Tritium sites question

[sparrbq]

I just got the new 21 sf with the night sites from the factory.
Who makes the sites? How long do they glow for?

Thanks in advance.

[SCC]

i want to say they are mep.and they will last a longgggggg time

[M I K]

Meprolights are supposed to last 12 years. I have a set that I've had for about 4 yrs. They have hardly dimmed. I often wonder about the "boiling frog" syndrome when it comes to dimming night sights.

[broncobilly_69]

Boiling Frog ???

[SpoonyLuv]

Had glock with factory night sights... I think glock makes their own. They were pretty bright but had a bit too much "glink" - the housing was a bit too shiny and seemed to have a glare that made for a blurry sight picture. Went out and dumped them for a set of Meps.

[RayB]

My G21's OEM Glock night sights are made by Meprolight, and I like them a lot! :thumbsup:

Israeli-made Meprolights were the first commercially available tritium sights for popular pistols and rifles. They're good stuff! :israelflag:

I believe the glow guaranty is twelve years.

--Ray

[Gregw/aGlock]

They will last a LONG time.....not a lifetime, but a LONG time. You will certainly get your money's worth of use. If you want a more technical discussion, consider this:

Tritium has a half-life of 12.5 years - that means in 12.5 years, there will be half as many tritium atoms as were originally present. All the tritium present on the date of manufacture will be gone, for all intents and purposes, in 125 years.

So, based on that alone, tritium night sights should be one half as bright in 12.5 years as they were when manufactured and will be completely "out" in 125 years. However, the sights also include a phosphorescent material (this is what actually "glows" when the tritium beta particles interact with it) that will also degrade over time. The net effect is that the tritium night sights will be somewhat less than half as bright in 12.5 years as they were when manufactured and completely out in slightly less than 125 years.

[sparrbq]

Boiling Frog ???
Turning up the heat on the frog in the pot ever so slowly that he never realizes he's getting boiled. Hence...The sights dim so slowly, you never notice the change.

[sparrbq]

Thanks everyone, this is a great forum.