Night Sights...Really?

[BehindBlueI's]

Downplay a flashlight?

It's nighttime nearly half the time. We/you have a moral obligation to positively identify our target. Flashlights help us do that.

Outside your house, if you are in an area that's too dark to identify your target it's also too dark to get selected as a victim. The distances are very close, there's ambient light, etc. I've yet to have anyone use a flashlight or complain for the lack of one, either. Not that they don't have their uses, but I'm 100% with Givens on the matter.

 

[Denny347]

Outside your house, if you are in an area that's too dark to identify your target it's also too dark to get selected as a victim. The distances are very close, there's ambient light, etc. I've yet to have anyone use a flashlight or complain for the lack of one, either. Not that they don't have their uses, but I'm 100% with Givens on the matter.

Tracking a carjacker with K9 in the dark, I would not activate my weapon light outside. Had to get used to seeing in the dark as to not give away our location. Inside a room, our LED lights are so bright that entering a room with them on is blinding to whomever is inside.

 

[churchmouse]

Tracking a carjacker with K9 in the dark, I would not activate my weapon light outside. Had to get used to seeing in the dark as to not give away our location. Inside a room, our LED lights are so bright that entering a room with them on is blinding to whomever is inside.

Have you experienced some vision issues in a dark space from your weapon light. I had 2 on my AR's for HD that were just "Too" danged bright. Reduced the Lumen output on the replacements and good to go.

But I agree with you on this one. If you can remain grey do it.

 

[rkwhyte2]

Have you experienced some vision issues in a dark space from your weapon light. I had 2 on my AR's for HD that were just "Too" danged bright. Reduced the Lumen output on the replacements and good to go.

But I agree with you on this one. If you can remain grey do it.

I 100% agree with this really bright lights are bad for both parties.

 

[Denny347]

Have you experienced some vision issues in a dark space from your weapon light. I had 2 on my AR's for HD that were just "Too" danged bright. Reduced the Lumen output on the replacements and good to go.

But I agree with you on this one. If you can remain grey do it.

I 100% agree with this really bright lights are bad for both parties.

Hmmm, doing room entries with sim guns, I placed my TLR-1 on it. Never bothered my eyes. We had bag guys hiding inside the dark rooms, knowing we were coming in. Even expecting us, the speed of entry and the sheer brightness of the TLR1's prevented the BG from firing on us. Tried it many times and the lights worked wonderfully in confined areas. Not sure what it would be like with brighter (more than 500 lumens) lights.

 

[churchmouse]

Hmmm, doing room entries with sim guns, I placed my TLR-1 on it. Never bothered my eyes. We had bag guys hiding inside the dark rooms, knowing we were coming in. Even expecting us, the speed of entry and the sheer brightness of the TLR1's prevented the BG from firing on us. Tried it many times and the lights worked wonderfully in confined areas.

This is the lite I use now on pistols and AR's for the most part. Perfect for me. The originals would melt your retinas in a dark room. Just too brite for me. I really like the TLR-1's.

 

[Peacekeeper3073]

It's exceedingly rare to have enough ambient light for target identification but not enough to use standard sights. Night sights value is in faster acquisition times in poor lighting and in the ability to verify proper alignment when insufficient light exists. For example, you're clearing a building, have bumped something, needed to open a door, whatever, and your grip might have shifted a bit. Night sights allow you to quickly verify your physical index is still correct, which aids in faster and consistent presentation.

Night sights are more useful on "offense" and/or when you've been able to select your position and killzone. Ie, you've used ambient light to illuminate a stairwell and maintained darkness on the landing so that you can ambush an intruder. Even then, a weapon mounted light will generally give enough splashback for "equal height/equal light" to work.

I put them more in the category of "nice to have and has no real trade off" instead of "necessary".

+1

 

[BE Mike]

One thing I noticed when we were first issued night sights was that the rear sight was visible from the holster. That was not a good thing for us. I've seen interviews with officers who, when in gunfights, said that when they got an instantaneous view of the front sight (no night sight) that they started getting hits. My buddy and I were just shooting the breeze and he threw out the night sight issue as more of a question. I told him that I had never heard anyone actually using night sights in a gunfight, so I thought I'd check here. Looks like nobody else has heard of it either. My experience with night sights is very limited, as they weren't issued until nearly the end of my career. I did note that during night training that my over 40 eyes precluded optimal use of them.

 

[223 Gunner]

All my carry guns have/had night sights, I am not in Law Enforcement and never have been.
To me it just seems like common sense to have them, as in the big picture having a $100 dollar advantage seems like a no brainer.
Side note, I have never used a firearm in any real world situation either, hope I never do.

As a civilian you could go broke defending your actions, even in your own home. Shouldn't be that way, but it is.

 

[Expat]

No, but they do help you find it in the dark.

I find them comforting to look at sitting on my night stand as I fall asleep.

 

[Trapper Jim]

Had em..tried em...no use for em.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

My original nightstand gun is an ancient Springer ultra. No night sights. I'm not shooting until I'm SURE that I have to. I do keep a small flashlight beside it, and most of my pistols do have night sights. I just like them. The allusion to finding one's pistol in the dark is valid, but I think ambient lighting is a real consideration. I, too, like night lights. Just a small led in every room takes almost no energy, and makes night time room scanning much easier, not to mention saving one's pinky toes from a good stubbing on an almost daily basis.

 

[KDUBCR250]

Better to have and not need than to need and not have.... To each their own.

 

[Usmccookie]

So... I have an interesting use for them. I dont go out of my way to get night sights, but i do like them. I tend to do a lot of my dry firing at night, lights off watching a movie... Yeai practice presenting and shooting the bad guys.. Night sights help a lottle. Not to tge point where i need them for this. Its a personal preference.

Anyways, night sights are nice but arent needed. Then again personal preference.
I dont know anybetter though, ive never been in that situation.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

One thing I noticed when we were first issued night sights was that the rear sight was visible from the holster. That was not a good thing for us. I've seen interviews with officers who, when in gunfights, said that when they got an instantaneous view of the front sight (no night sight) that they started getting hits. My buddy and I were just shooting the breeze and he threw out the night sight issue as more of a question. I told him that I had never heard anyone actually using night sights in a gunfight, so I thought I'd check here. Looks like nobody else has heard of it either. My experience with night sights is very limited, as they weren't issued until nearly the end of my career. I did note that during night training that my over 40 eyes precluded optimal use of them.

It's visible to you looking down on it. From the front or rear it's not going to be what gives you away. We aren't ninjas.

 

[BE Mike]

It's visible to you looking down on it. From the front or rear it's not going to be what gives you away. We aren't ninjas.

That very well applies to your situation and experience, I'm sure.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

That very well applies to your situation and experience, I'm sure.

Who's situation and experience was they were given away by the glow of their night sights in a real world situation? Who was in a situation where it was pitch black so they couldn't otherwise be seen, the bad guy was close enough to see it, and they were so silent and dressed in such a way that they were completely invisible otherwise?

 

[Usmccookie]

Who's situation and experience was they were given away by the glow of their night sights in a real world situation? Who was in a situation where it was pitch black so they couldn't otherwise be seen, the bad guy was close enough to see it, and they were so silent and dressed in such a way that they were completely invisible otherwise?

You've obviously never been in a fire fight against jason bourne...

 

[pitbulld45]

Who's situation and experience was they were given away by the glow of their night sights in a real world situation? Who was in a situation where it was pitch black so they couldn't otherwise be seen, the bad guy was close enough to see it, and they were so silent and dressed in such a way that they were completely invisible otherwise?

I'm thinking the same thing, I have stalked in the dark plenty of times and my night sights giving me away was the last thing on my mind.

 

[pitbulld45]

I like night sights, like said earlier, to each their own. As for target identification if they are shooting at me I have identified the threat (which even then could be too late). I know there is friendly fire etc.... I also have weapon lights on most of my carry guns including my duty gun and carbine in my squad.

I would bet if you talked to guys that have been in a firefight most wont remember if they used their sights or not, it turns into reflex from training.