Sight acquisition speed

[Turo]

I was thinking about sight acquisition today and tried to find some information on speed and type of (handgun) sights as related to sight acquisition. (preferably iron sights, no scope/red dot discussions please.)

My google-fu must be weak today, so I'm asking you Calgunners:
Are there any tests/studies that show one type of sight that has faster or slower sight acquisition over another type? I'd really like some info on this.

My experience in this matter is somewhat limited. I've shot lots of different handguns with different types of sights, but never really paid much attention to how fast I get my sight picture in line. I know that with a .357mag revolver with a spade sight, I can hit out to 100yards fairly consistently, but that's more accuracy related. I want to know about pure speed.

So, can you guys and gals help me out? Any info is appreciated .

EDIT: I almost forgot, I'm asking this mostly because I recently got a pistol for defensive purposes (GLOCK 27) and am trying to learn about the sights and how I can use them to their greatest potential, up to and including changing them out.

[dkthree]

I would think for a sub-compact it's mostly point and shoot with practice, practice, practice. What distance do you want to be accurate to?

I have Glock night sights on both Glocks and those help quite a bit with the high visibility, even just with indoor range shooting.

Love your quote BTW.

[esskay]

I'm sure it varies to some extent for different people & different eyes... I haven't seen specific research per se, however a good data point to look at is what practical shooting (i.e. USPSA/IPSC, IPDA) competition shooters run as they need to achieve a balance of speed & accuracy to win matches. While I've heard of some high level shooters who run completely plain black sights (plain black rear, plain black serrated *thin* front blade), you most often see plain black rear sights and thin fiber optic front sight. No matter your front blade, plain black rear is the way to go.

Additional subtleties include:
* relative size of front blade vs rear notch -- having a little extra room around the front blade is usually faster without giving up much (if any) accuracy.
* profile of rear blade -- e.g. rounded notch, rounded corners, etc. Supposedly the Warren tactical sights were result of research, and it has a particular rounded profile that is supposed to draw your eye, and it has a rounded notch which is supposed to be faster.

ETA: For defensive purposes, fiber optic sights are a little fragile for my taste. So for your situation, I'd look seriously at a set of Warren Tacticals with tritium & white outline front sight and plain black rear. At your option, you could opt for a single tritium vial in the rear sight ("straight eight") with no white outline if you prefer to have some rear reference point in low light.

[VictorFranko]

I've been wondering how these ghost ring sights would work for my IDPA matches.
Has anyone out there shot with these or similar?

http://glockstore.com/pgroup_descrip/4_Sights+and+Lasers/7722_Ghost+Ring+Fiber+Optic+Sights/?return=%3ftpl%3Dindex%26category_id%3D4%26%26%26page%3D2%26nothumbs%3D%26filter_1%3D%26filter_2%3D%26filter_3%3D%26filter_4%3D

[Turo]

I would think for a sub-compact it's mostly point and shoot with practice, practice, practice. What distance do you want to be accurate to?

I have Glock night sights on both Glocks and those help quite a bit with the high visibility, even just with indoor range shooting.

Love your quote BTW.

I didn't really have an idea of how far out I'm shooting. For the most part, I shoot at 10 yards but sometimes I like to plink out to 25. The sight info I'm looking for isn't really for being accurate to longer distances, it is my carry/home defense gun after all.

I like the idea of the night sights, especially for HD, but I'm wondering if the 3-dot sight would be particularly slower or faster at acquiring the target as my stock glock sights (not sure what they are called, but the square "U" in the rear with the dot up front.)

My favorite quote from one of my favorite shows .

@ esskay:
Thanks for the info, and I'll definitely talk to some IDPA and USPSA shooters and check out their rigs. I think you're right about them being a good source since this is what they do.

@ VictorFranko:
I don't think that would be very practical on a carry gun, but it could very well be a good thing on a competition gun. I've heard good things about ghost ring sights in general, and I like them a lot on rifles, but I don't think I'd like them on a glock.

[dkthree]

[QUOTE=Turo;4509229] The sight info I'm looking for isn't really for being accurate to longer distances, it is my carry/home defense gun after all.

I like the idea of the night sights, especially for HD, but I'm wondering if the 3-dot sight would be particularly slower or faster at acquiring the target as my stock glock sights


You will be faster at night, that's for sure with NS. Some like just a front night sight, some two color night sights for front and rear (green rear and orange front for example). I've read good and bad about XS Glock sights, but check them out, you might like them.

Happy hunting

[esskay]

Check out this earlier discussion:

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=306110

[Bob G.]

I was looking for new sights for my Glock with the idea of quick acquisition in a combat situation. After reading this article I decided to purchase the XS Big Dot. http://www.handgunsmag.com/tactics_t...ativep_061207/
I just ordered them yesterday from XS for $128 which includes tools to install it your self.
The article also gives reviews on other sights to consider, but the Big Dots were the quickest.
U-Tube has a couple of videos on the XS Big Dot which I thought were helpful.
When I was at Frontsight a student next to be had these Big Dots on his Glock. He said it makes alignment easier.

[9mmepiphany]

USPSA shooters really are the best source for this kind of info. they try everything that comes out because they are always looking for an edge.

i think you'll find it isn't just about being able to see the sights, which seem to be contrary to logic. it is able being able to use what you see. you need to be able to recognize the sights being in alignment and having the aligned sights on your target cue your press of the trigger.

according to top level shooters, except for shooting in dim light, the plain black front blade centered in the rear notch of a plain black blade is still the fastest for your eyes to recognize as being in alignment. a fiber optic front dot is popular to draw the eye to the front sight, but it isn't there for sight alignment (although this is often the mistaken belief). a single front night sight dot would serve the same purpose...drawing the eye, not aiming.

please don't believe the myth about learning to point shoot, as a substitute to aimed fire, in a defensive situation. one learns the techniques for point shooting through practicing sighted shooting...it's a by-product of sighted practice. true point shooting takes a huge amount of ammo and practice