dport
12-23-2006, 09:00
I've been eagerly awaiting the re-release of the Suresight for about a year and a half now. I received it yesterday. I got to shoot it some today.
Installation:
If you don't have a brass or nylon punch and a file do not attempt the installation. I was eager to try these, don't have a brass punch and decided to install them because I have ZERO patience. Learn from my mistake. I think that was the most difficult installation I've ever done. The note that came with the sights says the paint was still curing. That made me a bit nervous. I caused at least two nicks on the rear sight. That shouldn't harm functionality, which is all I'm interested in. However, touch up paint in a small vial may be a good idea as a future product. *HINT* *HINT*
Also, read the directions. Sight pushers won't work. DO NOT ATTEMPT to install the rear sight without brass or nylon punches. I tried the Ameriglo sight pusher because it looked like it would work and because I didn't want to nick the paint. I caused a distortion on the rear sight. So don't do it. I do think this is a weakness to the sight. You can only get so close in windage when beating against the sight. I find a sight pusher to get you just where you want to be in windage.
I had to file both the front and rear sights to get them to fit. If you don't like to file, take the sights to a gunsmith.
Photolum Paint
I'm nervous about the painted finish. I'm worried the paint will rub off with holster wear. There are some other trade-offs with this as well.
First of all the photolum effect doesn't last long. I didn't get a stopwatch out, but after 30 minutes the effect was gone. Also charging the photolum paint can be tricky. If you hold a flashlight at the rear of the gun charging the rear and the front sight at once, you will get a brighter rear sight than a front sight. This is a problem in a dark environment as the rear sight will wash out the front sight.
I also spent the night with the sights on my nightstand. I got up during the middle of the night, when my eyes were adjusted to the dark and looked at the sights. They were totally dark. If something went bump in the night I would have to rely on the silhouette of the sights created by my flashlight for aiming. This may or may not be a weakness depending on your philosophy on night sights. I have gone years with no night sights and relying on the sights' silhouettes for aiming figuring that if I wasn't illuminating my target with the flashlight how could I justify that the target was a threat? I have since taken a couple of carbine/pistol courses which extol the virtue of night sights and provided some sound reasoning behind it. I'm personally undecided, but with these sights you're going to have to rely on the silhouette method if things go bump in the night. (I know what some of you are thinking. Why not just charge the sights first? Personally, I don't think it's a good idea to light up your weapon, yourself, and your position before getting into a possible deadly force encounter.)
Holster Fit
Someone with more holster options will provide more valuable input; however, I tested it with the holsters I've acquired over the years. I tested the sights in a Fobus paddle holster, an Uncle Mike's Sidekick (Size 21), a Blackhawk Glock/Sig thigh holster, and a Safariland 6004 (for a Glock 17 w/M3). All worked great with the sight.
Dry Fire Testing
I have a Beamhit laser range in the house and decided to do some dry fire testing. I zeroed the laser to the top of the triangle. The good news is the shape lives up to the hype, IMO. It was easy to acquire a good sight picture, and unlike other sights that advertise how quick the sight picture is, it was very accurate.
I also noticed that against a white target on a white wall the yellow paint made the sight picture difficult to pick up.
Live Fire Testing
Some interesting differences between the dry fire and the live fire. First of all, the apex of the triangle is not the point of impact. Second, the white background stuff didn't seem to be a problem.
Let me elaborate. I took the gun to the range and fired first at 7 and then at 25 yards. I was just as accurate at 7yards with these sights. At 25 yards, I was doing as well as I have been doing as of late and was quicker. I think with some more time with these sights I'll shoot better and faster than I ever did with traditional sights.
I also let my wife shoot. She loved them. She has problems with cross-eye dominance and was able to pick up the front sight quickly. She shot better this morning than she normally does.
I need to go to an indoor range and shoot the sights side by side with traditional post and notch sights. That is the plan, but I don't have the time today.
First Impressions
I understand the history with plastic inserts and why the inventor went with paint. But I don't think the paint is going to hold up. I think I would have the area of the sight were the paint is recessed. How far? I don't have an exact measurement, but I would think about twice as far as the thickness of the paint. This would accomplish two things. One, if repainting is necessary it would be easier to accomplish. Two, being recessed should help protect the paint in the first place. This would also give the painted triangle a small black border for those instances where a white background makes the sights difficult to pick up.
The second generation of the Suresight has a small circle in the middle of the triangle. This is the point of impact, for the most part. I wonder if it is possible to make the apex of the triangle the point of impact? It would require making the front sight shorter. Maybe this can be accomplished by making a more "squat" triangle, ie lengthening the triangle's base and making the height shorter? I don't know for sure, just throwing it out there.
Installation:
If you don't have a brass or nylon punch and a file do not attempt the installation. I was eager to try these, don't have a brass punch and decided to install them because I have ZERO patience. Learn from my mistake. I think that was the most difficult installation I've ever done. The note that came with the sights says the paint was still curing. That made me a bit nervous. I caused at least two nicks on the rear sight. That shouldn't harm functionality, which is all I'm interested in. However, touch up paint in a small vial may be a good idea as a future product. *HINT* *HINT*
Also, read the directions. Sight pushers won't work. DO NOT ATTEMPT to install the rear sight without brass or nylon punches. I tried the Ameriglo sight pusher because it looked like it would work and because I didn't want to nick the paint. I caused a distortion on the rear sight. So don't do it. I do think this is a weakness to the sight. You can only get so close in windage when beating against the sight. I find a sight pusher to get you just where you want to be in windage.
I had to file both the front and rear sights to get them to fit. If you don't like to file, take the sights to a gunsmith.
Photolum Paint
I'm nervous about the painted finish. I'm worried the paint will rub off with holster wear. There are some other trade-offs with this as well.
First of all the photolum effect doesn't last long. I didn't get a stopwatch out, but after 30 minutes the effect was gone. Also charging the photolum paint can be tricky. If you hold a flashlight at the rear of the gun charging the rear and the front sight at once, you will get a brighter rear sight than a front sight. This is a problem in a dark environment as the rear sight will wash out the front sight.
I also spent the night with the sights on my nightstand. I got up during the middle of the night, when my eyes were adjusted to the dark and looked at the sights. They were totally dark. If something went bump in the night I would have to rely on the silhouette of the sights created by my flashlight for aiming. This may or may not be a weakness depending on your philosophy on night sights. I have gone years with no night sights and relying on the sights' silhouettes for aiming figuring that if I wasn't illuminating my target with the flashlight how could I justify that the target was a threat? I have since taken a couple of carbine/pistol courses which extol the virtue of night sights and provided some sound reasoning behind it. I'm personally undecided, but with these sights you're going to have to rely on the silhouette method if things go bump in the night. (I know what some of you are thinking. Why not just charge the sights first? Personally, I don't think it's a good idea to light up your weapon, yourself, and your position before getting into a possible deadly force encounter.)
Holster Fit
Someone with more holster options will provide more valuable input; however, I tested it with the holsters I've acquired over the years. I tested the sights in a Fobus paddle holster, an Uncle Mike's Sidekick (Size 21), a Blackhawk Glock/Sig thigh holster, and a Safariland 6004 (for a Glock 17 w/M3). All worked great with the sight.
Dry Fire Testing
I have a Beamhit laser range in the house and decided to do some dry fire testing. I zeroed the laser to the top of the triangle. The good news is the shape lives up to the hype, IMO. It was easy to acquire a good sight picture, and unlike other sights that advertise how quick the sight picture is, it was very accurate.
I also noticed that against a white target on a white wall the yellow paint made the sight picture difficult to pick up.
Live Fire Testing
Some interesting differences between the dry fire and the live fire. First of all, the apex of the triangle is not the point of impact. Second, the white background stuff didn't seem to be a problem.
Let me elaborate. I took the gun to the range and fired first at 7 and then at 25 yards. I was just as accurate at 7yards with these sights. At 25 yards, I was doing as well as I have been doing as of late and was quicker. I think with some more time with these sights I'll shoot better and faster than I ever did with traditional sights.
I also let my wife shoot. She loved them. She has problems with cross-eye dominance and was able to pick up the front sight quickly. She shot better this morning than she normally does.
I need to go to an indoor range and shoot the sights side by side with traditional post and notch sights. That is the plan, but I don't have the time today.
First Impressions
I understand the history with plastic inserts and why the inventor went with paint. But I don't think the paint is going to hold up. I think I would have the area of the sight were the paint is recessed. How far? I don't have an exact measurement, but I would think about twice as far as the thickness of the paint. This would accomplish two things. One, if repainting is necessary it would be easier to accomplish. Two, being recessed should help protect the paint in the first place. This would also give the painted triangle a small black border for those instances where a white background makes the sights difficult to pick up.
The second generation of the Suresight has a small circle in the middle of the triangle. This is the point of impact, for the most part. I wonder if it is possible to make the apex of the triangle the point of impact? It would require making the front sight shorter. Maybe this can be accomplished by making a more "squat" triangle, ie lengthening the triangle's base and making the height shorter? I don't know for sure, just throwing it out there.
