# Night sight alignment for old eyes amazingly easy



## puddy (Nov 16, 2012)

I am new to handguns and read various forums but normally remain silent. This is my first post. I try to keep a low profile since I live in MA. 63-year-old roots go deep. Current politics have lead me to a long-sought-for wintertime hobby which I am enjoying immensely. I have spent more than I probably should have as far as an initial investment is concerned, but I am certain it will be well worth it.

I just had adjustable Meprolight night sights installed on my SIG P229. I do not like the fixed combat sights and the way (distance) SIG zeros the pistol. I only shoot 25-50 feet. They are just what I needed. It dawned on me the other day that I had only viewed the sights in sunlight and darkness with my glasses on. What good are night sights if you can't see or align them in the dark WITHOUT glasses. I use the SIG and/or a Ruger SR40 as my nightstand home defense weapon. I do not keep any glasses in my bedroom (not sure why now). I use four different glasses for various reasons so I think it is a moot point anyway. I checked out the night sights a while ago without any glasses and was amazed at how easily I could align them. I am trying to shoot with both eyes open but sometimes find it a little difficult. I am right-eye dominant but that is also the worse eye. Aligning the night sights with both eyes open was unbelievably easy. The two rear dots were very blurry and overlapped each other just a little in the center. I could "drop" the front sight into the middle of the rear dots without any distraction from the weak-eye dots. The strange thing was that the three dots appear to be transparent and I can see through the two rear dots and see the entire outline of the front dot. The end result was that I saw three overlapping dots with a complete view of their perimeters. I actually believe I can should faster and more accurately in the dark without glasses than in daylight with glasses (assuming I can see an outline or some point to aim at, and that steadiness and trigger pull are constant). I think I am very steady for 63 but I need a lot more practice on trigger pull.

I looked for posts on all the forums I read concerning this issue but did not find any so I decided to post this info thinking it might be helpful to some other old folk.


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## berettabone (Jan 23, 2012)

Welcome..............there are many thoughts and opinions on night sights, and/or glasses....and those who do not wear corrective lenses, do not really understand what it is like.........I am near sighted w/astigmatism, and a slight bit younger than you, and am also right eye dominant, and color deficient....I have never changed the sights on any of my firearms............I have experimented with different colors(paint) on my sights, including orange, red, chartreuse, yellow, and white............I always go back to white...it seems to be the best color for me......I usually try to let the rear sights go blurry, and concentrate on the front sight....it seems to be the best for my eyes....as far as night sights, I feel that a good light instead, could be a viable option, but then you get the argument that the light sets you up as a target. As far as night sights, I feel that after the first shot, the muzzle flash will temporarily blind you, making any subsequent shots after that a guessing game...which is the reason I have never put nightsights on my firearms. I try instead, to know my house from one end to the other, blind, and also know my wife's nightly habits.....I also have light from streetlights that I can use as a backround, to help identify an intruder. When your eyes aren't normal, you have to do whatever you can, to give yourself the best chance for defending yourself.


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## IBGoodToGo (Feb 14, 2013)

Well I have fun. I am left eye dominant & right handed. I shoot about the same L eye Rt hand, or L eye L hand. shooting R eye I have to close my L eye to get site pic, then I can open my L eye & keep the site pic till I shoot. Then have to repeat. I love night sites & am particular to Trijicon. Feel a gun is only half there without them.


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## puddy (Nov 16, 2012)

berettabone - I am not certain I am utilizing the forum website tools correctly but here goes. 

When I shoot in daylight I ensure the front sight is in focus by wearing my "PC glasses". I installed a red pipe in my GP100 .357 front fiber optic sight because I read on the web that red is better (in most cases) for dim light, as in indoor range shooting. I agree completely. I live in the woods, no street lights, and not many neighbor driveway lights. They are finally learning to "carpe nochtem" (seize the night). I only turn lights on when absolutely necessary. My all black cat has paid for that a few times. When there is no moonlight (clouds), it is pitch black. When experimenting with the night sights in the dark with no glasses, I did consider that light would illuminate me, and I feel more than capable of getting around my house in the dark. I never did think about muzzle flash. Thank you for mentioning that point. If I can shoot as well as I think in the dark with the appropriate weapon and ammo, I would hope one shot might be enough to discourage the intruder. Your comment about muzzle flash has lead me to do some research concerning "blinking". I have done some preliminary surfing and have found quite a bit of info on this point. I intend to pursue the issue. If you can condition yourself to not blink and see the muzzle flash when shooting in daylight, you should be able to condition yourself to blink at the exact same time as pulling the trigger and eliminate at least most of the flash. I have already read posts that agree with my point when it comes to blinking automatically at the sound of a round being fired and eliminating some flash. I think that blinking just as you pull the trigger could eliminate most of the flash problem. If you are a decent shooter as far as technique is concerned, I would think that is very possible. Thanks for giving me something else to look into to make my new hobby even more enjoyable.


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## Dale2555 (Feb 29, 2016)

Looks like I'm late to the party. Found the discussion enjoyable and informative. New to firearms and being 61 years old I realized that I need help in the sights department - which brought me here accidentally. Some accidents are a pleasure; this was one of them.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

1. Always focus on the front sight. Let the rear sight and the target go "blurry." Why? Because if you are not focussed upon that front sight, your eyes will switch back and forth between sights and target, trying to achieve focus on _something_. Thus, your brain will be confused and you will shoot inaccurately. (So, if you need corrective lenses, use the ones which focus on that front sight.)

2. I don't use, or recommend, illuminated sights. Why? Because if it's too dark to see your sights, it may be too dark to identify a threat, and then to fire an accurate shot at a known target. Remember, if it's dark, you don't know at whom you're shooting: It may be your daughter, tip-toeing in from a late date. And if you can see your sights, and, presumably, your target, you don't need the sights to be illuminated. Indeed, in the "dark," I use the silhouette of the rear of my pistol's slide, to assure me that I'm lined-up correctly. (With sufficient practice, you can shoot pretty accurately in the dark without sights.)

3. For shooting in the dark, you do need a flashlight, but your flashlight must not be attached to your pistol. The flashlight is used separately, in short bursts, merely for target identification and acquisition. The further your flashlight is from your gun, the better, although there are good, useful techniques of using both flashlight and pistol together.

4. The muzzle flash of your pistol will not blind you if you have the silhouette of the gun between your eyes and the flash. It also helps to "look past the flash" as it occurs. Momentarily closing your eyes will cause you to miss, and even to become disoriented, so it is not a good technique.

The best solution to shooting in the dark involves lots of daylight practice to establish complete familiarity and control. Once you've done that, try shooting in twilight, and then in nighttime dark. (Nighttime is never completely dark.) Only then, if you can manage it, should you try dark-room shooting.
Obviously, that "best solution" requires lots of preparation and practice. Pistol shooting isn't easy in the first place, and shooting in the dark is a serious complication.


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## Cait43 (Apr 4, 2013)

Front Sight Focus........


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## win231 (Aug 5, 2015)

Howdy & welcome. I also like Meprolight night sights. I put the fixed ones on my bedside Glock but after seeing their adjustable ones, I'm planning to install them on one of my other Glocks.

We're the same age but my eyes are probably much worse than yours; I was extremely nearsighted at birth & I wouldn't try to get out of bed without my glasses. I keep my glasses on the gun lockbox bedside. Ironically, I also tried shooting without my glasses with a variety of my guns & the results on falling steel plates were interesting. Without glasses, the only gun I could consistently hit all six plates with was my 40 cal. Glock with the original plastic sights. The rear sight's thick, white outline & the big white dot on the front were one big blur, but the bright white color stands out enough so I can see it. With Meprolights, the white dots help but they're smaller & my times slowed down a bit.

Remember that night sights may help you with more-accurate sight alignment in dim light but they don't identify the target. A small, powerful light next to the gun is a good idea. This one is well designed to be used with a handgun:
http://www.amazon.com/Surefire-Combatlight-Single-Output-Flashlight/dp/B009F7J9GK


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