Sights: touch up fluorescent pens

[doddg]

I just can't see the front sights on my guns no matter the color, although green seems to do better with red 2nd, and forget about white.
I need blinking lights to do my any good.
Night lights don't seem any better to me.
For example, on my "new" Rami the sights must be dead (supposed to be radioactive), but when I looked at the manual date inside the box, it stated 2012, and the sights are good for only 6 yrs., so that's probably why I can't see anything with them either.

I heard about someone using the fluorescent pens to help see, and I finally bought some.

2 layers of white, then apply the red or green are the directions.

 

[WebSnyper]

I just can't see the front sights on my guns no matter the color, although green seems to do better with red 2nd, and forget about white.
I need blinking lights to do my any good.
Night lights don't seem any better to me.
For example, on my "new" Rami the sights must be dead (supposed to be radioactive), but when I looked at the manual date inside the box, it stated 2012, and the sights are good for only 6 yrs., so that's probably why I can't see anything with them either.

I heard about someone using the fluorescent pens to help see, and I finally bought some.

2 layers of white, then apply the red or green are the directions.

Stupid question, but you did check the RAMI night sights out in the dark, correct? The sights do dim, but most green tritium sights last longer than 6 years, though of course they do dim as the tritium breaks down.

 

[Hop]

The half life for Tritium is 12 years but I never see sights lasting that long. My H&K VP9 has the brightest factory sights I've ever seen. That gun is ~3 yrs old and they are still very bright. My Springfield 1911 night sights only lasted about 3 yrs then went totally dark.

 

[WebSnyper]

The half life for Tritium is 12 years but I never see sights lasting that long. My H&K VP9 has the brightest factory sights I've ever seen. That gun is ~3 yrs old and they are still very bright. My Springfield 1911 night sights only lasted about 3 yrs then went totally dark.

Wow, 3 years? I've had night sights dim over time, but have had Glock OEM's and others (Trijicon, Mepro and Ameriglo) last quite a while. What brand were the sights on the Springfield?

 

[doddg]

Stupid question, but you did check the RAMI night sights out in the dark, correct? The sights do dim, but most green tritium sights last longer than 6 years, though of course they do dim as the tritium breaks down.

1. I was using the Rami at the range, and the sights are non-existent to my eyes: I can't see any green at all (I'm using the Force to be able to sight at all).
2. The Rami sights are now covered up with a 1st coat of white and I will put a green coat over the white, as per instruction, unless the white provides some help at the range, but based on my other white sights, I'm sure the green is needed (have the red available also).

 

[Hop]

Wow, 3 years? I've had night sights dim over time, but have had Glock OEM's and others (Trijicon, Mepro and Ameriglo) last quite a while. What brand were the sights on the Springfield?

I'm not sure. They are real nice adjustable target sights or I would have swapped them off for being dead.
Here's what it looks like: https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog...Springfield+1911+Target+Black+Stainless+45ACP

 

[halfmileharry]

Have you cleaned your night sights?
As simple as it sounds I use Dawn dishwashing liquid and a toothbrush to clean mine every so often.
They're probably twice as bright after the cleaning.

 

[doddg]

Have you cleaned your night sights?
As simple as it sounds I use Dawn dishwashing liquid and a toothbrush to clean mine every so often.
They're probably twice as bright after the cleaning.

1. No. Didn't know anything about cleaning night sights, but I'm telling you these were small, nothing there, totally barely green.
2. When I read about some kind of big dot on the front sights, I wish they'd show a pic, in fact, I'm going to google it right now to see if I can find a pic of them.

 

[halfmileharry]

1. No. Didn't know anything about cleaning night sights, but I'm telling you these were small, nothing there, totally barely green.
2. When I read about some kind of big dot on the front sights, I wish they'd show a pic, in fact, I'm going to google it right now to see if I can find a pic of them.

I didn't know about cleaning them either. I know mine are close to 4 years old and Trijicons should have been a lot brighter. I looked at them under a jewelers loupe and they were filthy so I cleaned them. Worked for me.
I have trouble seeing some sights as well so I feel for ya. Hope you find your cure. I've used the paints and they helped a little on black blades.

 

[doddg]

I didn't know about cleaning them either. I know mine are close to 4 years old and Trijicons should have been a lot brighter. I looked at them under a jewelers loupe and they were filthy so I cleaned them. Worked for me.
I have trouble seeing some sights as well so I feel for ya. Hope you find your cure. I've used the paints and they helped a little on black blades.

1. Worked wonders, can't wait to go to the range with them, most of my guns had no color at all.
2. Can't wait to try out the green over the white on one to try it out on one of my plain metal sites to see if I want to put it on the Rami.

 

[gmcttr]

Tritium night sights are not bright enough to be seen in daylight. You have to view them in the dark to see them.

The "big dot/Trijicon HD" type night sights have the same tritium vials (that aren't visible in daylight) surrounded with a large white/orange/yellow/green dot for daytime visibility.

Painting over tritium vial night sights vs. painting around them will block the vials and they will be useless for viewing in the dark. Of course that won't matter with a range toy where there is no chance of needing sight visibility in dim/dark situations.

 

[doddg]

Tritium night sights are not bright enough to be seen in daylight. You have to view them in the dark to see them.
The "big dot/Trijicon HD" type night sights have the same tritium vials (that aren't visible in daylight) surrounded with a large white/orange/yellow/green dot for daytime visibility.
Painting over tritium vial night sights vs. painting around them will block the vials and they will be useless for viewing in the dark. Of course that won't matter with a range toy where there is no chance of needing sight visibility in dim/dark situations.

1. Thanks for the education.

 

[breakingcontact]

I've done this a few times.

I've tried both paint pens and model paint.

Works well enough.

Ameriglo has many high quality affordable sight options and there are affordable fiber optic sights out there too.

 

[doddg]

Well, tonight, after I got home from a home Bible study I took a gander at the guns I had applied the fluorescent green paint over the white. (I mentioned the detail about the Bible study and guns in the same sentence b/c of the humor of it )
The guns, like my new Sig 365 and one one my .22LR (don't remember which one) with the green night sight does "glow" up nicely in the dark.
(no paint applied to them, unlike the "dead" green sights I applied the white base paint over one of the .22LRs)
Red I can barely see; I prefer the green.
What is interesting is that the green fluorescent paint I put over the white paint (as per instructions) shows up just as well on couple of the guns I tried that on: surprising, since I have no experience in such things.

Advice: should I put white on the back sights and green on the front sights (which is what I have so far), or green on front and rear sights, or red on the rear sights and green in the front sights?
I have read about using contrasting colors.

White does me know good in the dark.

 

[halfmileharry]

Well, tonight, after I got home from a home Bible study I took a gander at the guns I had applied the fluorescent green paint over the white. (I mentioned the detail about the Bible study and guns in the same sentence b/c of the humor of it )
The guns, like my new Sig 365 and one one my .22LR (don't remember which one) with the green night sight does "glow" up nicely in the dark.
(no paint applied to them, unlike the "dead" green sights I applied the white base paint over one of the .22LRs)
Red I can barely see; I prefer the green.
What is interesting is that the green fluorescent paint I put over the white paint (as per instructions) shows up just as well on couple of the guns I tried that on: surprising, since I have no experience in such things.

Advice: should I put white on the back sights and green on the front sights (which is what I have so far), or green on front and rear sights, or red on the rear sights and green in the front sights?
I have read about using contrasting colors.

White does me know good in the dark.

Put the colors on your sights that YOU see best. This is all about your vision and target acquisition. Try a number of colors, take notes, and use what works BEST FOR YOU.

 

[doddg]

Put the colors on your sights that YOU see best. This is all about your vision and target acquisition. Try a number of colors, take notes, and use what works BEST FOR YOU.

1.

 

[Trigger Time]

Colors or glowing of any kind on my rear sights distracts and slows my sight alignment. I like blacked out rears or a single dot or line in the rear at most. My carry guns have nothing.
Personal training preference. You have to use what you have trained with.
For cleaning sights put a dot of toothpaste on an old wet toothbrush and lightly clean your sights. Toothpaste will polish the vials alittle making it shine. Works as a quick fix for jewelry and watches too

 

[halfmileharry]

Just a little side note....
My seeing the sights was a problem caused by failing eyes. New glasses have cured the problem for now but age makes sure it's only a temporary fix.

 

[jake 2000]

you might try some Fiber Optic sites I have several of the hi-viz fiber optics on my guns and they are by far the brightest and easiest to see and I have Trijicon HD with the big dot Siglite night sights standard three dots and some that I put some of those paint markers on and none of them compared to the hi-viz fiber optic except my battery powered reflex red dot sights

 

[cosermann]

Put the colors on your sights that YOU see best. This is all about your vision and target acquisition. Try a number of colors, take notes, and use what works BEST FOR YOU.

Yep. For me, it's the front sight that makes the difference. The rear is just along for the ride.
If the paint is easily removable, no reason not to try both and see what works best for you.
Paint is actually an easy, inexpensive way to figure that out.