Why Not Ghost-Ring Sight for Handguns?
- Thread starter Fremmer
- Start date
They do make them. I've heard they are pretty fast from one or two, but I've never used them. http://www.entreprise.com/ghost_ring.htm
Last edited:
Mike Irwin
Staff
I have used a ghost ring rig for a pin gun.
It was fast, and I liked it quite a bit.
But, it was quite a bit bulkier than a standard sight set up, so its applications outside of competition I think are very limited.
It was fast, and I liked it quite a bit.
But, it was quite a bit bulkier than a standard sight set up, so its applications outside of competition I think are very limited.
carguychris
New member
In addition to what's already been said:
1) If you make the ring big enough to be visible, it will also be big enough to seriously snag on clothing in a CCW quick-draw situation. (This is admittedly a problem with many conventional notch-style adjustable revolver sights too, but it would be worse with a ghost ring becuase it would stick up farther.)
2) Ghost rings require too much concentration and time to use in combat shooting. Notch-style or 3-dot sights can be lined up faster, even if they're just being roughly lined up in a quasi-point-shooting SD scenario.
3) Most handgun shooting is done at ranges so close that the added precision would be of little benefit.
All that said, I could see them being useful for handgun hunting with a long-barrelled revolver because the guns have a longer sight radius, ranges are generally longer than in combat shooting, and the ability to aim quickly is less critical. However, since American rifle hunters traditionally prefer optical sights to complex open sights (just look at the racks and racks of scopes at your local sporting goods store), the gunmakers would probably hesitate to offer a ghost ring on a production handgun when they can just slap on a scope rail instead.
1) If you make the ring big enough to be visible, it will also be big enough to seriously snag on clothing in a CCW quick-draw situation. (This is admittedly a problem with many conventional notch-style adjustable revolver sights too, but it would be worse with a ghost ring becuase it would stick up farther.)
2) Ghost rings require too much concentration and time to use in combat shooting. Notch-style or 3-dot sights can be lined up faster, even if they're just being roughly lined up in a quasi-point-shooting SD scenario.
3) Most handgun shooting is done at ranges so close that the added precision would be of little benefit.
All that said, I could see them being useful for handgun hunting with a long-barrelled revolver because the guns have a longer sight radius, ranges are generally longer than in combat shooting, and the ability to aim quickly is less critical. However, since American rifle hunters traditionally prefer optical sights to complex open sights (just look at the racks and racks of scopes at your local sporting goods store), the gunmakers would probably hesitate to offer a ghost ring on a production handgun when they can just slap on a scope rail instead.
chris in va
New member
Sounds like the same situation with the Wilson Firesights I had on my SKS. The ring was too far away to really make a difference, and it would be about the same distance away with a handgun.
I'd rather have a laser before getting something like this.
I'd rather have a laser before getting something like this.
Yes I think it would really suck on a handgun, the makers should explain their idea and see if it holds up to scrutiny. Does work on rifles, but I have a Japanese type 99 that has a peep type rear sight that is pretty far forward, ahead of the receiver like a standard sight. And the front sight is a sort of narrow pyramid shape. However, I did find that it worked OK for me on bullseye black targets, even though it is not at all like on my US GI rifles.
Dewatts47, have you ever used them before, i have and find them amazingly fast, tho, addmitably never on ahand gun. If i ever get a pistol i dont give a crap about ill put some on and see.
Its amazing that someone with 1800 posts can only come up with one sentance that adds nothing to the posts at all.
I shot a older pump style rifle in .44mag, and it has a ghost ringh sight on it, and i found it to be damn fast as well.
Its amazing that someone with 1800 posts can only come up with one sentance that adds nothing to the posts at all.
I shot a older pump style rifle in .44mag, and it has a ghost ringh sight on it, and i found it to be damn fast as well.
a different experience
My personal 'social' 1911 wears a Caspian ghost-ring blade in a BoMar base; no more difficult for wear than a standard BoMar blade.
Unless, of course, we've decided that's too big, too.
I find the 'ring fuzzes out as my mind automatically fits the front fiber-optic rod dead center in the 'ring.
I consider it ideal, out to about 50 yds. Fast, too.
Other of my 1911s may end up wearing similar systems.
(Worn since '97? '98? Last year I bashed the gun enough to finally loosen its rear blade, so I gotta get that fixed).
Also versions available for some revolvers.
I wear progressive-lense eyewear.
My personal 'social' 1911 wears a Caspian ghost-ring blade in a BoMar base; no more difficult for wear than a standard BoMar blade.
Unless, of course, we've decided that's too big, too.
I find the 'ring fuzzes out as my mind automatically fits the front fiber-optic rod dead center in the 'ring.
I consider it ideal, out to about 50 yds. Fast, too.
Other of my 1911s may end up wearing similar systems.
(Worn since '97? '98? Last year I bashed the gun enough to finally loosen its rear blade, so I gotta get that fixed).
Also versions available for some revolvers.
I wear progressive-lense eyewear.
I too wear progressive lenses and had trouble with the OEM sights on my GP100. I tried a ghost ring and found it works great. I can get a good sight picture quickly, especially in shadows and low light.
And like you mentioned, great out to 50 yards, which is about the max range of my 4" .357.
Pappy John
New member
I tried the "One Ragged Hole" ghost ring sight on my .44 Redhawk a few years ago. No accuracy improvement over standard sights and they were easily bent in the field due to the higher profile.
They were quicker to get on target, but not enough to justify dealing with their fragility. They didn't stay long.
They were quicker to get on target, but not enough to justify dealing with their fragility. They didn't stay long.
For a person who has real trouble seeing the rear sight due to vision issues, they might be a decent idea. Otherwise the ghost ring is too far away to really be a "ghost ring" in the conventional sense, it's just going to act like a modified open sight that obscures more of the target than normal.