Review: 10-8 Performance Sight

[TGO David]

10-8 Consulting is proud to present the 10-8 Performance Rear Sight. Designed by Hilton Yam, this sight incorporates a combination of unique features not found in any other production sight. While the unique appearance is what typically captures people's attention, this is truly an example of form meeting function. The rear blade of the sight has a flat angular surface which provides the user additional options of slide manipulations over sights designs that have a ramped front. The sight blade is thick enough to allow setting tritium vials in lengthwise (ie. as dots) if one so chooses. It is contoured and dehorned for comfortable handling and carry.

Precision CNC machined from heat treated 4140 bar stock, this rear sight is designed to withstand the rigors of hard duty use. Unlike rear sights machined from soft, free machining alloys, the hardened bar stock construction allows this sight to better resist the nicking and denting that is typical with the wear and tear of daily carry. It features a .125" x .125" U notch for fast alignment with tritium dot or gold bead front sights. The rear face is serrated at 40 lpi to reduce glare in varied lighting conditions. The sight features a plain black blade, finished in matte black manganese phosphate.

The Smith & Wesson M&P handguns are still new enough to market that not very many of the more recognizable manufacturers are producing sights for them yet. Other than Novak which OEMs the sights to Smith & Wesson, no other manufacturers have tritium night sights. In fact, supply from Novak is even so scarce that S&W is not selling the complete front/rear tritium sight set as upgrade pieces. The only piece you can buy through authorized S&W armorers is the front night sight.

I wasn't real pleased with the factory Novak sights -- am I ever pleased with factory sights? -- so I was searching for something to replace them with. I happened to stumble across the 10-8 Performance sights mentioned in a thread on the M&P Pistol forum so I took a chance and ordered one.

The 10-8 sight is a replacement rear sight only. It has no dots, just a U shaped channel or aperture, and has serrations to minimize if not eliminate glare.

The beauty of this system, to me, is that it gives you two less things to distract your eye from the front sight. No rear dots, just the simple U shaped channel. Your eye is immediately and naturally drawn to the front sight just as it should even with a three dot system. If you can see the dot in the "U" then you pull the trigger. It's that simple.

The only upgrade I anticipate doing at this point is ordering one of the factory Novak front tritium sight blades for each of our M&P handguns, and two more of the 10-8 sights for the two guns not already equipped.

Range Report...

I installed the 10-8 sight on my M&P 40 full-size by myself. No gunsmith needed. It was a simple task accomplished in my garage with a bench vice, some cardboard shims to protect the slide, a hex key and a jeweler's hammer. Total time to remove and replace was about 10 minutes, including time to round up the tools.

Tonight I got to take the M&P 40 out to the range and put 200 rounds through it. The gun had only had 100 rounds put through it previously, so it's still in the break-in period. But I'm happy to say that at 300 rounds total so far, there have been no failures of any kind. Great gun!

I took to the 10-8 sight immediately. There was no learning curve and it really is as simple as "see the front dot, press the trigger". My shots were exactly where I was aiming and it took no effort to blast the centers out of the Shoot N See targets. Very fun!

The Verdict...

I'm definitely ordering more of these for the other two M&P automatics. Hell I may even order one for my Kimber 1911. It only makes sense to have a standardized sighting system on all of the handguns right?

I can see why this sight design is so popular with competitive shooters, police and military operators. It does away with the three-dot system that tends to make your brain do a little too much thinking, and puts in it's place a system that appeals to our base lizard brains. Dot, hole, bang.

I'm impressed. Very impressed. It's the best handgun sighting system that I have used yet.

SOURCE: http://www.10-8consulting.com/108performance.php

[TGO David]

Well, I added one of these to both my and my wife's compact M&P's this afternoon and added a new HiViz green fiber optic front sight to my full size M&P 40.

Really wish I had been able to find a brass punch set locally for that front sight. I buggered up the sight's base a little when I tapped it into the dovetail but hey... function over form! If I like it, I'll just order another later and replace it the right way.

I remain really impressed with the 10-8 rear sights. I think the combination of the 10-8 rear sight and the HiViz front sight on the big gun will be a lot of fun at the firing range. That gun may see a lot of use if I get into IDPA and those sights should help make quick sight acquisition a breeze.

[wareagle]

I think harbor freight sells brass punch sets.

[TGO David]

I think harbor freight sells brass punch sets.

They're supposed to, but the store in Donnelson was out; I stopped by there today. I did end up ordering a set from them and it should be here sometime soon. I just got a little impatient.

[DaveTN]

I want to drag this back up before I start a new thread.

I hate three dot sights. I probably would never use sights in a defensive shooting situation; it’s just not how I am trained. (Just to clarify that my application is target shooting only)

I have a couple of M&P’s (Full and Compact .40) that I would like to put some sights on for better target shooting at the range.

This rear sight looks like something I would like, except that I would like a white outline. It appears that the serrations on the face of this sight would make that impossible.

I would like to find something that is adjustable on the rear sight, white outline sight blade or interchangeable sight blades and a plain solid front post or a front post with inserts.

I understand that Tupperware guns are not target guns, but basically I’m looking for the same options I would have on a revolver used for competition.

Any ideas?

[TGO David]

It sounds like you're the only guy I've heard of who essentially wants the stock Glock sights.

[DaveTN]

It sounds like you're the only guy I've heard of who essentially wants the stock Glock sights.

Are Glock sights white outlined and adjustable?

[Magiccarpetrides]

Interesting, but I think I prefer the XS sights still...thanks for the review!

[Guest Bronker]

Hey Dave, post a pic of the direct sight picture looking down the bbl when you get a spare moment.

I'm grasping the concept, but can't really picture what a difference it makes. The 10-8 website has all sorts of oblique angles, but no direct views.

You know men...we're very visual.

[TGO David]

Hey Dave, post a pic of the direct sight picture looking down the bbl when you get a spare moment.

I'm grasping the concept, but can't really picture what a difference it makes. The 10-8 website has all sorts of oblique angles, but no direct views.

You know men...we're very visual.

[Almond27]

oops

Edited March 6, 2010 by Almond27

[TGO David]

this thread is kind of old. lol

So? Your post was kind of off topic.

[Guest Bronker]

If you and Mike357 wouldn't lay in bed all morning, you'd have more time...

:p:p

[Shima]

It sounds like you're the only guy I've heard of who essentially wants the stock Glock sights.

I would fall in that small group as well. I like the stock Glock sight except for it's not a night sight. I can't stand 3 dots across. Don't know if I'm gonna be able to get used to it on my NEW BENELLI SUPERNOVA TACTICAL, but I'll try. I really like the XS Big Dot sights and think it's retarded that they don't make them for a M&P.

[TGO David]

So you pulled the trigger on the new shotgun, eh? I can't help but notice the lack of a new thread about it.

[Shima]

Its on my already started thread" stoeger,beretta or others". I have pics and everything. Go check it out. Thread drift over.

[Links2k]

I would fall in that small group as well. I like the stock Glock sight except for it's not a night sight. I can't stand 3 dots across. Don't know if I'm gonna be able to get used to it on my NEW BENELLI SUPERNOVA TACTICAL, but I'll try. I really like the XS Big Dot sights and think it's retarded that they don't make them for a M&P.

Well, that makes three of us. It would be great if they were night sights.

[Guest Todd@CIS]

I gave the 10-8 sight a hard look (I do like the U instead of the notch), but in the end I decided that I wanted some tritium in the rear sight.

So I went with this on my G19...

Heinie Specialty Products, Inc.

The .156 rear notch is really nice and the lack of white outline cuts down on any distraction.

10-8s, Heinies, and Warrens are all pretty nice.

[Mike]

I would fall in that small group as well. I like the stock Glock sight except for it's not a night sight. I can't stand 3 dots across. Don't know if I'm gonna be able to get used to it on my NEW BENELLI SUPERNOVA TACTICAL, but I'll try. I really like the XS Big Dot sights and think it's retarded that they don't make them for a M&P.

They do. I have a set on mine.

[Kegger]

And they were a bitch to put on there, too.

Does they make these for Taurus guns?

[Shima]

They do. I have a set on mine.

But do the front and rear sights have Tritium vials in them? I thought David was gonna look at getting some for his M&P, but they didn't glow on the front or the rear. I may be mistaken though.

[TGO David]

Back when I was looking at them, the XS sights did not have rear tritium vials. Not sure if they do now.

[Guest Bronker]

Back when I was looking at them, the XS sights did not have rear tritium vials. Not sure if they do now.

Mines does:D

The ones I bought that day we met at the Outpost function / glow very well. I put them on my XD45 Service that is the bedside beast. Been happy with them thus far.