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  • Inhuntr

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 5, 2016
    59
    6
    Clinton
    Does any have a set of these sights on a glock 43? I'm looking at the ones without the tritium on the rear sight. Is the tritium needed? Does everyone like these sights for self defense?
     

    MCgrease08

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    37   0   0
    Mar 14, 2013
    14,374
    149
    Earth
    I have them on my 19. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan.

    I've had them for about 2 years and while the front sight is super easy to acquire, I just never really got used to the sight picture. I have tried training with them and they are good at self defense distances (when aiming center mass I do fine), but I just can't seem to find any real consistency at the range when i try to tighten up my groups.

    I've been toying with the idea of taking them off and going with Trijicons. I've got a full day pistol class coming up in October. That's going to be the final test for them. I really want to like them, but that front dot just covers up so much of the target it makes it tough to make small adjustments.
     

    The Bubba Effect

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    19   0   0
    May 13, 2010
    6,221
    113
    High Rockies
    I have a set on a xd subcompact and my experience mirrors MCgrease's. Within 10 yards or so and shooting quickly for high center on a torso, they work well. I never did get the hang of shooting them accurately at a distance.

    It was kind of weird how that went for me. Shooting paper plates at 25 yards, either I would be hitting consistently or I was always high or low. This seemed to vary by range trip. One trip I would be on, the next off.

    I think I just never really figured out the sight picture for shooting big dots at a distance, sometimes I would stumble into the correct sight picture, sometimes not.


    I still have big dots on my xd subcompact, but went with trijicon HD's for my glock 19 and have zero regrets. If I carried the xd, I would probably switch it to HD's too.

    At the end of the day, I found the big dots to be much faster, but only at distances that I could get away with point shooting. At distances that required the use of sights to land good hits, I never got the hang of them.


    Regarding tritium, I think a defensive pistol needs night sights.
     

    Yamadog35

    - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    33   0   0
    Nov 23, 2008
    743
    12
    Central Indiana
    I have the Big Dots on all my pistols except my G43 (so two G17s, G26, XD9sc, Sig P238 and P938). I will have them on the 43 before I'm done. For me it is all about eye sight. I'm far sighted and the "blur" zone of my close up vision extends out past the pistol when held out in shooting position. Traditional sights just look garbled to me especially at night with Tritium. I can't get them lined up for anything. The Big Dot "dot the I" configuration is much easier for me to find quickly and get lined up. It's still somewhat blurry but much less so than other sights. What the others say about shooting at distance holds for me as well, but I'm most concerned about 20 yards and in for what I intend to use a pistol for and I can hit accurately enough out to 20.
     

    88E30M50

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    12   0   0
    Dec 29, 2008
    22,748
    149
    Greenwood, IN
    I tried them on my G19 and G27 and like the first two posts above, really wanted to like them. I think I would have been fine with them if they were the only sights on all of my guns, but I did not want to convert everything over. I found that I'd do a range trip with normal sights and shoot fine, then I'd do a range trip with the G19 and would struggle to hit steel at anything over 10 yards. Eventually, I'd figure the sights out, but then I'd do another range trip with a gun that has normal sights and I'd be back to square one with the big dots. If you can commit to them like Yamadog does, they might work well for you. I just could not manage to do well with them in a mix of normal sights. The exception for me was the set on my G27. I never shot that gun past about 10 yards, so they seemed to do Ok. Had I tried to do more than ring steel with that gun, I'd probably have been frustrated by them.
     

    BehindBlueI's

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    29   0   0
    Oct 3, 2012
    25,890
    113
    They are fantastic for distances you don't need sights for anyway. They are less so at a distance where sights become important. Trijicon HDs are equally fast up close, faster at a distance, and don't give up much in terms of accuracy.
     

    sharpetop

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Apr 12, 2008
    837
    28
    To answer your question, I personally wouldn't spend the extra $$ for the rear tritium for the rear sight. In a low light situation place that big dot on your target and fire away. Chances are you won't have time to dot the i in a self defense situation.
     

    GeorgiaBoy

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 26, 2014
    23
    1
    Indiana
    I use the big dots on my shield. They are fantastic 15 yards and in. You can be accurate at longer ranges but it's easier with traditional sights. I'll put them on any self defense gun I carry.
     

    RetDep310

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Feb 17, 2010
    130
    16
    Columbus
    Had a set on my G-19. Easy to see, but just could not get used to the sight picture. Took them off and went to a set of Ameri Glo Hackathorns, orange front, black rear, and love them!!
     

    indyff

    Plinker
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Sep 2, 2012
    66
    6
    Look at the Trijicon HD's best night sights on the market hands down. Yes, the tritium is a must for the lighting condition that is to dark for normal sights but to light for a flashlight.
     

    BluBlur

    Plinker
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Jan 23, 2015
    55
    8
    219
    Does any have a set of these sights on a glock 43? I'm looking at the ones without the tritium on the rear sight. Is the tritium needed? Does everyone like these sights for self defense?
    On a 43? No. On my 19, yes. Tritium is not needed but I prefer it. Self defense sights is exactly what these are. People saying "they're not great at distances past yada yada" that may vary shooter to shooter but for the most part they are correct because these sights aren't for splitting playing cards. Fast acquisition sights for self defense distances when you want to put rounds on the bad guy. I've used a g19 with trijicon HD's back to back with my g19 with the big dots, for ME, the big dots are faster but I do like the HD's as well.
     

    Small's

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    11   0   0
    Dec 16, 2012
    605
    28
    south of Indy
    Have you had the chance to shoot with them yet? What do you think? Ive been on the fence about picking up a set for 17/19 chop but haven't had the chance to actually check them out in person on a gun other than a revolver. Its either these or the idot pro's but I think the xs will be hard to beat for any type of real life self defense situation.
     

    cedartop

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Apr 25, 2010
    6,687
    113
    North of Notre Dame.
    They are fantastic for distances you don't need sights for anyway. They are less so at a distance where sights become important. Trijicon HDs are equally fast up close, faster at a distance, and don't give up much in terms of accuracy.



    I hesitate to even answer in threads about Big Dots because someone always gets their feelings hurt, but pretty much what BBI said.

    If you are not going to practice much, and never need a precision shot, or any shooting past about 10 yards, then go for it. Otherwise there are better options. The flip side is, if you are going to practice a whole bunch you can probably make them work, but even then they are less than ideal.
     

    Bfish

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    13   0   0
    Feb 24, 2013
    5,801
    48
    I'm in the HD or idot camp also... I've shot big dots on a shield but that's about as small as I have. My thoughts mirror those of BBI, I have seen people make hits at distance with big dots, but I personally find myself to be way more proficient with others.
     

    MCgrease08

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    37   0   0
    Mar 14, 2013
    14,374
    149
    Earth
    Have you had the chance to shoot with them yet? What do you think? Ive been on the fence about picking up a set for 17/19 chop but haven't had the chance to actually check them out in person on a gun other than a revolver. Its either these or the idot pro's but I think the xs will be hard to beat for any type of real life self defense situation.

    I'd be happy to let you try mine out with my Glock 19. I could meet you at Indy Trading Post this weekend or another. PM me if you're interested.
     

    BehindBlueI's

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    29   0   0
    Oct 3, 2012
    25,890
    113
    I'm in the HD or idot camp also... I've shot big dots on a shield but that's about as small as I have. My thoughts mirror those of BBI, I have seen people make hits at distance with big dots, but I personally find myself to be way more proficient with others.

    You can make hits, but they are slower at distances then traditional sights. If either you or your target is in motion, they are also much more difficult to use.

    A good enough shooter can hit a stationary man size target at 25y simply using the slide to aim. It "works" in that sense, but is far from the quickest method. Big dots are the same. Very close where no sights or just a front sight is enough to get a good hit, they are ok. Once you start needing sights, they are more difficult to use. There is a reason no top level competitive shooters or professional gun toters use them.
     

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