Can you see where your gun is pointed? The ability to see at night is critical during self-defense situations. Weapon-mounted lights are a common attachment for handguns, but what about your sights? Seeing the target and seeing the sights on your handgun are two different things. Both are needed but unfortunately, most guns do not have some type of sights that can be seen at night. The most common types of night sights are tritium or fiber-optic sights. TRUGLO is worth looking at because they make sights that are both tritium and fiber-optic.
I was taught to improve my handgun sights by using white or florescent fingernail polish on the front post of my sights. This was normal with all my buddies and back then, a fiber-optic sight was an expensive upgrade. You could custom order your gun with upgraded night-sights, but I didn’t see the point back then. Fingernail polish was a few dollars and easy to apply. And I’m still talking about the sight here, not my fingernails! Like everything else in the gun world, sights are more affordable now. If you are curious about TRUGLOS TFO sights and how to install them, keep reading and we will cover them both.
TFO sights by TRUGLO
TRUGLO’s TFO (Tritium Fiber-Optic) sights are affordable and available for multiple firearms. The set I installed on my Glock 19 is compatible with the 17, 19, 22, and more. They are sold as a pair and claim to glow in the dark and daylight. Yes, they said daylight. I’m not sure if you can see a gun sight glowing in broad daylight but we’re going to find out. This pair that I have are green in the front and yellow in the rear. I like the idea of two different colors for the front and back sights, but I want to get them in the dark to see how well this works.
The TFO technology works by placing a small capsule of Swiss Tritium in the fiber-optic sight. Tritium can hold a glow in all conditions, evening during the day. This is where the daylight visibility is supposed to come from. TRUGLO offers a 12-year limited warranty for any defect in the sights. The TFO sights can also be cleaned with any type of cleaner and chemicals used to clean guns will not hurt them. Both front and back sights are CNC machined from steel and have a Nitride Fortress Finish.
Installing the front TFO sight
The front sight is the easiest to install. For this process, remove the slide from the gun and then remove the spring and barrel. The front sight is held on by a small screw on the bottom of the slide. A Real Avid 2-in-1 or 4-in-1 tool is needed for this process. Simply unscrew the hexagon screw and the front sight will come off. The TFO sight will have a small screw already in it that will need to be taken out. Use the provided screw to attach the new front sight. I have never had any of mine come loose, but you can also apply just a small amount of blue Loctite if you want to make sure it does not come loose.
You don’t want to overtighten the front sight because it can strip out the threads on the screw. The screw that came installed in the sight is for a gen 5 Glock. If you have a gen 4 Glock, you will need to use the other screw that came in a separate small plastic bag. This screw will only work on gen 4 slides though.
Installing the Rear TFO Sight
The rear sights are a little harder to install and they do require a sight-pusher tool. I am using the Real Avid Sight Pusher because it is one of the best tools I have found for this process. Depending on the type of tool you have, you may need spacers to set the correct height for the pusher to line up with the groove in the slide (see photo below). When the sight is lined up, you can turn the handle on the sight pusher and the sight will start to come out of the groove. The sight is dovetailed so it takes a lot of pressure to move it. This is why a tool is preferable to get it out.
Once the sight is out, you can line up the new sight and repeat the same process as removing it. If your sight pusher does not have some type of coating on the metal part that pushes the sight, you may want to put a small piece of painter’s tape or something on it. The pusher can scratch the sight as it pushes it in. I centered my sight in the middle of the slide. But if you want to make sure you put it back where it was, calipers can be used to measure the distance the sight goes into the groove.
Summary
The TFO sights were easy to install and made a noticeable difference when using them to line up a target. They glow just enough to see them easily in the dark but not so bright they blind you at night. I don’t know if I’d say they glow during the daytime, but they definitely stand out compared to other sights. On the range, they made a big difference when lining up the target. The sights are taller than the Glock sights so I tested the gun out in several different holsters to make sure it would clear them all. It fit in them all with room to spare.
Changing sights can seem intimidating to some gun owners, but with the right tools it is not as hard as it appears. TRUGLO has a reputation for making quality products at affordable prices. After using the TFO sights, I can say I love the yellow front sight with green rear sights. They give the gun a custom look and the shooter gets a new view when aiming down the barrel. They are affordable, they work, and they appear to be built very well. If you haven’t updated your Glock sights yet, this would be a great set to start with.
