Do night sights wear out?

[kuhjäger]

I purchased an old sig, and I noticed last night that the sights had a slight glow to them, meaning they were night sights. However, the glow was so slight that I was wondering if it is possible for night sights to fade over time.

I imagine that due to the fact that since they use tritium as the primary agent in them, they should wear out, but I am not sure how long that takes.

[CSACANNONEER]

Yep. They are always fading. They're radioactive and have a half life.

[ajl2121]

yes..my usp .45, manufactured is 2006, has meprolight night sights and they are gettting dimmer by the second. They will probably be usable for another 10 years though..It's called Trititum, a radioactive substance, with a half life around 10 years I believe...It was also used in Spider Man to power the octopus.

[StraightShooter]

Yeah, the tritium is radioactive and decomposes with a half life of around 7 years. This means that in seven years it will be half as bright. You should be able to get those replaced but it will probably cost around 100 bucks.

[kuhjäger]

Yeah, the tritium is radioactive and decomposes with a half life of around 7 years. This means that in seven years it will be half as bright. You should be able to get those replaced but it will probably cost around 100 bucks.

Wow, this is an old gun then. They only glow a little bit. I suppose I should invest in some new ones then.

[bluestaterebel]

mine barely glow 10+ years

[Fjold]

Trtium has a radioactive half life of 12.3 years.

Which means that in 12.3 years half of the tritium will have decayed (changed) to helium.

[Ironchef]

How is the tritium night site done? Is it a topical application to the sight's holes, or is it concealed in a tube or behind a screen?

I just got an H3 watch that has the tritium tubes and they were guaranteed to retain their glow for 25 years (being factory fresh). Are the tritium night sights given the same quantity and application as the tritium watches are?

[Fjold]

Night sights are typically just tritium applied over wet paint. Your watch probably has a lot more tritium applied so that even after 12 years it has enough left over to still glow.

Your crystal covers the tritium so you don't have to worry about exposure to the radiation.

Tritium decays with a low energy Beta particle that is not even strong enough to penetrate your skin. Radiation poisoning due to tritium is typically due to inhaling it or ingesting it.

[xenophobe]

Night sights are typically just tritium applied over wet paint. Your watch probably has a lot more tritium applied so that even after 12 years it has enough left over to still glow.

No. Tritium is a gas, and it is encased in small glass vials, and those are inserted into a particular sight and sealed in with an epoxy.

[kuhjäger]

Night sights are typically just tritium applied over wet paint. Your watch probably has a lot more tritium applied so that even after 12 years it has enough left over to still glow.

If I remember correctly that was the process to apply radium to watch dials and the like.

And another poster mentioned that Tritium decayed into helium, but that can't be possible, as Helium has periodic number of 2, which would mean that the triium atom gained a proton.

[Astig Boy]

How is the tritium night site done? Is it a topical application to the sight's holes, or is it concealed in a tube or behind a screen?

I just got an H3 watch that has the tritium tubes and they were guaranteed to retain their glow for 25 years (being factory fresh). Are the tritium night sights given the same quantity and application as the tritium watches are?

They are said to be the same, regardless of how big or small the amount of tritium is. Only a hand full of watches now use Tritium, MTM is one...they state half life at 10-12 years, and full life at 20-25...meaning it will be completely out by ~20 years. And I dont know anyone who uses one watch that long unless its a timeless piece like a Rolex. Tritium in watches is a great idea IMO...you can look at your watch any time of the night and still be able see what time it is.

[tophatjones]

If I remember correctly that was the process to apply radium to watch dials and the like.

And another poster mentioned that Tritium decayed into helium, but that can't be possible, as Helium has periodic number of 2, which would mean that the triium atom gained a proton.

Tritium (2 neutron, 1 proton) undergoes beta decay into Helium 3 (2 proton, 1 neutron), which is an isotope of He. During beta decay, a neutron is converted into a proton, while an antineutrino and an electron are emitted.

[lt.hanley]

Have you looked at the sights ? Most of them will
have a date on them and you can figure how old
they are.

[bohoki]

nope they just turn into day sights