Sight question: XS vs Dawson - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

MarkA · 03-14-2005, 06:15 AM

I purchased and had installed a set of XS sights, not really happy, what are these supposed to do, are they supposed to glow or what?

Saw a set of Dawson at our IDPA shoot on Saturday, WOW! Are these things as good as they look? What size do y'all have, the 0.100 or larger?

I am thinking that I made a $100 screw up is what I am thinking, I just do not get the XS, seriously, does it glow, mine does not, am I doing something wrong?

clee · 03-14-2005, 06:23 AM

I just installed a Dawson fiber optic front sight, very happy with it, man is it bright!! Sight picture is shown below

I chose the narrower .100" sight, I like to be able to see between the blades on the back a bit, and the front blade doesn't obscure as much of the target. The .100" is substantially narrower than the stock sight. This is the pistol I am using for USPSA and IDPA. I also blacked out the dots on my rear sight, I think it helps me focus on the front a little more quickly...

I don't have any experience with the XS sights, but front what I read, they are "defensive" sights, for putting shots into a large center of mass, with that large a front sight you're not going to get as much accuracy as you'd like in competition.

phil evans · 03-14-2005, 07:12 AM

installed xs big dot tritium on my 9scXD, they work appropriately.
i.e. they glow bright in dark situations, less so in twlight, none that i can see in daylight.
xs sights' purpose is rapid target acquisition.
within 3-15 yard distances.
most horrific situations occurr at 7 yards or less.

mostly i fixate on the front dot at 6 o'clock and ignore the rear vertical line.
this works at these distances

when did you get out?
i'm class of 61.

**Frenchy** · 03-14-2005, 07:20 AM

I've had a chance to see the Dawson front sight and even in muted lighting condition, it is brilliant.

ken_mays · 03-14-2005, 07:41 AM

The XS sights have one main purpose: to help you acquire a sight picture as quickly as possible for defensive shooting. That's it. They work best on carry guns because it's easy to find the big, eye-grabbing front dot, and the rear sight is fairly unobtrusive and not too distracting. They come both with and without a tritium front sight. I have a Kahr K40 with the tritium XS sights on it.

Fiber optic sights such as Dawson's are mainly intended for daylight shooting. They are very popular among competitors because they glow relatively brightly in even moderate ambient light. I have fiber optics on my XDs because I compete with them. They are excellent range sights.

The Truglo TFO sights are a combination of fiber optic and tritium, which provides the best compromise between the two. The sights jump right out at you in daylight compared to steel or painted sights, and in dark conditions the tritium takes over. I'd like to get a set of these for my nightstand gun but I always seem to have better things to spend my money on.

Snake-eater 1 · 03-14-2005, 04:08 PM

The rear XS sight has a tritium post that should glow in very dim light or in the dark. The front sight has a very large white ring (visible during daylight) and a tritium center that glows in the dark. If your sights are not glowing in the dark, they are defective. These sights are designed for very quick, basically close up acquisition. The are not designed for distance or target shooting, though some people do prety well with them.

simonsay · 03-14-2005, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snake-eater 1

If your sights are not glowing in the dark, they are defective.

I don't believe all of the xs sights are tritium. I picked up a used xd that had the tritium front and a painted post rear. Front glows, rear don't. My 1911 uses a .09 dawson and yes for bright days to low light they are great. I can live with the xs sights but would rather have a narrow blade with a tritium or fo front and all black conventional notch in the rear. Anyone care to trade?

Snake-eater 1 · 03-14-2005, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simonsay

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snake-eater 1

If your sights are not glowing in the dark, they are defective.

I don't believe all of the xs sights are tritium. I picked up a used xd that had the tritium front and a painted post rear. Front glows, rear don't. My 1911 uses a .09 dawson and yes for bright days to low light they are great. I can live with the xs sights but would rather have a narrow blade with a tritium or fo front and all black conventional notch in the rear. Anyone care to trade?

Was the rear an XS product? A lot of folks replace only the front sight with a tritium sight, as apparently you did. I don't exactly understand why people do this, but to each his own. If it works for you, that's fine.

I just checked out the XS Sights website, I don't see any handgun sight SET that doesn't include a tritium bar in the rear sight. Maybe older sets were different, I don't know.

Barsto · 03-14-2005, 07:14 PM

I install both on customers weapons. The XS does come non tritium.Dawson can come with tritium. The XS is a BIG dot and not intended for target but fast aquisition. Dawsons are small enough for Uspsa or Idpa but not Bullseye precision. I use the dawson for my competition XD and all my carry stuff has Fixed sights with a single front Tritium dot . Nothing against the XS sights but I like to have a little more precision sighting abilty. Just my personal preference.

Irv III
Bar Sto Precison

**Frenchy** · 03-15-2005, 01:39 AM

Welcome to the forum, Barsto!...It's an honor to have you join us.

03-14-2005, 06:15 AM	#1
MarkA XDTalk Newbie Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Midland, TX Posts: 18	Sight question: XS vs Dawson I purchased and had installed a set of XS sights, not really happy, what are these supposed to do, are they supposed to glow or what? Saw a set of Dawson at our IDPA shoot on Saturday, WOW! Are these things as good as they look? What size do y'all have, the 0.100 or larger? I am thinking that I made a $100 screw up is what I am thinking, I just do not get the XS, seriously, does it glow, mine does not, am I doing something wrong? __________________ Thanks and Gig\'em Mark Fairchild

03-14-2005, 07:12 AM	#3
phil evans XDTalk Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: austin, tx Posts: 56	installed xs big dot tritium on my 9scXD, they work appropriately. i.e. they glow bright in dark situations, less so in twlight, none that i can see in daylight. xs sights' purpose is rapid target acquisition. within 3-15 yard distances. most horrific situations occurr at 7 yards or less. mostly i fixate on the front dot at 6 o'clock and ignore the rear vertical line. this works at these distances when did you get out? i'm class of 61. __________________ A&M 61\'

03-14-2005, 07:20 AM	#4
Frenchy XDTalk 10K Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Mid-Missouri Posts: 13,252	I've had a chance to see the Dawson front sight and even in muted lighting condition, it is brilliant. __________________ ~SC Harvey~ "You are the instruments that God is going to use to bring about universal change, and that is why Barack has captured the youth. And he has involved young people in a political process that they didn't care anything about. That's a sign. When the Messiah speaks, the youth will hear, and the Messiah is absolutely speaking."...Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan RON PAUL IN 2008

03-14-2005, 04:08 PM	#6
Snake-eater 1 XDTalk 2K Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Quinque, VA Posts: 2,653	The rear XS sight has a tritium post that should glow in very dim light or in the dark. The front sight has a very large white ring (visible during daylight) and a tritium center that glows in the dark. If your sights are not glowing in the dark, they are defective. These sights are designed for very quick, basically close up acquisition. The are not designed for distance or target shooting, though some people do prety well with them. __________________ ----------------------------------------------- "Too soon, old. Too late, smart" anon

03-14-2005, 07:14 PM	#9
Barsto XDTalk Newbie Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 3	xs / dawson I install both on customers weapons. The XS does come non tritium.Dawson can come with tritium. The XS is a BIG dot and not intended for target but fast aquisition. Dawsons are small enough for Uspsa or Idpa but not Bullseye precision. I use the dawson for my competition XD and all my carry stuff has Fixed sights with a single front Tritium dot . Nothing against the XS sights but I like to have a little more precision sighting abilty. Just my personal preference. Irv III Bar Sto Precison

03-14-2005, 06:23 AM	#2
clee XDTalk Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Virginia Posts: 52	I just installed a Dawson fiber optic front sight, very happy with it, man is it bright!! Sight picture is shown below I chose the narrower .100" sight, I like to be able to see between the blades on the back a bit, and the front blade doesn't obscure as much of the target. The .100" is substantially narrower than the stock sight. This is the pistol I am using for USPSA and IDPA. I also blacked out the dots on my rear sight, I think it helps me focus on the front a little more quickly... I don't have any experience with the XS sights, but front what I read, they are "defensive" sights, for putting shots into a large center of mass, with that large a front sight you're not going to get as much accuracy as you'd like in competition.

03-14-2005, 07:41 AM	#5
ken_mays XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 401	The XS sights have one main purpose: to help you acquire a sight picture as quickly as possible for defensive shooting. That's it. They work best on carry guns because it's easy to find the big, eye-grabbing front dot, and the rear sight is fairly unobtrusive and not too distracting. They come both with and without a tritium front sight. I have a Kahr K40 with the tritium XS sights on it. Fiber optic sights such as Dawson's are mainly intended for daylight shooting. They are very popular among competitors because they glow relatively brightly in even moderate ambient light. I have fiber optics on my XDs because I compete with them. They are excellent range sights. The Truglo TFO sights are a combination of fiber optic and tritium, which provides the best compromise between the two. The sights jump right out at you in daylight compared to steel or painted sights, and in dark conditions the tritium takes over. I'd like to get a set of these for my nightstand gun but I always seem to have better things to spend my money on.

03-15-2005, 01:39 AM	#10
Frenchy XDTalk 10K Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Mid-Missouri Posts: 13,252	Welcome to the forum, Barsto!...It's an honor to have you join us. __________________ ~SC Harvey~ "You are the instruments that God is going to use to bring about universal change, and that is why Barack has captured the youth. And he has involved young people in a political process that they didn't care anything about. That's a sign. When the Messiah speaks, the youth will hear, and the Messiah is absolutely speaking."...Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan RON PAUL IN 2008

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