Photo courtesy of HIVIZ Shooting Systems
Millions of Americans now have their first handgun for personal defense. Getting on target, quickly during a criminal attack is critical, so I asked an expert how to select self-defense pistol sight color.
I interviewed Trevor Young, director of sales at HIVIZ Shooting Systems. His comments follow, abbreviated for space. You may also be interested to read answers from a Truglo expert on the topic.
GJS—Is a black front sight ideal on a self-defense handgun?
TY—A black front sight on a carry/self-defense handgun is not necessarily ideal as it does not help front sight focus in all lighting conditions, especially in a situation of increased stress. That’s why we at HIVIZ Shooting Systems strive to create sights for every handgun on the market; to allow the user to have choices in handgun sights to best fit their situation.
GJS—Is there any time black is optimal?
TY—As with every type of sight, a black front sight on a carry/self-defense handgun can be ideal given the right lighting, target color and shooting conditions. However, the preference for most users should be the sight that gives the user the ultimate advantage in any conditions considering the purpose of the handgun and black would not be the best choice given other products on the market. We at HIVIZ Shooting Systems understand the importance of quick sight acquisition in any situation and that’s why we’ve come up with a broad range of sight options and colors to fit the need.
Why Color?
GJS—Is adding color an advantage for self-defense?
TY—Adding contrast to the front sight is always an advantage when it comes to self-defense, or any type of shooting where quick sight acquisition is important. Adding contrast is key as it helps acquire the front sight in your peripheral vison long before a solid black sight would. The result is that you can maintain a full view of the target and your front sight while moving the firearm into a shooting position and then transition into a sight picture in one fluid motion. Consequently, target engagement and accuracy will be better.
GJS—Is painting the front sight good enough to get the job done?
TY—In order to shoot accurately you must be able to align the sights. Adding contrast, or enhancing the sight, will aid in picking the sights up easier allowing for faster alignment of the sights. While paint will be better than a plain black sight typically, it would not work in all shooting conditions and has a limited lifespan. However, with few exceptions, a tritium/fiber optic sight will get the job done. That’s why we designed the HIVIZ LiteWave H3 Tritium/Litepipe Sight. It combines Tritium with the HIVIZ Litepipe technology for 24 hour illumination, for day and night performance, ensuring fast sight acquisition and a bright sight picture in any situation.
GJS—Do different colors perform better in different lighting conditions?
TY—The human eye can see a range of visible light and this changes in different lighting conditions however, green/yellow is the general color that the human eye can see first and the best in all light conditions. We offer several HIVIZ Litepipe options for several of our sights in this color as well as others, including orange and red. Orange tends to be next in line for color choices behind the green/yellow with red becoming the least desirable due to the fact that red is a more difficult color for the eye to pick up across multiple lighting conditions.
GJS—Why is tritium so effective, and why is it surrounded by a white ring?
TY—Tritium is an effective source for sights because they are reliable, provide a consistent sight picture regardless of lighting conditions and require no batteries or charging. Designed for nighttime and low-light conditions, tritium/fiber-optic sights, such as our HIVIZ LiteWave H3 Tritium/Litepipe Sight, give the user the best advantage at a true sight picture when it matters. The sights also include a white ring that fills the small void in sight clarity where tritium/fiber-optic is less effective allowing the sights to be more effective in these lighting conditions.
Personal Preference
GJS—What’s your self-defense pistol sight color?
TY—I personally have a preference for sights with orange Litepipes. That being said green is my default color as I know I will be able to see it in the toughest light conditions the best.
GJS—Is there anything I overlooked that you want to tell readers?
TY—We can debate about sight shape, blade width, adjustable, fixed and so on. One thing we can all agree on is that to be accurate you must be able to form a solid sight picture, and I believe that fiber-optic and tritium are unmatched in their ability to help all shooters achieve this goal. Because of this, we have worked hard to provide the best HIVIZ products to help advance the art of shooting. Our patented LiteWave H3 Tritium/Litepipe Sights provide the best performance for a carry gun ensuring fast sight acquisition and a bright sight picture day or night. We pride ourselves on being a leader in the shooting world and continue to provide the best sights on the market for the success and enjoyment of the shooting sports.
[Readers considering a laser for their pistol, should read my interview with experts on the advantages of green over red.]