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Suppressors My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

Rancid Coolaid

Rancid Coolaid

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
    • Aug 10, 2007
    1,693
    841
    Houston, TX.
    H&K, proud as they are of their product, decided to cut a corner and put phosphorescent sites on their guns (calling them night sights) rather than splurge for tritium. Much as I really like the ergonomics of the new P30 and the HK45 that came before it, I hate the "night sights."

    A few years back, I posted on the HK45 sights. Some guy gave me shit when I said, "You need to charge them with a flash light..." and cited a Guns n Ammo author as stating in his official review, "It's not like you need to charge them with a flash light..."

    For clarity, here's the problem: after a riding in the holster all day, under a tee shirt, the back dots are well charged and illuminate brightly; however, the front dot has been buried deep in the holster all day, and is all but a solid black blade site. The old adage, "In a fight, front site" just doesn't apply to these shit "night sights." When the rear dots are shining like the sun and the front dot is all but invisible in the glow, good sight alignment and sight picture just ain't happening.

    Both the P30 and the HK45 will soon wear Heinie straight 8s. Anyone need 2 pairs of shitty H&K sites that might one day cost you your life, let me know, I'll sell them. Cheap.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    Well if your looking to give them away..... I call Dibs.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    No disagreements here! Compared to any of the aftermarket available options like the Heinie, Trijicon, Meprolight, etc., the HK factory sights just plain suck!
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    hk sucks
    smile.gif
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    I just rid myself of my HK compact. I really "liked" the pistol, but did not love it. As to your comment...I am not here to defend HK as I had a similar frustration with the night sights. That was until someone brought to my attention that radioactive materials are illegal in Germany. Made a lot more sense after that. Blame that one on the German government, not HK.

    Josh
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    I am an H&K fan, the guns are great, the sites suck.

    As for the "radioactive materials are illegal", don't put night sights of any kind on the gun. My prior H&Ks had dots and worked fine. These crap sights actually hurt more than help in low light situations 9since the back dots are charged and the front dot is dead.)

    Chevy, they are yours, cover shipping and I'll send them to you. The straight 8s will be installed in the next week or so.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    What do the former H&K users like better - just asking? I shoot a 45 Expert and, except for its size, like it for self protection in the desert. It's never gonna hang out as a CCW.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: former naval person</div><div class="ubbcode-body">How come SIG's night sights are so bright then, if illegal in Deutschland? </div></div>

    I believe the tritium sights get put on here by the American subsidiary, or am I misunderstanding your question?
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: One-Eyed Jack</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What do the former H&K users like better - just asking? I shoot a 45 Expert and, except for its size, like it for self protection in the desert. It's never gonna hang out as a CCW. </div></div>

    I haven't shot the P30, only held it in the hand. I've owned both the compact and full size HK45s, although the full size is the one that made the permanent cut. The compact felt almost like a compromise on the idea of the 1911, same capacity, not as slim, and I found the recoil unacceptable. With two more rounds, I'll live with the size of the HK45 "prime," but it definitely isn't a pistol for deep cover.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    The new ergonomics maintain the angle of a 1911 (more or less) but round off all the harsh edges on the grip.

    The HK45 is one of the best feeling guns I own, and I am a hardcore 1911 guy.

    Damn those nite sites, damn them to hell!
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    Do they call them night sights? Maybe they are just stock sights. I have a usp compact that came from the factory with night sights installed. It has the mepro tru dots and are very bright tritium with nice white paint surrounding the vials, and are better than trijicons I have had.

    I would think of the glow paint sights as upgraded stock sights rather than true night sights, which you can get from HK.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    HK doesn't offer them with any night sights of any kind. This should be a clue that they can't.

    Sig pistols offered with night sights of current production are made in NH, not in Germany.

    Take a sharpie to the rear dots, and use them like normal non-night sights. Heinie's are the way to go currently, soon, the Warrens should be out, too.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rancid Coolaid</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The new ergonomics maintain the angle of a 1911 (more or less) but round off all the harsh edges on the grip.

    The HK45 is one of the best feeling guns I own, and I am a hardcore 1911 guy.

    <span style="font-weight: bold">Damn those nite sites, damn them to hell</span>! </div></div>

    LOL- man that's bitter. Not laughing at you just your comments. I agree.

    I have an HK 45 and it is a fantastic weapon all the way around. Very accurate, ergonomically fantastic, lower recoil but the re chargeable sights blow.

    I keep it by my bed along with a flash light. However carrying it at all day into the night or at night poses a very serious problem. THat's why I don't carry it.

    It needs new sights
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MinorDamage</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I just rid myself of my HK compact. I really "liked" the pistol, but did not love it. As to your comment...I am not here to defend HK as I had a similar frustration with the night sights. That was until someone brought to my attention that radioactive materials are illegal in Germany. Made a lot more sense after that. Blame that one on the German government, not HK.
    T
    Josh </div></div>

    This is the exact reason. Even the HK45 that is now made in the US only has the frame made here and the slide still comes from Germany, so no tritium.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    FYI, CDNN had cut-rate tritium sights for the HK45 at one point. They may still have them.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    The Heinie sites are here, will be on within days, then out to the range to test POI, and I'll bid the "glow-in-the-dark but only if you charge them first" crap sites farewell.

    And, with all that, I still really like H&Ks.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    The night sights on my sig, are rediculous. I left my 220 on my bedside table, and woke up in the middle of hte night because the sights were lighting up the wall/objects on the table next to me. I threw a tshirt over it and went back to sleep.

    Kinda off topic, but moral of the story, if you sleep in a cave like i do, tritium sights will light up part of the room.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ffl medic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Sig is a Swiss company if I'm not mistaken. </div></div>

    Correct. I'm a big fan if the Sig 1911 XO .45 but even though the Novak white dots are nice i still sent them in for upgrades to the novak tritium night sites.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    +1 ^ I love my 45C. People will put a $2500 optic on a $3000 rifle but you'll not spend less that $100 to put the exact sites you want on a nearly $1000 handgun?

    Some people hate night sites (like me). So I put quality plain 3 dots or fiberoptic on mine. I prefer fiberoptic because they are "self adjusting" to light conditions. The last thing you need is to be having to focus on a ridiculously bright dot and destroying your night vision. Super bright sights kina defeat the purpose if that's all you can see and your blind to your target. But yes, the last thing you ever need is bright rear sights and a dim front. Which is why a ditched mine asap.

    As far as the no radioactive substances. Beaurocracy strikes again, and we and HK got the short end of the stick. I'm sure they get plenty of complaints from foreign (non-German) markets about the night sights that nearly every single competitor at their price level offeres.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MinorDamage</div><div class="ubbcode-body">That was until someone brought to my attention that radioactive materials are illegal in Germany. </div></div>

    I sure hope nobody over there is caught with a contraband banana, or fertilizer. I think you could make a case to arrest the entire population if this is the case. Sounds like some lawmakers somewhere once again decided to skip science class.

    To get back on track. I do like some of the tritium front sights, but not sure on the rear - I like black, or the same color at least. I've rented a pistol with green front and red rear and it was just kind of distracting. I think all green would be a bit more manageable. Am I the only odd one here that doesn't like the multicolor? Admittedly, I haven't done a lot of night shooting, just indoor in poorly lit ranges.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    I don't really care for multi either. I've used one set of fiberoptics that were yellow rear and green front that were reasonably enjoyable. The yellow didn't seem to invade my sight picture nearly as much as the other rear colors. They were noticable for the moment I lined up my shot then were easily allwed to fall into background as I focused on my front sight and target. The darker, more saturated colors used in rear sights tend to affect my focus, not too badly, but they were slightly distracting.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: nly205</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

    Some people hate night sites (like me). So I put quality plain 3 dots or fiberoptic on mine. I prefer fiberoptic because they are "self adjusting" to light conditions. The last thing you need is to be having to focus on a ridiculously bright dot and destroying your night vision. Super bright sights kina defeat the purpose if that's all you can see and your blind to your target. But yes, the last thing you ever need is bright rear sights and a dim front. Which is why a ditched mine asap. </div></div>

    Have you ever shot in low light conditions?
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    Low light or not, I have no use for rear night sights. If anyone wants the rear night sight off of my brand new EMP, make me a reasonable offer and it's all yours.

    Front night--maybe. Rear nights are a bunch of shit.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: One-Eyed Jack</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What do the former H&K users like better - just asking? I shoot a 45 Expert and, except for its size, like it for self protection in the desert. It's never gonna hang out as a CCW. </div></div>


    i have regular ( not high sights ) mepro tru dot night sights on my usp tactical, i think high sights to look over a suppressor... well thats for jiz bags... mainly cause when you proper sight picture ( or as i do any way ) the target is in focus and the sights just come up and the suppressor is out of focus blurry so i dont like high sights or adjustables or any of that
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    If you think HK sites suck just prey you don't need any of there NO Customer Service, I have never owned a pistol that I liked the factory sites, I change them all.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 427Cobra</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you think HK sites suck just prey you don't need any of there NO Customer Service, I have never owned a pistol that I liked the factory sites, I change them all. </div></div>

    HK USA is a different company than they used to be. Lots of people have been having very good experience with them in the past year or better.

    A few years back, they sucked harder than you could imagine. It's a different vibe, today.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DocHoliday13</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: nly205</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

    Some people hate night sites (like me). So I put quality plain 3 dots or fiberoptic on mine. I prefer fiberoptic because they are "self adjusting" to light conditions. The last thing you need is to be having to focus on a ridiculously bright dot and destroying your night vision. Super bright sights kina defeat the purpose if that's all you can see and your blind to your target. But yes, the last thing you ever need is bright rear sights and a dim front. Which is why a ditched mine asap. </div></div>

    Have you ever shot in low light conditions? </div></div>

    Yeah, I have. If its dark enough out that quality fiberoptics don't pick up any usable light. Then its dark enough for overly bright night sights to leave a bright spot in your field of view.

    Since you apparently have never experienced this you either havnt shot in the very low light setting I'm referring to or just feel like talking smack on a perfectly good thread. If you put up your smack talking for a moment you would notice that I am especially speaking of the HK phosphorescent sights that come on the HK45 (which I own) and if you owned one and carried it in a holster and tried to fire it in lowlight conditions (since your awesome enough to insult people apparently) you would notice that the rear sights are a number of times brighter that the front ones that are hidden from light in the holster. And if you have ever tried to fire in lowlight with this sight configuration you would notice that having the brighter sight in your near field and the less bright one farther away it makes it very difficult to focus on you sight properlt, let alone your target. I would rather have quality uninterrupted night vision and crisp white dots/fiberoptics than a bright yellow spot interrupting my night vision.

    This is a matter of personal preferance based on my personal experience with lowlight shooting. Because of my workhours a large majority of my shooting is in late evening/near complete darkness and I noticed this issue affected my ability to be repeatably accurate.

    I didn't realize I was going to have to defend my personal preferance on this thread (especially when I'm agreeing with the OP and contributing my personal experience to his attempt to inform people who might be interested in purchasing this firearm.)

    Why did you comment on this thread? All I saw was random smack talking with no viable contribution.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    1. One may purchase P30s with luminescent sights. I do not like them at night for some of the reasons already stated. However, some like them because they claim it gives them faster daylight acquisition of targets (IMO a Tritium/fiber combo front would be better ...).

    2. One may purchase P30s Tritium night sights. I prefer this configuration. (I really like the yellow rear/green front I have on most of my 1911s - the contrast helps).

    3. It has been my experience, that in really low light situations, Tritiums are useless after 2-3 rounds because of muzzle flash.

    PS: you can also get P30s with standard fixed sights.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    I got a brand new set of Heinie sights in the sale section if anyone else wants to upgrade their HK45/P30.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    Hey look, more smack talk. I didn't see that coming. And your not the only guy on here who's had to qualify with an nite qual with an M9. I'm sure a large percentage of the people on here have. Some us even compete in night comps that arnt "simulated" just for fun much more often than 2x a year.for some reason, you calling me a poser doesn't hurt my grown up feelings. In fact, using the word poser, kinda singlehandedly excludes you from that category of people who oppinion of me matters. And read a little more thuroughly as well, at mo point did I say "rear sights are useless". I don't even know where you pulled that from.

    But anyway, I'm not gonna ruin this guys thread. I'm out and will not check or reply to any more of your taunting nonsense. So there's no need for rebuttal to this as I will never read it.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rancid Coolaid</div><div class="ubbcode-body">H&K, proud as they are of their product, decided to cut a corner and put phosphorescent sites on their guns (calling them night sights) rather than splurge for tritium. Much as I really like the ergonomics of the new P30 and the HK45 that came before it, I hate the "night sights."

    A few years back, I posted on the HK45 sights. Some guy gave me shit when I said, "You need to charge them with a flash light..." and cited a Guns n Ammo author as stating in his official review, "It's not like you need to charge them with a flash light..."

    For clarity, here's the problem: after a riding in the holster all day, under a tee shirt, the back dots are well charged and illuminate brightly; however, the front dot has been buried deep in the holster all day, and is all but a solid black blade site. The old adage, "In a fight, front site" just doesn't apply to these shit "night sights." When the rear dots are shining like the sun and the front dot is all but invisible in the glow, good sight alignment and sight picture just ain't happening.

    Both the P30 and the HK45 will soon wear Heinie straight 8s. Anyone need 2 pairs of shitty H&K sites that might one day cost you your life, let me know, I'll sell them. Cheap.
    </div></div>

    With all the respect due to someone who could argue the quality of the P30/Hk45 sights ... Anyone who argues with you over the quality of the sights on a P30 or Hk45 is a stone cold idiot (present company excluded) the P30 is an outstanding pistol. With the exception of the sights (which are also expensive to upgrade) and the Great Wall Of China SS it really is hard to beat for a hard use pistol. Its accurate, dead nuts reliable and the ERGOS are excellent. ... I am going to put the S or L SS on as soon as I can find one.

    That said I still love it and it will always be in my rotation...
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: V-Taper</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I got a brand new set of Heinie sights in the sale section if anyone else wants to upgrade their HK45/P30. </div></div>

    Link please?
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DocHoliday13</div><div class="ubbcode-body">***this thread is mostly dumb....nuff said????** </div></div>


    dont be a jiz bag
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: d90king</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rancid Coolaid</div><div class="ubbcode-body">H&K, proud as they are of their product, decided to cut a corner and put phosphorescent sites on their guns (calling them night sights) rather than splurge for tritium. Much as I really like the ergonomics of the new P30 and the HK45 that came before it, I hate the "night sights."

    A few years back, I posted on the HK45 sights. Some guy gave me shit when I said, "You need to charge them with a flash light..." and cited a Guns n Ammo author as stating in his official review, "It's not like you need to charge them with a flash light..."

    For clarity, here's the problem: after a riding in the holster all day, under a tee shirt, the back dots are well charged and illuminate brightly; however, the front dot has been buried deep in the holster all day, and is all but a solid black blade site. The old adage, "In a fight, front site" just doesn't apply to these shit "night sights." When the rear dots are shining like the sun and the front dot is all but invisible in the glow, good sight alignment and sight picture just ain't happening.

    Both the P30 and the HK45 will soon wear Heinie straight 8s. Anyone need 2 pairs of shitty H&K sites that might one day cost you your life, let me know, I'll sell them. Cheap.
    </div></div>

    With all the respect due to someone who could argue the quality of the P30/Hk45 sights ... Anyone who argues with you over the quality of the sights on a P30 or Hk45 is a stone cold idiot (present company excluded) the P30 is an outstanding pistol. With the exception of the sights (which are also expensive to upgrade) and the Great Wall Of China SS it really is hard to beat for a hard use pistol. Its accurate, dead nuts reliable and the ERGOS are excellent. ... I am going to put the S or L SS on as soon as I can find one.

    That said I still love it and it will always be in my rotation... </div></div>

    I have, since the beginning, had nothing but praise for the gun and nothing but scorn for the stock sites. Those sites are now gone, replaced by the Heinie straight-8s, which are a dramatic improvement in many ways.
     
    Re: My H&K's piss poor "night sights"

    The real issue isn't that Germany apparently prohibits products containing radioactive tritium - fine. It's that the US subsidiary isn't installing Trijicons or Meprolights on pistols once they come stateside. There's nothing legally prohibiting them from doing so to the best of my knowledge, meaning it's a corporate decision for one reason or another.
     
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