PM9 with BigDot Express sights

[yetchtoo]

I have recently acquired a PM9 for use as an everyday carry pistol. 600+ rounds so far, a few ftf's, mainly with 7 round mag; don't use it anymore. Love-hate relationship, so to speak, as I am a Sig guy, and I don't like plastic guns. But the size is the determining factor for me...I have recently had installed the BigDot with the rear night sight. Any one having trouble with the rear? I am finding it hard to acquire the rear sight; the white portion of the sight is hard for me to distinguish, and the night portion is not very bright. Am considering switching rear to the solid white and giving up on the night-site portion of the the sight system. Any comments?
Thanks...

[OldLincoln]

No help, just comments and questions. I need a larger front sight and have settled on the Big Dot front and rear as you did. Yours is the first negative I've heard to date and so am interested as I don't want to spend a lot of money and regret it.

Do yours have the single skinny white strip on the rear? I see some for Glocks on their site that have a larger white stripe with a green stripe inside.

You might call XS and ask if they have something else. Also, I read a report on another forum where the user said they weren't very bright. They were replaced and the new set was twice as bright as the first. They are supposed to last a few years but they dim over that time. Are yours new?

You have trouble acquiring the rear sight. How does the front sight do for you?

I think I like how the rear sight slopes to the middle with the stripe (which looks too skinny for me), but I think I'm hearing that you have trouble picking up the stripe itself. How does the ramp effect work for you?

A lot of questions without any help for which I apologize.

[yetchtoo]

The white portions are thin narrow strips on either side of a thin vertical of tritium. Not bright at all in the dark, and the white does. Not stand out at all during the day. The big dot in front works really well, though. I thought I might go for a standard white vertical on the rear, and blow off the tritium aspect.

[jocko]

If ur shooting a PM9, u have a close up gun, certainly IMO not a 25 yards gun and with the xs sights even more certainlyh not a 25 yards gun. Try POA shooting at 7 yards and under and I bet u will get very good at it, and very fast. That rear sight wil fall right in place to. You shold se ethe frot sight clearly, and the target and rear sight willbe blurred to some extent. The eyes just cannot focus clearly on all 3, , can't be done, but you will find with the bog dot at close distance POA SHOOTING IS THE WAY to go. The xs big dots were never intended to be target sights. they are a very fast acquisition sight and they do work nicely...I have the xs sisytem on my PM9 and have had for a couple of years, and to be truthful without me getting my gun and looking at the rear sight, Ican't tellu if there is a white anything/anywhere on that rear sight.

If one thinks in a gun fight he is gonna have the time to line up that rear sight and front sight, well, just ain't gonna happen. U might be damn lucky if u can even say YOU SEEN THE FRONT SIGHT.. Jsut my two cents.

[Chuck54]

Call me crazy but I like the stock dot the i sights that came on my PM9 they also do very good on the T9.

I tried the Big Dot (not night sight) on a Glock 19 and did not care for them.

Nothing wrong with them and they were very fast to pick up but just didn't care for them.


G19 now wears Weaver plain notch rear and front post with tritium insert.
The jury is still out on this combo but I like it so far.

[Bawanna]

The Big Dots aren't for everybody. I personally like them and disagree with the ones that say they aren't accurate beyond arms length. Just a matter of getting use to them.

Many prefer 3 dot, or the similar dot the I type. I actually like and get along fine with the stock Kahr sight. It's bright enough and clear enough for my seasoned eyes to pick up.

Several I know what all black on the back and a post or a dot on the front. That works pretty effectively too. The Novak system works well like that.
I've tried the Fiber Optics on some other guns and the just don't make it for me. Many swear by them and that's ok, they just don't work for me.

[Chuck54]

OOPS!

I said weaver on the G19 but they are Warren

[JFootin]

Call me crazy but I like the stock dot the i sights that came on my PM9 they also do very good on the T9.

+1 on dot the i sights. Very fast acquisition. And -1 on spending a lot of money on night sights. There is light in my home, even when I am sleeping, because I use night lights.

A very inexpensive option is the Nitesiters and Daysiters available at this site: http://www.nitesiters.com/Nitesiters_Handgun_Night_Sights.html

Shoot! Spend $24 plus shipping and go crazy with different combinations of these adhesive dots. And, you'll have enough to replace them several times and get years of service out of them.

[MO_Soldier]

The Big Dots aren't for everybody. I personally like them and disagree with the ones that say they aren't accurate beyond arms length. Just a matter of getting use to them.

Many prefer 3 dot, or the similar dot the I type. I actually like and get along fine with the stock Kahr sight. It's bright enough and clear enough for my seasoned eyes to pick up.

Several I know what all black on the back and a post or a dot on the front. That works pretty effectively too. The Novak system works well like that.
I've tried the Fiber Optics on some other guns and the just don't make it for me. Many swear by them and that's ok, they just don't work for me.

I've considered the Novak rear sight with the Big Dot Night Sight....Have you used it personally? I'm trying to get a good day AND night combination JUST in case i'm ever caught with out my "threat illuminator"

[Bawanna]

I've considered the Novak rear sight with the Big Dot Night Sight....Have you used it personally? I'm trying to get a good day AND night combination JUST in case i'm ever caught with out my "threat illuminator"

I haven't ran a Novak rear with a Big Dot front. Working that around in my head I'm not sure it would be a good combination without some modification to the Novak rear. Would be a square notch with a big ball on the front.

The shallow V that makes up the rear of the 24/7 system is really fast and works well for me. Some may prefer the standard dot too. I have those on my full size guns. Only the Big Dot on the PM45.

[MO_Soldier]

I haven't ran a Novak rear with a Big Dot front. Working that around in my head I'm not sure it would be a good combination without some modification to the Novak rear. Would be a square notch with a big ball on the front.

The shallow V that makes up the rear of the 24/7 system is really fast and works well for me. Some may prefer the standard dot too. I have those on my full size guns. Only the Big Dot on the PM45.

Thank you Bawanna...as always, we can count on you for reliable first hand advice.