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Sight Design and Use
Perhaps the finest Tritium night sights are produced by Trijicon. These sights are commonly used among law enforcement agencies at the federal and state level. The sights replace the standard sights found on your handgun and aim in the same manner. The rear sight features two dots and one dot on the front sight. You aim at your target by aligning the front dot between the two on the rear and centering your sight picture on your target.
Tritium
Tritium is the material that makes night sights operational. It is a low grade radioactive material that glows in the dark. An advantage of Tritium night sights is that they are self-luminous and require no external power. As conditions become darker, the sights begin to glow, allowing you to effectively use your sights in low-light conditions. According to the FBI, approximately 80 percent of shootings occur in low-light conditions. Having night sights to increase your accuracy in darkness is an obvious advantage.
Construction
The luminous components of night sights are made from small glass tubes containing Tritium. The length of these tubes is protected by a thin layer of aluminum and surrounded by a rubber cushion. The tubes are then inserted into the metal body of the sight and sealed into position with small windows made of polished sapphire. The sapphire windows evenly disburse the light produced by the tritium and are sealed to withstand solvents or trauma to the sights. To aid in daytime use, the sights have white outlines around the sapphire windows.
Sight Longevity and Colors
The effective life of Tritium night sights, as indicated by the warranty from Trijicon, is 12 years for green or yellow rear sights, and five years for the orange colored rear night sights. All front sights are produced only in green. For the warranty to be in effect, Trijicon insists that the sights be professionally installed by an authorized gunsmith.