Glock Night Sights – Getting Your Glock Setup Right!

Glock is in its fifth generation, and yet perfection still comes with cheap plastic sights. Glock sights just suck and almost always have. Why they’ve never fixed this issue is beyond me, but an aftermarket has popped up to satisfy the needs of the consumer. There are tons of options for Glock aftermarket iron sights. I couldn’t just write one article on the best Glock sights. Instead, I’m breaking it down by category. Today we are going to talk about the best Glock night sights. 

Best Glock Night Sights 

• Trijicon HD Night Sights 
• Ameriglo i-Dot Sights
• R4E Optimized Duty Sights 
• XS F8
• Glock OEM Front sight 
• Night Fision Suppressor Height Sights
• Trijicon RMR 

Why Night Sights? 

Night sights offer shooters some form of glowing tritium vials to make aligning your sights in low light possible. These sights have become standard on firearms built for defensive use and duty use by police officers and military forces. The ability to see and align your sights in low-light conditions can be invaluable in a defensive scenario. 

The use of night sights does not mean you should be shooting at shadows and movement. Proper identification of a threat is still necessary. In situations with illumination or where you are using your weapon-mounted or carry light or overhead lights, your night sights are likely to be ‘washed’ out. While this is true, it doesn’t make Glock night sights a non-starter. 

You may find yourself in a simple low light situation where you have enough light to identify the threat, and the benefit in the glowing vials is rapid acquisition. They stand out, are easy to see, and are easy to align. Additionally, you may find yourself in a situation where you are in low light, and your threat is in a brightly lit environment. In the dark of your concealment, you’ll be able to see your sight and align them quickly and easily on the threat. 

It’s true that night sights might washout, but the tritium vials still act as a point of reference for standard daylight shooting and only cost a hair extra than most standard Glock replacement sights anyway. 

Day and Night Sights – A Perfect Mix? 

The latest theme in duty and defensive sights is a mix of day and night sights. These sights combine a high visibility front sight with an internal tritium vial for night sight capability. Day and Night sights often utilize a big high visibility ring, often red, yellow, or orange wrapped around a tritium vial. These are often the best of both worlds, but the front sights also tend to be rather large and thick to accommodate these two inserts. 

Different Sights for Different Fights 

Front and rear sights come in a variety of widths and heights. The main two differentials most people recognize are standard height and suppressor height sights. The difference comes from the height in this regard. Standard height sights are standard height! Suppressor height sights are much taller. 

As the name implies, suppressor height allows you to see over a suppressor. A round suppressor often blocks your front sight and makes it difficult to aim your weapon. Suppressor height sights will also cowitness with red dots, which have become extremely popular on modern handguns. 

While height is important, you also need to consider the width of your front sight as well. Thinner front sights are often better for bigger pistols like the Glock 19, 17, 34, and similar-sized pistols. Thin front sights provide more air between the rear sight notches. 

These thinner front sights and extra air allows you to get on target quite rapidly and make the most of your sight radius. The thinner front sight makes it much easier to see your target at longer ranges, and if you can see your target, you can hit your target. 

On my long slide pistols, I like a .155 inch thin front sight, but that’s a bit too thin to accommodate a tritium vial. With Glock night sights, the thinnest front sight you’ll likely find is .125 inches thick. 

For smaller Glocks, specifically the subcompact models like the 26 and 27, and the single stack models like the 43, the 42, the 43X, and 48, a bigger front sight might be the ticket. You don’t have the sight radius to make super long-range shots, and these guns are designed for times when things get close. 

Therefore a larger front sight might be a better choice. These front sights are easier to see and faster to pick up. At close ranges, you might not be able to properly align your sights, and getting that front sight on target might be the priority. I don’t advise a comically large front sight, but something in the .145 is often nice and easy to see. 

What About Your Rear Sight? 

We’ve talked a lot about front sights and sight heights, but what about rear sights? Well, rear sight notches come in a variety of widths. Some allow for more air between the front and rear posts, and some allow for less. Like the sizes mentioned above, it’s all about what you are trying to do. 

The fastest combination for a small gun is likely a big front sight with a wide rear notch. A .165 inch front sight with a rear notch width of say .180 might work extremely well. If you want long-range potential mixing a .125 front sight with a .180 rear notch will work very well. 

More than the size, you want to look at how the rear sight is configured for night sights. This involves where the tritium lamps sit on the rear sight. On the front sight, it’s pretty dang simple, but rear sights come in a multitude of configurations. 

Two Dot – A two-dot rear sight places a set of tritium lamps on the rear sight. One sits on each post and provides you with your traditional three-dot sight picture. 

Dot the i – Dot the i sights feature a small thin tritium lamp sitting below the notch of the rear sight. Shooters drop the dot of the front sight onto the l shape on the rear sight and dot the i. 

Accur8 – Similar to the dot the i sights, these will feature a round tritium vial on the bottom of the rear sight, beneath the notch. Shooters align the dots to have a correct sight picture. It looks like an 8 when properly aligned.

Blacked Out – Some configurations will include zero tritium lamps on the rear sights. These rear blacked-out rear sights are simple and just require the user to place the glowing front sight between two blacked-out rear posts. 

Best Glock Night Sights

1. Trijicon HD Night Sights		Front sight Width – .144 The Standard For Duty Sights Extremely Durable Rear Notch Width – .169	Check Price
2. Ameriglo i-Dot sights		Front Sight Width – .125 Dot the I configuration Small, precise front sight Rear notch Width – .180	Check Price
3. R4E Optimized Duty Sights		Front Sight Width – .144 Designed for Duty Five Sighting Elements	Check Price
4. XS F8		Front Sight Width – .165 Large Front Sight Accur8 configuration	Check Price
5. Glock OEM Front Sight		Front Sight Width – .140 Glock’s Actual Metal Night Sights Perfect for Glock OEM fans .180 rear notch	Check Price
6. Night Fision Suppressor Height Sights		Front Sight Width .140 Professional grade suppressor height sights Various high visibility rings to choose from	Check Price
7. Trijicon RMR		Red Dot size – varies Electronic Sighting Option Mounts to Glock MOS models easily	Check Price

Best Glock Night Sights Reviews

Below we have our list of Best Glock Night Sights and we’ve broken it down into the individual reviews, pros and cons and latest price.

Trijicon HD Night Sights Review

Trijicon made night sights a thing and have a long history of turning radioactive materials into useful sighting systems. The Trijicon HD Night sights are the most chosen option for law enforcement professionals and military shooters. They are incredibly well made and extremely durable. The tritium vials are enclosed in aluminum and cushioned for shock with silicone rubber. 

Each lamp is capped with a sapphire jewel to evenly disturb the light while protecting the Tritium from cleaning solvents. The Tritium used glows vividly and evenly. One lamp won’t appear brighter than the other, causing a slight distraction. The three-dot configuration allows you to align the dots and engage with ease. 

Around the three tritium lamps sit bright and vivid white rings. These make the sights just as easy to use in the daylight as they are at night. They give you something to focus on when the lights are bright. Additionally, the sights are made from aluminum and designed to last. They can take a beating and won’t tap out when you are in a critical situation. 

Trijicon HD Night Sights Pros and Cons

Trijicon HD Night Sights Deals

Ameriglo I-Dot Sights Review

While named the I-Dot, these are not dot the i sights. They are Accura8 style sights with a two-dot system that works exceptionally well. It’s super intuitive and allows you to get your sights aligned, get on target, and start sending lead downrange.

The front sight of the Ameriglo I-dot sights is quite small at only .125 inches wide. It’s perfect for maximizing your iron sight range with a larger pistol. The smaller front sight allows for plenty of air between the front and rear sight for speed as well as long-range engagements. 

The Ameriglo I-Dot sights also feature a high visibility insert around the tritium vial. This way, you can see your front sight in the middle of the day and in low-light situations. These sights are tough, easy to use, and, best of all, fairly affordable. 

Ameriglo I-Dot Sights Pros and Cons

Ameriglo I-Dot Sights Deals

Meprolight R4E Optimized Duty Sights Review

The Meprolight R4E Optimized Duty Sights put the ‘duty’ in duty sights. These massive sights were designed for two Special Forces veterans and honestly suck for concealed carry. They are pokey and prody for concealed carry and have plenty of snag points for deep concealment. However, big sights allow for fast target acquisition, and these unique sights are perfect for long-range shooting as well. 

They feature five sighting elements. The rear sight has two horizontal lines and one vertical. The front sight has the big tritium dot with a vertical line below the front dot. These sighting elements work almost like a crosshair of a rifle scope and allow for rapid alignment and allow for slower, more precise alignment for long-range shots. 

It’s a fantastic combination of speed and accuracy wrapped in an unusual package that just happens to work. The R4E front sight is the only tritium element present and glows very brightly. Meprolight does a fantastic job of ensuring their front sights glow brightly. The design of the sights also allows you to rack your gun with a single handoff of your belt, a table, bar, a bad guy’s face, or whatever else you have at hand. 

Meprolight R4E Optimized Duty Sights Pros and Cons

R4E Optimized Duty Sights Deals

XS F8 Review

I find most XS big dot sights to be too big for versatile shooting situations. The XS F8 provides a practical set of sights that keep to the big dot theme. This .165 inch front sight is very easy to see and fits well between the wide notch of the rear sights. If you want to dot the dot with a set of Accur8 sights, then these are for you. 

They place a small vial of Tritium at the bottom of the rear sight and another in the front. The front sight is easy to distinguish due to its high visibility insert. This insert surrounds the tritium vial and is absurdly easy to see during the day. This massive orange insert doesn’t escape your vision easily. The vials glow quite bright and are unmistakable in low-light situations. 

The XS F8 sights use a large front sight, but they also use an open rear sight. This gives you speed, but don’t expect the same range as a smaller front sight. The sights are larger and will cover up a bit more of the target. However, the big dot combined with the wide rear notch gives you excellent speed overall. 

XS F8 Pros and Cons

XS F8 Deals

Glock OEM Night Sights Review

Here is proof that Glock can make durable, easy-to-use sights that don’t suck. These should be the sights that are standard on Glocks. Anyhow, these all-metal sights use a three-dot layout that infused tritium vials set against a contrasting white background. Instead of using a white circle around the vials, the vials are simply set into a white background. 

This white portion of the sights makes the sights easy to focus on during the day or in bright light situations. Additionally, the benefit of the white background ensures the white portion won’t become stained and dirty. White on a front sight can often become obscured by gunpowder over time, but these sights prevent that with their design. 

If you want to keep your gun OEM, then Glock has you covered. It’s just a shame you have to find them on the aftermarket. These sights provide a simple but robust night sight option for your Glock pistols. The Glock OEM night sights are very well made, and while not fancy, they are affordable. 

Glock OEM Night Sights Pros and Cons

Glock OEM Night Sights Deals

Night Fision Suppressor Height Sights Review

Night Fision is a new kid on the block in the sights world, but they’ve made a big splash in that short period. They make very high-quality sights that are well made, durable, bright, and, best of all, available in a variety of configurations. I’ve been particularly impressed with their suppressor height sights. 

While they are tall, they are narrow and not obtrusive. Something I want when using these in coordination with a red dot. The Night Fision sights are extremely bright and very easy to see. Around the front sight sits a high visibility plastic insert to allow for easy daylight use. They are easy to focus on and easy to see 24/7. 

The Night Fision sights are machined from stainless steel for maximum durability. You won’t need to worry about broken sights with Night Fision. The perfect dot technology ensures that you won’t miss your dot when it’s time to shine. 

Night Fision Suppressor Height Sights Pros and Cons

Night Fision Suppressor Height Sights Deals

Trijicon RMR Review

Yep, the Trijicon RMR isn’t your traditional set of night sights, is it? It’s actually a red dot sight, but as such, it’s plenty bright for nighttime use. In fact, it’s bright enough for both day and nighttime shooting without issue. The Trijicon RMR packs a punch and is one of the best-duty use handgun red dots on the market. It’s the choice of numerous police forces and even SOCOM. 

A mini red dot does everything a set of night sights does, but better. A Trijicon RMR provides you with a rapid, easy-to-use sighting system that can increase your speed on target, increase your effective range, and make you a more accurate shooter. Yeah, that’s what a pistol red dot can do. 

As an electronic optic, you won’t need to worry about tritium lamps, sight height, or sight width. Drop it on, zero it, and you’ll see why red dots are conquering the handgun world. 

Trijicon RMR Pros and Cons

Trijicon RMR Deals

Sighting In – Buyers Guide

Beyond just choosing the right Glock night sights, it’s typically wise to have a little sight smarts too. The last thing you want to be is unprepared when you purchase a set of sights. This isn’t just good info for Glock sights, but for firearm sights in general.

Durability – A big reason why Glock sights suck is that they are more from thin polymer and easily broken. Drop ’em a few times, and you’ll see what I mean. Serious sights should be made from metal and should be durable enough to survive a ground fight. In fact, you should be able to use them to rack the gun off a belt or table and not mess them up. 

Sights are extremely valuable on your handgun, and they aren’t something you should approach lightly. Ensure you invest in a proper set of durable night sights or durable sights in general. The same goes for electric sights, aka mini red dots. Pick a duty-ready option, and do not sacrifice quality for cash. 

Get the Right Tools – Installing Glock sights requires you to use a small driver to attach the front sight and a sight pusher for the rear. Buy the actual tools and save yourself the headache. Also, get Loctite for that front sight and don’t over tighten it. These tools will not only make your installation quicker but ensure they are properly aligned and ready for action. 

If the tools seem a bit too costly for a single install, you might want to head to your local gunsmith and have those sights installed professionally. Even your local gun store might have the tools on hand and be willing to do the install for a small fee. Trust me. It’s better than breaking the front sight bolt off into your new 100 dollar sights….ask me how I know. 

Remember Tritium Dies 

Oh, it might be tough to believe, but Tritium dies. It has roughly a ten-year life before it depletes, and your night sights aren’t so night sighty anymore. After a time, the Tritium will slowly fade, so just be prepared that in a decade or so, you’ll need to consider replacing those sights. 

Learn You Sights

If you are moving from stock Glock plastic sights to a new configuration, then you need to give yourself time to learn the sights. This is especially true with red dots or suppressor height sights. When I first used either, I had to slow down and figure out my presentation and simply get used to a new sight picture. If you are using blacked-out rears, dot the i, or other odd sights, try an indoor range. They are often dim and make it easier to picture your proper sight alignment while shooting. 

Like everything else in the gun world, you’ll need range time, ammunition, and plenty of dry fire to perfect your shooting abilities with Glock night sights. Stick to it, get lots of practice, and you’ll be back to sharpshooter status before you know it. 

ACCESSORIES

If you’re just starting out or this might be your first handgun, then there are definitely some things you should also consider so as to not only get the most out of your gun, but keep it safe and those around you.

• Gun Cleaning Kit: Responsibly owning a handgun also includes knowing how to care for it. And that means breaking it down, cleaning it, and reassembly. You’ll need to ensure you pick up a top notch cleaning kit so you can ensure you get all the gunk out of places gunk doesn’t need to be. We recommend the Gloryfire Universal Cleaning Kit.
• Shooting Glasses: If you’ve never shot a gun before, then you may not be aware of reasons why you’d need safety glasses. But all it takes is one piece of hot brass in your eye and you could be looking at serious injury. Check out our article on the Best Shooting Glasses to determine the right fit for you.
• Hearing Protection: It’s pretty obvious, but…guns go bang. And it doesn’t take much to start causing hearing damage. Protect your ears and hearing by picking up some premium ear pro. There’s many different great options available too. Find out the best for you in our Best Shooting Hearing Protection review.
• Storage: Finally, if you’re going to be a safe gun owner, you’re going to want to properly store your gun. Head over to our review on the Best Biometric Gun Safes for some reviews on our top storage options.

GLOCK SIGHT INSTALLATION

Below is a great short video by Brownell’s on the installing your Glock sights. If you’re interested in checking out there Glock Sight options, click here.