Among the many accessories for the Glock 19, night sights are one of them. Why are they so crucial?
Night sights are tritium installed into the front and/or rear sights. Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. The tritium vials give off a soft radiant glow which is very helpful during low or no light scenarios. It greatly reduces time for a shooter to get on a target.
Do check out the top rated OWB and IWB Glock 19 holsters.
It is no exaggeration that the sights brings advantages not only to both the average shooter with limited or no low-light shooting experience but also the police or security officers who periodically trains in low-light scenarios and works under similar conditions.
Hence, check out this best sights review to help you make your best Glock 19 (night sights for Glock 43) night sights choice.
Top 5 Rated Night Sights for Glock 19 Comparison Table
| Name of product | Colors | Installation | HD sights | Type of sights | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ameriglo Pro-IDOT For Glock 17/19 Orange | Orange/green | Easy | 0 | Tritium | $$ |
| XS 24/7 Big Dot For Glock 9MM/40/357/36 | Green | Easy | 0 | Tritium | $$$ |
| TRUGLO TFO Handgun Sight Set - Glock Low | Green/yellow | Medium | 0 | Tritium/fiber optic | $$ |
| Trijicon Night Sight Sets for Glock Pistols | Green/yellow/orange | Hard | 2 | Tritium | $$ |
| Meprolight Glock Tru-Dot Night Sight for 9mm | Green | Medium | 0 | Tritium | $$ |
The top 5 night sights for Glock 19 are decided by certain factors:
- Colors
- Installation
- HD sights offered
- Type of optic sights
- Price
Colors
The different colors enhance front sight acquisition. However, the different colors may light through the clothes during night time. Most people would prefer green front more than yellow front as it attracts you more during night time. It is also scientifically proven that green is more easy for our eyes to pick on than any other colors
Installation
To replace the factory sights with the night sights, one may opt to do it through a gunsmith or by themselves. Hence, by knowing if the installation is easy could help us to install it ourselves if need to. This could save some time and money as well. Professional installation by a gunsmith is recommended nonetheless for any model of these sights.
HD sights
HD sights on the other hand promote faster target identification and engagement at longer distances. They are a big help for closer range shooting as well as distance shooting. At closer ranges however, they may disrupt your aiming point.
Type of optic sights
Recently some of the products offer fiber optic sights while some offer tritium fiber optic sights. The plain fiber type are of little use in dimly lit or no light situation as they only gather ambient light and give you an improved set of dots meanwhile the tritium type could glow in the dark.
Ameriglo Pro-IDOT For Glock 17/19
The first product is from Ameriglo. It has green tritium lamp front and one green tritium lamp rear which is centered below notch. The front outline color is orange.
It is flat enough for one handed charging. The rear sight is both flat on the front and rear so if single handed slide manipulations are your cup of tea, this product is the perfect choice for you.
Although they are both green, the rear sight dot is a little smaller compared the front. This is so you can identify better your targets at night. Both the rear and front glow green at night. These sights fit noticeably higher compared to the stock sights without being too tall.
The advantage of the I-Dot is that it gives you a notch to bracket the front sight with when you are going for speed. The I-Dot falls into a groove if you are off at an angle. The orange front part is also easier and quicker to pick up compared to the white Big Dot type.
The front edge of the I-Dot’s rear part is suitable for one handed manipulations because it has a larger, flatter surface area. Therefore, it is easier to hook on a belt or boot. The diameter of the front is bigger by a millimeter or two compared to a factory sight. This allows more light to enter through it, thus ensuring that it is more visible.
The green dot in the middle of the rear glows at night and so does the dot inside the orange circle on the front. Neither need any charging by light because it has a tritium insert in both the front and rear to produce 2 dot figure 8 sight picture in the dark.
Front sight is 22 inches while rear sight is 23 inches. The measurements were measured from the top of the slide to the top of the sight.
It illuminates well at night and outdoor in full sunlight and it fits standard holsters. However, the tritium dot in the front seems slightly dimmer than the rear so I’d prefer if it appears brighter than the rear. I also expected for a more dominant front as I am seeing three rear dots sometimes.
On the other hand, it is easy to line it up as I line them up just like a revolver and could get an accurate shot off with more speed. Nonetheless, the front sight didn’t fit very snugly in the hole at the slide. As a result, this causes some sideways movement when tightening.
This product are perfect for the range as the big bright orange dot makes them fast to align and target acquisition. You don´t have to think to align the 3 dots. Instead, just put the orange dot in the center of the square notch of your back sight and shoot.
Overall in this best Glock sight review, although not suitable for precision shooting, it is still perfect for self-defense.
Suitable for:
- The range
- Quick target acquisition
- One handed manipulation
- Positive grab even on clothing
XS 24/7 Big Dot Night Sight
The next best Glock sight in this review is from XS. The larger front sight is designed for improved speed of target acquisition. Meanwhile, the white dot reflects light to ensure the best visibility in low light. The express rear prevents obstruction of front sight when you are moving.
Moreover, this product puts a much larger dot in the V-groove of the rear. However, the Big Dot feels inaccurate to me because it can slide to left and right along the rear blade. As a side note, the purpose of the this hunting accessory is for defense; mainly encounters under any light condition.
That being said, its features a vertical green tritium bar that has a highly visible white outline while the front sight has a large easy-to-see white ring surrounding the tritium dot. Its rounded and low profile design ensures that you won’t slow your draw.
They work with the majority of holsters and are designed to directly replace the factory sights. The snag-free design makes sure it is comfortable to carry. They are made from Blued Steel with Matte Black finishing. The product also includes a hardware kit.
The maximum distance for a legal self-defense shooting would be less than 25 feet since a majority of civilian shootings happen around an arm’s length. Do bear in mind that these sights are all about fast acquisition rather than precision long shooting.
The front and rear have tritium inserts so no charging is required. The vertical height of the front is no different than the factory sights but just larger in diameter. The product also comes with the punch for removing the rear along with set screws in the rear and a small tube of red loctite.
The rear one is dimmer than I expected. Nevertheless, they work well at short range. The width is around 3/16″ while the height is about 7/32″ for the front. As for the installation, it was a breeze. They are barely visible in daylight but when it’s dark they’re easy to pick up.
I wouldn’t recommend them for range shooting though. It makes putting rounds much harder because the front sight is around 25MOA wide at arm’s length. In short, it covers a 25″ circle at 100 yards. Therefore, this is not for precision shooting if your sight covers that much target area.
On the other hand, I would like to emphasize again that this accessory is designed for hunting. They weren’t designed for shooting tight groups slowly. They’re meant for putting your rounds in a torso quickly if you ever need to defend yourself.
Another disadvantage I had with these that I would like to mention in this sight review is that I couldn’t align the front perfectly with the rear. It seems as though the big dot is slightly to the right. When my eyes fall naturally on the big dot I began to notice that the rear is not aligned.
Suitable for:
- Combat target
- Short range
- Fast acquisition
TRUGLO TFO Handgun Sight Set
The TRUGLO handgun set has the patented TFO technology and able to adapt to transition through all light conditions. It can also glows in the dark. This TRIGLO sight is made of CNC-machined steel construction. The concealed fiber on the other hand makes them harder to be seen by target. It can also fit standard holsters and has snag-resistant design.
The front comes with a short screw but that screw is a tad bit longer. I wouldn’t recommend using the longer screw as I tried it first and it bottomed out. Therefore, I would advise you to use the shorter (correct) screw. Everything tightened up perfectly.
These sights use fiber optic and tritium; so they are suitable for daylight as well as during nighttime. The front fits slightly loose in the slide slot but that is how it should be. This is so you can make adjustments for proper alignment.
This product comes with a mounting bolt set further towards the rear of the slide slot. This makes use of the socket to tighten the bolt using my standard Craftsman 3/16″ socket doable. The bolt only needs the smallest little dab of Loctite on the tip of the screw before you insert it. Too much of it will cause them to never come out without breaking it.
Do bear in mind that the fit in the dovetail is supposed to keep it secure in place. It is not necessarily the tension on the set screw that keeps the sight in place. Although it glows in the dark it is not super bright but still bright enough for night time social use.
After centering the rear on my slide, no further adjustments were needed for my shooting. You will either need a bedded vice or a sight pusher tool to install the rear. Rear sight proves to be a tight fit. If the rear could go in almost halfway with moderate tapping using a punch, you would be able to install the rear.
In case it stops before getting near halfway in, stop and remove the sight to make adjustments. Use a small triangle file and gently do a few swipes on the sight dovetail on each side. After that, recheck the fit. Repeat these process until the sight is a proper fit.
The final step for the installation of the rear is to put a small drop of Loctite at the dovetail on the slide. Carefully tap the sight into place using a punch to center it as best as you can. You could either use a depth micrometer, a dial or a digital caliper to check from each side of the slide and get the sight centered.
Overall, this tactical night sight perform in its optimum in total darkness because the tritium is able to transmit through the fiber optics which produces the glow of the sights.
Suitable for:
- Total darkness
- Shooting from a rest
- Hitting low
Trijicon Night Sight Sets for Glock Pistols
The Trijicon best for Glock 19 have white rings around the glowing dots for fast target acquisition and for daylight visibility. The Tritium-filled glass lamp provides superior illumination which is ideal for in no light or low light settings.
Each tritium lamp is capped with a sapphire jewel. This helps to evenly distribute the tritium light and protect it from solvents and puncture. The protective aluminum cylinders contains and protects the tritium filled lamps from heavy recoil and cleaning solvents.
This handgun sights excel in a wide range of lighting conditions; including low light settings which is in contrast with the traditional iron sights. They are designed by making durability their priority to handle whatever comes their way.
There are 3 types of sights to choose from in this model. You could choose from Trijicon Bright & Tough Night Sights, HD Night Sights or the HD XR Night Sights. I chose the orange front sight because they are easy to draw my eyes towards them resulting in very fast target acquisition -whether it is for day or night.
If I have to complain, it would be that I wish the rear Trijicon inserts were yellow instead of green. This could have helped me to differentiate them faster in low or no light conditions. Your eye will naturally be drawn to the corners. Therefore, by eliminating the corners, this will allow your eye to focus completely on the front.
Since they don’t have any corners, they prove to be faster. By the way, I like the U shape verse square back feature as well. There are no sharp edges to cut or scrape you.
The rear does need some care and effort to install so be careful when installing it. Once installed however, they are very secure. In normal light setting, the rear notch helps to cradle the front sight dot.
The bright colored front sight is highly visible in various lighting and backgrounds. The front isn’t overwhelmingly bright and I can easily transition focus while not losing the sight even around dusk. The sights on top of the slide form a 90 degree angle which is great for emergency one handed operations.
Another negative I found in these sights is that the new front sight is about .125 shorter in length compared to the original on my model 19. Also, they are slightly larger than the sighting groove. This required only a little effort to slide in.
The front blade is narrower compared to the rear sight notch which will very much be appreciated by sharper eyed shooters when they are out at the range. However, care should be taken when cleaning them in order to avoid harsh solvents and aggressive scrubbing.
All in all, it is rather convenient and easy to be installed on your Glock 19 as well as proves to be durable and highly visible, whether it is for day or night.
Suitable for:
- Low light conditions
- Ease of installation
- High light conditions
Meprolight Glock Tru-Dot Sight
These Meprolight Glock sights are a perfect fit which requires no filling. The Glock sights are not bulky and made from high quality steel. Although they are exposed to prolong abuse, they are still going strong.
The rear sight is suitable for one handed slide racking, belt, shoes, pocket, tables, and so on. They are nice, bright and easy to see. As for the installation, it was easy with the right tools. You might need a rear sight pusher tool to install it properly in place.
Don’t bang on the night sight using a hammer because it is definitely not the right way with these sights if you want to fit them snugly. By doing so, you may damage the tritium vial inside.
The contrast between the yellow rear sights with the green front sight is nice. There are white rings around the tritium vial which aids in daytime sight acquisition. I noticed that the front sight is slightly larger than the rear. This makes it easier to pick up the front.
The orange rear dots are less bright than the front but it produces good sight picture with contrasting green front dot. Plus, since the rear sticks straight up from the slide, it could be hooked on a belt or any other surface if you want to retract the slide one-handed in an emergency.
Most sloped rear sights cannot do this. Without this feature, it would be difficult to operate the slide one-handed in case your hand or arm is injured.
Not only that, they perform at their best in low or no light conditions with gun mounted illumination. The color difference becomes obviously clear. The darker it gets, the better they look. However, the colors aren’t as vivid in bright light as I expected it to be.
With the perfect light level, they will not impair your ability to see your target in near darkness. Some may find the larger front sight a problem. However, it is not so for me. In my opinion, it makes it easier to sight in quicker.
They are very durable in consideration to strength and maintaining accuracy (if they are dropped or hit hard). Regarding the installation, I would advise you to buy the proper tools or consult your local gunsmith. The rear fills up too much giving you a very cramped sight picture.
This makes it harder to shoot accurately, more so at longer distances. I wouldn’t recommend them for use at indoors under normal illumination. They catch ambient light in odd ways making it really hard to see.
As a side note, when you are aiming your Glock 19 from a poorly lighted room out towards a lighted area, the sights tend to “wash out”. It is a common problem though with any other sights as well.
Suitable for:
- Low/no light conditions
- Enhancing follow up shots
- Durability
Conclusion
I hope my best night sights review has been helpful for you to choose the best night sights for your Glock 19. These best Glock sights review hopefully has been one of the best reviews you seen so far. Pair your sight with a tactical flashlight that might come in handy in the dark.