Get your sights right – How to properly choose a set of sights for your pistol
Of all weapon systems, the pistol is the hardest to master. Compared to a rifle, the pistol has a single point of contact for the hands to hold, there is no cheek rest and you don’t have a stock to help with the recoil. Having a short sight radius does not help either. There are several things that can aid your ability to shoot a pistol better. The top 3 are: Installing new sights, improving the trigger, and grip modifications (stippling, grip reduction). In this article, I will concentrate on the sights and will touch upon the other two in future posts.
Standard Glock Sights
Let’s start with the sights that come with a pistol from the manufacturer. Most manufacturers know that shooters have a preference for sights they want to be installed on their pistol, some don’t even bother with anything but a plastic placeholder, where a real set of sights should be. Glock is notorious for having the worst sights out of the box. I have personally seen a rear sight fly of the Glock and land a few yards away. This is because they are made of plastic and are not designed for a fighting pistol. I've lost count on how many times I've seen the plastic front sight being ground to a stub by constant drawing and holstering during a training class.
Some manufacturers do install a good set of sights but there are definitely better options out there. H&Ks typically come with a glow in a dark sight that use phosphorous. While they are very bright when charged with a flashlight or by some other means, they will be useless at night if the gun is taken out of a holster or from a handgun safe.
So, what qualities should a good set of sights have? Based on my research into this subject, a good pair of sights should have the following attributes:
Be made of solid metal
Have a tritium insert in the front sight (rear is optional and is a matter of preference)
Have a ledge (this will assist in a one-handed operation of a weapon)
The first point is self-explanatory, while the other two warrant a short discussion.
It is a general consensus, among firearm experts, is that having a front sight that is visible during low light conditions is a must-have on a fighting pistol. Tritium is a material that glows in the dark and does not require any “charging” with a flashlight, which is the case with phosphorous. A tritium sight will stay brightly lit for over 10 years, after which, it will slowly start to dim. Some people prefer to have rear sight that glows in a dark as well, but it is not necessary. It is truly a matter of personal choice. There are two types of rear sights with tritium insert: a straight-eight (over-under) and a two-dot design. Again, choosing one over the other is a personal preference.
Here are the two examples of the straight-eight and a two-dot designs:
Straight-Eight Design
Two-dot design
The ledge on the rear sight will allow you to manipulate the gun with a single hand, should a situation require. Here is an example of a person demonstrating this technique. You obviously won’t be able to do this with a set of plastic sights.
Most of the popular brands manufacture their sights with a build-in ledge. Here is an example of the rear 10-8 sight.
A new trend is quickly catching on among the tactical community and that is of having a round rear sight opening with a rectangular front sight. The idea behind this is that an eye will pick up an angular front sight and will center it in a round rear much faster than with a traditional square-opening rear sight. Some of the top guys in this field swear by this and put their names on these sights. I can tell you from first-hand experience, they are absolutely correct. I find this combination producing one of the quickest sight acquisitions times and it has greatly improved my shooting.
This is what a sight picture looks like:
If you purchased a new pistol and are looking for a set of new sights, this is what I recommend when choosing round rear sights options:
Vickers / Wilson Combat Sights
10-8 Performance Sights
If you are looking for a more traditional set of sights, you can't beat Heine:
Heine Sights
As you can see, there are many options to choose from and the choice is really yours. There are also a lot of gimmick sights on the market as well. Some people swear by them and perform really well with them. If it works for them and they are happy and are able to hit what they are aiming at, then who am I to judge? These are the sights I personally use and have installed on my pistols.
Another trend that is emerging is the use of red-dot sights. Since it is a big topic to cover and I have personally not used them, I will refrain from commenting at this time. They definitely work for some people and don’t for others. As with anything else, do your research and form your own opinions.
See you on the range,
Igor