sights

XS is a leader in the Night Sights world, with far-ranging options for everything from suppressor height tritium’s to shotguns. XS has two new options for this year which we wanted to test anyway. The DVG-1 presented the perfect storm to do a two for one.

I cut my teeth with an ACOG on an M16A4 and have always appreciated the simplicity and design of a good prism optic. As such, when Vortex released the latest Spitfire HD Gen 2 models, my ears perked up. Emails were sent, and Vortex happily sent me a Spitfire HD Gen 2 5X optic.

Both a red dot sight (RDS) and iron sights can often be installed on the same gun. One advantage of having both is that the iron sights can usually be cowitnessed with the RDS. And that can be done with a long gun or a handgun. The purpose is to facilitate a quick switch to the iron sights in case the RDS fails.

While some people think that using the sights, especially at close range, is slower – and for an untrained person that might be right – that is not correct for someone who is trained and has practiced sufficiently. So why should a person learn to use the sights, even at close range? Because even at close range, even experienced shooters often miss the target if they point shoot.

Vision problems have plagued shooters ever since sights were invented. But with the techniques discussed in this article, a shooter with vision problems can still shoot well.

Nikon’s P-Tactical SPUR reflex sight is built for close and medium range applications. Tiny but mighty, it is rugged enough to handle abuse and recoil on nearly any pistol, rifle or shotgun with a Picatinny Rail.

Oh, I certainly love the electronic optics available today … more on that below. But every now and again it’s just fun to have a carry handle with the integrated sights. Here’s what I love — and hate — about the UTG.

“We needed to match our choice of color surface finish with the durability and performance of the Micro T-2 sight,” said Jonas Ardemalm, Director of Commercial Sales & Marketing at Aimpoint AB.

Here are my top five night sights for handguns, in no particular order. Just for the sake of comparison, the sights listed are all for a Glock 19. If you have the proper tools, you can install these yourself, but professional installation is recommended.