Night Sights

[RustyJr]

I have a couple Glocks (23/42) that I am interested in putting a set of night sights on. I have looked at different manufacturers (Meprolight/Trijicon) briefly and am unsure which is better or if there is even a difference other than price. Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks,
RustyJr

P.S. Metal would be nice and enough of a rear sight to "hook" on a piece of clothing or gear in order to "rack" the slide and chamber a round is also a feature I'm looking for.

[1894c]

on my duty Glocks I have used Glock factory night sights and Trijicon (mostly), both are steel...take a look at this link for another option... :)

http://www.10-8performance.com/glock-re ... dback-one/
http://www.10-8performance.com/glock-rear-sight/

[7.62 Precision]

First, if you are buying night sights, buy Meprolight, Trijicon, or any brand who's tritium light sources are supplied by Trijicon.

Both Meprolight and Trijicon purchase there tritium light sources from the same supplier in Switzerland. If you go with a brand that uses tritium from another source, you will be looking at less brightness and up to 40% failure rates.

So Meprolight and Trijicon source their tritium from the same source (the best). The similarities pretty much end there.

Meprolight sights are 20% brighter than Trijicon sights.
Meprolight sights are the only sights to have passed the military solvent test. The solvent test requirement was dropped by the government as it prevented all other night sight brands from being used by the military or government agencies that required sights that passed the military specifications.
Meprolight sights contain the purest tritium available - it is well over 99% pure.
Meprolight lenses are more precisely made and positioned than other night sight lenses.

There are several reasons for these advantages. First, US import laws limit the amount of tritium that can be imported in a single container. This means that Trijicon must import their tubes already cut to size and installed in aluminum tubes. Meprolight purchases the light sources in long tubes and cuts them to length using a proprietary process that both cuts and seals the tubes in a singe process, resulting in the purest tritium available. The light sources are then installed in white polymer tubes.

Trijicon sights have the light source inside an aluminum tube, and the lens is placed inside the tube on top of the light source. If you look at these sights, you will often see e variations in the lenses, and the angles at which they sit. The tube is then pressed into the sight, using a single adhesive to hold it in place. You will see an air vent hole in the sight which was required for installation.
Meprolight sights have the light source installed inside a white polymer tube. The tube is precisely sized to hold the lens at exactly the right distance from the tritium light source. The polymer tube is installed in the sight using a method that cannot be disclosed. There is no vent hole. A number of adhesives are used. The lens is installed over both the light source and the end of the polymer tube, so it is positioned precisely and at the correct angle to focus the light, and it is larger, so it can be built more perfectly.
Meprolight night sights are impervious to most solvents as a result, while other night sights can loose their tritium tubes due to adhesive break-down when exposed to common oils and solvents over time. The Meprolight lenses are positioned more precisely for brighter, more consistent sights, and the white tubes also cause the sights to be brighter and also more visible in daylight.

Meprolight used to have a much better warranty, but Trijicon just increased their warranty to be closer to Meprolight's. Both companies have tritium light sources that will have usable illumination outlasting their warranties. I have a Glock with tritium light sources that are easily 15 years old and still usable, and I just found an old Meprolight reflex sight that has bright tritium illumination still working from at least that far back.

Trijicon sights can have the tritium replaced. Meprolight sights cannot have the tritium removed without destroying the sight - they are assembled permanently. Either way, I don't see a need to replace tritium - the tritium is the expensive part, not the sight body. I would just buy a new sight.

Meprolight does not supply light sources to third parties. The processes used to make the Meprolight sights are superior and are closely protected, and kept in-house for quality control.

Again, if it is not either Meprolight or Trijicon (or a sight with a tritium tube that came from Trijicon) don't mess with it.

[Old Ironsights]

I've never had a Meprolight, but I was disappointed in the brightness & longevity of the Trijicon I had on my SP101. It only gave useful light for about 5 years.

[M. M. Wright]

7.62 precision.
Thanks so much for that treatise on the subject. Very useful info on the subject. I've been intending to put a set on my 4" 1911 and now I know what I want to use.
I have an old (20 years?) set of tritium sights that came with a Galil I once owned that have gone completely out. Made me wonder if all tritium did that.

[Malamute]

Is brighter always better? I've read comments from some that feel less bright is better overall, they don't overpower your target in dark dark, but still work well in the twilight where irons cant be seen.

I don't have much experience with pistol night sights, I'm asking from curiosity. The rifle night sights I've seen weren't as bright as the pistol sights I've seen, and I liked the rifle sights.

Has anyone done a clean night sight setup on a levergun? I've been thinking of some way to incorporate them into a lever gun, but have them be unobtrusive when not being used. A small folding front that would fold into a ramp base, and a folding barrel rear, similar to a Galil folding rear night sight is what I'm thinking. The simple Williams folding barrel sight may be about right for that use. The night sights could be a little taller than the normal line of sight.

[MrMurphy]

Tritium has a half life of around 12-15 years.

I had a set of XS sights installed in October 2000 that by mid 2012 were so dim as to be useless. I knew that was coming, but for $100 after 12 years, I was fine with it.

I use Trijicons on an M&P .40 and they have performed well. Bright enough without being 'too' bright.

My carry gun has 10-8 sights, which I believe use a Trijicon tritium lamp and has the 'ledge' rear. The single dot/black rear is faster for me than the 3-dot design. Dawson Precision also performs well and holds up under abuse. Lot of LE types around here use Dawson by preference.

[7.62 Precision]

7.62 precision.
Thanks so much for that treatise on the subject. Very useful info on the subject. I've been intending to put a set on my 4" 1911 and now I know what I want to use.
I have an old (20 years?) set of tritium sights that came with a Galil I once owned that have gone completely out. Made me wonder if all tritium did that.

Yes, The best tritium should become noticeably dimmer by 15 years. It may be noticeably dimmer after 12 years. Sometimes it will last longer, I don't know exactly why, but it should at least become measurably dimmer starting around 12 years and you should be able to notice the dimming with your eye sometime after that.

Meprolight did not previously release Galil night sights for public sale, but now they do, so Galil night sights can be replaced. Pretty much every surplus Galil on the market in the US should have dead tritium at this point, unless they are a newer production imported for law enforcement.

[7.62 Precision]

Is brighter always better? I've read comments from some that feel less bright is better overall, they don't overpower your target in dark dark, but still work well in the twilight where irons cant be seen.

I don't have much experience with pistol night sights, I'm asking from curiosity. The rifle night sights I've seen weren't as bright as the pistol sights I've seen, and I liked the rifle sights.

Has anyone done a clean night sight setup on a levergun? I've been thinking of some way to incorporate them into a lever gun, but have them be unobtrusive when not being used. A small folding front that would fold into a ramp base, and a folding barrel rear, similar to a Galil folding rear night sight is what I'm thinking. The simple Williams folding barrel sight may be about right for that use. The night sights could be a little taller than the normal line of sight.

Brighter is better, but it has to be focused correctly. Those that say dimmer is better are usually finding a way to defend sights that are dimmer.

No night sights will be so bright as to cause any problems with obscuring a target or hurting your night vision.

Rifle sights will have smaller diameter tritium tubes and the rear sight will be dimmer (if designed correctly) for precision and because the rear sight is closer to your eye than pistol sights are.

[vancelw]

I use Glock sights. They cost much less than Trijocon and are larger. Cheaper to replace if necessary. I used to splurge for Trijicon but finally decided they weren't worth the extra money.

[JerryB]

My grandson bought a Kahr .40 cal a couple of years ago. He liked the gun and decided that he wanted the night sights, I ordered the Trijicon sights and had my gunsmith install them grandson is well pleased with them

[Old Ironsights]

After I finally got sick of looking at a dark Trijicon, and being unable to afford Meprolite right now, I put a HiViz light pipe on my SP101.

it's not as good as a nuke, but it's better than the dark ramp that my Trijicon turned into.

[AJMD429]

Wow. I remember checking out 'Night Sights' as a kid (40 years ago), and thinking they were ridiculously expensive for what they offered a 'regular' person (vs. a cop or special-ops person). Now I see the current prices for even the Meprolight ones are NOT all that high.

I could certainly see taking my 'favorite' firearm or two and outfitting them with proper night sights.

(By the way - This forum is FILLED with ENABLERS... )

[Neumann]

I have installed both Trijicon and Meprolight sights. Both are made well, but there are differences to be considered.

Meprolight sights are brighter than Trijicon, and have a wide white ring around the capsule. In dim light or against a dark background, the white ring helps sight acquisition and alignment. The tritium capsules seem to have a dark center, which neither hurts nor helps.

Trijicon sights have little or no white background. The tritium cells are like pinpricks, brighter in the center, visible only in near darkness. Some people find white rings distracting, so Trijicon is a logical choice.

Trijicon has an interesting offering - HD sights. The front sight has a wide, yellow, orange or green ring which glows for about 10 minutes after exposure to bright light. The rear capsules have no surround, and are visible only in near darkness. The object is for optimal front sight acquisition in all light, especially for tactical clearing operations entering a building.

Next time, I would choose the Trijicon HD sights for self-defense pistols. They weren't available when I did the conversions. For hunting and target shooting, I prefer the standard versions. It's a tossup between the brands, but Meprolights are more visible against a standard silhouette target.

Night sights should be installed on all SD and CCW pistols. They are useful in dim light, still sufficient to identify the target, typical of most SD situations. Plain iron sights disappear against a dark background. Alignment is everything. For strictly hunting, a fiber optic front sight is ideal. I don't like them for self defense - only good with bright overhead light, and too fragile for daily carry.

[7.62 Precision]

Trijicon has an interesting offering - HD sights. The front sight has a wide, yellow, orange or green ring which glows for about 10 minutes after exposure to bright light. The rear capsules have no surround, and are visible only in near darkness. The object is for optimal front sight acquisition in all light, especially for tactical clearing operations entering a building.

I'm not so big on the sights that glow after exposure to light. There are very few practical situations in which it is an advantage. For most people, pistols stay in a dark place until they are needed. Even clearing buildings is done with long guns as much as possible.

[Udy]

Has anyone done a clean night sight setup on a levergun? I've been thinking of some way to incorporate them into a lever gun, but have them be unobtrusive when not being used. A small folding front that would fold into a ramp base, and a folding barrel rear, similar to a Galil folding rear night sight is what I'm thinking. The simple Williams folding barrel sight may be about right for that use. The night sights could be a little taller than the normal line of sight.

I put a brockmans sight on the front of my 450m. I had a fiber optic sight on it and was useless under the timber on a dark day. When it got snagged on a limb or some such thing and broke off I bought the night sight. I am kind of mixed on the performance. Its better than the fiber tube that does nothing with out light, but I don't like how wide the blade was. Since this picture I filed the sides down till it was pretty skinny close to the tritium tube. I also shaved the top. Its better now, but it still doesn't glow bright unless its real dark. At least I can pick up my sight with it under the timber, I use it with a peep sight.

[Udy]

Not to hijack the thread, but does any one know if you can just purchase the tritium tubes.