What my range safety officer said about nightsites....

[bripro]

This really got me thinking since the pistols I keep available for HD all have nightsites installed. The range safety officer and NRA qualified instructor at my range told me that he doesnt recommend nightsites because they are very helpful at letting you shoot a target that you can not positively identify. Since chaos would obviously ensue in a defensive situation maybe hes right. I also have tac lights but maybe the night sites are not necessarily a great thing. Just something to think about. Opinions appreciated.

[orionz06]

Target identification is only part of a low light shoot. The most common technique I have seen for low light (by seen I mean read about) has been to use the light to ID and then move. The light is a beacon and when it shuts off you do not want to be where it was. Once the target is ID'd and the decision to shoot is made, you can aim.

In short, the RSO was correct, night sights are not the answer. A light and night sights are.

[P-11 shooter]

I'd like to see some other credentials besides NRA instructor, and RSO.

I think I'd rather take my advice from a reputable firearms instructor. Being a NRA instructor doesn't mean you know dick about shooting, or guns. If just means you're certified to teach NRA curriculum.

And basically if you're capable of staying awake through summer school and know how to sign a check you can get a RSO card.




I'm going to have to disagree with his assessment. You're not using those night sights to shoot at a noise in the dark, or a random dark figure you can't identify. There's no reason to even draw unless you feel your life is in danger and those sights will help you put your rounds effectively on the threat and nowhere else.

[jcabin]

Night sights don't force someone to shoot. A competent gun owner can make his own decision when it comes to pulling the trigger, not the 80 dollar set of inanimate night sights atop his handgun.
There are so many more situations where night sights would be beneficial. I would say a significant amount of people are attacked in low light situations (parking lots, after they pull into the driveway, you know the drill). If you can't see your sights you can't make the best shot, though I guess people half point shoot when it comes to that point anyway.

[max384]

First off, being a NRA certified instructor doesn't make him qualified to give that sort of advice IMO. So, I'd take that advice like I would coming from any other shooter at the range - an opinion.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of night sights, but I also wouldn't dismiss the idea that quickly. I only have one pistol with night sights, and they're really not bright enough to obscure a target too terribly much. I would also ensure positive identification before I lined up my sights. I may have to point a gun and look over the sights, but I'm not going to be making my PID while looking 'though' the lined up sights. This takes some time and deliberate movement to do so. If you are lining up the sights enough for the sights to obscure PID, you have some time. If the threat is coming at you so quickly that you don't have time to line up the sights, then PID would be pretty easy to acquire anyway.

There's a damn good chance you're not going to be using the sights in a defense situation anyhow.

[brownman]

I'm going to have to disagree with his assessment. You're not using those night sights to shoot at a noise in the dark, or a random dark figure you can't identify. There's no reason to even draw unless you feel your life is in danger and those sights will help you put your rounds effectively on the threat and nowhere else.

^^^What he said^^^

[mythaeus]

What if you ID'ed you target, maybe by the fact that no one is suppose to be in your house at 3AM, or by a quick switch of a light switch, or by the fact that he/they shot at you, or through night vision camera? Where is your aim gonna be without night sights when those silhouettes move about?

Night sights aren't for identifying targets. They are for aiming properly in the dark. Standard sights aren't for identifying targets either, but they sure as heck aren't useful in the dark. A bad ID is a bad ID, night sights or not. I have never heard of a bad shoot attributed to night sights being the conducive factor to pulling the trigger.

Al

[Helter]

Just because your sights are in darkness, doesn't mean that your target is.

[eXceLon]

Night sights don't mean you're shooting in pitch black, and can't even make out the target. There are many low light conditions where you can easily make out a threat, but the black sights on a black gun are nearly invisible in the same lighting. That's where night sights are useful.

And as for the credentials, those take nothing more than a few hours of your time and writing out a bunch of checks to the NRA. They don't actually imply any sort of expertise at anything.

[Beardog]

I think night sights are an upgrade that may help you out in a self defense incounter... (That I hope none of us ever has to have.) I don't see how they could hurt. You need to know what and who you are firing at and just because your sights glow, I don't think you are just going to start shooting at unidentified shadows, at least I hope not!
I think they are a bit over rated though, and I like lasers better and think they are more useful in a close range self defense/home defense incounter then night sights. And of coarse a hand held or rail mounted flash light is a must IMO for night time target I.D.