CM9 Night Sight Question

[Markis82]

Hi All,

I am thinking about putting night sights on my CM9. I see Kahr sells the full set (front & rear) for $80.00. They also sell the front sight only for $30.00. On the guns that I currently have night sights on, I do have both front and back. I have never seen a gun with the front night sight only. What is you guys opinion a full set or the front sight only? If you all think that front only is good enough, I'll use $40.00 of the $50.00 saved and buy another MK620 mag with it. So what do you all think?

Thanks,
Mark

[Ressom]

I put only the front night sight on my CM9. The main reason is that I wanted to replace the factory plastic sight with a metal one. The reason I only did the front was becasue I could change it on my own. I didn't think I could pull off pushing the rear sight without scratching the slide. Plus there would probably be some fitting needed.

If given the choice of night sights or an additional magazine... get the magazine.

[Quickdraw]

I went front sight only also for the same reasons. If it is ever so dark that I can't see the rear sight enough for a shot then it it probably too dark to see a target.

[Bob G]

I put the $30 night sight on my CM9..Think of getting one for my CW9!

[Michael W.]

I am more convinced now that ever that rear night sights are superflous at
best and a distraction at worst.

Most schools of combat shooting teach focusing on the front sight.
Over the years on my Glocks I've been trending towards night sight systems
with an emphasized front sight and toned down rears. (Such as the
Ameriglo Operators). The XS Big Dot system is another embodiment of
this concept as it draws your eye to the front sight.

Under stress you won't be lining up a perfect sight picture but rather
train to put the front sight where you want to the round to hit.

With the Kahr pistols, I think the stock rear sight is great as long as you black
out the little white line, which I do with a black sharpie on all of mine.
It's gives a very clear sharp sight picture when needed and is not a distraction
when point shooting. For this reason, I will be getting only the front Trijicon on
my CM9. I wish it were as easy an upgrade on my PM9, P380 as well!

Michael-

[Russ]

I had Kahr install front and rear Trilicon night sights. They charged $40 labor. I am glad because the first night sight come off after 100 rounds. Make sure if you install to use loctite.

[JBarbaresi]

i agree with the other posters that you can get away with only switching out the front sight. you'll be surprised how dark it will be and you can still easily line up the green front tritium dot with the white mark on the stock rear.

that being said, i noticed the ameriglo operators were also mentioned by michael w. the one setback i have noticed about kahr is the lack of aftermarket options, night sights being one of them. i am trying to convince rick at ameriglo to expand into the kahr line and they are seriously considering it, but don't really know how much interest there would be. i would encourage everyone to take a couple minutes and shoot them an email, letting them know you would be interested in some additional sighting options on your kahrs. http://www.ameriglo.net/contact

the ameriglo i-dots are the absolute best set of sights i've ever used, and i've been through quite a few over the years. i'd love to have a set on my cm9.

http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/tt176/jbarbaresi/Guns/IMG_0011.jpg

http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/tt176/jbarbaresi/Guns/IMG_0006.jpg

http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/tt176/jbarbaresi/Guns/IMG_0237.jpg

[Russ]

If you replace rear sight you will get three dots

[Markis82]

Thank you all for your opinions so far. Based upon what I've seen, the winner is "change out the front sight only." So, unless someone can make a pretty good argument for the full set of front & rear, tomorrow I'll order the front sight only.

Thanks Again,
Mark

[TucsonMTB]

i am trying to convince rick at ameriglo to expand into the kahr line and they are seriously considering it, but don't really know how much interest there would be. i would encourage everyone to take a couple minutes and shoot them an email, letting them know you would be interested in some additional sighting options on your kahrs. http://www.ameriglo.net/contact

http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/tt176/jbarbaresi/Guns/IMG_0011.jpg

I like what appears to be very high visibility of the AmeriGlo sights. Are they really as eye popping as they look in your picture?

By the way, you might consider telling Rick at AmeriGlo that the pictures on his website svck! Really. I would never be convinced to make a purchase based on the poor presentation provided there and in the catalog. A few pictures like yours would help. :)

[jocko]

they do look awesome IMO, actually like um better than my xs big dots even.. love the flag thing on the back of the slide plate..

[JBarbaresi]

I like what appears to be very high visibility of the AmeriGlo sights. Are they really as eye popping as they look in your picture?

By the way, you might consider telling Rick at AmeriGlo that the pictures on his website svch! Really. I would never be convinced to make a purchase based on the poor presentation provided there and in the catalog. A few pictures like yours would help. :)

actually if you can believe it the sights are even brighter than they appear in the pictures, particularly out in the direct sunlight. i prefer the yellow (lime green) over the orange because i find that the orange washes out a little easier in lower lighting conditions. the yellow ring will also hold some light and actually glow like the tritium does when you hit it with a flashlight or sunlight. i like the 2-dot sighting system and the fact that the rear is pretty much blacked out for daytime use, the front sight is so bright in contrast that it makes quick aquisitions a no-brainer and forces your focus to be on the front for a correct sight picture. i also find the "U" shaped rear notch helps with proper sight alignment, which originally i thought was just a "gimmicky" claim.

for glock owners ameriglo undeniably has the best variety and number of choices for sighting preferences. they are expanding to accomodate some of the other more popular brand lines now, i want to get them on board with kahr because kahr is hurting in the after market options department. in my humble opinion ameriglo has the best quality of any of the sights i have tried (not gonna post other brand names and upset anyone who may be happy with their particular brand), and their customer service is actually top notch, not to mention some of the best prices out there (plus an additional 10% discount for users of most of the gun forums) and a lifetime warranty doesn't hurt either.

[JBarbaresi]

they do look awesome IMO, actually like um better than my xs big dots even.. love the flag thing on the back of the slide plate..

i carried xs big dots on my glock 19 and glock 32 for about 2 years, then added them to my gen4 glock 19 because i absolutely loved them for their intended role as a quick SD sighting system. i actually went from the big dots to the ameriglo i-dots earlier this year because i find them to be equally as fast, but also maintain the shootability to deliver accurate hits out to further distances. i know it can be done with the XS as well, but i was never able to do it. they are still great sights though and probably my second favorite available.

[aray]

If you're going to go with front sights only (and I agree with the other posters on that) you might also consider Dawson Precision as your source. You save the labor costs and it's pretty easy to change out the front sight on your own even if you're not mechanically inclined.

[bonjorno2]

front sight only on mine....

http://kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=7697

[BEARDOG]

front sight only on mine....

http://kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?t=7697

Me too, I have the front only Trijicon N.S. on both my CW9 and CM9...See Bonjorno's thread above for my comments/pics.

[HeyGuysWatchThis]

I agree, those sights are sweet, and I filled out the contact form asking them to make them for the CM9. Also, I think the American flag on the back is very cool, too. Is that a a custom back plate or what?



http://i609.photobucket.com/albums/tt176/jbarbaresi/Guns/IMG_0011.jpg

[JBarbaresi]

I agree, those sights are sweet, and I filled out the contact form asking them to make them for the CM9. Also, I think the American flag on the back is very cool, too. Is that a a custom back plate or what?

the slide cover plate is after market, but not custom. there are several different designs out there you can buy for glocks, and a few places that will custom engrave whatever you want if its not available.

one thing that glock is not lacking is the after market accessories department. i actually ended up taking those slide cover plates off because i found the white flags to be distracting my focus from the front sight.

[Markis82]

I agree too. The Ameriglow sights are very nice. However, I cannot wait until they make ones for the Kahr line. I have gone with the popular opinion and ordered the front sight only from the Kahr site. I did use the saved $50.00 by not ordering the full set and ordered another mag. This way I won't need to empty one of my carry mags to go to the range. I'm just hoping mine will go on flush with no screw head protrusion. One question for those who have installed theirs. Is the Loctite supplied with the sight? If I do have to buy some, should I buy the red or the blue? Again, thanks for all of your suggestions.

Mark

[bonjorno2]

^^^ if you are referring to the trijicon front sight mine seated with plenty of room and no issues after over 150 rounds. They also included everything you need for the install minus a few things.... There is a great thread on here on the install process with pics, i just forget where it is.

[bonjorno2]

nvm here it is

http://kahrtalk.com/showthread.php?p=54961&highlight=Front+sight+installation#post54961

[Steeltoes]

I was thinking of just changing out the front sight...glad you posted...I just ordered one...:)

[JBarbaresi]

I agree too. The Ameriglow sights are very nice. However, I cannot wait until they make ones for the Kahr line. I have gone with the popular opinion and ordered the front sight only from the Kahr site. I did use the saved $50.00 by not ordering the full set and ordered another mag. This way I won't need to empty one of my carry mags to go to the range. I'm just hoping mine will go on flush with no screw head protrusion. One question for those who have installed theirs. Is the Loctite supplied with the sight? If I do have to buy some, should I buy the red or the blue? Again, thanks for all of your suggestions.

Mark


i just ordered the triji front sight and a spare mag from kahr last week. it did not come with any loctite. i had some red loctite already and used that, but i believe the common wisdom is to use blue. i just put a little drip inside the female end, poke it down with a paper clip to make sure it is down in there, and then screw in the screw supplied. i've never had a problem removing a screw using that method with red loctite before.

[Steeltoes]

Proper way is to clean the surfaces with alcohol...rinse any oil residue off the threads with alcohol coat the first two-three threads of the screw with red loctite and I also green loctite the sight to the slide...I have done several Glocks this way and never had any issues...Only ting with red is you have to heat it with a soldering iron to soften it before to remove it...hope this helps

[Ressom]

+1 for red loc-tite. I put blue loc-tite on and yesterday I noticed the screw was loose (after firing about 700 rounds). I will buy some red loc-tite now and count myself lucky that the sight didn't fly off when I was shooting!

[les strat]

I put loctite in the threaded hole and between the sight and slide as I had a slight visible gap between the two (thanks to some suggestions from forum members :yo: ), and the loctite sealed it off. It is holding up fine and looks good.

[Chowser]

I have Ameriglo Pro Operators on my duty weapon (Glock 31) and they are great.
For my CM9, I am ordering just the front sight from Kahr this week. I'll need to see the original front sight is going to get broken off when my slide gets refinished.

[tsquare]

I ordered the set (front and rear) and did the front myself. Not having a sight pusher, and no open shops around today I am sporting the front sight only, and am second guessing installation of the rear sight now.

[roklimo]

Installed front sight this morning. Took about two minutes. Looks great. Put about 250 rounds through it today. No FTF or FTE. Nothing but bang bang. Love the gun!:D

[Markis82]

I ordered the set (front and rear) and did the front myself. Not having a sight pusher, and no open shops around today I am sporting the front sight only, and am second guessing installation of the rear sight now.
It was explained to me by several gunsmiths, "There is no sight pusher that works for these guns. We must do it the old fashioned way." and pointed to his hammer and box of punches. I'm sending my slide to Kahr to have them install it.

[94zcar]

Just did the front sight on My CM9.... Video Link Below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETqmvXBxMq8

[Kahrnonymous]

I was curious whether or not to swap the plastic for a front from trijicon! Looks like its good to go! I didn't see this idea anywhere in this thread so I may offer up what I was thinking about doing! I really like Kahr's set up with the "Dot the "I"" method and really dont want to change the back sight out so I think I may purchase some of that V-10 glow paint stuff and make my own back night sight. I am kind of hoping it will a little more dim than the trijicon but still offer some visibility. Ill throw up some pics if I decide to go for it!

[JFootin]

I was curious whether or not to swap the plastic for a front from trijicon! Looks like its good to go! I didn't see this idea anywhere in this thread so I may offer up what I was thinking about doing! I really like Kahr's set up with the "Dot the "I"" method and really dont want to change the back sight out so I think I may purchase some of that V-10 glow paint stuff and make my own back night sight. I am kind of hoping it will a little more dim than the trijicon but still offer some visibility. Ill throw up some pics if I decide to go for it!

I am going to stick with the plastic sight for now, spend $15.93 and have night sights front and rear. :D

How? I'll buy an 8 pack of NITESITERS (http://www.nitesiters.com/Nitesiters_Handgun_Night_Sights.html), use two of them and have 3 more sets when those get too dim.

[OldLincoln]

I came real close to buying some V-10 to last until I get the Big Dot. However, I keep my gun holstered which puts the sights in the dark so V-10 paint would not get charged to show light when I draw. That makes it pretty useless for me. The Big Dots are supposed to last for several years in total darkness.

[Kahrnonymous]

I came real close to buying some V-10 to last until I get the Big Dot. However, I keep my gun holstered which puts the sights in the dark so V-10 paint would not get charged to show light when I draw. That makes it pretty useless for me. The Big Dots are supposed to last for several years in total darkness.

The Big Dot? hmmm Elaborate please?

[Steeltoes]

Install just the front sight, all you really focus on anyhow...

[OldLincoln]

XS makes Tritium coated sights. This is the stuff used to make watches glow in the dark. It is slightly radioactive and lasts 5-7 years, although it dims a bit each year. It doesn't "charge up" in light, so it's ready whenever you use your gun, even if left in the holster all the time like mine.

XS offers 2 versions, the standard which is the same size as what comes with the gun, and the Big Dot which is a larger front sight that is handy for less than optimum eyesight. The notion is that you can acquire the sight target faster and is especially useful for aiming on a moving target.

Kahr sells them with new guns, packaged for self install or will install them on your slide.

KahrShop (http://www.kahr.com/Sights/Sights.asp)

XS Sights (http://www.xssights.com/index.php?nID=home&cID=Home&pID=home)

There are quite a few reviews on You Tube (http://www.google.com/search?q=You+Tube+big+dot+sights&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a).

[Steeltoes]

In my opinion you really don't need night sights on the rear...My Kahr & Glock are both like that...:)

[Markis82]

In my opinion you really don't need night sights on the rear...My Kahr & Glock are both like that...:)
After trying the front night sight only every which way, no good for me. I need the rear.

[JBarbaresi]

XS makes Tritium coated sights. This is the stuff used to make watches glow in the dark. It is slightly radioactive and lasts 5-7 years, although it dims a bit each year. It doesn't "charge up" in light, so it's ready whenever you use your gun, even if left in the holster all the time like mine.

XS offers 2 versions, the standard which is the same size as what comes with the gun, and the Big Dot which is a larger front sight that is handy for less than optimum eyesight. The notion is that you can acquire the sight target faster and is especially useful for aiming on a moving target.

Kahr sells them with new guns, packaged for self install or will install them on your slide.

KahrShop (http://www.kahr.com/Sights/Sights.asp)

XS Sights (http://www.xssights.com/index.php?nID=home&cID=Home&pID=home)

There are quite a few reviews on You Tube (http://www.google.com/search?q=You+Tube+big+dot+sights&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a).

the XS sights use a tritium tube/vial just like most other nigh sights out there ont he market. the white outline does not glow. i used them on my carry glocks for a few years and i liked them as a quick aquisition carry sight. for me they were no good beyond 10 yards, but some people are able to shoot fairly accurately with them to further distances, plus in an SD situation if you are shooting that far you are probably legally wrong. for kahr they are only offered with a dovetail front, so will not work on any of the CW models or the CM9.

earlier this year i went back to a tradition notch/post setup in the ameriglo i-dot pros because i find them to be almost as fast, but still enjoyable to shoot with out to further distances at the range. YMMV, but if you go with XS get the big dots and not the standard.

[OldLincoln]

The "Dovetail Installation" (http://www.xssights.com/index.php?nID=help&cID=Help%2fVideos&pID=help) (second video) is why I want to have a local Gunny install them (or maybe Kahr). Note his filing the new sights. Somewhere in there if I were doing it you would hear a very loud @#$#$ as I took too much off and ruined my new sights. Looking at how easy his filed sights slid into place, I suspect he may have done the same thing - but it's good enough for who it's for.

[JBarbaresi]

The "Dovetail Installation" (http://www.xssights.com/index.php?nID=help&cID=Help%2fVideos&pID=help) (second video) is why I want to have a local Gunny install them (or maybe Kahr). Note his filing the new sights. Somewhere in there if I were doing it you would hear a very loud @#$#$ as I took too much off and ruined my new sights. Looking at how easy his filed sights slid into place, I suspect he may have done the same thing - but it's good enough for who it's for.

its not that bad, i installed a set on my wife's xd9sc which also has the front dovetail. the instructions are pretty good and walk you through it step by step. the key is to file the bottom until you can fit the sight half way on before meeting resistance, then use a drift and hammer the rest of the way. just be careful not to hit it too hard because you can break the tritium vial and it won't glow anymore.

[OldLincoln]

I'll have to check on installation price from the Gunny. To do it myself will require buying a few tools and it may cost more than having it done.

[JBarbaresi]

I'll have to check on installation price from the Gunny. To do it myself will require buying a few tools and it may cost more than having it done.

i picked up a small metal file set from lowes for under $4 recently for a different project, it would work fine for the front sight. the big dots come with a plastic drift but you really need a brass drift imo. you can always give the plastic drift a try, and if need be you can find a complete drift set for under $10 from most places. other than that, you really dont need anything else except for maybe a buddy to help stabilize the slide while you adjust the sight.

the rear sight uses set screws and loctite so it is really simple once you get the rear sight off.

[OldLincoln]

I dug through my punch drawer and came up with a small hammer plus small and smaller punches. I need a brass punch, anyway. Don't know why, but surely I must need one. When looking for the brass punch I may as well see if I can get a non-mar punch. I've fiddled with my slide in my vise with makeshift padded jaws and it works fine. I have a supply of locktite so I think all I need is a set of sights, and Christmas is coming. Now if I can only get her to forget about all the stuff I already said was my Christmas present.

In the meantime, I made myself a big dotish front sight. It's about the size of what I think the Big Dot is. Can't get any solvents on it or it's done. But it should last well.

No, it;s not a cherry candy! Works great!!
http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx269/OldLincoln/PM9/P1010795.jpg

Sight view:
http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx269/OldLincoln/PM9/P1010796.jpg