Front Fiber optic color considerations?

[Dennis Booth II]

Good evening guys and gals,

Has anyone played around with different colored fiber optic sights to increase their abilities specifically in low light conditions with the use of a weapon light?

Is there a color available that will increase the light transmission through a fiber optic enough to help decipher the front sight from the rear?

I understand that this is not an absolute need, but possibly a research idea to help those who have not moved or are unable to move to an rds sight on their pistol.

I expect we all understand that with the use of a handheld light and certain lighting techniques the fiber optic will show as bright as a rds sight; so I’m specifically asking in regards to the use of a weapon light only.

Thank you all for your responses, I’m currently unable to test this theory on my own and give any kind of data to help, so what better forum to ask than P&S!

 

[spinmove_]

It’s fiber, so it’ll be far from acting like a red dot in low-light or no-light. That being said, part of the reason why I like Green fiber is because it does seem to show up better in more transitional light to my eyes than Red. Green also tends to get more intense without blooming under direct sunlight than red and thus doesn’t seem to obscure the edges of the front sight.

I’ll be taking MDFI’s YSINTG Low-Light Handgun class Aug. 3rd so I’ll really get to see how well it works (or doesn’t).

Again, this is to my eyes and experience. YMMV.


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[JLL2013]

While there have been a few articles/studies/etc about this. Between red, blue, amber, and green I think its going to really come down to personal preference. I do have a nagging feeling that the majority of fibers and optics are red for a reason though.

 

[Yondering]

I have both green and red on a few different guns. I couldn't honestly say that one is better than the other, both seem to work fine for me. Neither are much good in low light situations even with significant light spill, and nothing like the RMR red dots on my other pistols. For iron sights in low light, a night sight is far better than a fiber optic, IME.

 

[ccw1911]

I prefer red probably because I was an early adopter of red dot sights and have so much time with them. There was a study many years ago that said green was picked up better by human eyes and ever since green has been the touted color when available, I think it comes to personal choice. I can't see any difference in colors in low light none are good, fiber optics depend on available light. There is a difference in available fiber to use in sights, so far I haven't found any that best Dawson fiber.

 

[Zito]

I have noticed that the region/location of where I am shooting effected which FO seemed to work best for me. When I was in the Midwest, lots of grass and average light, I was able to pick up green FO much better than red. When I moved back to the Southwest, lots of red granite and sunlight, I was able to pick up red FO much better than the green. That being said, indoors I have always found green to appear far brighter than red. The red can get so dark that it is hard to distinguish it from the rest of the sight, essentially shooting almost a blacked out front sight. Is there a huge difference, not really, but I did perceive a difference. I have not used/tried a yellow FO yet, but I imagine it may have some benefit.

 

[Arete]

Most of my FO sights have red fibers. Tried green. It works. Some have a preference for one or the other. Totally personal preference.

In low light, whether using weapon light or handheld (all the way up to 1500 lums), I don't see the FO at all. Just the black outline of the front sight.

Same thing happens with tritium sights when using WML/HHL. The light on target washes out the tritium.

My fav sights for the past few years are the Ameriglo Hackathorn sights. Green trit front dot with a fluorescent orange donut around the trit dot, and a plain black rear sight.

 

[Dennis Booth II]

Thank you all for input. FO color is definitely going to a personal preference. I have heard blue fiber works better in an indoor range (dimmer setting). Going to have to get a various of colors and test them in different lighting conditions and specifically in a Scotopic lighting condition with a wml.