Lights, lasers and tritium sights
Posted by Rob Longenecker on June 2nd, 2009
Section of Aegis Journal, April, 2009.
Executive Protection — Tritium and laser sights
“Based on the feedback from non-professional readers of our review of the XS Sight Systems Big Dot Tritium Express Set in the August 2008 issue of
ÆGIS, it is clear that many non-professionals do not understand the function of tritium sights and laser sights on handguns, somehow thinking that they
will be of help during the few seconds duration of a gun fight. In fact, tritium sights and laser sights on handguns should be thought of more as offensive
devices, not defensive devices.
If you are moving around in the dark trying to locate your enemy and get a bead on him, these will certainly help you, particularly for the first shot.
Some, however, note that while you are circling around in the dark trying to draw a bead on your opponent, he is doing exactly the same, and if he gets
behind you and sees the telltale glow of the tritium sight, you are toast. If you are in a secure position, and your opponent is exposed, laser sights will
be of great help. Plus, it really attracts your attention if you happen to look down and notice several of them dancing around over your heart!
However, if something happens and you have to draw your gun and start firing, you will never see the tritium sight – you likely won’t see the front
sight at all – and never have time to use the laser.
While there are a wide variety of valid reasons to have tritium sights andlaser sights on a handgun, none of these come into play when you aredrawing your gun and firing back.
Comments?
I think I know what Jeff Cooper would say.
March 29th, 2011 at 8:17 pm
I’m going with Jeff Cooper, Clint Smith and Mas Ayoob on this one: You MAY not see your sights, but combat isn’t ever what you want–it’s always what it is. Plenty of people have used the sights and still do today. More than a few people have stopped confrontations from escalating into gun fights by clicking on a laser. Some fights happen quickly, while others take minutes or hours to boil over. For me at least, plan A is sights or laser. Plan B is something less.