DIY Balor night sights

Steindor

Newbie
A friend of mine told me about some difficulties he had with a Glock 19 Balor/Aimpoint Micro setup, specifically during a low-light/no -light drill. Even though he was experienced with RMR's on pistols (carries a RS,) he struggled with finding the Micro dot in a timely manner with no reference point (specifically in complete darkness. A hand-held or WML would nullify this issue, but I still see this as helpful, especially in in twilight conditions or transitional light.)

I purchased "Ultra Green V10 Glow in the Dark Paint, 1/2 Oz" on Amazon for $10 shipped. This product was chosen based on generally positive reviews, as well as the description touting "Grade 0 Strontium Aluminate pigments in a durable, high adhesion acrylic medium, producing brightest glow in the dark paint available."

The paint was very thick, more like an ointment, presumably due to high concentration of pigment (2 pounds pigment per gallon of medium.)

Instructions mentioned "painting over white surfaces when possible." I had previously added white paint to the front sight and rear sight line of my Balor mount, so it was ready to go.

I applied the paint to the front sight dot and rear sight line of the Balor using a toothpick. The consistency of the paint made this very easy, and any excess was easily removed with clean toothpick. Product description states "It is critical that you apply this paint at least 1/16th inch thick for proper glow and a smooth appearance." I applied 3 layers, waiting about 10 minutes between layers. No idea if I actually achieved that thickness.

These photos were taken immediately after charging paint with a 600 lumen handheld light. I don't have any photos of the paint several hours after charging, but I do remember easily spotting the sight line in pitch black darkness at 4 in the morning, about 7 hours after charging. I've shot about 600 rounds since application, and have not perceived any reduction in glow after charging.

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