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How Important are Night Sights to You?

How important is it for you to have night sights on your primary carry gun?

  • Very important.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Somewhat important.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Spray and pray, baby.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I wear night vision goggles so I don't need them.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0

isaiah

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Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
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Just curious as I'm going to be buying a 1911 soon but don't have quite enough money to get it with night sights. I figure it'd be better to buy the gun now so that I have something and get the night sights later.
 

OBXMIKE

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I have a Sig GSR w/novaks, and just sitting in the den dry-firing, or at a dimly lit rangethey are nifty.

As for a real life defensive situation, I think most of us would fall into the spray-and-pray mode. If you're in a situation where you would actually USE the night sights, you probably don't need to shoot to begin with. (defensive vs offensive shoot)

The only counter to that would be maybe a shot across a room at an intruder, but that's on the far side of probability, and you probably wouldn't NEED or be concentrating on the night sights all that much even then.

Frankly, I think they're cool but not a necessity.
 

deepdiver

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Apr 2, 2007
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Southeast, Missouri, USA
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I plan to eventually get night sights as well, but haven't yet. Taking a low light defensive hand gun class I found out that they are of limited use. Yes an improvement over regular sights, but not an end all solution either. If I am in such dark conditions, the likelihood is that things are going to be up close and fast moving and point shooting is going to be more the reality.
 

Placementvs.Calibur

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I don't want anything that draws attention to my firearm in the dark other than a muzzle flash. I don't want any lights, lasers, glow in the dark green flourescent night sights, especially if I'm stalking the intruder in the dark during a break in. If you're awoken from a deep sleep by an intruder in your bedroom shoot until the threat is neutralized (leave spare rounds in the mag in case there's more than one intruder). I don't agree with the spray and prey notion because when caught off-guard that's anyonesinitial reaction. Don't spray, have a plan of attack for if and when this may happen. For instance: I would shoot through my locked bedroom door, if they enter through my lockedmaster bath I'd shoot at them, through my bathroom wall(townhouse wallboard), and then through my bedroom door following their fleeing path. Hopefully I have the chance to execute this procedure. Have a plan of attack, and practice it in your mind and with your spouse.
 

ODA 226

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Etzenricht, Germany
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I used to think that they were of limited use, but now they are REQUIRED for every weapon I carry. They do give you an advantage in low-light conditions, however slight it may be.
 

longwatch

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An absolute must for a fighting handgun IMHO. They do increase accuracy and reaction time for me. Also useful for finding a gun in darkness.
 

Placementvs.Calibur

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ODA 226, Longwatch, do you guys wear glasses or contacts? Not trying to be funny just want to know. I have exceptional vision in the light and dark. Just curious, this question might not even matter in your mind, but it does to me. For yearsI relied upon an antique(1949 Tokarev) for home defense and couldn't and wouldn't worry about night sights. My wife on the other hand(blind as a bat) watch out.
 

Renegade

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Offensive use such as a suppressed H&K USP Tactical - they may help for short to medium range shots where you have a moment to compose your sight picture.

Defensive use such as a carry weapon - if you train to look at and align sights you are not training correctly. Let the force guide you... :cool:
 

longwatch

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Placementvs.Calibur wrote:
ODA 226, Longwatch, do you guys wear glasses or contacts? Not trying to be funny just want to know. I have exceptional vision in the light and dark. Just curious, this question might not even matter in your mind, but it does to me. For yearsI relied upon an antique(1949 Tokarev) for home defense and couldn't and wouldn't worry about night sights. My wife on the other hand(blind as a bat) watch out.
20/20 vision and I see better at night than most people, colorblindness sometimes means better night vision. That said more light is better than less.
 

LEO 229

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Night Sights are over rated in self defense.

At night you must be able to identify your target and see the threat.

IMO you are going to be close enough just point and shoot without the need to line up the sights.

If it is night time and you are so far away that you MUST use sights to make an accurate shot perhaps you should use the cover ofdarkness and distance to get away from the danger.
 

VAopencarry

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May 9, 2006
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If this is a serious question then consider serious possible answers to your poll. Spray and Pray and Nigh vision goggles are not. Looks like you already had your mind made up....
 

isaiah

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Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
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VAopencarry wrote:
If this is a serious question then consider serious possible answers to your poll. Spray and Pray and Nigh vision goggles are not. Looks like you already had your mind made up....

Just trying to add a little humor. It's healthy to laugh.
Try it!


I'm mostly thinking of those black sheep situations that I don't normally find myself in but would render night sights advantageous. Times of disaster, when the lights go out, is one thing that comes to mind. Otherwise populated areas usually have fairly decent lighting at night and if I'm in my house I know where the flash lights and light switches are.
 

nova

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Aug 19, 2007
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night vision goggles FTW! :p

I don't have night sights on any of my guns, mainly because none of the guns I've bought had them. And I didn't feel like spending much $$$ on a gun I got used for a good price anyhow. Plus I'm acustomed to 3 white dot sights since that's what I shoot the most.
 

ODA 226

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20/15 correctable to 20/10vision here. Tritium sights allow for much faster sight alignment under low-light conditions and in no way obstructs your ability to ID and engage your target. It does give you an advantage over a target that has only conventional black sights in low-light conditions.
 

Flintlock

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Alaska, USA
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Renegade wrote:
Offensive use such as a suppressed H&K USP Tactical - they may help for short to medium range shots where you have a moment to compose your sight picture.

Defensive use such as a carry weapon - if you train to look at and align sights you are not training correctly. Let the force guide you... :cool:
Why would a supressed USP Tactical be considered "offensive"? What is your definition of a carry weapon? Not trying to badger you, just curious why you made the distinction between the two as I see absolutely no difference...

As for night sights, it is a personal preference just like anything else. For me, it helps my shooting accuracy and I live in a state that has veryshort daysduring the winter.
 

LEO 229

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isaiah wrote:
VAopencarry wrote:
If this is a serious question then consider serious possible answers to your poll. Spray and Pray and Nigh vision goggles are not. Looks like you already had your mind made up....

Just trying to add a little humor. It's healthy to laugh.
Try it!


.. Snipped
So true.. A fewhere are too uptight and need to loosen up a little.

RELAX PEOPLE!!! Have fun! :lol:
 

ODA 226

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imported post

LEO 229 wrote:
isaiah wrote:
VAopencarry wrote:
If this is a serious question then consider serious possible answers to your poll. Spray and Pray and Nigh vision goggles are not. Looks like you already had your mind made up....

Just trying to add a little humor. It's healthy to laugh.
Try it!


.. Snipped
So true.. A fewhere are too uptight and need to loosen up a little.

RELAX PEOPLE!!! Have fun! :lol:
Doesn't everyone here have night vision goggles????? :uhoh:
 

expvideo

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Oct 8, 2006
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Lynnwood, WA, ,
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NVG ftw.

Better than headlights, anyway.





Seriously, though. I like night sights, but I doubt I'll go out and buy them. They're very nice if they come on the gun, but I could take them or leave them.
 

isaiah

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
52
Location
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
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I almost had a night vision scope once...
That was before I decided sitting still in sub-zero temperatures at night wasn't worth the coyote pelt I was after.
 
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