Love Hate FO sights

[knkali]

I have Williams FO sights on my Kahr P40 and TFOs on my MP 9 and Kimber 1911. The FO element needed replacing on the P40 recently after a couple years of hard use in training classes and the tritium element started coming out of the casing on the TFO front sight on the 1911 after running the gun hard for a few months(sights are 2 years old). I love the brightness of the FO sights but if you run your guns hard, they just don't hold up as well as I would like. SO my 2 cents: If you run your guns( lots of rounds from holster drills, run and gun type work ect., understand that FOP sights are a maintenance item. If that is an issue, then stay away from em. I am on the fence with em.
Hope it helps others on the board.

[Bawanna]

I'm not fond of them myself. Seem to delicate. I also apparently haven't found the right color combination or something, they just don't show up that well for me.

Many absolutely love them and swear by them. Just not for me I'm afraid.

[b4uqzme]

Love 'em and I'm OK with the maintenance. Red works best for me...only on the front. But not on my carry pistols. Those have night sights front and rear.

[ltxi]

Fiber optics work with enough light. Still have a front on one shotgun. Generally not for me, though. My preference has long been for trits, but as they die off I'm replacing most with gold bead fronts.

[BarryinPa]

I know many who like them, but for me, I don't care for them. had them on a rifle and a glock 30. rifle is gone, and the 30 now has normal sights. My eyes just don't focus on them well.
Barry

[Bawanna]

Fiber optics work with enough light. Still have a front on one shotgun. Generally not for me, though. My preference has long been for trits, but as they die off I'm replacing most with gold bead fronts.

I'm from the other side of the tracks but the brass beads are appealing to me. I plan to give them a go on a couple pistols.
I still like my XS sights but find the bead fronts appealing for some reason.

[Alfonse]

I think I'll just get some paint. That Ruger Mark III that I picked up is working well except I don't get the black rear on black front sight combination. What sort of contrast is that? I'll see what some orange paint will do to start.

Since it is a range gun, I was thinking of trying a fiber optic. But, one of those didn't work out well for me on a shotgun. I don't think this would be much different.

[jeepster09]

I think I'll just get some paint. That Ruger Mark III that I picked up is working well except I don't get the black rear on black front sight combination. What sort of contrast is that? I'll see what some orange paint will do to start.

Since it is a range gun, I was thinking of trying a fiber optic. But, one of those didn't work out well for me on a shotgun. I don't think this would be much different.

If you use paint, go with "fishing lure paint" many bright colors and very durable.

[yqtszhj]

If you use paint, go with "fishing lure paint" many bright colors and very durable.

Dang, I never thought of that I've been using the daughter's orange sparkle and white pearl nail polish. You should see the attention that gets at the range. ;)

[Alfonse]

If you use paint, go with "fishing lure paint" many bright colors and very durable.

Thanks! I'll do that.

[jlottmc]

I use an engine block paint (bright green) for my sights. I find the green draws my eye the best. I too black the rear sight and green the front. It is a little more of a PITA to apply, but holds up well.

[340pd]

I too have some FO, including TruGlo TFO's on a couple of guns but I have found they are not very good unless direct light is on them. Gold bead seems work better under most daylight conditions for me.

We keep a bottle of office "white out" on the counter at the range I work at. I can't begin to tell you how many people have improved their shooting when we dab a bit on their black front sight.
Birchwood Casey sells a great sight paint in a pen that works and will last forever. White undercoat and red topcoat really stands out.

http://sport.birchwoodcasey.com/ProductSearchResults/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=7c6633b0-d42e-4d88-82e2-6e3a74195fa0

[garyb]

I have Dawson's on two of my matching M&P's (.22 and 40). I was told by a competitive shooter to use a flat black rear sight with a fiber optic front. Some folks pick up the green better, others the red. Individual preference. With the flat back rear sight, the glowing front sight is very fast to pick up. That fiber just stands out in the black rear sight. With the fiber REAR sights, your brain is taking longer to sort out all the glowing dots and which one is your front. With just one glowing on the front, your brain quickly picks up the front sight which is where you want to focus anyway. I tried this and it works. I have not had to replace my Dawson fiber's yet. Not saying they won't break, but they are well supported fibers and can take a lot of punishment, draws, reholstering, etc.... Even if the fiber optic breaks, it is very quickly replaced. I have not done it yet, but based on the instructions from Dawson, it appears to me to be a non-issue to replace these fibers, compared to replacing the entire sight as would be the case with night sights.

Compared to my night sights (TRU DOT) that came on my PM40, the Dawson fiber optic fibers are SOOOOO much faster. Plus I've read that the night sights do give up their glow over time and they will need to be replaced some day too. So sight maintenance is an issue anyway...unless you stay away from fibers and glows.

I do feel the TRO DOT night sights on my PM are very well built and have a smoother, lower profile for carry. So I plan to leave them on until they fail. Then I will convert front to Dawson fiber optic sights and rear to a flat black Dawson, for every day carry. Just my 2 cents on this. To each his own.