# Sight Issues



## NANOGIRL (Jul 17, 2013)

I need help trying to find a useful handgun sight for a visually impaired person. We bought a crimson trace because we were told it would help in poor lighting and as long as the lighting is low, it is fine. But in bright light my fiance could not see the laser. He is sighted but it is 20/200. He can't even see the stock sights on his current handguns...the dots are way too small and white. We have thought about the Big Dot sights but before spending money would like feedback. Does anyone have any recommendations as to a sight that may work for him or another way to help get him on target if we can't find a suitable sight (other than a 410 shotshell)? He is VERY discouraged and we have too much money invested in firearms for him to just give up.


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## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

I'd try the big Dot sights, if he can't see those, I don't know what else to recommend other than a holographic sight setup perhaps.


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## NANOGIRL (Jul 17, 2013)

Thank you Denner.


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## NANOGIRL (Jul 17, 2013)

How much larger is the Big Dot as opposed to a normal dot? And can you get them in colors?


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## NANOGIRL (Jul 17, 2013)

I was also told that the Viridian Green laser is suppose to be x amount brighter in daylight than the red Crimson Trace. Any feedback on this?


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

The human eye is more sensitive to light in the green part of the spectrum, so if you have a green light of the same intensity as a red light, the green appears much brighter. As laser sighting systems are limited to a certain maximum power level, green lasers are probably the best choice based on visibility alone.

One thing I have discovered about many green-spectrum lasers is they are rather temperature sensitive. If you run them too long and the laser heats up, sometimes they get dimmer (some folks think the battery is getting low and replace it unnecessarily). If you use them in a cold environment (exact temp cutoff varies with the manufacturer and model), they will be much dimmer than when used at room temps. As long as you will be using it in the recommended temperature zone, they are hard to beat, but beware of the overheating and/or "too cold" issues.

On the subject of Big Dot sights, while the front sight is highly visible due to its size, the reference point on the shallow V-notch rear sight blade is a tiny vertical white line. If a person with visual impairment has trouble seeing the white dots on a standard three-dot sight system, then I doubt they will be able to discern the rear sight reference line on the Big Dot sight systems that I have seen and used.


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## NANOGIRL (Jul 17, 2013)

Very informative DJ! Thank you! I don't think he will have a problem seeing the line (it's closer) and I just did a test (found a pencil with a white eraser) held it by the normal sight to see if he could see it. He thinks he should be able to. If all else fails... he will just get the Taurus Judge with 3 inch shot shells... should hit something in an emergency.


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## NANOGIRL (Jul 17, 2013)

If we cannot find a sight that he can usefully see....are there any other ways to get him on target?


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

NANOGIRL said:


> Very informative DJ! Thank you! I don't think he will have a problem seeing the line (it's closer) and I just did a test (found a pencil with a white eraser) held it by the normal sight to see if he could see it. He thinks he should be able to. If all else fails... he will just get the Taurus Judge with 3 inch shot shells... should hit something in an emergency.


Glad I could help.

If you order the Big Dot sights, for best visibility, make sure the front sight is the "Big" dot, and not the "Standard" dot. They make both, and the difference is significant.

If you haven't been to their website, here is a link to the handgun pages:
XS Sight Systems - Sights


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## NANOGIRL (Jul 17, 2013)

Wow... good to know! I would have hated to get the wrong thing and have him more discouraged. He has had enough challenges in daily life with his sight...I just want him to be able to enjoy something that I think he could be good at. I also want him to be able to defend himself if necessary (he has been mugged at gunpoint before).


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

NANOGIRL said:


> If we cannot find a sight that he can usefully see....are there any other ways to get him on target?


You might try a very bright weapon-mounted flashlight; at close range, he may be able to use it like a laser sight, centering the brightest portion of the beam on the target (may have to "hold" high/low/left/right to get centered hits, depending on mounting angle). This probably wouldn't work very well in bright daylight/sunlight, but indoors or in low/no light, it can be quite effective with practice.


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## NANOGIRL (Jul 17, 2013)

Indoor and low light he CAN see the red Crimson Trace. He has a condition Optic Nerve Atrophy (his optic nerve is the size of a drinking straw and lacks pigment). He watches television but has to sit about 2 or 3 feet from it and it is a big screen. He can read magazines but he uses a magnifying glass higher strength. I think the issues are with the light and dark in the daylight with the small dots and lasers. He said he could see the Crimson Trace when he shined it in the trees behind the target but we had a predominately white target and the laser got washed out on target with the glare of the sun. I could see it and it helped me to coach him because it told me where he was aiming. He has fun when he is hitting the target, I think when he tries hard, he over thinks and gets frustrated. I feel bad when I have shots on target and good groupings because I don't want to feel like I can do something he can't. I know that is dumb and he says he is proud of the fact I am a decent shot. I just want him encouraged and not discouraged.


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## DJ Niner (Oct 3, 2006)

NANOGIRL said:


> If we cannot find a sight that he can usefully see....are there any other ways to get him on target?


There is also a low-tech option that's been used for many, many years -- painting the handgun's sights.

Go get some bright fluorescent Green, Red, or Orange model paint from a hobby store, along with a small paintbrush, clean the sights with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol (skip this cleaning step if the sights are plastic), then paint the entire rear face of the front sight, and the square portions of the rear sight located on either side of the notch. Apply two coats if necessary and let dry for at least one full day. Some folks seal the painted surface with a thin coat of clear nail polish, so it is less likely to wear-off or chip. If you paint the front sight one color, and the rear sight a different color, it will help differentiate them, even if they appear fuzzy/blurry.

You could test this before you paint the sights, by just painting sight-sized colored dots on a sheet of paper (or several sheets, of varying colors). If he can see painted dots the same size as the sights, he'll probably be able to see the sights if they are painted the same way.

I would also say for close-range self defense, he doesn't have to align the sights the same way other folks do; it might be easier to see the front sight if he aligns it so it is slightly high, above the rear sight notch but still centered left-to-right (think of a pyramid with the front sight at the top, and the two painted rear sight squares at the bottom corners), then put the sight alignment slightly low on target. Variations on this theme are sometimes used as an optional "flash sight picture" in high-speed defensive shooting courses, with good results.

Good luck!


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## NANOGIRL (Jul 17, 2013)

Great advice! Thanks so much!


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

...Paint the sight white first, before applying color. It makes the color brighter.

My experience has been that nail "polish" (enamel, that is) is tougher than model paint. It stands up to holster wear and cleaning chemicals.
When I buy a bottle of bright white, and another of "fire-engine" red, the counter girls at the drug store always ask whether the colors will go with my outfit.
"I only paint my toenails," I reply.


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