Recommendation on combat (self-defense) sights

[SIG_Fiend]

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I go fiber optic front and black rear. I can see where the XS Big Dots would certainly be fast.

First pic is with the fiber optic "melted small", second two are with it big.

Black rear with a fiber front is a great combo. Really draws focus to the front sight and also makes it much easier to track the sights and keep the gun under control when shooting at speed.

The XS Big Dots are an interesting concept. To date, there hasn't been a single person that has provided proof or supporting fact that they are "faster" than notch and post sights. There is also not a single national or international IDPA or USPSA/IPSC competitor that has won a title with them, and these are people shooting at the apex of speed and accuracy... Just saying.

 

[CrankyBuddha]

Lemme throw out an opinion that is not yet detailed - Advantage Tactical Sight:
www.advantagetactical.com
It's an odd, but oddly effective sight. Had a buddy that mounted one on his XDs. I shot it WELL on quick fire shooting exercises. It's very instinctual and allows the shooter to get on target quickly.

I don't see an option for these on the Kahr...

-CrankyBuddha

 

[TheDan]

Steyr triangle sights

 

[TexMex247]

I like the TFO sights I recently put on my G19. They seem to get a good glow, day or night. The only downside being that they add some bulk to the slides profile and may not draw as cleanly as factory sights from a holster.

 

[thatguybythebay]

the correct answer is what works best for you. for standard defense sights I use TFOs, they may work great for me but fail you.

 

[Alex23]

Everyone has their own preference. I've used Tru-Dots, TFOs, Trijicons, and have just mounted a Heine Rear black and a Big Dot XS on a Glock. The latter seem very quick for acquisition but you can't prove this objectively. And comparisons to games like IDPA and IPSC are silly - they have about as much to do with combat shooting as an Xbox game.

 

[gcmj45acp]

I have a combination of three handguns that I consider my primary self-defense tools; Glock 19 G4, Glock 26 G4 and (to be) Kahr CM9. The Glocks have the factory "U-dot" sights and the Kahr a dot above a bar like a lower case i.

I would like to have all the sights be the same. I think having different sights on each will either increase the training time required to master both. Since training time and dollars are limited I think I could be more effective if I trained on a single type of sight. What do you think?

What are the best sights for a self-defense situation? I have the most experience with traditional three dot sights but I am willing to adjust to something else. I used to think night sights were an absolute must but someone pointed out that if it's too dark to see your sights it's probably too dark to clearly identify your target and what's beyond it.

By the way, I am near sighted in my weak eye and (very slightly) farsighted in my dominant due to a combination of a bad lasik choice and advancing years.

Thanks guys!

-Cranky

You've gotten a lot of goo recommendations already but, your thinking is on the right track. Having a single, consistent sight picture common to all the handguns you own makes switching between them much easier. You'll find this is actually common among competitive shooters. One of the keys to better shooting is consistency and it applies to sights too. If you're switching sights all the time, your eye never knows what to expect and it takes that much longer to recognize the sights and sight alignment rather than having a quick reference point that you see all the time and pick up quickly.

Best sights are always going to be those that offer high visibility. Some folks like the three-dot setup and some LE agencies actually require it if you run "night sights." Personally, I run a flat black rear (10-8 Performance) with a TruGlo TFO front sight on all my guns right now. Having just the single dot up front is something I pickup very quickly and it's less "confusing" than running three-dots for me. I'll warn you that the TFO fiber can be fragile so my gunsmith actually took to putting clear epoxy in the sight to support the fiber and prevent it from breaking. I will say however that recently, TruGlo's quality control seems to be slipping. I've seen multiple complaints of their sights having dead tritium vials. I am actually considering going to a standard front sight with a brass bead in lieu of a dot.

Given your sight issues, you might have to consider something like the XS "Big Dot" for your front sight. It's big enough that even the worst eyes can pic it up. Or you might consider some sort of reflex sight as these have become a great deal more reliable than they were in years past. While not cheap, reflex sight like Leupold's Deltapoint or Trijicon's RMR might be the way to go because it allows you to focus on your target and simply bring the "dot" into your line of sight. It's and undeniably fast setup.

GM