I am 57 and use reading glasses on a regular basis. In bright light I am still okay with standard sights, but in low light, shade, deep woods, I really can't get a good focus on the front sight. I have limited experience with fiber optic sights, but they did seem to be much better for me.

I am becoming less enthused with night sights, as they just don't seem to help in low light, and I'm probably not going to shoot in "no light". So I want to try some fiber optics, and I'd like advice.

I'd like discussion on fiber optic versus tritium/night sights. But mostly, if you've used fiber optics, do you prefer just the front fiber optic, or front and back. And if front and back, same color or different? I am aware of some products (TruGlo) that are a combo fiber optic with tritium, but they seem to have poor reviews regarding reliability. If you have good experience with something like that, please let me know.

I did the poll to tally results, but I'd really like some discussion of the issue. Please don't answer the poll unless you actually have experience with both; ie. don't tell me you prefer night sights if you've never tried fiber. Thanks!

Question:
Do you prefer night sights, or fiber optic, and if fiber optic, which color/combo?

Choices:
Night sights
Fiber optic, front only green.
Fiber optic, front only red.
Fiber optic, different front/rear colors.
Hybrid fiber optic with tritium

 

Ameriglo FO / Tritium is the best IMO, I just wish they made them for more pistols.

I have the Truglo TFX Pros on a couple handguns and they are great. The Tritium on the front sight works really well. I will be adding them to all my carry guns very soon.

I have used Truglo TFX and TFX Pro sights on my pistols. They were great in daylight, very bright and easier to pick up than any other iron sight. In dim lighting conditions, they weren't much better than my Trijicon sights.

Because of my aging eyes, I have picked up some pistols with red dot sights and put some green lasers on others. Both are giving me good accuracy during practice drills. The red dots are good for just about any distance. The lasers I have are limited to a useful distance of 15 yards with a brightly illuminated target and about 25 yards in overcast conditions.

Whether you get differing colors I think would depend on your ability to draw your pistol and presenting it with the sights being aligned on target. I held the belief that two different colors would assist with aligning the sights more easily. After getting my red dots and practicing drawing, I've discovered that my grip is essential to being on target from the draw. I found that a slight shift of my grip would prevent the red dot from being on target and I would have to search for it. I concentrated on finding the correct hand placement which varies according to pistol model. Now I can place my hand in the correct place 95% of the time. Still working on getting it to 100%.

I have a RMSc on my P365 and don't find it any more difficult to conceal than I did before putting on the red dot.

I have added the TruGlo Green Fiber Optic w/ Tritium front only to my P365. I too was having age related issues with my front sight while in shaded areas. So far I am satisfied with the results. 250 rounds for my test.

I can't predict if/when I'll ever be involved in another shooting incident (twice in OIS). One of those occurred in mid afternoon, the other at midnight.

Personally, I don't care for fiber optic sights. I routinely replace oem fiber optics with night sights. I've never tried a combination of fiber optic and night sights.

I'm 55 and need corrected vision for reading and distance, but the front sight on a pistol is still in focus for me. I have the Tru Glo hybrid on a Glock and it works for me. I have fiber optic only on a 1911 and that also works very well.

My "range guns" for IDPA and USPSA have fiber optic front sights, black rear.

My hideout gun has TFO combination sights front and rear. The tritium lamps show up well in very low light, the fiber optic in good daylight.

Unfortunately for either type, FO, Tritium, or combination, there is a common light level that neither shows up well. Enough ambient light to wash out the Tritium, not enough to make the fiber shine.

My next carry gun will likely get the sights with a tritium lamp surrounded in front by a bright colored ring.

My next carry gun will likely get the sights with a tritium lamp surrounded in front by a bright colored ring.[/QUOTE]

THIS.
Second choice, hybrid front only, black rear.

I had fiber on my USP Custom Combat (Novak) and TFX(O?) sights on my G43. Both sights were easy to use at the range. The TFX/O were not as bright at night as some of my tritium sights but were still good. The sight that wasn’t good at night was the Novak sights on the USP Custom Combat.

I sold both guns as a coincidence - not due to the sights.

I like the straight up 3 dot night sights due to decades of use. Most of my Sigs are well into their 2nd sets. The only thing I have without night sights is my revolvers.

I've got 15 with green or yellow (just a couple) fiber optics up front only.
Being red-greem-brown colorblind, red ones might as well not be there. No fiber optic rod, just an empty hole works better for me than red.

No rear dots for me. Any guns I own with them I black them out. They just make me slower and less accurate.

I like how fibers glow in the daylight but I dont like how they are gone in low light. For a strictly range gun I'd say sure to FO but on a defensive gun I only go night sights. Theres plenty of times when you have enough light to ID but not enough to see your plain or FO sights well.

I am 70 years old.For a range gun, I much prefer fiber optic sights, as the tritium night sights are very hard for me to see with indoor range lighting. For a home defense gun that I would most likely grab at night, the tritium is my choice as they light up real well in dark to poor lighting.

quote:

Originally posted by 19tass:
I am 70 years old.For a range gun, I much prefer fiber optic sights, as the tritium night sights are very hard for me to see with indoor range lighting. For a home defense gun that I would most likely grab at night, the tritium is my choice as they light up real well in dark to poor lighting.

This.

I find the Trijicon HD's to be almost as easy to pick up fast as fiber optics. In bright sunlight the fo sights are of course going to be brighter but I like that the HD's are so visible indoors and under lower light conditions.

I find the Trijicon HD's to be almost as easy to pick up fast as fiber optics. In bright sunlight the fo sights are of course going to be brighter but I like that the HD's are so visible indoors and under lower light conditions.

I used to be a night sights only guy on my carry gun. Two years ago I saw a chart showing how sights react in different lighting conditions with and without light etc. My biggest takeaway was that no matter what iron sights used only an outline of the sights are visible when using a handheld or weapon mounted light. The only sight system still visible in the same manner was the red dot.

Based off of that information I added fibers to one of my handguns and will do the same to my future guns. I use weapon mounted lights on any handgun that I designate for carry or HD. As such night sights don’t have any added benefit for me. The Trijicon HD and Ameriglo Spartans are fantastic sights however they are still not as good as a true fiber optic front. Anyways take it for what it’s worth I’m no professional shooter or do it for a living. Just my opinion.

On 2 of my Sig's, I've got the SigLite Night sights they came with. On all the rest of my Sig's, I've got the Trijicon HD XS night sights. On several other guns, I use the 10-8 solid black rear "U" notch rear with a red fiber-optic up front. The fiber-optic absorbs and gives off enough brightness in low light conditions, BUT ... The Triji HD XR's have a very narrow front sight blade that allows more light to pass between the front blade and the rear notch. For MY 60 year old eyes, the Triji's work best. Your mileage may vary.

Trijicon HD's for me. The tritium has it's uses, but it's the bright orange front and the deep, wider u-notch that works for me; the XR sight with the narrower front is also useful.