Between the first and second shots to the 3x5 card, my hi-vis orange Ameriglo front sight suddenly turned black. I distinctly remember thinking "Wow, it sooted up like that, that fast?" as I pressed off the second shot. Reload and find the sight for the shots in the 8" circle and... no, that's not sooted up...
Even with the sight gone, which really put a stick in my spokes for a bit, and what seemed a painfully slow draw getting fouled by my shirt, what felt like a slow run had a raw time as fast as anything I'd ever shot in AFHF. And subsequent runs were even faster, although still in the lower end of Intermediate. With a few raw times under 8 seconds, I think I've got it in me to get an Advanced if I keep at it.
Apparently if you practice at this stuff, you get better. Who knew?
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I once had a First Sergeant that would take great pleasure in walking around with a dowel rod and popping it into ejections ports to cause malfunctions during training.
ReplyDeleteWhile he a sadist for many other reasons, I often thought his brilliance shone through with that training aid.
It is somewhat trite, but you do fall back on your level of training.
Neat write up about what could have a been crappy range day. (to me anyway)
Maybe the Manufacturer will replace it for free? Can't hurt to ask.
ReplyDeleteTrijicon HD are kind of big...I've got a set on my 17's but only have range tested them once. On a 17 sized piece, that's not too bad as its not exactly a derringer...
ReplyDeleteGot a buddy who's likely going to be selling his as he doesn't like the way their size on his 19.
Bubblehead Les,
ReplyDeleteProbably. I'm deciding whether to go that route or take it as an omen to try new sights. ;)
They use dovetails on those things for a reason.
ReplyDeleteI run the Trij HD's on my G19s. With my old eyeballs they work really well. I went to those after my year of running an RMR and haven't looked back.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't quite see the problem until you mentioned it. Positively paleolithic over here, plain black sights and all - although, I'm looking for a set of tritiums for the house Krinkov...
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about those HDs also... Old eyes over here... sigh
ReplyDeleteTry Dawson Precision sights. I recommend solid black rear, narrow fiber optic front. If you buy both front and rear from Dawson, they have a "perfect impact" deal where they will send you a replacement front sight of the correct height to zero your gun. No other sight vendor offers that. Dawson also makes front sight in different widths. If you run a standard rear notch (0.125") and a narrow front (0.105"), that gives you more light around the front sight, which many (including me) claim makes you both faster and more accurate. That style of sight is what is most popular with top tier competition shooters. Dawson sends you extra fiber and instructions on how to replace it yourself. I've never had a Dawson fiber fall out, even shooting tens of thousands of rounds annually. I've replaced the fiber a few times just because the fiber gets fouled after awhile.
ReplyDeleteMachines break. Unless they look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Then they keep coming. They will never stop. Until you crush them in a giant hydraulic press. They they stop. Until the next episode.
ReplyDeleteOff topic:
ReplyDeleteI want ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRkSBP6ehgU
First draw from a new shoulder rig on my new CZ P-07 pulled the front sight clean off.
ReplyDeleteFound it in the dirt.
Who dovetails longitudinally instead of across the slide?
Superglue and we're good.
That's not a failure mode I'd expect, nor have seen before.
ReplyDeleteT'was fortuitous, though; based on your positive Ameriglo opinion from last week I was about to order some for my student G17s (I need something that works well in daylight, incandescent and dark). I'll be quite interested in what direction you take for replacement. And, it points out that my spares kit needs some additions.
I am quite sure they will be replaced by Ameriglo. I've been a huge fan of their sights for awhile now. Their i-dot pro (?) Was introduced to me by TG in a class and I've since switched all my sights over. I've ran mine pretty hard over the years and have not had a single issue. Please let us know what their response is. Even if you decide to change to a different brand, you should still co tact Ameriglo
ReplyDeleteThat Ameri Glow link to Brownells has a Trijicon site in the picture as a AmeriGlo. Or at lest the pics have Trijicon on the sides of the sites.
ReplyDeleteWonder if anyone has told Brownells?
Paul,
ReplyDeleteLook closely at the Ameriglo front sight on my gun.
Tam, the Ameriglo IDOT Pro front sight and the Trijicon HD front sight are the same as far as I can tell side by side. I tried to purchase a replacement front sight when a similar thing happened to my EDC M&P9 w/ the Idot Pros (yellow front) and Ameriglo wouldn't have it - they shipped me a replacement and a return envelope to inspect the damaged unit. On mine, the insert started to come out after somewhere north of 1500 rounds and a few years on my belt.
ReplyDeleteMike Gallo,
ReplyDelete"Tam, the Ameriglo IDOT Pro front sight and the Trijicon HD front sight are the same as far as I can tell side by side."
That is my impression as well. The debate for me is moving away from the single-dot rear or not.
Warren Sevigny's with a plain rear and your choice of fiber or tritium for the front. Best pistol sights I have ever used.
ReplyDeleteTam
ReplyDeleteFWIW the two vials in the rear of the HD sights have no outline around them and are very subdued in daylight and when I've used them in the dark with the WML I didn't really even notice them glowing as I was looking at the front sight. What I did notice in low/no light with the WML is the rear notch is wide enough that you get a lot of "daylight" on each side of the front blade. I've never spent any time with the two-dot system (in the dark) to be able to compare.
Congrats on your fast FAST.
ReplyDeleteH&K P7 factory white dots were actually little plastic inserts on the front blade, and they're known for popping out over time. The expedient fix is to fill the hole with White-out.
ReplyDelete"H&K P7 factory white dots were actually little plastic inserts on the front blade, and they're known for popping out over time."
ReplyDeleteFront and rear. I'm an inductee in the "Had A Kraut Dot Bounce Off Me" Club. :D
Had the longer Trijicon (where the light tube is exposed to sunlight) break on my XD after a string of .45+P's. Replaced it with the smaller covered ones like you've got and no problems.
ReplyDeleteBride's XD still sports the longer tube-version, but she doesn't shoot as much as I do.
Revisiting this post has reminded me - I favor the old-skool contrast sights found on Sigs. Otherwise called "dot the i" and 'Von Stavenhagen,' although even Google doesn't seem to return much information. I simply shoot far better with such sights than anything 3 dot. Likewise, a single dot front sight and plain black rear sight is nearly as good (my very first self-loading pistol was a Smith 411).
ReplyDeleteIs there any way I can retrofit or locate such a rear sight (night or otherwise) to other guns (Glock 20 in particular)?
Failing that I guess I could simply get a Trijicon front signt and plain black steel rear sight. Or buy an old Sig...yeah, that's it. I had a two-tone P229 years ago. Best shootin' gun I ever had. Time to do it again.
Tom