Night Sight Confusion - Please Explain

[Pete123]

What are the different types of night sights that will glow all night?

 

I know about the tritium tube sights.

 

Are there any other ones - meaning ones that glow all night rather than a short period?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Many thanks,

 

Pete

Edited March 29, 2015 by Pete123

[Fourtyfive]

I don't know why HK uses the cheap glow by charge sights they do , I love my HK but you would think on a $1,000 pistol they could upgrade the sights a little. If I'm correct their tactical versions have true tritium sights ....

[RWF]

I have not had night sights in several years, but all the ones I had, use the gas filled tubes with 10 years life span

[MacGyver]

The old watch dials were painted with Radium. Radium has been out of favor for a long time due to its toxicity.

That link had an inaccurate description of the sights, as you've learned. It should have read "non-radioactive luminous sights"

[nightrunner]

Tritium is the only thing I know of commonly used that glows on its own without being "charged" with an outside light source.

[Karnage]

I don't know why HK uses the cheap glow by charge sights they do , I love my HK but you would think on a $1,000 pistol they could upgrade the sights a little. If I'm correct their tactical versions have true tritium sights ....

Tritium is illegal to possess in many countries, including Germany.

[nightrunner]

Tritium is illegal to possess in many countries, including Germany.

It's not available for "recreational or miscellaneous purposes" in the US either. Weapon sights are one of the few exceptions to being able to legally purchase it. When I bought my tritium key fob, I had to order the tritium insert from Indonesia.

[RED333]

Dolomite has a post here some where that has a "how to" make your own glow in the dark paint.

I have not tried it but when Dolomite does something it works like he wants.

Give him a chance to find this thread.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I bought some tritium vials and installed one myself. I had to use a carbide drill bit to drill the front sight on my shield. Total cost was under $15. ETSY sells them and I bought some 2mm x 6mm. They are big enough but I would have preferred 3mm x 6mm instead. I used two part epoxy to hold it in place v

I also use glow in the dark powder, not the premixed paint, to do sights as well. I buy the powder then mix it with 2 part epoxy and it is impervious to solvents.

The glow powder is much brighter initially and is brighter than tritium for an hour or so them it is dimmer than tritium. But all you need to do is hot it with a flashlight for a second and it is good for another hour or more. The benefit of tritium is it does not need to be charged.

[jaymc75]

I have a set of Truglo TFO's on my Glocks and they are fiber optic with tritium.. So if your shooting outside or indoors with light they glow from the fiber optic but in complete darkness the tritium glows.

[A.J. Holst]

The old watch dials were painted with Radium. Radium has been out of favor for a long time due to its toxicity.

That link had an inaccurate description of the sights, as you've learned. It should have read "non-radioactive luminous sights"

Does anyone remember the Doonesbury comic where the genius kid builds a nuclear device using radium gathered from old watches?

[sschrick]

I think for the constant glow you are looking for. . .that is tritium.  And, to my knowledge, the only color offering is still green.

[dcloudy777]

I think for the constant glow you are looking for. . .that is tritium.  And, to my knowledge, the only color offering is still green.

 

Tritium sights are available in several colors now.  Green is the brightest, but I've seen yellow, red, orange, blue.

 

My current carry gun has a set from Trijicon that uses a green (brightest) front sight, and orange (for contrast) rear.  I love them.

[Dolomite_supafly]

ETSY sells about 10 different colors. They are all the same brightness but our eyes see certain colors better than others.

[ehull20000]

Trijicon makes a great sight called the RMR which works exceptionally well day or night. I highly recommend checking one out if possible. One major negative is the cost as the unit is In the 500 dollar range. The second major negative is it doesn't fit very well on narrow frame pistols.

[MacGyver]

I think for the constant glow you are looking for. . .that is tritium.  And, to my knowledge, the only color offering is still green.

The glow of tritium sights is caused by the emitted electrons from the tritium decay hitting and a phosphor screen which in turn causes the glow that we see.  You can get them in a variety of colors.

[Dolomite_supafly]

Trijicon makes a great sight called the RMR which works exceptionally well day or night. I highly recommend checking one out if possible. One major negative is the cost as the unit is In the 500 dollar range. The second major negative is it doesn't fit very well on narrow frame pistols.

Buy a Burris Fast Fire or a Docter optic. They are just as good and a lot cheaper. I have an original Burris FF and it has been on everything without issue.

[RED333]

ETSY sells about 10 different colors. They are all the same brightness but our eyes see certain colors better than others.

The very reason I have green on mine.

[tnguy]

Does anyone remember the Doonesbury comic where the genius kid builds a nuclear device using radium gathered from old watches?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hahn

[Dolomite_supafly]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hahn

Never knew there was a Boy Scout merit badge for Atomic Energy.

[Jonnin]

I think one issue is longevity.  There are several light emitting reactions and compounds but they last like 10 seconds and its done. 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemiluminescence

 

lists some of the types.   If there were enough of a market we could probably find some other ways to do it but most lights can be electric, there isn't much need for additional glowing stuff.