Night Sights VS Weapon Light

[JoeJ615]

ok this is something that's bugged me for awhile and now that im close to getting a good 9mm as a bedside gun im thinking even more about it, i know a TON of people swear by night sights and please feel free to correct me if im wrong here but .. with night sights you would have no trouble seeing your sights in darkness but what good does that do you if you cant see your target? wouldnt a more practical setup be a weapon light and maybe fiberoptic sights? so you would illuminate your target and the fiberoptics pick up the ambient light (from said weapon light) for their own glow and ease of use? or am i not thinking about something here? just looking for opinions here, like i said just been something on my mind of late lol

[Romad7]

Night sights don't break or require batteries so they aren't going to fail. A light is a good idea for target ID so I would want both. If money is a factor then I would probably go with night sights first, there is usually enough ambient light to see a silhouette and aim with the night sights. I didn't see the big deal about night sights until I traded for a gun that has them and now I want them on all my guns.

I have a flashlight by the bed too just in case but would feel confident with just the night sights if my light were to fail.

[LDRider]

For a nightstand gun a weapon mounted light is an excellent idea in my opinion.

Night sites are useful on a carry gun when you may be involved in a low light situation.

It's difficult to find a holster that will accommodate your choice of gun and weapon mounted light and still be concealable.

In a home defense situation identifying the target in absolute darkness is a necessity.

Just some thoughts on the issue.

Jeff

[Il Duce]

i run regular all black sights and a great light that literally turns night into day so no need for them

Sent from my SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

[Hershmeister]

Both

[jdw174]

Original post deleted. Not enough coffee before typing.

Here's REAL suggestion. Rather than clamping a light on your pistol, opt instead for a small, handheld tactical model light. It should have a "dead man's switch" back on the butt of the light, that is a small amount of pressure with the thumb and the light goes on. Release pressure and it's off. Now learn a decent method of firing with the light (I prefer the Harries method myself). Handheld lights like that aren't all that expensive, unless you go with Streamlight or another top name brand.

Edited November 14, 2012 by jdw174

[piercedan]

One is to make sure you have a good sight picture (three dots properly aligned), and the other is for target ID and to see what you are aiming at. In tandem, they can make you much more effective.

[lshel]

Both nightsights and a good light. I have a Streamlight TLR-3 and TruGlo night sights on my M&P 9, house gun.
Also NS aids in finding gun in dark from receiver side when on nightstand or drawer. My M&P9 is in a holster perpendicular to mattress. Edited November 14, 2012 by lshel

[RobertNashville]

I've never considered it an "either/or" proposition; most especially on a handgun being used for home defense, and especially night-time home defense purposed.

There are times when either night sights or a weapon mounted light might be better so why limit yourself. If money is an issue, I would get the night sights first and have a good flashlight by the bedside...then get a weapon mounted light and even with a weapon mounted light I still have a tactical handheld flashlight to use with.

[hipower]

[quote name='RobertNashville' timestamp='1352907815' post='845456']
I've never considered it an "either/or" proposition; most especially on a handgun being used for home defense, and especially night-time home defense purposed.

There are times when either night sights or a weapon mounted light might be better so why limit yourself. If money is an issue, I would get the night sights first and have a good flashlight by the bedside...then get a weapon mounted light and even with a weapon mounted light I still have a tactical handheld flashlight to use with.
[/quote]

That's my choice as well. Am in process of changing my house gun to a G21 with rail light. Have nite sights on my carry and house guns. Not that imortant on range guns, but I won't bypass one with them either.

[Grunt67]

I have a Walther PPQ with Trijicon nite sights + a TLR-1 that I clamp on for bedside, etc., use. I remove it for other use.
If you must choose between the two, I'd go with nite sights. JMHO

[graycrait]

Even while in the Army I couldn't do aimed fire in the dark, much less in the D3cubed scenario of: Dark, 3 shots, 3 seconds, less than 3 meters. As far as I am concerned my weapons light on my house gun is my night sight and laser. The main beam of the weapon lights I have allow me to shoot a target without shaking that is about dinner plate plus at 22ft, the longest shot in my small house. I can ID the target also. The Glocks that I run as SYA guns all have bright fiber optics on them so I can throw the dot on a target in daylight. I don't plan on using the sights on my SYA guns much at the distances I expect to shoot such a gun at. However, if I were LEO and had the ability to open carry with a service sized weapon I would be carrying a gun with a light and night sights. Having said that if I had the option of carrying a pocket pistol with good small light that worked and fit with my pocket pistol I would use one. Trying to get a bead on a laser or night sight at speed in a fast close quarters situation is currently beyond my skill set. Girl at Krogers last nite checking my ID said I was exactly 1 year older than her granny. I am not only getting slower but ... Edited November 14, 2012 by graycrait

[tennessee01tacoma]

I've never used night sights but my stepdad said after the first shot they are useless because of the muzzleflash. He was a LE officer and a mp in the airforce. Like I said I've never tried.

[tennessee01tacoma]

I've never used night sights but my stepdad said after the first shot they are useless because of the muzzleflash. He was a LE officer and a mp in the airforce. Like I said I've never tried.

[broox]

A couple of weeks ago in Bowling Green, there was a night IDPA match. I am not much on IDPA style shooting, but I went because it was an awesome oppurtunity to put in practice all the things that are being debated in this thread. I know it was a "competition", but it was good practice. MCTS, in Dickson, is having another night match coming up. It would be a good oppurtunity to put theory into practice.
I do not have any night sights, but my XDM has a fiber optic front, and when I held the light by my head, and shot strong-hand only, the sight was super easy to see, the when I went with a two-handed light/gun friction hold(I am sure there is a tactical name for it), The sights were a little tougher to pick up, but I shot more accurately, but a little slower.

[alwaysonjohn]

i have only shot at night with both. During night quals i would sometimes leave my light off and use the light from the shooters around me. I wasn't paying attention if my sights were glowing, but whatever they were doing worked fine for sight alignment. Also, the first three shots are in darkness at close range and I can tell you the "flash" does not affect your other shots. I will say my only advice is to make sure you can see whatever it is you are shooting at which means using a weapon light if needed. Sometimes flipping a light switch in your house is a good idea since it doesn't let anyone know exactly where you are at, where a weapon light can be traced back to the source. I bought a strobe weapon light to help with this problem, but i honestly don't use it too much since it annoys me too much.

[Guest jkb4c]

If I could only have one or the other, it would be a weaponlight. I tend to think that a rail-mounted light is better than a handheld, too, since it leaves one hand free to grasp the firearm, call 911, open doors, etc.

[RichardR]

There are advantages and disadvantages to each, but I will say this, if you ever do some night time force on force training and you'll understand why I no longer use weapon lights on any of my weapons.

I have learned that stealth is the key to surviving/winning low/no light gun fights.

[SonnyCrockett]

my night stand gun has both
TruGlows and a Sig weapon light..for home defense I think I want
all the advantages i can buy on my side - I also have a light on my Shotty Edited November 15, 2012 by SonnyCrockett

[MiddTennTaco]

[quote name='RichardR' timestamp='1352989941' post='846039']
There are advantages and disadvantages to each, but I will say this, if you ever do some night time force on force training and you'll understand why I no longer use weapon lights on any of my weapons.

I have learned that stealth is the key to surviving/winning low/no light gun fights.
[/quote]

This.

However, keep a light on your nightstand pistol! ONLY use it when you're about to take a shot. It IS important to identify your target before firing. I would NOT use it as a search light. If you ARE searching, I hope you have a reason WORTH risking your LIFE(i.e. children and other family members). You otherwise would be best off hunkering down and calling 911. You let them come to you and use that light to identify the target and take the appropriate actions.

MOST people take off their weapon lights when they carry the pistol. There are hardly any manufacturers out there that make holsters that accommodate weapon lights and weapon lights also make the pistol very heavy. This is where night sights come in. When you are away from the house, without adequate lighting, with minimum reaction time - night sights will help you deliver accurate shots in low light. Even if I had a weapon light on my pistol at all times, I would still use night sights. They simply don't fail, they don't use batteries, and they're very difficult to damage.

I would FIRST get good quality night sights for my gun if it is a carry weapon. Then I would buy a decent weapon light that is easy to mount and take off. This is much better than a handheld light for many reasons. You do NOT want to have your hands full opening and closing doors. Most importantly you want as much control of the weapon as possible (recoil and prevent it from being taken away).

Best of luck.

[kwe45919]

I have tritium nightsights on all my pistols. I have 2 rail lights, one attached to the wife's G19 and one in the safe. I also have hand held lights at the bedside. All of these items can be usefull in different situations. If you can identify your target with a light, can you align your sights with the ambient light? With nightsights, can you identify your target?? This is where you become your own little MythBuster. Get what you can afford and work with it. If you don't like the way things work, get something else and try it. It's all a preference as to what works best for you.

[Tuffus]

I keep an FNP 45 by the bed with a Streamlight weapon light attached. When I turn the light on, the sights silhouette against the target but night sights are in my future. I have night sights on my carry guns, Glock 30 and LCR .357. I can also use the Streamlight on the Glock with the nightsights but I like the FN better for home defense.

[Grunt67]

[quote name='w0lfattack' timestamp='1352993788' post='846065']
This.

However, keep a light on your nightstand pistol! ONLY use it when you're about to take a shot. It IS important to identify your target before firing. I would NOT use it as a search light. If you ARE searching, I hope you have a reason WORTH risking your LIFE(i.e. children and other family members). You otherwise would be best off hunkering down and calling 911. You let them come to you and use that light to identify the target and take the appropriate actions.

MOST people take off their weapon lights when they carry the pistol. There are hardly any manufacturers out there that make holsters that accommodate weapon lights and weapon lights also make the pistol very heavy. This is where night sights come in. When you are away from the house, without adequate lighting, with minimum reaction time - night sights will help you deliver accurate shots in low light. Even if I had a weapon light on my pistol at all times, I would still use night sights. They simply don't fail, they don't use batteries, and they're very difficult to damage.

I would FIRST get good quality night sights for my gun if it is a carry weapon. Then I would buy a decent weapon light that is easy to mount and take off. This is much better than a handheld light for many reasons. You do NOT want to have your hands full opening and closing doors. Most importantly you want as much control of the weapon as possible (recoil and prevent it from being taken away).

Best of luck.
[/quote]

+1 Good post. Agree!

[glock55]

i think a house gun should have both night sights and a weapon mounted light/laser combo. All my Glocks 19,23,21 and hopefully 26 after christmas wear truglo tfo sights. they glow great in the dark but i like them best in the daytime. they jump out and catch your eyes in day better than any other sight ive seen.

i think the house gun should also have a laser/light combo for target identification. im not shooting anything i cant identify. one of the rules of gun safety. the laser doesnt add any weight and in the dark the red dot can be put on target from any position. i picked up a streamlight tlr-4 from midway usa for 109.00 on sale through december. if money is an issue i would go with the light/laser combo first.