If you are going to use the XS Sight would you prefer the Big Dot or Standard Dot? Does anyone uses these sights and how do you like them ? Accuracy wise how do the compare to stand Night Sights?

Most detractors of XS sights complain that the Big Dot covers too much of the target and doesn't allow for precision shooting at small targets. Well they're right. The sight system was designed for hitting relatively large targets at relatively close range in low light. Within those design parameters, the sight system works as designed and I find it VERY quick to use.

The Standard Dot was not initially offered but was introduced later simply due to customer demand, not because it had merit. The Standard Dot largely negates the attributes of the XS sight system and I find it no better than post and notch sight system.

Like most things � these observations are subjective.

You may want to look into the Trijicon HD sights. They have a flourescent circle (orange or yellow) around the front vial and just a "dash" at the bottom of the rear notch.
PS The yellow actually has a green tint to it.

If XS would supply a Tritium rear sight i would go with the Big Dot on my Shield since it is a primary Personal Defense Weapon. I have Trijicon on most of my carry guns but not the HD's

I use the standard bead on my XS's Bea, the big one covers to much of the intended target, also very simple and quick in the dark, just keep that dot bouncing on top of the I, and keep her lit.

Gunner

sounds like a good set up Gunner

Yessir, I haven't had the pleasure of being introduced to a more effective system to date.

Gunner

Excellent post, you've summarized the strengths and weaknesses nicely.

I've tried the Big Dot sight at night and it's really fast on close targets. The standard dot really gives no advantage over a good tritium over-and-under configuration like the Heinie Straight-8, and loses ground to the Straight-8 (or similar sights) that work in daylight just as well as any conventional square-notch rear sight.

So in my view, if you're going to an XS sight, go to the Big Dot.

Isn't the standard dot XS with a Cyl & Slide U-shaped rear what S&W uses on the Nightguards? Anyone tried 'em?

Big Dot for me on my carry Lt Wt Commander. It seems about perfect.

Yes. I have the 396 and 310.

Love the sights. But I'm not real fickle either...


Travis

Thanks, I thought about having that setup install on my 629.

James Yeager dispels the myth that XS Big Dots are too big for their own good:

Whatever size it is worked great on a 325 Night Guard with the U shaped rear sight. I can't say that I shot it at great distance, though.

I decide to go with the XS 24/7 Big Dot and ordered them yesterday for my M&P Shield.

Good choice. They might fall short if you're shooting prairie dogs at 900 yards but otherwise I think you'll find they are amazingly effective.

Just a suggestion: Resist the urge to overwork the sight. By that I mean, don�t look for finite feedback from the sights as far as alignment goes. If you have a long history with traditional post & notch sights you will have to embrace a different expectation regarding feedback. Put the dot in the shallow grooved rear sight and let the shot go with a smooth trigger pull.

All my experience with XS sights comes from shooting a friend�s guns after he installed them on every pistol he owned. I shot the piss out of them every chance I got before he joined the sight of the month club.

Let me illustrate what I was alluding to about overworking the sights. We have a permanently mounted 10� metal plate on our range off to one side. We use it verify sight adjustments and as a stationary target when coaching students, etc. With his pistols, I could ring that plate with a single round in under 2 seconds from the holster at ranges back to 25 yards IF I LET THE SHOT BREAK AS SOON AS I VERIFIED ROUGH ALIGNMENT. If I took a few extra tenths in an attempt to really clean up my sight alignment, my hit probability actually went DOWN.

For a guy approaching 55 years old with 3.5 diopters of corrected vision, that�s smokin� my friend. I haven�t seen a clear front sight in almost a decade without glasses set up specifically for shooting and this shooting was done without my �shooting� glasses.

Give them an honest try at realistic targets at realistic ranges and let us know how it goes.

I have a number of pistols for target shooting and wanted these sight for my carry pistol for close fast target acquisition on my Shield which isn't a target pistol by a long shot but will say it is accurate for it size . I believe if i ever have to use my carry pistol for self defense the range will be less than ten yards and probably closer to five and if the range exceeds more than 10 yards it will be hard to defend as a justifiable shooting and i don't want to go to jail. I believe these sights will fit the bill for what i want in a carry gun. Will post how i like when i install.

I am interested in that sight for my S&W 3913.Do they make a XS sight for that pistol?

This is what is listed on their web site

Select Model or Type:
Chief Special .45 4506 & 4513TSW 45799 M&P M&P Shield� Bodyguard 380 Bodyguard 381911 5 inch586, 686, 625, 629, 329 and others SigmaJ-Frames Fixed Front SightJ-Frames Pinned Front Sight

Well I reckon that leaves me and my 3913 out.
Thanks for the info Bea175

No problem

Very accurate comments by 41 mag.... Several of my students use the XS system and shoot the sights very well. For me, I have just never cared for the V rear on any gun and went a slightly different route with BigDot front sight on a Commander. Combined it with a large U rear instead of a V. No difference in speed up close but one can still get a fairly "fine" sight picture at distance.





15 yards...





The rear sight was made by a big name smith in NY whose name I can't recall this second.... He will also put a tritium dot or line in the rear sight if requested.

Bob

That rear looks like Wayne Novak's "Ghost" sight.

Karl Sokol is the one who made up that sight a couple of years before Novak brought out his... He is in Vermont not NY like I was thinking. When I went to his shop I was visiting a friend in NY...

http://www.chestnutmountainsports.com/

Someone asked about a tritium rear V...doesn't XS still make theirs?

...answered my own question...24/7 Express...

http://xssights.com/index.php?nID=sights&cID=Sights&pID=sights&sID=handgun

Bob

XS makes the Tritium Rear for some pistols but not all, they said the M&P Shield rear sight was to small to put the tritium in the V without having to make both front and rear taller to accommodate the Tritium Vials . My opinion for night time use the front sight is the only one that needs the Tritium . If it is to dark to identify your target you shouldn't shoot anyway. If you can see the front sight you will put the bullet in the kill zone at self defense range of 10 yards and under.