LCR Owners: Red FO or Tritium front sight?

[mtnbkr]

I own and love an LCR 38 with red FO front sight, but on my last range trip, I noticed the FO wasn't standing out enough for me. Outdoors, it glows bright, but indoors, unless the light is nearly over the gun, it isn't as good. I was thinking the Tritium option might help things, what with the large white dot and radioactive capsule. :)

There are two variants out there, any difference between them besides physical shape?

Does anyone here have experience with the tritium sight on an LCR and care to comment?

Chris

[RJ]

I swapped from stock to the Novak Tritium almost two years ago. I find it easier to pick up the front sight than before. They call it a "Mega Dot" but to be honest it's not all that much bigger than a common Ameriglo Glock Tritium front sight ring.

https://www.brownells.com/aspx/search/productdetail.aspx?sid=78379&pid=41993

I'm not the fanciest LCR shooter, but I can manage to get ok groups.

69040

69041

[BehindBlueI's]

I tested the black sight vs a FO vs an old school nail polish-ed front sight vs the dot. For the purposes of the LCR, I went with the tritium dot. FO will be slightly more precise. Tritium-dot will be slightly faster. Neither will be Earth-shatteringly different, but will be measurably different, assuming normal lighting range. If you're shooting in the real dark you'll probably be using a light anyway and the FO will either light up or default to black/black with backlighting in the role a snub is going to be employed in. Tritium is, of course, more visible.

[mtnbkr]

Thanks both of you. That confirms what I expected. Will be ordering the tritium sight today.

Chris

[Elwin]

Not to recommend something different than the plan you already have, but I did have a similar experience with red fiber. For me, it just doesn't show up any better than a plain black sight except in the brightest daylight. I found that green fiber, especially with orange paint on the steel of the sight around the dot, was much, much better. The green rod for me did a far better job of collecting light. Between it and the orange paint, I could easily pick up the sight in every lighting condition short of the point where tritium is the only thing that'll work.

That said, I do like tritium as well and definitely won't tell you not to go that route. The switch to green fiber just comes to mind as a potentially very cheap and easy fix if red fiber isn't working for one's eyes.

[Spartan1980]

Green is much brighter and therefore faster to pick up for me too. It also works on a wider color variety of backgrounds.

[BN]

I'm another fan of green. And sometimes you just need to wipe the crud off the fiber.

[Totem Polar]

I have two LCRs, one with the “OEM” lipsey or whomever it was, tritium white dot up front with the purple grips, as well as an original recipe LCR—with the black blade that I jettisoned to install an XS sights “standard dot orange” front.

Either one works fine—and far better than the black blade, let alone a stock J-frame, but I find the white tritium dot to have just a little bit more detail for fine work, while being basically the same size for fast, devil-may-care sighting.

All of which is to say: the tritium vial in the large white dot works very well in regular light, and passably in dark. That would be my vote, FWIW.

[mtnbkr]

re: Green FO.

I considered that route, but didn't want to put 50% of the tritium's cost into another sight only to find out it didn't solve the problem, which was low light visibility.

Chris

[peterb]

re: Green FO.

I considered that route, but didn't want to put 50% of the tritium's cost into another sight only to find out it didn't solve the problem, which was low light visibility.


With many fiber optic sights, you can replace the fiber without replacing the sight.

https://dawsonprecision.com/sights/hi-output-fiber-optic/

[kjr_29]

Not to recommend something different than the plan you already have, but I did have a similar experience with red fiber. For me, it just doesn't show up any better than a plain black sight except in the brightest daylight. I found that green fiber, especially with orange paint on the steel of the sight around the dot, was much, much better. The green rod for me did a far better job of collecting light. Between it and the orange paint, I could easily pick up the sight in every lighting condition short of the point where tritium is the only thing that'll work.

That said, I do like tritium as well and definitely won't tell you not to go that route. The switch to green fiber just comes to mind as a potentially very cheap and easy fix if red fiber isn't working for one's eyes.

+1, installed the Hi-Viz green FO on mine. Paired with a handheld light, does all that I need.

I actually came to really like the green FO through experimenting with my waterfowl shotgun. Original fiber on it was red. Much easier to pick up after swapping to a green hi viz in low light.


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[Crazy Dane]

Amazon.com : TRUGLO Replacement Fibers for Firearm and Archery Fiber Optic Sights : Sports & Outdoors (https://www.amazon.com/TRUGLO-Replacement-Fibers-060X5-5-Multiple/dp/B000BFVCH4/ref=sr_1_2?crid=CKLQQG2FEUTD&dchild=1&keywords=fiber%2Boptic%2Bsight%2Breplacement&qid=1616252956&sprefix=fiber%2Boptic%2Bsight%2Br%2Caps%2C215&sr=8-2&th=1&psc=1)

I just ordered these for my GP. I know from my experience with archery sights the ruby red that comes in this is brighter than the plain red. I want to try the orange also. I never cared for the yellow even though it gathers more light in low light conditions than the other colors, it would wash out in bright conditions.

I have the standard ramp sight on my LCR which i painted with Neon Pop Orange nail polish and does what I need it to.

[Gun Nerd]

I put the Meprolight tritium sight on mine and did the JohnO DIY high visibility sight mod (orange reflective tape with a hole punched in it to keep the dot visible). It works pretty well except the dot is kind of small and dim.

I was tempted to switch to the factory option-type standard dot, but I borrowed a friend’s gun with one of those and found it significantly less precise past 7 yards.

The only other option that tempts me at all is green fiber optic.