By Mike Schoby
With some exceptions, most handguns straight from the factory would benefit from a sight upgrade. Factory sights either are not the right shape, or not designed for lowlight conditions; or they are simply made from cheap, flimsy material such as stamped metal, MIM or even worse … plastic.
Ironically, I first discovered the aftermarket company XS Sights when I picked up a North American Arms micro .22 WMR revolver called the Pug with the sights factory installed. The addition of a large tritium dot combined with a shallow V rear turned this gun from a “mosh pit protection device” to an accurate defensive pocket gun to 10 or so paces.
Since that first positive experience, I have installed XS night sights on a variety of handguns. The company makes a wide range of handgun sights for hundreds of different auto pistols and revolvers. All of them are upgrades over the majority of factory sights. Features like machined steel, black nitride coating, tritium inserts, and serrated front faces make them superior. As an added bonus, all XS sights are made in the great state of Texas with American-sourced materials.
Of all the various profile and dot configurations XS makes, the DXT2 is my favorite. By my way of thinking the shallow V rear with a vertical tritium line and large, glowing dot up front is about a perfect combo for when shit goes bad. Sure, I can shoot tighter groups with a blacked out, sharp-edged patridge front sight and square-notched rear sight in full daylight against a white and black bullseye target, but that is not defensive shooting. Think dark hallway, half asleep, a split second to acquire a sight picture and make a shot at a few paces within the A zone of a human-sized target. And for this scenario the DXT2 Big Dot shines.
The concept isn’t far removed from a good dangerous game rifle sighting system. Pick up a fine old English double rifle and you will find a shallow V rear sight—which allows for maximum field of view over the top while not blocking out the target—along with a large bead up front. The combination is super-fast, instinctive, and accurate enough to get the job done on a charging buff, lion, or elephant.
XS makes this combination in standard dot size, large dot size in orange, white or green EmberGlow Dot which combines a Tritium insert surrounded by a larger photoluminescent dot. This serves two purposes, it makes the sight easier to see in both day and night, and since it is larger than the rear Tritium inserts, it keeps the shooter’s focus on the front sight where it should be.
Upgraded sights won’t make you an instant ninja with a handgun, but when light fades, and adrenaline dumps, the ease of uncomplicated sights will be one less thing to worry about.
Cost: $130
Pros: Fast; accurate enough; tritium inserts.
Cons: Not available for every make and model of handgun.
