark. True, there could be that one in a thousand chance but the whole chance of needing a gun in the first place is much less than that.
Look, I'm not saying I would take them off a gun or something! But if I'm offered two identical guns, one without NS and one with, and the without is $75 or $100 cheaper, I'm taking the one without NS!
"Nice to have" isn't the same as absolutely necessary!
Gregg
It's called reaching for reasons. By the same token 99% of people will never need a gun. Why waste the money? Of that 1% that find themselves in need a fair portion are going to be either wishing for or thanking god for night sights. But we all have our priorities and the right to spend or not spend money as we choose and those that don't see a need have every right to do without. The reason that I jumped in was I object to the dinos (not singling out any one poster) putting peoples lives at risk by giving silly advice like saying that night sights are useless or a bad idea.
I have them on my Glock. That is where the pro is. The con, I don't have them on anything else. My point, once you have them you become somewhat accustomed to them. They are not addictive or anything, but you become somewhat reliant on them. I do see a tactical advantage to having them. I do also agree that most LEO agencies either have them or recommend them. I guess if you have the extra $$ to spend on your primary carry and don't mind "ruining" the other carries, get the night sights.
Night Sights
I have nothing against the concept of night sights, and have had pistols with many brands. I have yet to have any that were decent sights that you could see in the daylight. I just purchased a Les Baer TRS Commanche w/ NS and they are awful. I'm going to purchase a bottle of model paint and try to correct them.
I much prefer a white bead (or gold) thats a little large. I shoot a lot for accuracy and all the NS's I've had were simply not up to shooting accurately during the day. Just my opinion but they are useless to me.
I have nothing against the concept of night sights, and have had pistols with many brands. I have yet to have any that were decent sights that you could see in the daylight. I just purchased a Les Baer TRS Commanche w/ NS and they are awful. I'm going to purchase a bottle of model paint and try to correct them.
I much prefer a white bead (or gold) thats a little large. I shoot a lot for accuracy and all the NS's I've had were simply not up to shooting accurately during the day. Just my opinion but they are useless to me.
Not wise, and simply not true. Whoever said that, was being flippant and didn't think it through.
There are many situations where you can clearly ID your target, but not make out your sights. What if your target is lit, but you are in the dark? What if it's simply a dreary, cloudy day and you are in a shadow (perhaps in a hallway, or under an overpass), but the BG isn't?
All my CCWs have them. No, not a necessity, but I can afford them so I get them. I also have many more and more expensive guns than I "need".
As far as a con (and a weak maybe at that), I once saw a magazine article that showed what your night sights look like to a person observing you with night vision. The gun was in an open carry holster and the whole right side of the person was lit up. What are the chances of that happening?
I carry my gun IWB and under cover anyway.Not really. The chances of your needing a gun at night with nothing other than very low ambient lighting available are far greater than your needing a gun during the day.
Personally, if I need a gun in that one in a million SD scenario, I prefer to have more of the odds stacked in my favor. The way I see it, if I just spent $400-$800 bucks on a high quality handgun for SD...why not spend the extra eighty bucks for a set of night sights?