Best Handgun Iron Sights by TheGearTester
Best Handgun Iron Sights by TheGearTester
In this video I discuss my favorite defensive handgun sights.
1) Glock Factory Polymer Sight
2) Heinie LEDGE Straight Eight Sights
3) Glock Factory 3 Dot Night Sights
4) Ameriglo UC Orange Outlined Tritium
5) XS 24/7 Big Dot
I had the XS standard dots for a good while. I had to get rid of them though they gave me a bad habit. I started aiming high on all my other guns.
They are great sights no doubt about it. But I really didn’t like what they did to me habit wise. They are however AMAZING sights to have on a home defense gun especially if you have shitty eyes. That and they’re solid as a tank. I beat on them with a steel punch trying to get them off for about a half hour. They are nearly impossible to remove mind you, one end of the rear sight was mushroomed pretty bad but the vile is still intact. Ignore all that bull about having to be gentle. Solid sights. But unless you convert all of them I’d advise against them personally. For home use, nothing better. Also XS sent me another tool set complete with loctite when I had told them I lost the rear sight tool and wanted to remove them. Free of charge. So big respect on that.
I have the ameriglo UCs now. I really like these during the day more than the xs. However at night they don’t compare to the XS. So depending on application you should really consider options.
If it’s carry I personally wouldn’t use XS anymore, but if its for home use you’d be hard pressed to find anything better than XS.
Thanks for this vid by the way. I liked the way the ameriglos looked the most out of the lineup and I’m happy with them in person as well.
XS Big Dot, all day every day. No mistaking the front sight.
Why would anyone give credence to anything you say in your reviews?
What qualifications or expertise do you have besides casual use?
I carry a G19 gen4 w/ ameriglo uc (4th to the right w/ one dot in front) its actually orange during day, w/ green tritium inside orange that glow @ night. So wether I’ve got ambient light or not, I’ve got amazing quick target acquisition & damn quick. Plus it shoots like a surgeon with bullets. Lol
I know I’m just a sample size of one, but my XS Big Dots rusted very badly on my M&P from what I assume is sweat. The gun held up fine since it’s stainless. I prefer Ameriglo now.
My first exposure to rear blacked out sights like the Amerigo UC was those that came from the factory on my Beretta 92X. I was skeptical at first as all my other pistols are 3 dots. My first trip to the range with the Beretta was at an outdoor range in full daylight and the sight picture was great and shot places was dead on.
However, I took Beretta to an indoor range where the target was a red bullseye and well lit and I was shooting from a somewhat dimly lit booth and my vertical placement was far too wide. I tried using targets with a black bullseye and it got even worse My opinion is blacked out rear sights only work where you can get good sight/target contrast otherwise your vertical placement goes to hell.
Truglo tridium Pro are the best sights. To each his own but you will see, you shot with a sight aligning with the sight top to bottom and you were shooting high for the distance you were shooting. Not everyone needs an alignment with the notch for their sight picture but you were at 5yds maybe and might want to go for different preference.
my question would be, I have a Glock 19 and i bought a laser bore sighter and with it inside it is telling me it shoots low and to the left ….as in the laser is off to the top right a bit so buying a fixed iron sight would not change the fact that its shooting low and left so would it not be that any sights you add to it will never be accurate if you do not have and adjustable rear post?
4:23 anyone else wondering why he didn’t even flinch when the bug landed on him
I love glock but your right them sights have to go… not only cheap but you see all white after several rounds of firing.
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Just an aside; a little pet peeve of mine: The potential capacity of racking a slide with one hand will never, ever enter into any decision I make when it comes to firearms or accessories. My father was career military and a combat veteran who was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze star. He never learned, nor did he ever teach me how to rack a 1911 with one hand. Oh and, no, he didn’t receive the Purple Hearts because he didn’t know how to rack his slide with one hand.
The first thing you do when buying a Glock is replace those cheap plastic sights…Trijicon HD’s are best
I went with Ameriglo idot pro (my choice was the 90 degree ledge type as they offer another less severe ledge model as well). The Ameriglo are a nice compromise giving quick acquisition and accuracy.
Would the XS regular size front dot be more precise than the big dot? Are those also available in tritium? Thanks.
Grey
TRIJICON HD XR
I’m torn between the AmeriGlo UC and the AmeriGlo Agent sights for my newest Glock (43x). I like both for the U-shaped rear, (as I have Trijicon HD’s with the same U rear on my Glock 23.) Aesthetically I like the UC’s better because the rear sight is shorter in it’s horizontal length moving down the slide (not vertical height) than the Agents, hence making them look more like the standard factory Glock rear sight. I like the Agents better for their two Green Tritium dots on the rear sight for low light/dark conditions. Might be a coin flip to decide. Like yourself, I also love the XS DXT2 Big Dots as well–quickest target acquisition for sure, though anything 7 yards or less is an imprecise point and shoot scenario anyways, and if you’re trying for a bit more precision at longer ranges, the Big Dots are wanting. But again, like you, in a close range home defense scenario, you can’t do any better than the XS Big Dots…Although…HiViz came out with their Litewave H3 Express sight which might compete with the XS Big Dots in that "express" sight market. (I say "might" since they currently only make it for a few models.)
I actually like the stock legacy polymer sights. It’s cheap plastic, but it’s easy to focus. I can immediately see my front sight. With three dots it gives me optical illusions. It crisscross each other locating my front sight. It disappears too in day time and hard to find.
He sound like EXXOTIC GAMING right??
Trijicon HD XR, end of story… Next!~ Sure all these sights work well, but training is key! Nice video
Good review video. Informative and to the point. Seriously, I also really like the way you used a Phillips screwdriver as a pointer instead of going de rigueur tacticool using a tactical folder. Thanks also for not sporting camo or some sort of gun motif t-shirt. I don’t understand why ever gun reviewer feels they have to look like a stereotype of an anti-gunner’s worst nightmare.
I got the XS Big dots on two of my Glocks. You have to get used to them, but once you do they are quite fast. Within 10 yards most shooters shouldn’t notice much of a decrease in accuracy after you practice with them for a bit. It did take me a little before I was able to make 50 yard shots with them, but I can now with my G19.
Like you were saying, maybe a type of U notch sight would give you that extra precision. You gotta figure, if you need to take down a mass shooter in public, then you better not miss and hit someone else by accident.
So I’m kinda checking out some other options, perhaps the XS F8s that recently came out. I’m not a huge fan of 3 dots, like you said, so I don’t think I’d want the Trijicon HDs.
Do your Mirrow Glow sights hit point of aim and point of impact?
Helmet while shooting – seriously?
Blah, blah, blah, your Glock collection brought me here.
Why does no one discuss the POI of the sight? Does no one realize the Gen4 has a taller rear sight than the front? When I shoot my 1911 and my HK USP my POI is right where I want it, then I shoot my glock and im shooting high, hate that it forces me to put the front dot at the very bottom of the rear this to me is not quick acquisition, cant find anything on which height sights I need to have a center POI.
I did put the Ameriglo UC on my Taurus G3c. They work great. And I agree on the fast targeting, of the Ameriglo UC.
I like the sights on the glock 20 because they unique and look kinda cool
I took mine off, I keep blinking when I shoot anyways. I still hit the target 65-70% of the time lol
Just buy a CZ, FN, or M&P to begin with. They use better sights from the factory. They’re better handguns too by the way.
….watch the glock fanboys heads explode in 3.. 2.. 1..
They’re only the best because they are the only one’s you have huh….✌👉
Try ameriglo i dot pro. They’re like the u-c, big dot, and the heine had a baby
Great review!!!!! I am looking for replacement sights for my 43X. This has helped me big time. Im thinkin that big dot is the way to go. Thanks again bro for a great review.
he complained about the i dot sights and not being able to get the front sight in the notch but goes to say he loved the u notch ones. what!? same freaking style of sights.
FO front and blacked out rear is the way to go 😎
the u sights are amazing
xs standard dots for me. i have won many competitions with them. i am very fast and accurate with the xs standard dot
I prefer the ameriglo idot pro and the hackathorns. Best I’ve found.
Hmmm. No measurable difference other then personal choice for sites. What actually makes a difference in how accurate you shoot is practice, practice, practice. A great shooter like Jerry can shoot most any guns site accurately. Can’t drive through the gun store with a big magnet buying all the best accessories that stick and presto, throwing a ton of money at your gun somehow makes you more accurate shooter…lol.
Dont buy a POS Glock, Canik makes big boy guns
I love the goal post sights. Super fast. I wish they would just include the steel ones.
this guy shoots way to close =EASy
No TruGlo ?? Not a complete review without them.
I purchased a set of Speedsights the front sight is to way to high for a G19 gen3 , i have to aim really low .
thanks for the review, i like your picks also. seeing that your a glock guy i would suggest you use the same sights on all your handguns, just a thought.
I took a black magic marker to my rear Glock factory sight and bright orange nail polish on my front sight. Then narrowed the front sight with a razor leaving a bright orange rectangle on the front sight. I did this two years ago while waiting for my Warren sights from Amazon,however I shot a perfect score in my 5th GSSF match with this arrangement and never changed them for the Warren’s.
If people like the XS, but feel they will lose precision, they can also get the smaller STD XS dot…still very fast.
Fuckin’ petty ass little whining ass bitch
I put a little black dot in the center of my white factory glock sights and now I can actually focus on it. Before I was just seeing it. Apparently there’s a difference. I didn’t know that until I was able to actually focus on them.
I commend you sir for your choices. I also have Ameriglo and Big Dots on my guns. My problem is transitioning from one type to the other. On one your putting the front sight ON something and on the other your putting it IN something. I think I’m going to have to settle on one type and stink with it. Keep up the good work.
Warren tactical with the U notch is pretty good too.