SureSights installed and CS experiences

[selectedmarksman]

1. My beloved XD Service .45 acp returned to me today from Springer Precision for a Carry trigger package and SureSight installation. The first thing I noticed was a chip on the tip of the front sight (see below):

Naturally, this was disappointing. I emailed Mr. Springer to ask if this was normal and he personally called me in what must have been less than an hour. He was extremely polite and helpful and resolved my concerns very professionally. I then emailed Chaim of SureSight for his advice and he replied within minutes, also doing his part to make things right by offering to send a replacement front sight. I was amazed with the speed and quality of customer service from both gentlemen despite this little hiccough and will not hesitate to do business with both of them again in the future.

The next thing I noticed was how well these sights 'just work.' Even with the chip it is very easy to find the proper sight picture and I can pick up the front sight much sooner than the stock sights. I look forward to giving the sights a full range test. Here is the best I could get in terms of sight picture:


The last thing I noticed, after I got done with cosmetics and sight picture, was the trigger. This sub-forum is dedicated to SureSight products but as I had both the sight installation and the Carry package trigger work done at the same time by Springer Precision I think it's worth noting that the trigger breaks clean, overtravel is minimized, and all safety features are still solidly in place.

I'm very excited about this sight design concept and, like many here, am anticipating the next generation of design with inserts and adjustability. I'll try to post a follow up with a range report, but for now...


Thank you Scott and Chaim!

[XDONBOARD]

Nice to hear stories of good work and service, congrats on your new sights!

[selectedmarksman]

I finally got a chance to range test my XD. I am extremely impressed. Since I had both the SureSights installed and Mr. Springer give it a Carry trigger package at the same time I don't know which deserves more of the praise but I think the two together have made it almost a whole new firearm. Following are my personal experiences with my XD .45 Service after having that quality work done.

It took me some time to get used to the new sights and trigger. I'd done some dryfire drills at home with them but nothing is like real trigger time. However, I did see immediate improvement. My first 50 rounds hovered between my old group size and about 3/4 of that. The next fifty rounds I started getting a 'feel' for the sight picture and group sized started dropping to between 3/4 to 1/2 my original group size. My last 100 rounds I seemed to have things pretty well figured out and was more or less consistently shooting 1/2 to 1/3 my old grouping size.

Keep in mind I've never been the greatest pistol marksman in the world so I'm not saying I can shoot a fly at 25 yards now. However, my previously large and poor groups only made the difference I experience more dramatic.

After about 150 rounds I noticed my front sight wasn't quite as 'bright' because the yellow portion was getting covered with residue. That neither surprised nor upset me. The white dot in my factory front sight always filled up, too, and even slightly grimy the overal 'triangle' profile of the sight was easy to find on my target. I haven't cleaned the pistol yet but I expect the sights will be bright as new afterwards.

The only nagging thought I had leaving the range was about how nice the trigger might be if it were tuned for one of Mr. Springer's Competition packages. In my uneducated hands the pull weight felt more or less the same as stock so during dry fire I just concentrated on the improvement of take up and overtravel (on the range the break proved to be crisp and clean, vastly superior to factory). However, this is a personal carry firearm and I had the trigger work done specifically for that purpose. I bought the firearm used and wanted to have a professional smith ensure the trigger/action were safe and appropriate for that purpose so to that end I couldn't be happier. It was expensive, but it was very much worth it in my humble opinion. If I purchase a dedicated competition gun down the line I may see what further magic Mr. Springer can do in that area and I expect it will host a set of SureSights' next generation of sights.

Once again, very special thanks to Chaim and Scott. People can rant or praise about products, workmanship, and customer service but I think the best and simplest compliment I can offer to both of them is this: I am confident in this firearm as my choice for CCDW and trust my life to it.

[selectedmarksman]

Finally got around to cleaning the XD. I was unsure how I would clean the SureSights as I didn't want a harsh solvent to damage the yellow areas. It turned out not to be a concern at all. I simply wiped them clean with a clean, dry patch and they're good as new. Whatever that stuff is it's pretty non-stick.

Cleaning the inside of the frame made me appreciate the quality work Mr. Springer did for me. The new components look well made and polished to a shine in all the right places. Cleaning and re-oiling was no different than with factory parts so I'm very happy to have the increase in performance without any 'fussiness' in terms of maintanance.

I'm an easy victim of buyer's remorse but in this case the sights and carry trigger work were money well spent.

[SoupOrMan]

I'm hoping they help me shoot better in USPSA Limited division. I don't always see my front sight when I'm trying to shoot quickly.

[selectedmarksman]

SoupOrMan, would love to hear your experiences and review when you get them setup. For the way I shoot I believe they are a great help. Many more 'experienced' shooters seem to believe in notch-and-post only but people resisted the idea of 'tupperware' guns at first, too. Nowadays, ask any random person to name a gun and they'll likely say "Glock."

Only time will tell, but I personally do not believe this to be a gimmic. It wasn't voodoo that shrunk my groups, something did.

[SoupOrMan]

I've heard enough good from the SureSight users that I think even my lousy groups at 10 yards will tighten up nicely. If not, at least I have sights I can see in low light, and I can get the first shot on target. It's that first shot that's most important to me.

Selectedmarksman, I've got a question for you. When you try to aim carefully and squeeze the trigger, do you get enough visual cues from the movement of the larger sight that you can correct your shooting before you fire your pistol?

[selectedmarksman]

I don't know if this makes any sense, but I actually feel like I have less sight wobble with these. This could be an optical illusion, a misperception on my part, or a true result caused by reasons unknown. I 'think' what happens is with notch and post sights I was, in fact, overcorrecting when I had misaligned sights . That is, I had to consciously change the orientation of my hands to get the right sight picture but, as you know, this is a very fine adjustment so I was likely doing more harm than good.

With the SureSights either I'm not noticing the wobble or I am able to correct it more subconsciously. My means of using the sights so far, from experimentation, is to still focus on the front sight but to focus on the very tip and place that where I want the shot to go. Unless I do something stupid like jerking the trigger, a nice hole appears pretty much right where I wanted it. The sight alignment just sort of handles itself.

Keep in mind I did have Mr. Springer give this firearm a carry trigger job at the same time as doing the sight install so the trigger is dramatically improved. I introduce less movement into the firearm during the firing process so I'm sure this reduces the wobble too.

I'm a relatively new pistol shooter so take all this with a grain of salt.