Front sight for indor matches

[stryfox]

Ok here is the info.

I shoot idpa only indoor matches near me. I shoot a two ranges a month.

Both of them are poorly lit. Usually on purpose.

I use a para 16-40 in ESP class. I have a bomar rear and Dawson fiber front with green rod.

I am having a difficult time picking up the front sight.

I have tried simulating the lighting in dry fire practice but I'm still taking to long to find it in these conditions.

Is there a brighter front sight?

Are any of you guys using night sights for indoor shooting?

Any experience or advise would be great.

Sorry for any typos, posting on my phone

[stryfox]

Oh my slide is novak cut in the front and I'm useing a .125 wide

[johnny7]

There is a great chapter in BE book Pratical Shooting Beyond Fundamentals about bringing your pistol up with your eyes closed and then opening them to see where your sights are at. If you practice this repeatedly until you can do it everytime you bring your pisol up your front sights will be aligned with your rear sights. Then if the green does not show up I would try red or orange.

Hope this helps. It helped me alot with iron sights and a dot.

Johnny

Edited February 11, 2010 by johnny7

[ChuckS]

Just for grins, temporarily black out the fiber end so you only have a dark post front sight and see how that works.

Later,

Chuck

Edited February 11, 2010 by ChuckS

[bkeeler]

Sounds like your spending too much time trying to find the fiber instead of seeing the top of the front sight lined up with the top of the rear notch. +1 to what chuck said above.

[Matt G]

I use a Red fiber optic it really helps indoors.

[wide45]

Sounds like your spending too much time trying to find the fiber instead of seeing the top of the front sight lined up with the top of the rear notch. +1 to what chuck said above.

-1

In poor light, the fiber does not glow. It's effectively blacked out.

Are the targets big/close so that you can index off the silhouette of the gun?

[stryfox]

Sounds like your spending too much time trying to find the fiber instead of seeing the top of the front sight lined up with the top of the rear notch. +1 to what chuck said above.

-1

In poor light, the fiber does not glow. It's effectively blacked out.

Are the targets big/close so that you can index off the silhouette of the gun?

My draw is not too bad 1.6-2.0 from concealment at a 10 yard target consistantly in competion. Faster in practice

The problem is mostly the all important head shots and transitions in poor light.

I am only 35 but I don't see as much contrast as I use to in low light conditions.

I will give the orange red a try. I assumed the green would be the brightest.

Many of the stages the front sight is just black.

Anyone using a night sight with any positive results? Is there a good one that is .1 or .125 wide or would this be too thin to make the vial usefull?

Anain sorry for typos. Snow took down my fios Internet and useing my phone.

[Steve J]

Trijicon night sights front and rear. That's what you want for any poor/low light conditions.

[High Lord Gomer]

I don't use night sights but I have heard that after the first shot/flash that the night sights are worthless as your eyes no longer pick up the subtly-brighter night sights. True or false?

[Steve J]

I don't use night sights but I have heard that after the first shot/flash that the night sights are worthless as your eyes no longer pick up the subtly-brighter night sights. True or false?

That's not true at all. You don't even see your muzzle flash. I just ran three night matches. We had all dark stages where we used a tactical white light. And we also had low light stages where we shot basically in the dark with only a single 100 watt light bulb in the bay or with car headlights behind the shooter. In all of the various light conditions, my night sights were clearly visible while shooting.

ETA: and if there is plenty of light, the Trijicon night sights are a three white dot set up. So... no matter what the lighting, I always see three dots. The more light there is, the whiter they are. The less light there is, the brighter green they are.

Edited February 11, 2010 by Steve J

[stryfox]

Ok so if I want to try the trijicon what do I order?

Novak cut, .125 wide, .200-.250 high, with the white around the vial.

I searched the trijicon site but came up empty.

[cuzinvinny]

I've recently become aware of the Tru-Glo TFO (Tritium fibre optic) sights. They are currently available for Glock's, and will be available for the M&P series pistols later this year. I haven't seen any info regarding the availability of these sights for 1911's. If they are available for the 1911 they might be just the ticket for you.

From the Tru-Glo web site

"WHAT IS TFO?

TFO gun sights use the same proven technology as our TFO archery pins. These sights are the most revolutionary innovation since TRUGLO, Inc. introduced fiber optics. TFO refers to our patented combination of Tritium and Fiber Optic technologies. The Tritium maintains the brightness level of the sight in low-light (or NO light) conditions. That means you can see your sight even in complete darkness—with perfect transition through all lighting conditions. Tritium does not need batteries and does not need to be charged with light—it simply glows!

Tritium / Fiber Optic Technology — The Best of Both Worlds! "

[Steve J]

Ok so if I want to try the trijicon what do I order?

Novak cut, .125 wide, .200-.250 high, with the white around the vial.

I searched the trijicon site but came up empty.

You can get a rear sight that will replace your Bomar with Trijicon vials from Dawson Precision (forum vendor) http://www.dawsonprecision.com/ProductDetail.jsp?LISTID=80000AEB-1264373940

You can also get the front sight from Dawson. http://www.dawsonprecision.com/ProductDetail.jsp?LISTID=3D90001-1134519205

I don't like the white outline. It isn't necessary. The Trijicon/Tritium vial is white enough under normal light.

I have the adjustable rear Bomar style with Trijicon vials. Mine are from Les Baer. Another source is Champion sights, but I sent my slide to Novaks for one of their Trijicon front sights with a serrated ramp. I don't know if the Dawson has a serrated ramp. I know the Les Baer wasn't, so I replaced it with a Novak's. The plain non-serrated ramp washes out in daylight... for me anyway.

Edited: I added a bunch of links for you.

Here's what my set up looks like in normal light.

Edited February 11, 2010 by Steve J

[Steve J]

I've recently become aware of the Tru-Glo TFO (Tritium fibre optic) sights. They are currently available for Glock's, and will be available for the M&P series pistols later this year. I haven't seen any info regarding the availability of these sights for 1911's. If they are available for the 1911 they might be just the ticket for you.

From the Tru-Glo web site

"WHAT IS TFO?

TFO gun sights use the same proven technology as our TFO archery pins. These sights are the most revolutionary innovation since TRUGLO, Inc. introduced fiber optics. TFO refers to our patented combination of Tritium and Fiber Optic technologies. The Tritium maintains the brightness level of the sight in low-light (or NO light) conditions. That means you can see your sight even in complete darkness—with perfect transition through all lighting conditions. Tritium does not need batteries and does not need to be charged with light—it simply glows!

Tritium / Fiber Optic Technology — The Best of Both Worlds! "

Truglo does not make a sight that fits a Novak's cut. They only make sights for the popular factory guns. Almost all the custom and semi-custom 1911/2011 pistols have Novak's cut front sights. Truglo isn't concerned about that market. Pisses me off a little since it is a Texas company, literally just down the highway from me.

[meotai]

At our indoor matches, one of the members mounted a flashlight/hatlight to his baseball cap. The FO still doesn't glow, but it brights out the black a lot. Especially if you have sight-black or that Warren/Sevigny finish.

[stryfox]

The tfo concept looks interesting.

I'm going to sleep on it and probably order the trijicon from Dawson. I have had great service from him in the past.

Thanks for the link as I didn't think to look there.

I don't think I need the rear with dots,just the front.

My factory para rear broke years ago and I put a real bomar from Dawson on it.

Pros and cons of rear dots on a match gun?

Thanks again for the genuine help.

[Lumpy McSoo]

Hello,

I have had the same issue. I like the fiber optic outdoors in good lighting. The closest range to me has indoor IDPA with very poor lighting up where we shoot in front of the normal firing line. What I have found that works for me is a single dot rear sight with a gold bead front sight. This is what I am switching to on all my carry pistols and some of my IDPA pistols. I still have a few bomar rears but really for what I shoot now (mainly IDPA and self defense courses) I see no need for a bomar and a very thin front sight for 25 yard plus shots. If I get back into shooting at that distance with a pistol, well, I'll worry about it then.

The real problem with a tritium front is when you illuminate your target with white light (surefire or regular flashlight) you completely drown out the faint glow of the tritium front and it just becomes a black post. On the other hand, the gold bead picks up the light from your flashlight and also from any ambient light and is quite easy to pick up. The only time I can see a true front and rear tritium set coming into use is if you are a sniper hiding in the dark and your target is in the light. Up until last year when I shot the Virginia Indoor Regional IDPA championships, with a set of 5 completely in the dark stages, I thought tritium was good with a flashlight. Gold bead all the way.

From now on all of my carry, tactical, and ready to go pistols will have either the Warren or Sevigny rear with single lamp tritium with a gold bead front. The way I hold a flashlight, it reflects enough off of the front gold bead but the tritium in the rear in the periphial vision is a nice addition if you need to take some time for a longer range shot.

Good luck, Later, Lumpy.

[fastarget]

I have had great use from my nighthawk with yellow front/green rear night sights, sig blackwater has red front/ green rear....there is no question that way what dot is front and what is rear.