About Night Sights
July 1st, 2007
Dear Dr. Piazza,
I am a CLEET certified law enforcement firearms instructor in Oklahoma. I agree with blacked out sights, and personally don’t know another instructor that doesn’t. However, I cannot condone the use of night sights. Target identification is one of the primary safety rules. I can be standing in total darkness, but if my target is illuminated, I can use the ambient light to line up my sights. If there is not enough light to do that, then I cannot properly identify my target from a possible civilian or the possibility of a hazard behind my target. We train all law enforcement officers in low light shooting conditions, and while we do not prevent them from using night
sights, we always caution them about this possible liability.Thank You for your time,
Kenneth
Kenneth,
Agreed.
Night sights only have a tactical niche of about 15 minutes without supplemental lighting. That period when it is still light enough to identify your target but not light enough to clearly see your sights.With supplemental lighting, either hand held or affixed to the weapon, target ID is established and the nights sight do add a bit of additional “glow” to the sights.
Ignatius
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