Night Sights on a 1911

[Pro_Gun]

What is the best you suggest? Tritium or Heine or other?
I wan to replace my stock sights.

Thanks,
Dave

[wichaka]

Tritium is the actual part that lights, Heinie is a maker of the sight.

Heinie or Novak........they are pretty much the standard of which by others seem to be measured.

if you opt for the Novak, I would suggest the wide notch. It gives a better sight picture......and helps picking up the front sight a bit faster.

I only put a night sight on the front.......don't like anything drawing my eye to the rear sight.

[John]

I like to have a tritium front sight on my pistols. However, I've recently noticed something strange. I got two different front sights with tritium vials. The first one (I think it is a Novak) has a white ring around the tritium vial. The second one (I think it is a Heinie) has a very thin silver ring around the vial. I'd rather have the wide white ring. So I asked Hilton Yam about this difference and he told me that the tritium inserts can only have the white ring when the blade is smooth faced. On a serrated blade, the silver ring is the outside of the vial. It is impossible to put the white outline on a serrated face as it will not come out clean.

So now, my question is does Heinie make a sight with the white ring around the vial?? I guess I should ask Heinie himself!

[wichaka]

I also paint white around the vial on the front sight.

It helps in picking up the front sight faster yet, at times when it's not dark enough for the tritium to glow, but light enough to easily see the white painted part.

[Pro_Gun]

I mean't to say Trijicon at http://www.trijicon.com/glyn.cfm

I have them on my Glock and they seem to work pretty good there.
Anybody have experience with them on a 1911 as to being a good choice?

Tritium is the actual part that lights, Heinie is a maker of the sight.

[wichaka]

Their front sights are pretty much standard of the industry, but their rears are pretty blocky/chunky looking.

[John]

I also paint white around the vial on the front sight.

It helps in picking up the front sight faster yet, at times when it's not dark enough for the tritium to glow, but light enough to easily see the white painted part.
How do you paint the circle man? I am afraid that I'll paint the whole vial, if I try to.

[Pro_Gun]

and it has a dovetail rear which may be standard, not sure what the specs are for the dovetail to measure it, but on the front its a vertical notch with a pin. It looks like most all the sights are a horizontal dovetail in the front also.

Does that mean machining for me to get night sights you think?

What do you make of these?
http://www.entreprise.com/Catalog/Sights/1911o.htm

[wichaka]

John, I've painted many. I have a high end modelers paint brush with a very fine tip.......works great. haven't touched a vile yet!

But my day is coming........

[MLee]

John, I've painted many. I have a high end modelers paint brush with a very fine tip.......works great. haven't touched a vile yet!

But my day is coming........

Do you do brain surgery too? With a hand that steady, I'll hire you. :D

Mike

[John]

Do you do brain surgery too? With a hand that steady, I'll hire you.

I know he does examine corpses, now if he operates on them, I have no idea! LoRL

But indeed, if he can paint that circle around the vial without touching the glass, he needs to get a surgeon degree.

[wichaka]

Send me your slide(s), and I'll do em for ya, no charge.

[Pro_Gun]

for the offer but since there are few of these I hesitate to cut it. Gives me a good reason to buy a new 1911. :)

Send me your slide(s), and I'll do em for ya, no charge.

[John]

Send you my slides?? As if that's the easiest thing in the world. I'd rather you order some sights for me, fix them and send them to me, than send you my slides!!!

:lm:

[Pro_Gun]

I am going to send the slide to MMC and have them cut the front for a standard dovetail front sight.

The original front sight is a pinned partridge style as seen in the Dan Wesson line of revolvers. Don't know why Bob did that. :)

My rear sight is already a Novak cut. MMC is going to cut it, fit it and return it for what I consider a reasonable price with Tritium in both ends.
I'm happy now.

[walking tall]

Has anybody heard of the XS SIGHT SYSTEM, and if so does anybody know if they make the sights for the springfield 1911 GI 45 with the front sight staked on ?

[Pro_Gun]

I just won a set on Ebay and have been checking into them. I don't know on your question, best to contact them. Their website is not very informative.

Telephone:
1-888-744-4880
1-817-536-0136
Fax:
1-800-734-7939

Mailing Address:
2401 Ludelle
Fort Worth, Texas 76105

Email:
Gunsmithing and Technical Information
Bo Wallace
bwallace@xssights.com

Sales/Law Enforcement/Government Sales
Dave Biggers
dbiggers@xssights.com

Order Inquiries or Catalog Requests
Valerie Gavia
vgavia@xssights.com


Has anybody heard of the XS SIGHT SYSTEM, and if so does anybody know if they make the sights for the springfield 1911 GI 45 with the front sight staked on ?

[ErnieStu]

How do you paint the circle man? I am afraid that I'll paint the whole vial, if I try to.
FYI, Nighthawk also adds this detail at their shop for tritium inserts. From Craig, "we put white rings around the tritium vials to make them easy to pick up during the day."

[chazz1975]

I just had a set of Truglo TFOs put on today. they are both Tritium and Fiber optic. The tritium lights up the Fiber optic real nice in the darkness. The Fiber optic inserts also help with sight acquisition during the day. Best of both worlds I think.

[lazlong]

My Springfield Loaded came with Novak night sights, and they have the tiny silver ring around the vials.

I may ask my dad to paint white around them, next time I'm in Baton Rouge. He has a very steady hand for detail work. He repaired antique clocks and pocket watches for years, and I've seen him hand paint worn lettering on a watch dial so well that you couldn't tell it from the original without using a jeweler's glass.

[wichaka]

Yep, it can be done.........been doin it for years. I have quite a few stop by and have me paint their front sights for them.

[lazlong]

What do you think of painting the entire visible ramp of the front sight (except for the vial)? Too much?

[Jiul]

I just had a set of Truglo TFOs put on today. they are both Tritium and Fiber optic. The tritium lights up the Fiber optic real nice in the darkness. The Fiber optic inserts also help with sight acquisition during the day. Best of both worlds I think.

Do you remember the catalog number for the TFO's? I went on the site and they don't list any for Springer other than XDs. Did you get the ones that are listed for Kimber?

[wichaka]

Here's a pic of what I do. You'll plainly see the vial surrounded by white paint.


http://w3.gorge.net/scshields/pats4.jpg

[Tom]

What do you think of painting the entire visible ramp of the front sight (except for the vial)? Too much?
I've done that on both my daughter's Ruger 22/45 and on the front sight of my wife's old Micro Compact. Having something bright up front helped my daughter a lot when getting the sight picture when she was starting out, and on those "G.I." sights having a touch of contrasting color doesn't hurt. The only thing I have to do its reapply every now and then as the paint flakes off or comes off during cleaning.

I hadn't thought of doing it with night sights, but it sounds like a good idea. Might even give it a try this week.

[chazz1975]

Do you remember the catalog number for the TFO's? I went on the site and they don't list any for Springer other than XDs. Did you get the ones that are listed for Kimber?

The ones I purchased were listed for the Kimber. Not sure if Springers have the same dovetail dimentions. I have them mounted on a Kimber Custom II. I'm certain a quality gunsmith could get them on though.