1911 sight recommendations

[7br]

Took the 1911 to the range. Function is 100% and the accuracy is acceptable. I wandered around the house last night with it in hand and the gi sights disappeared.

Does anyone have any recommendations on sights for social engagements in low light conditions?

Looks like the tritium sights are cool, but it looks like they are only warrenteed for 12 years and are a little pricey.

The three dot sights have worked well for me in the past, but is there another system that might work better? ie dot on triangle,

Any brands to buy or stay away from?

[docone31]

I use three dots.
In low light, you need to be close anyway. At least with my eyes.

[Geraldo]

The radioactive decay of tritium gives the glow, and because its half-life is 12 years, no one warrants it beyond that.

Beyond how much you want to spend on the sights, depending on what you choose you might be paying to mill the slide as well. Once milled, you're pretty much married to sights that fit that cut. So if you go with a Novak cut, you can use Novak, 10-8, and whatever else will fit.

Also, do you want to be able to use the rear sight to rack the slide in one-hand reloads? If so, the ramp profile of Novak's rear is not the one to use, you'll want something flat like a 10-8 Performance.

You still need white light with night sights, so before you buy them do some work with a flashlight and see if you really need or want tritium. I personally wouldn't feel handicapped without them.

I've used Wilson, Trijicon, Meprolight, and an Ashley (or whatever it's called now) big dot.

[Char-Gar]

The choice of sights depends on your wants and needs. Here is where I am at with my 1911 pistols.

1. I am not a gunfighter and would avoid an armed confrontation if there was any way to do that.

2. In my home, I would grab a shotgun over a pistol anytime.

3. Any use of the pistol would be very fast and very close, making the use of any sight unlikely.

4. Therefore I like good target type sights, that help me see the target clearly and shoot with precision in good light. I use King Hardball sights. They are cheap, sturdy, and very visible in good light.

Somebody who is in law enforcement or the military and might be called up to use their pistol at different ranges, different light conditions and different circumstances would want something different.

[MtGun44]

Green fiber optic front with the biggest dot they have. Back is relatively unimportant.

If you can't see the green FO, you probably can't tell what it is that you are trying to shoot.
I have used tritium and FO in low light IPSC scenarios with and without flashlights and that
is my considered opinion. I'm sure some will say disagree, have at it.

Bill

[Geraldo]

MtGun44,

The only reason I didn't mention FO was that the front blade on mine looks pretty cheesy. It's a metal skeleton, some glue, and the FO. Nothing has happened to it, but it looks like it will fall apart at any minute.

A friend has built a few 1911s with gold bead front sights, and they work pretty well with aging eyes. If or when the FO dies, that's probably what I'll go with.

[mike in co]

testor's white model paint....applied to the exisiting sights..in three dots.........

if you like it...later you can add small divots to the sights to better hold the point.....

works wellllllllllllllllllll

tooth pick for an applicator...leave slide erect till dry.....


mike in co

[Shakey Jakey]

I have a Novak low mount rear and a gold bead on the front. I wish now that I hadnt gone with the Novak rear, not that it isnt nice but it is a rather perminant cut on the slide. If it were to do over I would go with the same front and a Harrison retro on the rear.

[bhn22]

Almost everyone makes 1911 sights that use Novak cuts. Even Heinie makes them, as does 10-8, and the normal high end 1911 'smiths. One thing: have somebody reputable do the machine work, like the sight manufacturer. I had a local machinist cut one of my slides for Novaks, as the rear sight is too far forward. It's only about the thickness of a couple of sheets of paper off, but it has bothered me so badly that I never finished the slide. It's in my junk parts box. Machine work is a poor place to economize.

[Shakey Jakey]

1+ on the good machinist/pistolsmith. I had Jim Garthwaite fit the barrel and do the sights, that I dont regret.

[KYCaster]

I agree with Chargar. If you're close enough to identify your target in the available light then you either have enough light to see your sights or you're close enough that the sights are unnecessary.

I'm primarily a competition shooter and I've tried several different sight combinations. I've found that in low light situations the fiber optic front sight disappears just as quickly as a black post. I've found no advantage in it.

I find three dot sights, S&W RRWO and similar "gimmicks" to be very distracting, requiring your attention to be somewhere other than on your front sight/target.

The only "dot" sight I've used that I consider really useful is Richard Heinie's "Straight Eight". Its just as fast and reflexive as black-on-black post and notch. Set one dot on top of the other and your target on top of that.....that's all there is to it...no elevation or windage issues...just set one dot on top of the other.

Of course, YMMV.

Jerry

[Rick Hodges]

I carried a Sig p220 for years. The factory sights had a white square in the middle of the rear blade and a round white dot in the front. Very quick usable sight picture in any kind of light at all. Dept. went to mandatory cary of Glock's with tritium. I never did get used to the 3 dot system.

[Mk42gunner]

Like Chargar, I like the King's Hardball sights.

I have a Delta Elite top end that has tritium sights that are at least 20 years old, they are still usable.

I am not fond ofthree dot sights, I have mever seen a set the the dotsline upevenly when the sights are properly aligned.

I like the straight eight or bar dot sights for low light usage, I used to paint the sights on my .22 that I used for coon hunting that way, worked great fordropping coons out of a tree.

Robert

[BD]

For the most part I agree with Charger concerning the defensive use of pistol sights. Inside of 7 yards sights are unlikely to get my attention.

I've used a variety of sights on a variety of 1911s over the years. My favorite was the adjustable MMC rear with a fiber optic front. I shot a lot of action pistol with that combo and did fairly well. Unfortunately MMC is out of business, and that sight went to pieces last year, so now my rear is a novak wide groove which shoots a little low, even with the shortest front FO I can find.

I did try something that worked very well at the range last weekend. There was an older guy there who had these octagon ghost ring sights with FO fronts on all his pistols. I tried his glock and the sights worked well for me. Just like a ghost ring when shooting fast, but if you slow down you can line the mid point angles of the octagon up with the front dot for more precise shooting. Anyone else tried these?

BD

[Groo]

Groo here
If the gun is for home use -- the largest sight in a type you can see [fiber, white or gold dot etc]
with a rear sight that is a v-or-u notch or standard type with lots of light on each side..
For field - more standard is fine --- what you like..
I have night sights on many guns and find that if they are bright enough to see
in lo-light that in the dark they blind you.If you can see in the dark ok
in lo-light they go away..
The best bet is a good flashlight [but not too bright - some of the customs will out shing your
car and will still fit in your pocket] but not on the gun.
Flashlights make great bullet magnets..
Remember - if you can't see your sights, how can you tell what you are shooting at????????

[bobthenailer]

my set of trijcons nite sights are 17 years old on my 1911 and still working fine .

[MtGun44]

half the brightness is lost after 12 yrs. Next half (quarter of original) is lost in the
next 12 yrs. Laws of physics.

Bill

[songdog53]

Have Novak three white dots on 4 of mine and night sights on one ...night sites work good in low light but i prefer white dots for alround carrying and shooting.

[wiljen]

Gangsta Sights - de da bom.

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/08/22/sideways_gun_sight.jpg

[Viper225]

I have never liked the painted 3 dot sights. On my Colt XSE I had a set of Wilson Nite Eyes installed probably 6 to 8 years ago. They were not very bright to start with, and winked completely out. This time I went with a Dawson Fiber Optic Front and a Dawson Charger Rear. This is a good sight set up when you have some light.

On my XDm I changed the sights to the TFO. I believe this is a Williams made Sight. It is Tretium infront of Fiber Optic. Very visible 24-7. This is a very bright sight Day or Night. This one might be your best bet.