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AR15.COM
2/8/2014 11:57:15 AM EDT
My eyes are not so good any more and I've been toying with replacing the front sight on my Officer's model 1911.

  I've opened up the Novak-style rear sight to about .140 and I've notched, drilled and mounted a brass bead in the front sight blade. This works to a certain extent. They are quicker to acquire but they are most effective if the light is coming in from over your shoulder, which is fine in daylight. But, being reflective, the bead disappears in the dark.

  Most folks recommend night sights. I tried a set on my Combat Commander and  I've never really liked them, I find the three glowing dots a bit distracting and confusing to use, and I don't expect to ever have need of them in the pitch dark as I have a flashlight always at hand. Given this, would a fiber optic front sight a reasonable choice?  

 Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance....
2/8/2014 1:06:04 PM EDT
[#1]
Quoted:

  Most folks recommend night sights. I tried a set on my Combat Commander and  I've never really liked them, I find the three glowing dots a bit distracting and confusing to use, and I don't expect to ever have need of them in the pitch dark as I have a flashlight always at hand. Given this, would a fiber optic front sight a reasonable choice?  

 Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance....
View Quote


XS Big Dot.  It's a fairly large trittium dot with a wide white ring around it.    Lots of folks like these with a plain black rear.

I actually don't like these as I prefer finer sights, and I personally really like 3-dot sights.  However it sounds very much like what you are looking for.
2/8/2014 2:39:26 PM EDT
[#2]
Trijicon makes a combined set of sights http://www.trijicon.com/na_en/products/product1.php?id=HDNS that use both a colored ring and Tritium.
I too don't care for 3 dot sights so I simply changed out my front sight only, I went with yellow/green so the front sight looks similar both day and night.
2/8/2014 8:40:35 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote History
Quoted:
Trijicon makes a combined set of sights http://www.trijicon.com/na_en/products/product1.php?id=HDNS that use both a colored ring and Tritium.
I too don't care for 3 dot sights so I simply changed out my front sight only, I went with yellow/green so the front sight looks similar both day and night.
View Quote


+1 for Trijicon HD sights.
2/9/2014 4:32:20 AM EDT
[#4]
You could always try AmeriGlo for a tritium front and plain black rear, which is what I prefer.
2/9/2014 6:03:56 AM EDT
[#5]
Fiber optic sights are fine for carry.

The front sight lives in the holster.

IF the fiber optic rod does happen to fall out on the one-in-a-brazilian chance you need your gun, the absolute worst thing that will happen is that you'll have a fully functional set of black sights that you won't be using anyway.
2/9/2014 6:18:56 AM EDT
[#6]
I'm old, and the eyes just aren't as good as they used to be. Even blurred, the XS Big Dot (non tritium) is hard to miss.
2/9/2014 10:27:25 AM EDT
[#7]
While I prefer to have night sights, I like the 2 dot configuration like the Ameriglo I-Dot.





For F/O, I do have a Dawson F/O front sight on my Kahr CM40 pocket gun.  I  daylight use it's great, and if I'm going to be out carrying after dark, I'll make sure to carry a Glock with the I-Dot night sights.





I think F/O is a great choice, maybe not as good as a set of night sights for a dedicated carry gun, but for a range gun and/or woods gun they make a world of difference.