# Night Sights



## finsglock19 (Jun 4, 2008)

I am torn right now between night sights. I have heard nothing but positive things about trijicon whether its the durability and accuracy of em. However, I can't decide on whether to get the regular or the Novak design. If you have night sights, which do you recommend, trijicons or others, and if trijicon, novak or regular design? Just trying to iron things out.

Anyone have any pictures of the two side by side, or can post a few pics so I can compare. I just don't want to purchase something without seeing pictures of the sights on guns and diff angles. I have seen pics of the sights not mounted or installed, because nearly every site has them by themselves, so attached if possible.

I have gone to a few stores, and the only night sights I Have been able to see in person are meprolights, but I want to see some pics of trijicons if possible to help my window shopping experience.

Thanks


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## gmaske (Jan 7, 2008)

I have a set of trijicon on my Ruger P345. I ordered them from Ruger so they are a direct factory replacement. If I understand correctly about what Novak sights are, I'd go that way if I was planning on concealed carrying the gun in some type of holster. I love the trijicon sights. They aren't quite as easy to see in daylight as a plain white dot but they are fine for me. You get three white circles instead. Turn the lights out and there is nothing better.


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## JeffWard (Aug 24, 2007)

The standard Trijicon blade rear is tall, thick, and durable, and if your off hand is injured or occupied, you can use the rear sight to rack your slide on your belt. Not sure on the novaks...

JW

Trijicons on an XD


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

I prefer Meprolights to either, but would choose Trijicon over Novak for the one-handed charging that *JeffWard* astutely mentioned.

The ramped forward edge of the Novaks does nothing to make them snag-free when drawing, though it can help keep your hand from getting shredded during fast malfunction clearance. That probably matters more to 1911 guys than the rest of us. :mrgreen:

I grant that the Novaks look cool, and they have a famous name stamped on them, but form follows function when it comes to fighting guns.


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## finsglock19 (Jun 4, 2008)

would you consider using a mounted light over night sights, or both, or just night sights.

Its just many people talk about home defense and low to 0 visibility scenarios, and that night sights are bright enough to give away a position but some say they don't. Others discuss how a mounted light is more obvious but mounted Lights can hinder the sight of the perp when pointed at eyes.

However, I also hear negative things about night sights, claiming that they are no help in dark situations since you can't see what you are shooting and you shouldn't shoot what your can't see, and in a short range home defense scenarios or drills, people claim using sights can delay the time needed to shoot, and point and shoot is better if you are familiar with the weapon.

so, question becomes, mounted lights vs. night sights...or both?


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

finsglock19 said:


> Its just many people talk about home defense and low to 0 visibility scenarios


Night sights are obviously only useful if you can identify your target. But of course you may be able to do that in the dark by the incoming muzzle flashes.



> and that night sights are bright enough to give away a position


More fantasy than reality. I suppose if you're blundering around in total darkness and manage to get in front of the bad guy he could see your night sights, but you're SOL in that situation anyway.



> Others discuss how a mounted light is more obvious but mounted Lights can hinder the sight of the perp when pointed at eyes.


Both statements are true.



> I also hear negative things about night sights, claiming that they are no help in dark situations since you can't see what you are shooting and you shouldn't shoot what your can't see


That's true. You must ID your target before you open fire. But night sights are very useful in low light, versus total darkness.



> and in a short range home defense scenarios or drills, people claim using sights can delay the time needed to shoot, and point and shoot is better if you are familiar with the weapon.


It's situational. One size does not fit all. See what you need to see to get the hits. I strongly prefer some kind of visual index, though not necessarily a traditional sight picture. Shooting with a visual index is just as fast as "point shooting" if you know how to do it.



> so, question becomes, mounted lights vs. night sights...or both?


I don't care for any of the mounted lights I've tried. I find them very clumsy to operate. I have night sights on my Glocks and keep a handheld Surefire around, and I am familiar with the various gun/flashlight techniques.


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## finsglock19 (Jun 4, 2008)

ty Mike, you have been most helpful


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I've said this elsewhere, but it's worth repeating:
*Dry-fire practice will get you more hits in low light than night sights will.*
At shots-in-the-dark ranges, you do not have to see your sights in order to make good hits..._if you practice, practice, practice_.
If you use your sights, and you dry-fire daily, and you also live-fire at least once a week, your muscles will soon become so well trained that you will not need to use your sights to make good quality close-range hits (at seven yards and under). You may even find yourself making pretty good no-sights hits at 10 and 15 yards!
But you have to do the practice.


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

While I generally agree with *Steve M1911A1* on the value of training and practice, both dry fire and live fire, every serious instructor (and I mean Gunsite-level) I have come across in the last decade or so has had night sights on his pistol. If even the most knowledgable and well-practiced among us chooses night sights, I suspect there is something to them.


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