Sights

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XS Sights DIY sight pusher

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 I have always needed a sight pusher to install handgun iron sights. The old brass punch and hammer system was getting old. When XS Sights told me they were coming out with some sight pushers, I was all in. XS came out with two different styles, both for Glock style pistol slides. They are the “DIY” and the “Gunsmith” version. The DIY sight pusher is what I received. It’s a no frills sight pusher, but gets the job done with ease.

  XS DIY sight pusher is a convenient way to install Glock sights. It also works to remove the old ones. The DIY sight pusher isn’t very large at all, it fit’s on a workbench or table top with ease. It’s under 6” long and 2” wide. The size makes it super convenient for throwing in your range bag. That way if you need to adjust your sight at the range, it’s really easy to do so. The pusher tool has a screw on the end which is used to push on a brass piece using the provided allen wrench. This brass piece is what pushes the sight in. Then there is an open channel where your pistol slide fits. Also included is a plastic wedge to hold the slide up tight against the tool. A Glock style front sight tool is also included. 

  A cool thing about these XS sight pushers is that you can also get them in a kit. The XS kit includes the sight pusher and a set of XS R3D night sights. This is actually the kit they sent out. The R3D’s are not a tall sight, so they are not for use with red dots or suppressors. So I rounded up a normal slide and went to work installing them. The R3D front sight has an orange ring around a tritium insert. The rear is blacked out with just 2 tritium dots on both sides of the notch. This gives you a 3 dot sight picture in low light and a very fast regular sight picture under normal conditions. I can’t say enough good things about the XS tritium sights.

  I was really impressed with how the DIY sight pusher worked. I took my slide, set it up against the pusher surface. Lining up the sight with the center of the brass pusher piece. I slid in the plastic wedge until it was snug. Then took the allen wrench and started turning the screw. Put some oil on the screw threads before each use so it won’t bind up. The old sight pushed out with ease. So I backed the screw back out and removed the slide. I then took the new R3D rear sight, pushed it into the dovetail, by hand, as far as it would go. Then re-installed the slide in the pusher as before. Turned the screw and watched the new sight push in with ease. Once the sight was visually centered, I stopped. To tell if the sight is in the center of the slide, just turn the slide around in the tool and look at the reference marks. They are on the brass pusher, as well as the frame of the pusher itself. Once the same marks line up, with the slide in the tool on both sides, you know the sight is centered. The DIY pusher also works with an optic mounted on your slide. The only difference is that you have to use the edge of the brass pusher instead of the center. 

  The XS DIY sight pusher has really good instructions. They are included as a hard copy, but are also available online. I like the hard copy because I can reference it, if needed, on my workbench, without having to pick up my phone. Being that the DIY sight pusher is an open top design, it also makes it much easier to see what is actually going on with the sight install. On a side note. Even though it is for Glock style sights and slides, I did find it to work on my Sig P320 rear sight. So it may or may not work on other handgun manufacturer slides.

  XS Sights did a pretty good job with the DIY sight pusher. I don’t think I will probably wear it out in my lifetime. If you change a lot of sights, it’s worth the money. If you change even more sights, look into the Gunsmith version for only a few bucks more. The DIY sight pusher made easy quick work out of changing sights. Go take a look at the DIY pusher over at XS Sights.

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Do It Yourself sight pusher for Glock style slides

Target Market:

Those who frequently change sights

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

  • Tool Life Span: 50 – 100 Installations

  • Kit includes semi-professional sight pusher and steel Glock front sight tool

  • Fits all Glock OEM and Aftermarket slides

  • Glock MOS Compatible – Install sights with optic mounted on pistol

  • Non-marring brass bit prevents scratching sights or slides

  • Built-in Centering Scale – 1/16” scale

  • Bolt Thread Pitch: 1/16” – 1.5 Bolt rotations equals 1/16” of travel

  • Weight: 1.4 lbs.

  • Sight Tool Dimensions (LxWxH): 5.5" x 1.75" x 1.5"

  • Designed and Manufactured in Fort Worth, TX

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

Gunsmith version

What others are saying?:

Nothing found

Link to other reviews:

Shoot On 

Price point:

MSRP = $150.00 

     Bundle with XS sights = $254.99

Retail = $150.00

I need it now! Availability:

XS Sights

Our Rating:

Pros:

  • Super easy to use

  • Can get as a kit with sights

  • Size makes it useful anywhere

Cons:

  • Price if only doing one or two installs

  • Only for use on Glock style slides

Score: 7.50 Good

Favorite Link:  Kaiser US 

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Primary Arms SLx 4-16x44 FFP

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  Recently Primary Arms updated the SLx 4-16x44. This update gave the feature rich, SLx 4-16 some new reticles. One of those is the ARC-2 MOA, a simple, yet effective, illuminated reticle. I was excited to put this optic through its paces and it did not disappoint. Primary Arms’ SLx line is what I like to call performance packed optics at a price everyone can afford.

  To put it simply, the SLx 4-16x44 FFP has magnification of 4x to 16x. It has a 44mm objective lens and a 30mm tube to help gather as much light as possible. Magnification is adjusted with a ring back by the eyepiece. The ring has a raised “fin” that can be removed if you don’t like it. It has a side parallax adjustment that goes from 20 yds to infinity. On the end, of said parallax adjustment, is the illumination ring. It has 11 values to illuminate the ARC-2 reticle. The lowest 2 settings are night vision compatible. The highest setting is “daylight” bright. I can actually see a little bit of red illumination in bright sunlight, something I can’t always say when things are “daylight bright”. The adjustment turrets on the SLx are of the tactical style. They are not capped, nor can they be. They have a pretty good tactile feel for the 1/4 MOA clicks, but are not very audible, if at all. These turrets are resettable to zero with the supplied allen wrench. No zero stop, but I can’t knock a $300 scope for that.

  Now that you have a general rundown of the optic, it’s time for more. I’ll start with the glass. For this being in the SLx line, the glass clarity is great, even at full 16x magnification. I could make out a wire fence at around 500 yds, see picture. The fast focus eyepiece gets the reticle super clear and the parallax adjustment gets the image spot on at all different ranges. I really am amazed at how clear the glass is for a $300 scope. The only real downfall of looking through the optic is its eye relief. Primary Arms specs the eye relief at 3.6 - 3.9”. So you really have to be in that 0.3” range to get a good eye box picture. Especially at those higher magnifications. I’m not using this on fast moving targets, so it doesn’t bother me much.

  The Primary Arms 4-16x44 FFP has a few different reticle options. Some are their ACSS style, but I’ll be focusing on the ARC-2 reticle of this particular scope. I chose the ARC-2 MOA reticle because it is not cluttered up with stuff, like so many “christmas tree reticles” are. First off, the reticle is in minutes of angle, which is what I prefer. Second, it’s a first focal plane (FFP) reticle. So all the subdivisions, or hash marks, stay the same size throughout the magnification range. The reticle grows as you increase the magnification. This is so those marks in the reticle stay the same, and are usable for windage and elevation holdovers, at any magnification. On that note, Primary Arms did a nice job with this reticle. Almost all of the MOA marks are visible when at 16x. I’ve seen FFP optics that, a big portion of, the reticle disappears when at full magnification. The reticle itself is essentially just a crosshair with little marks spaced every 2 MOA apart. Every 10 MOA, there is a larger mark and a number, at least on the elevation portion of the reticle. Windage is a little different, with 2 MOA marks for the first 10 MOA, and then marks every 5 MOA past that. See the reticle picture for values. This reticle is very clean. It’s kind of old school mil-dot meets new school technology. Did I mention that the grid portion of the reticle is illuminated? Well it is, in red, with 11 brightness settings. I really like the style of simple and useful reticles like the ARC-2.

  The ARC-2 is such a great reticle, but adjusting your scope is still very important. That brings us to the target style turrets on the 4-16x44. If you are into dialing your scope for windage and elevation adjustments, you want good target turrets. I found these to be repeatable, at least in my testing. If I dialed up 15 MOA, and then back down 15 MOA, it shot where I expected it to. I didn’t do a tracking test, But this isn’t a $1000+ scope, so I didn’t see any need for me to do that. The clicks on the turrets feel really good but you can’t really hear them. I prefer feel over hearing them anyway. They also have a little resistance to them, which is nice, so they don’t move if you bump them in the field. Each turret adjusts in 0.25 MOA/click and 15 MOA per 1 revolution of the turret. It has over 85 MOA of total adjustment, or about 6 full turns of the turret. L/R and UP are marked next to or under the turret, depending on which one it is. There is also a little mark to use for setting zero. The SLx 4-16 has the ability to set the turret dials to zero, after you have sighted it in. There’s 3 tiny set screws at the turret's top, loosen them and rotate the knob to zero. Tighten them back up and your zero is now set. 

  I have the Primary Arms SLx 4-16x44 mounted on a “varmint style” AR. The scope weighs in at 25 ounces. But in this case, it is the perfect scope for this particular rifle. The SLx has performed super well for me. It’s super clear for a scope in this price range. It’s easily adjusted, if needed. It has an illuminated reticle for low light use. A parallax adjustment that goes super low, so if I wanted to use it on something like a .22lr, I could. I wouldn’t hesitate to take this hunting in the brush. I think it would make an excellent hunting scope as the ARC-2 reticle doesn’t take up a lot of room in the scope. The magnification range is also great for this AR’s use case.

  If you're in the market for a feature rich FFP optic, the Primary Arms SLx 4-16x44 ARC-2 might be it. I just can’t get over all the options you get in this optic, and at an incredible price. It performed better than my expectations for sure. The updated SLx scopes from Primary Arms are definitely worth checking out.

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Quality low priced FFP optic

Target Market:

Those wanting excellent quality in a mid range optic, but at a reasonable price

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

  • First Focal Plane ARC-2 MOA reticle

  • Partial Red Reticle Illumination, Visible in Sunlight

  • 11 brightness adjustments, including 2 that are Night Vision compatible 

  • Side Parallax adjustment

  • Click Value: 0.25 MOA

  • FOV @ 4x / 100 yd : 26.6 ft

  • FOV @ 16x / 100 yd : 6.5 ft

  • Total Windage and Elevation Adjustment: > 85 MOA

  • Zero resettable turrets  

  • Weight (with Battery, without Lens Covers): 25.4 oz

  • Tube Diameter: 30 mm

  • Eye Relief: 3.6 – 3.9 in

  • Fast Focus Eyepiece

  • Fog Resistant

  • Fully Nitrogen Purged, IP67 Waterproof Standard and Dust Proof

  • 6063 Aluminum with Anodized Matte Black

  • Flip-up Lens Covers Included

  • Uses one CR2032 Battery (Included)

  • Lifetime Warranty

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

Tons in the SLx line    

What others are saying?:

Nothing found as of this review

Link to other reviews:

Same - nothing found

Price point:

MSRP = $299.99

Retail = Same, but Primary Arms always has sales going on

I need it now! Availability:

Primary Arms or Amazon

Our Rating:

Pros:

  • Price

  • First Focal Plane reticle

  • Reticle options

  • Good Illumination

  • Clear field of view

Cons:

  • Non-forgiving eye box

Score: 8.50 Great

Favorite Link:  SLx 1x Prism

Primary Arms is an advertiser on the Gun & Gear Review podcast. This does not give them a better review than any other company. 

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Primary Arms SLx RS-10 red dot

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  When I first learned about the new Primary Arms SLx RS-10 mini reflex sight, I was very interested. Then I received one, and was even more excited. This little, open reflex, pistol mounted red dot is everything they said it would be. Including a great price of $199.99.

Autolive in action

  The SLx RS-10 is packed with features. It runs a 3 MOA red dot that is easily picked up. It has 11 brightness settings. Of which include night vision compatibility and daylight bright. I couldn’t try out the night vision setting, but the daylight bright setting is really bright, even in direct sunlight. You should have zero problems seeing the dot in any light. The RS-10 also has easy to use controls on the left side. These buttons are only raised slightly above the RS-10’s surface. Of course they control brightness as well as actual on/off. I say “actual” because the RS-10 features Primary Arms’ “Autolive”. The Autolive is an automatic on/off function that works fantastic. Just barely move the sight and the dot turns on. After about 3 minutes of zero sight movement, the sight turns off. Any teeny movement will keep the RS-10 on. Back to the “actual” on/off. To turn the sight off, as if you are going to store it for a long time, just hold the up and down buttons simultaneously for a few seconds and the sight will permanently turn off. Then to turn it back on, and into the Autolive feature, just hold either the up or down button a few seconds until the dot turns on. Primary Arms specs the battery life at 40,000 hours with a CR2032 battery. So if you change the battery out once a year, you should be good to go and never have the dreaded dead dot. If you couldn’t tell, I really like the Autolive feature.

  Primary Arms also stuck some other features into the RS-10. For strength, they manufacture the housing out of 7075 aluminum. This is the same grade aluminum that quality AR receivers are made from, so it should be good to go. I really like the shape they chose for the housing and window. The rounded, almost square shape seems to draw my eye to the dot. I seem to find the dot much faster than other pistol mounted red dots. Primary Arms says the window size is 23mm and even if it is a smaller window than some brands, see the above comments. I mentioned battery life earlier, but the RS-10 does have a side loading battery tray. That means you can change the battery without having to remove the sight from your desired mounting platform, keeping your zero intact. Coming in at just over an ounce, the RS-10 shouldn’t weigh you down either.

  Anymore, the mounting method for a reflex sight is very important. Mainly because one needs to know if it will fit on their handgun. The SLx RS-10 uses the fairly common Docter/Noblex footprint to directly mount to stuff. Primary Arms also includes a picatinny rail mount and a Glock MOS plate. That way if you aren’t mounting it directly to a pistol, you have some options. For instance, it would make a great 45 degree offset red dot for a rifle. I ended up mounting it on a Strike Industries Liteslide for a G19, as it has a multi optic mounting platform. The SLX RS-10 mounted in perfectly. Primary Arms decided to go with the Docter mounting footprint so they could use that CR2032 battery and have it side mounted. Since the battery is physically larger than other options, you end up getting more battery life out of it. For the small size of the RS-10, a different mounting footprint just wouldn’t work. 

  The SLx RS-10 is a great little red dot. This doesn’t come without a few tiny gripes. If you hold the RS-10 on target, and start shaking it a tiny bit, in a circle, the dot will galaxy out. So it literally looks kind of like a little galaxy inside the window. Does it bother anything? Nope, when shooting the pistol I didn’t even notice it. Even on moving and circling targets. Most people probably wouldn’t even notice it. I also would have liked to see it on a RMR footprint, but Primary Arms didn’t do this because of those “battery” reasons. I can understand this. Now, on a good note. Even for me, with my astigmatism, the dot is fairly clear. So those with normal eyes will see a nice crisp dot. 

  I am going to say this, the Primary Arms SLx RS-10 is currently my go to red dot pistol sight. This red dot impressed me more than I expected. I can find the dot easily. I haven’t destroyed it yet. Even if I did, it has a lifetime warranty. The size doesn’t get in the way. I’d say it is somewhere between one of the super small mini reflex versions and a Holosun 507. The RS-10 is always ready to go because of the “Autolive” feature. The click adjustments for windage and elevation make it easy to make adjustments, unlike other mini reflex sights that have no clicks. I ran this thing fairly hard and have had zero problems. 

  If you are looking for a mini reflex red dot, the SLx RS-10 from Primary Arms might be it. It is priced under $200. At that price, it’s a great deal for this feature packed red dot. With the Autolive function, you won’t have to worry about if the dot is on or off, because it will always be on. I don’t think you can go wrong selecting the Primary Arms SLx RS-10 mini reflex sight. 

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Quality Mini Reflex red dot sight for a great value

Target Market:

Anyone wanting a decent priced pistol mounted red dot

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

  • 7075 aluminum body

  • Side-loading CR2032 battery compartment

  • Convenient push-button controls

  • 11 Brightness settings

  • Daylight bright and night vision compatible brightness levels

  • 3 MOA dot

  • Picatinny Rail Mount and Low Profile Adaptor Plate for Glock® MOS Slides Included

  • Autolive motion activation

  • 40,000 hour battery life

  • Weighs just 1.07 Oz

  • 23mm window

  • Lifetime warranty

  • Docter/Noblex footprint

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

None

What others are saying?:

5 out of 5 stars on Amazon 

Another great option from PA

Mounted on my Canik Rival with no issues. Great product for the price. Will highly consider getting another in the future.

Link to other reviews:

Lynx Defense  

Price point:

MSRP = $199.99

Retail = $199.99 but Primary Arms is constantly running sales

I need it now! Availability:

Primary Arms

Our Rating:

Pros:

  • Autolive motion activation

  • Price

  • Dot is easily picked up

  • Side loading battery

  • Actual “click” windage and elevation adjustments 

Cons:

  • Doctor / Noblex footprint

  • Galaxies when circling a target fast

Score:  8.00 Great

Favorite Link:  Walker Defense Research

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XS Minimalist Night Sights

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  XS sights released their new Minimalist night sights a few months back. If you haven’t noticed, I am a big fan of their standard style night sights, these are no different. The new Minimalist sights are just that, minimal. The name, however, does not give the sights justice, as they are really much more than minimalist.

  XS calls these sights Minimalist because only the front sight has tritium. Tritium is the isotope that causes the dot, in the center of the sight, to glow. The rear sight does not have any tritium, it is a basic style, squared notch, rear sight. I’ll discuss the front and rear sights separately to keep things simple.

  The front sight on the XS Minimalist series is really where all the super cool stuff happens. As noted, it holds the tritium so that a dot on the front sight can glow in low, or no light. But XS also put an orange ring of photoluminescence around the tritium dot. This does two things. One, it makes for a great front sight during regular daytime. But two, because it has XS’s “Ember Glow Dot” - photoluminescent, it glows if you hit it with a flashlight. The Ember Glow Dot can also help in situations where a regular tritium only dot will wash out.

Normal - Daytime

After shining flashlight on sight - Daytime

Low Light

  The rear sight, on the XS Minimalist, is not as fancy as the front, but it still has a lot of features. The most notable, is the serrations. These are tiny lines cut horizontally on the face of the rear sight. The serrations cut down on ambient light glare, as well as flashlight glare. This makes it easier to pick up, and see, the front sight. It is also slightly angled downward to help with glare. The other end of the rear sight is squared off to aid in one handed slide manipulations. As initially noted, the rear sight is your standard square notch style.

Total darkness - front sight after “Ember Glow” charged up slightly

  The XS Minimalist sights work very well. They worked perfectly on the G43 I mounted them on. The standard post front and square rear is just how I like them. When sighting down them, there is a little bit of light between the edges of the rear and the front sight, just like I prefer. Basically, I get a really good sight picture during the day and during low light. During the day, that orange dot draws your eye straight to it, making target transitions easier, at least they were for me. During low light, you can see the tritium dot glowing green, and it’s pretty bright. Of course, in darkness, all you see is the green dot, which is why you need some sort of light to identify your target. If using a handheld light, it is really easy to light up the Ember Glow Dot, just with the spill from the light. Then you have that glow around the tritium glow, so kind of the best of both low light sighting systems. Since some sort of light is always needed, the blacked out rear doesn’t cause any sort of problem for me. If you are unsure about it, XS makes plenty of other style night sights. But let’s face it, most of our shooting is done in some sort of light. The Minimalist’s are not available in a taller version for use with red dot sights, but after all, they kind of hint to it in the name,

  Installation of the Minimalist sights is straightforward. Just push or tap out the old rear and unscrew the old front. Put some of the supplied threadlocker on both front and rear sights. Since they are made from steel, just push in the rear with a punch or sight pusher. Set the front sight in, and then tighten the screw to specification. Then wipe off the excess thread locker and let sit. Then take it to the range and go shoot.

  So if you're in the market for a simple night sight option, the XS Minimalist’s might be it. I even like them as just standard sights. The price is good, they are made in the USA, and they come with a “no questions asked” warranty. The warranty is so good, that I lost a front sight once, and they sent me a new one. So definitely go check out the XS Sights product lines. 

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Minimalist Night Sights

Target Market:

Those wanting only a tritium dot on the front sight

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

  • Tritium Powered Front Sight

  • Bright orange High-Contrast Front Sight

  • Ember Glow Dot - Photoluminescent dot absorb ambient light and glows in low light

  • Serrated anti-glare rear sight

  • Blacked-out Rear sight

  • Rear Sight Overhang and slight angle- Reduces rear sight glare in bright light for greater sight definition

  • Rear Sight Ledge for ease of use

  • Thread locker included

  • CNC Steel

  • Fits standard holster options

  • Made in USA

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

None, but plenty of other Night Sight options

What others are saying?:

5 stars on Amazon

 Quality at a reasonable price

Quality Sights at a fraction of the price. These sights are the best sights I’ve seen under 100 dollars.

Link to other reviews:

Mr GunsnGear youtube

Price point:

MSRP = $59.99

Retail = $59.99 on Amazon

I need it now! Availability:

Amazon or XS sights

Our Rating:

Pros:

  • Photoluminecent dot

  • Serrated rear sight

  • Squared off front, of rear sight, for easier manipulation

  • Price

  • Made in USA

Cons:

  • Front sight width can be too wide for some people

  • No taller option for use with red dot sights (at least in the Minimalist version)

Score: 8.50 Great

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Favorite Link:  Walker NERO

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Angry Bear Arms RMR tall sight kit

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  A lot of people are switching to a red dot optic on their handgun. Because of this, they most likely will need a set of back up iron sights that can be seen through the optic. This is where Angry Bear Arms comes in. They make inexpensive sights for Glock and M&P pistols in various sizes from short to extra-tall. The tall RMR set was the one sent to me for review. 

  Angry Bear Arms has quite a few options when it comes to sights. All are made from US sourced steel and made in the USA. The sights have a black nitride coating, so they should last a very long time. What makes the sights stand out, is the $40 starting price for a set. The option I chose for review was the - Glock RMR Cut, Tall profile, Fiber Optic Serrated Sight Kit. Price on it is $45.95 and is from their “Bear Bones” line. This line only comes with the front and rear sight, front sight screw, rear sight set screw, and the red and green fiber pipes. Other kits they make come with a sight tool and/or various front sights of different heights. Those are more geared for someone who wants to get a precise impact point with their chosen ammunition.

  The RMR tall kit is basically for use as a low witness back up for the red dot sight. The sight notch base just barely sits above a recessed mounted red dot. Hence the RMR in the name. I am using a Holosun 507C with them, and it works great. The Holosun is recessed into the slide, and must be for these sights to work. Angry Bear does make a MOS extra tall sight for red dots that are not recessed. 

  Installation is pretty routine. Take out the old sights, install Angry Bear Arms sights. Since these are Glock sights. The rear sight is dovetailed in, so a sight pusher, or some other way of sliding the sight into place, is needed. Angry Bear also has a set screw, that screw down from the top of the sight, to help hold it in place. The sight hasn’t moved on me, or do I think it ever will. The front sight is screwed in from below. I used blue (242) loctite on the screw to help keep it from backing out. As with all Glock style front sights, don’t over torque the screw. Since the front sight is fiber optic, now one must install the fiber rod into the sight. I chose green, they supply red also. Green was chosen because it is not the same color as the red dot optic. Take a lighter, or something hot, and heat the end of the fiber up. Then just press on it a little to swell it out. Slide the rod through the front sight, from back to front. The fiber should stop when it hits the swollen part. Then cut the other end off, leaving a little bit of room to heat it up. Then, when hot, press the end to swell it and hold the fiber in. Angry Bear Arms supplies enough fiber for you to mess up a few times. Now you can go shoot the handgun.

  These sights have pretty much everything I want in a sight. The rear notch is just wide enough to allow the right amount of light on each side of the front post. I really do like the sight picture. Yet the front sight is narrow enough to give good accuracy. I opted for the serrated set, which puts some nice horizontal lines on the face of the front and rear sight. This helps cut down on glare, either from the sun or a flashlight. Yes, it really does cut down the glare over smooth sights. The rear sight has been smoothed out on every corner of it. This is a nice touch for the price and it will keep it from wearing on your clothes. The front side of the rear sight is straight and flat. This would give you a good purchase to rack the slide off of something like a table, etc. This would only work if there wasn’t a red dot in front of it. The front sight is nice and square, giving a really good sight picture. One can’t really dehorn a front sight like you can the rear. I definitely would use these RMR tall sights without an optic. They are a nearly perfect sight picture for my taste.

  If you're in the market for a quality, inexpensive sight set, go check out the Angry Bear Arms sights. I could not be happier with the form and function of the set I received. Next time I get a new slide, I definitely know where I’m headed to get some sights.

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Tall sight for use with recessed red dot optic

Target Market:

Those needing a back up iron sight for use with a red dot

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

  • Serrated front and rear sights

  • Fiber optic front

  • Red and Green fiber included

  • 0.305” tall front sight

  • 0.310” tall rear sight

  • All steel construction

  • Black Nitride coated

  • Made in USA

  • Available for Glock and M&P

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

Different heights, non-fiber optic, kits with 3 front sight options 

What others are saying?:

Nothing found

Link to other reviews:

Black Diamond Guns & Gear on YouTube

Price point:

MSRP = $45.95

Retail = $35.95

I need it now! Availability:

Angry Bear Arms

Our Rating:

Pros:

  • Good sight picture

  • Fiber Optic front with Red or Green fiber

  • Inexpensive

  • Serrated for glare reduction

  • Made in USA

Cons:

  • Not always in stock

Score: 9.00 Amazing

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Favorite Link:  Gun & Gear Cult

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XS RAM Night Sights

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  XS Sights has added another type of night sight to their lineup. These new sights are called RAM sights. RAM stands for Radioactive Material. Since they are Tritium night sights, the name is appropriate. XS offered to send me a set after seeing the F8 sight review, and I eagerly accepted.

  The RAM sights are a semi-standard 3 dot system. I say “semi-standard”, because they are equipped with XS’s Glow Dot Technology. This technology allows the ring around the front sight to glow. I chose the green ring this time, since the F8’s, I reviewed previously, have the orange ring. The front sight ring absorbs ambient light through photoluminescence and then glows. If you shine a bright flashlight on the front sight, it glows really bright for about 10 minutes, and then slowly returns to the normal color. I like the Glow Dot feature, mainly because in some lighting situations, tritium can wash out and you are left with just a standard sighting configuration. The Glow Dot helps me pick up the front sight in those conditions.

Low light, no glow

Glowing front sight after shining flashlight on it. Notice that it glows so bright there is actually a reflection off the slide.

  As with all XS sights, the RAM’s use tritium inserts. The tritium will glow green for years. In fact, XS warranties them for 10 years, not just on the tritium, but also the sights. When I compared these to other tritium sights, they seem to glow just as bright, which is quite bright. The 3 dot sight system has 3 dots, wow, imagine that! Each dot is a tritium vial. Two in the rear sight, one on each side of the notch. Then one in the middle of the front sight. In low light, one just puts the three dots in a horizontal line and the sights are “lined” up. The front sight also has the Glow Dot feature around the tritium dot. The rear is all blacked out except for the tritium dots.

Front sight, immediately after shining light on it. Notice it is so bright that it reflects off of the slide.

Front sight glow, a couple of minutes after shining light on it.

  Besides being “night sights”, the RAM’s make good daylight sights too. The RAM’s use a front sight width of 0.145” and a square rear notch of 0.170”. This gives me a real good, fairly precise, sight picture. When looking down the sights, this combination gives me light on both sides of the front blade, which I really like for more precise shooting. Having that big green dot on the front sight makes it really easy to see and pick up on your target (think fast sight acquisition). It’s almost like having a fiber optic front sight. Let’s just say the daytime sight picture works really good for me. 

  Since the RAM sights sent to me were for a Glock, I installed them on a Freedom Flag products slide. In fact, the slide I used was the same one I had previously mounted XS’s F8 sights on. Installation was straight forward. A front sight tool and threadlocker was provided in the package. The front sight fit snugly, as did the rear. If you don’t think you can install the sights yourself, XS can do it for a small fee.

  In my opinion, the RAM sights are really designed for a carry gun. They are very durable. The front edge of the rear sight is straight up and down. This allows for easier slide manipulation with one hand. The back edge of the rear sight is also angled inward, from top to bottom. This is done to help reduce glare off of the sight. A pretty smart addition. 

  XS sights did a great job with the RAM’s. I am excited that they are bringing out more of the “standard” style of night sights. The only bad thing to be said, is that they don’t offer the RAM’s in a tall version to be used with a mini red dot or suppressor. Go give XS sights a look, their new options are just awesome.

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Night Sights 

Target Market:

Those wanting 3 dot night sights on their handgun

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

  • Tritium Powered Front & Rear Sight

  • High-Contrast Color Front Sight - Available in bright orange or green

  • Ember Glow Dot - Photoluminescent dot absorb ambient light and glows in low light

  • Rear Sight Overhang - Reduces rear sight glare in bright light

  • Anti-Reflective Rear Tritium Lens

  • Rear Sight Ledge - Aids in one-handed slide manipulations

  • CNC Steel - Extremely durable for duty use

  • 10 Year Warranty - No Questions Asked Night Sight Warranty

  • 0.145” Front Sight width

  • 0.170 Rear Notch Width

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

Orange Front sight

Link to other reviews:

The Firearm Blog

Price point:

MSRP = $109.99

Retail = $99.99 on Amazon

I need it now! Availability:

XS Sights or Amazon

Our Rating:

Pros:

  • Bright Tritium

  • Green Glow Dot

  • Made in USA

  • Easily seen front sight

  • Everything included in package (front sight tool, thread locker)

Cons:

  • No “tall” option

  • Tritium washes out (a fault of all tritium sights)

Score: 8.50 Great

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Favorite Link:   Freedom Flag Products

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XS F8 Night Sights

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  XS Sights is known for their fast acquisition Big Dot sights. XS has come out with a more conventional night sight called the F8. These F8 sights combine the fastness of the “big dot” with the sight picture of a standard sight. When they first came out about a year ago, I was on the list for a review sample.

  First thing one notices on the F8’s is the big orange dot front sight. Inside this orange ring is a green tritium dot. The orange ring makes it extremely easy to pick up the front sight with the eye. Besides the glow from the tritium, the F8’s orange dot is photoluminescent and can be “charged” up with a flashlight, or other bright light. The white glow, from charging the front sight, lasts a few minutes. I even charged the dot up when just using my handheld flashlight, while dry firing with both the light and pistol. It just happened to get enough spill over to illuminate the dot. The tritium is also very bright, but more on that later.

  The rear sight uses the standard square notch style. This pairs nicely with the front sight. XS uses what they call a “wide notch rear”. This wider notch allows for more light on each side of the post, aiding in quicker pick up of the front sight. I really like this style of system. I tend to like narrower front posts and a wider rear. The F8 rear does this, but with a wider front post. More light on each side of the front sight picture is faster for me also. The tritium is a single dot below the notch of the rear sight. This is to give a dot over dot sight picture, or figure eight, as some call it. This is where the “8” in F8 comes into play. The rear sight is also very square shaped, with a slight angled overhang on the back side. Angling the rear sight slightly helps to reduce glare in certain lighting conditions. The squared shape also gives plenty of real estate for one handed slide manipulation. Another thing that is nice about the rear sight, it is all black with only the one tritium insert.

  I installed these on an aftermarket G17 slide. Installation was straight forward enough. XS provides a front sight tool and threadlocker in the box. The front sight was a little loose in the oval hole. I would have like it tighter. So what happens when you overtighten a screw, it breaks off in the first few rounds. XS has one of the best warranties in the business. I emailed them, and a few days later a new front sight showed up. Free of charge. So I followed the instructions perfectly for the new installation. A few months later, and hundreds of rounds, at a match, the front sight breaks off again. I emailed XS and even sent a video of when the sight fell off. I offered to buy a new one, NOPE. They sent me a shipping label to send the slide in for them to install the front sight! I have had no problems with the front sight since. They get a 10/10 for customer service. Now onto the rear. I coated the dovetail with XS’s threadlocker, slid the sight in, and tightened down the 2 set screws. I was done, and it hasn’t ever moved on me.

Low light, no photoluminescence

After shining flashlight on front sight (photoluminescent glow)

  As a combined sight set, the F8’s really shine. They are slightly taller than most factory sights, which I like. But not so tall that they can be called suppressor sights. The front is 0.280” tall, and the rear is 0.300” tall. The tritium is super bright. I just love the sight picture I get. Everything needed for installation is in the package (threadlocker, sight tool, allen wrench). The height, along with the bright orange front, really does make them easy to get on target fast.

  If you hadn’t guessed by now, I like these sights. XS Sights did a fantastic job with the F8’s. If you are in the market for some night sights, or just a really good sight, definitely go check out the F8’s. The warranty is also fantastic!

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Night sights with photoluminescent front sight

Target Market:

People wanting fast, easy to see sights

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

  • Tritium

  • Orange color front ring around tritium

  • Glow dot front sight

  • 0.160” front sight blade width

  • Wide, square notch rear sight

  • Rear sight ledge

  • 10 year warranty

  • Figure eight sight picture

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

Other handgun models

What others are saying?:

Imaposer on Amazon 5/5 stars

My favorite pistol sights of all time!

I absolutely LOVE these sights! I installed a set on my G19 last year. After using them a bit I decided that they were the best sights I'd even used on a defensive type handgun. Yes, they are larger than most. And for my eyes that along with the orange front sight ring makes them very fast to acquire. I've used XS Big Dots for years... since they were called Ashley Express Sights if that tells you anything. And while I always found them fast to acquire a flash sight picture with, I never felt that they offered much precision. Especially in terms of elevation. With the F8 on the other hand, I think they're just as fast. Maybe even faster since the more traditional sight picture gives me a very quick reference of elevation as well as equal light. While the Big Dot is quick to pick up, I often found myself losing time trying to get the front centered in the shallow rear trough and trying to get the front dot at just the right height above it... Just didn't work as well as the theory would suggest. For me at least.

A secondary thing that I like, other than the speed and visibility of these sights, is the rear sight. The height combined with the profile of the leading edge makes these the easiest sight I've ever used to do one handed manipulations with. I can easily run the slide on my belt, boot heel, table top, edge of a door jamb, and just about any solid surface I can press the rear sight against. And much more securely than any other I've used. Speed of acquisition and precision is obviously the primary focus of sights for me, but this is an added bonus, IMO.

This review is for the second set of these that I've purchased as since using them on the G19 I decided to put them on my new G43. And now I've considering replacing the Big Dots on a couple of other pistols, and an almost brand new set of Truglo TFX Pros on another, with these as well. Yes! I like these that much! And currently there's nothing else on the market I'd even consider buying.

Link to other reviews:

GunDigest

Price point:

MSRP = $142.00

Retail = $127.80 on Amazon

I need it now! Availability:

XS Sights or Amazon

Our Rating:

Pros:

  • Easy to pick up front sight

  • Good sight picture

  • Sight “Glow”

  • Bright Tritium

  • Excellent Warranty

  • Everything needed is in the package (Allen wrench, loctite, front sight tool)

Cons:

  • Wide front blade

  • Tritium washes out (a fault of all tritium sights)

  • Loose fit on front sight

Score: 8.5 Great

9.5 for customer service

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Favorite Link:  Freedom Flag Products




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Night Fision Tritium Sights

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 Night Fision is a new company joining into the tritium night sight community. Their first offerings are for Glock model pistols, with other models to follow. As anyone with a Glock knows, get rid of the stock plastic sights and put on some decent ones. Well Night Fision is here to help. They graciously sent me some for review.

Almost no light

Low Light

 When I first received these, I was waiting for a slide to put them on. So I tossed them in the safe. These things could be seen glowing through the packaging. Yes, they are the brightest set of tritium sights I have seen. I ended up installing them on a GreyGhost G19 slide for the review. Even when you would consider there to be enough light to see non tritium sights, these still glow bright. Of course they are also made out of steel, as sights should be. A black nitride coating should also make them last a long time, as well as look good

 But wait, just the bright tritium inserts isn’t all they have going for them. The front sight also has a colored ring around the tritium. They call this the "Perfect Dot." This ring is available in yellow, orange, or white. I opted for the yellow. My next choice would have been orange. With these colored outer rings, one can pick up the front sight easily during the day also. And because why not, they even added daytime florescence to the color ring. The front sight is available by itself also.

 The rear sight has a few options also. As expected, you can get it in white outlined dots. Or blacked out, so just the tritium inserts. I chose the blacked out rear sight because I only want color on my front sight. One can get the rear sight with 2 options: a square notch, or a “U” notch. I chose the square notch because that’s what I am use to. Another thing to note is that the rear sight is very square on the front and back. This gives a good sight picture and the added benefit of being able to use it to rack the slide on a table, belt, etc.

 Now onto shooting these sights. It is super easy to pick up the front sight during draw and shoot. When dumping a magazine fast, same thing. Where it gets a little dicey is on farther away targets. Even though the front sight is easy to pick up, it is wider than I like for 20+ yard shooting. It measures 0.142” for me. The rear sight measures in at 0.140”. I really prefer a wider rear sight, or narrower front sight. Target transitions were also easy with the Night Fision sights. When using the sights at dusk, the tritium really pops out. The three dot system works just fine. However, the sights/gun do shoot a little lower point of impact with the three tritiums lined up. These are really a great combo day/night sight.

 The Night Fision sights are a really nice change from traditional night sights. I love the yellow front dot for daytime use. And the super bright tritium really pops out in lower light conditions. Go over and check out Night Fision, I think they will be going places in the sight business.

 

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Tritium Night Sights with a twist

Target Market:

Those wanting tritium sights

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

  • "Perfect Dot" with daytime florescence

  • Bright Tritium inserts

  • Made from 4140 steel

  • Black Nitride coating

  • Made in USA

  • Different color rings (White, Orange, or Yellow)

  • Square or "U" notch rear

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

White Front, Orange Front, U-notch rear, White dot rear

What others are saying?:

Keith D. @ Rainier Arms 5/5 stars

Just got em , (FAST) and they look pretty nice, definitely like the price for my spare red dot equipped G19 slide

Link to other reviews:

None found (These are pretty new)

Price point:

MSRP = $89.99

Retail = $80.10 at Rainier Arms

I need it now! Availability:

Night Fision or Rainier Arms

Our Rating:

Pros:

  • Bright tritium

  • Front daytime florescence dot

  • Nitride coated

  • Price

  • Made in USA

Cons:

  • Wide front post

  • Tritium dots have different point of aim

Score: 8.00 Great

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Favorite Link:   Axelson Tactical



 

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Midwest Industries SPLP Flip Up Sights

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Midwest Industries SPLP Flip Up Sights

There's a plethora of options for putting sights on an AR-15. The flooded market for just about every type of component allows us black rifle lovers to choose what style, function, and bottom dollar for each part. If you are shopping for iron sights, specifically models that collapse when not it use, and flip up into postion when needed, the options are pretty bountiful. When looking for some low profile back up irons that wouldn't look obtrusive on my Lone Wolf Distributors G9 Pistol, I picked up a set from Midwest Industries that fit the build and my budget fairly well.

Midwest Industries SPLP Flip Up Sights

The Midwest Industries SPLP Flip Up Sights (SPLP = Same Plane Low Profile) fall into what I would call the middle ground of the marketplace. While not the most expensive, but above the mid range, the MI SPLP sights certainly are designed and engineered better that lower cost flip up sets. The pivoting of the front sight tower/rear sight housing is certainly smooth, with a positive detent lock that can be heard with an audible 'click.' There is no side movement when I tried to wobble them.  They both do rock rearward in their detent about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch, however the mechanism's tension forces them back forward to the correct position. The button to release the detent lock on both sights is pretty small, smaller than a safety button on a Remington 870 or Ruger 10/22. While they are difficult to unlock and collapse only by feel and muscle memory, its not impossible (and you are unlikely to be in a dire hurry to fold them down to begin with).

Midwest Industries SPLP Flip Up Sights

The front sight I chose is handguard height, and perfectly cowitness with a Vortex Sparc II. I specifically wanted an absolute cowitness, as well as a circular hooded front sight, which is sometimes marketed as the "HK style." To me these really made shooting a short, light recoiling 9mm carbine a dream. For most modern rifle owners, their red dot optic is their primary while their flip up sights are purely for back up. For me, the sight picture through these SPLP sights makes shooting even more enjoyable than the red dot itself. I would imagine that a carbine or rifle length firearm with these sights would still feel the same.

Midwest Industries SPLP Flip Up Sights

 Overall I would say that while these sights don't feel quite as solid and robust as their Troy Industries counterpart by only a narrow margin, the Midwest Industries SPLP sights are very exceptional and I'm satisfied with my purchase.

Firearms Insider Reviews – 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:  Extremely low profile, battle-proven design

Target Market:  AR-15 rifle / pistol owners

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

Rear Sight:

  • Same plane (absolute co-witness)
  • Low profile, sits only .4375 folded
  • Dual aperture design
  • Micro style windage knob featuring the same MOA adjustments as standard A2

Front Sight:

  • Uses standard A2 front sight post
  • Super smooth ball bearing pivot detent
  • 6061 aluminum, hard coat anodized
  • Handguard or Gas Block Height

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?: Black, Flat Dark Earth, or OD Green anodizing

What others are saying?:

"Low profile allows for install under optics such as ACOG or magnification for aimpoints and eotechs. Rugged enough to withstand field use. Locks into place easily and smoothly. Comparable to Troy Industries. I give it a 4 stars only because it not Troy Industries. Highly recommended for price and durability." Brownells Review

Price point:

I need it now! Availability:  Readily available online at Midwest Industries or locally.

Our Rating:

Pros:

  • Low Profile, co-witness looks and shoots great
  • Installation screw is flush / no snag
  • Smaller windage knob works well and smaller to keep overall profile low

Cons:

  • Anodizing will wear over time/use
  • Front sight tower / rear sight housing rock backwards slightly with force (but returned when released)
  • Release button is small/minute

Score: 7.5 Good

 

 

Featured FFL:

For FFL services I choose Promised Land Firearms in Toulon, IL.

Ryan's Links:

Gun & Gear Review Podcast

Hunter of Design

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Aimline Glock Sights

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aimline-2 When it comes to practical combat sights, there are many options out there. I found out about these Aimline sights from a friend and got in contact with the guys at KA Tactical. In short order, I had sent off, and got back, my Glock 19 slide and got to testing.

aimline-1I found in my friend's Glock 19 that it is a pistol I shoot instinctively well, so I bought it (not to say he regrets selling it but he wants another one). This is due in part to the ergonomics and natural pointability it affords me. I also fell in love with the ball in the cup sight picture that came with the gun, but was not thrilled with plastic construction, so I was hesitant to make the change, but eager to upgrade. These Aimline sights feature all steel construction, which is a durability and utility upgrade over the stock Glock sights. The sight picture is another thing that drew me to these sights over other sights that feature three dot style sight pictures. The Aimline system works great for me, because the principle of the straight line formed by both the colored lines on the sights and the sight housings themselves create a sight picture that is both easily acquired and equally maintained through continuous fire.

I firmly believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, when it comes to sighting systems across all weapons platforms. The defensive handgun in particular benefits from a simple easy to acquire and consistently maintained sight picture. The value and strength that these Aimline sights provide, are definitely worth checking out. I am so pleased with these that If I dont go with an RMR on my new Glock 41 Gen 4 I know exactly what I will be putting on.

In the included video you can see these in action by me and my friend running some practical shooting drills.

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame: No nonsense combat sights.

Target Market: Currently Glock users

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

  • CNC machined out of 4100 steel with a black oxide finish
  • 4 vibrant color choices
  • Set screw on rear sight
  • Designed to be snag free while maintaining belt/shoe racking.

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?: White, Yellow, Green, and Orange color options are available.

What others are saying?: The Truth About Guns did a review on these sights here.

Price point:

  • MSRP = $75 But Aimline is running a Christmas sale for $50
  • Retail = I got mine from KA Tactical and they did the install.

I need it now! Availability: I have not seen these locally yet but with modern shipping you can get them pretty fast even if you send your slide to have the work done.

Our Rating:

Pros:

  • Build Quality
  • Function
  • Fast Acquisition
  • Quick Followup shots

Cons:

  • Colored lines can be lost in low light/no light

Score: 8.0 Great80

 

My Links:

NJgunblog

Guns of Hollywood

Firing Line Review

 

 

 

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