XS Big Dot??

[longhorn_92]

Anyone have these and if so what is your opinion of them?

Any info would be great. Looking for the good and bad of using XS Big Dot sights. Not looking for them to be used as a range gun but for a Concealed Carry Gun.

Or would it be better to just put Meprolight or Trijicon Nights Sights - with maybe a green front and an orange back? Opinions? Experiences?

Thanks!

[jbirds1210]

IMO they are horrible.

I have used them in the past and saw a dramatic improvement in my shooting immediately after taking them off.

I would not own another set even if they were given to me for free.

Jason

[The Annoyed Man]

I bought a pair of orange/green Meprolight night sights for my USP Compact, and they were horribly dim right out of the box. I sent them back to Midway and exchanged them for a set of Trijicon sights which A) glowed more brightly; AND B) had bigger dots that were easier to see in daytime too.

Others here swear by Meprolight sights and don't like Trijicons for reverse reasons. I can only speak from my own experience, and in my experience, the Trijicons were superior. BTW, my wife's G19 came with Trijicons on it too, and they are great on that pistol also.

My Kimber has whatever their proprietary night sights are on it, and they are also bright and easy to see in both daylight and darkness. I assume they are made by Meprolight, since Kimber is their importer, but perhaps not. I don't really know for sure. But that said, when they do go dim, as all tritium sights eventually do, I'm probably going to try those Truglo combination tritium/fiberoptic sights. HighVelocity has a set on one of his carry guns which he showed me, and I was pretty impressed with them.

[MoJo]

XS sights are as stated above HORRIBLE. I took a set off my Hi Power and threw them away. If you want some great night sights get a set of TruGlo TFO sights.

[ske1eter]

I've got the Big Dots on all of my defensive pistols and like the quick sight acquisition, just like a dangerous game rifle. The standard three dot type of sights are too busy for me when I'm looking for a quick sight picture. If I couldn't get the XS sights, I'd get the Heinie 8's.

To each his own. Some trainers abhor them but I believe that Yeager and Suarez use them on their fighting guns. If they're good enough for them, they're certainly good enough for this amateur.

[bkj]

Had the tubes fall out of my first 2 sets of tru glo TFO third set seems to be holding up. I have XS slandered dot not the big dot on my XD9sc and they work great

[remington79]

I have the Big Dots on my XD45C and my G30SF and I love them. I can still hold tight groups at 25 yards with them. They take a little to get used to if you're used to the three dot system. Your shooting will be off a little but after a few mags you'll be doing good. They use Trijicons vials in them so they glow nice and bright.
If your a target shooter you won't like them. However, that's not what they are designed for. They were designed for quick target aquisition perfect for a defensive pistol. I would highly recommend them and will continue to put them on my carry pistols.
I would stay or run away from the TFO sights. Just go to the XD forum and it won't take long for you to find a thread about how the fiber optics fell out of the sight. Those sights can't stand up to abuse or use. I would restrict their usage strictly to a range pistol.

[TxD]

If only there were some way to actually test these various sighting systems maybe by having shooters of differing skill levels firing at center of mass humaniod targets under some kind of a timing system.

We could then see a time reference for first shot on target, time between multiple shots on target as well as time for multiple target acquistion, proving the value of speed in the sighting system.

Of course accurate center of mass hits would be rewarded in some nature proving the value of accuracy in the sighting system.

It would be benifical if this testing could be conducted over a period of 20 or more years.

Then perhaps we could get 300 or so qualified shooters of various skill levels, choosing any sighting system they wish, to gather in one place and conduct the testing on identical target arrangements including around and under barricades, prone, kneeling, low light conditions, and various distances.

Maybe then we would be able to determine, among other things, which sighting system was most efficient at making holes center of mass quickly.

On a personal level, many years ago I tried "Big Dots" on a Glock that I was campaigning.
I absolutely loved them.

In fact so as not to damage the little buggers, I took them off, placed them in a ziplock, and put them in a drawer in the garage where they remain unharmed to this very day.

[CompVest]

Personally, I believe that if you like the sight and it works for you use it. However, I would highly recommend that you have the same type of sight all of your high use guns. I think the biggest issue arises from going from one type of sight to another. I am speaking about handguns here and am not including rifles or shotguns.

For the record I don't like the Big Dot sight.

[STI Shooter]

I had a G36 with a XS Big dot on it, and for what it was and how it was used the sights were O.K. I had a service XD 40 with Tru glo TFO's and had to replace the front sight once and the rear sight once. I can't say I was impressed. The best night sight set up I have used was a MMC rear sight with a square cut and luminous inserts around the cut with a small XS front sight. This was on a Colt Lwt Combat Commander, but could just as easily be used on anything else.

[eddywallace]

I have used the XS sight and love them. It all depends on the purpose of your pistol. If it is a combat pistol and you practice shooting on the move ect....... you will like them. If you are target shooting you will hate them. With practice, you can make precision long shots. At my last class, we finished up the day shooting a steel silhouette at 117 yards so the instructor could prove to us how accurate our pistols really were. I hit it 13 out of 22 times with a M&P9 compact with XS sights.

[flintknapper]

I like the Big Dot….but I don’t use the “V” rear sight that comes with it.

Instead I widened (filed out) my Tru-Glo’s. It allows for the “bracketing” that I feel is necessary for a good sight picture.





In fast, CQ/midrange situations (where point shooting would not be appropriate), you get a very good “ghost sight” from the Big Dot. You really can’t miss it.

In low light conditions…any residual light from your flashlight makes it stand out “like a mouse in a sack of flour”.

Beyond 25 yds. the sight becomes a handicap as it tends to “cover” your target. I have learned to take a Six O’Clock sight picture and manage to do pretty well.

People tend to love them, or hate them. I like them and have them on everything.


Flint.

[bkj]

If only there were some way to actually test these various sighting systems maybe by having shooters of differing skill levels firing at center of mass humaniod targets under some kind of a timing system.

Gun Tests did just that in the October 2009 issu

[flynbenny]

I prefer this sight, I have it on ALL my Glocks. I'm not a fan of three dot, and I don't like the factory Glock sight either. I just think its easier when there's only one dot to see, and the rear's will fall into line on their own. I like the XS rear too, it doesn't hang up during the draw. I also know several cops including my shooting teacher who use these on their duty guns.

Meprolight's are good too, I have them on the front's of my S&W TSW pistols, and plain black sights for the rear.

I am also getting the XS big dots fitted to my Model 60 and soon to arrive 640.

Check Midway USA, they usually have a good selection and sometimes they go on sale, I bought a couple for $80 recently. Give them a try, worst case you take 'em back off and sell them at a show and loose a couple bucks.

[TxD]

If only there were some way to actually test these various sighting systems maybe by having shooters of differing skill levels firing at center of mass humaniod targets under some kind of a timing system.

Gun Tests did just that in the October 2009 issu

Also happens nearly every weekend right here in Houston.
I'm amazed by the lack of "Big Dot" sights.