Old eyes and home defense.

[jtcarm]

It has occurred to me in home defense, I wouldnt have time to don glasses. So today I tried shooting the revolver super-test with just range glasses.

Yikes!

Only familiarity with the gun gave me some clue where the FS was.

My 15-yard target looked like it’d been hit by a load of 000 fired from a rifled barrel.

5 & 10 were close to passable.

The gun is a 3” M-64 with painted FS. Shooting with my grandpa glasses, I normally score 162-172. This is my carry and night stand gun.

I fared a little better with a 4” M66 equipped with a 1/10” FO post.

While there’s nowhere in my house I’d have a 15-yard shot, I’d like to be able to see my front sight when I wake up suddenly in a dark house. Is it time to think about a laser? Red dot? Different gun?

I have a Novak night sight of the same height as the M-64s ramp. I think it’s high time to get it installed.

So you other folks who can’t see an FS without glasses, what’s on your bedside for when something goes bump in the night and you can’t grab your specs?

[BillSWPA]

Th pistol that is secured for rapid bedside access is a 1911 with a Crimson Trace Lasergrip as well as Novak tritium sights. I can see well enough to distinguish targets from family members without my glasses (although that is certainly a reason I would grab my glasses any time I had the extra couple of seconds to do so), but the front sight would be a problem. The laser sight solves the sighting problem.

My primary carry guns do not have lasers, but most of my tiny backup/NPE guns do have Crimson Trace lasers.



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[Wingate's Hairbrush]

If you don't have time to grab your glasses, you may or may not have time to grab your firearm; either way, distance and front sight won't be a factor.

[Dave T]

...either way, distance and front sight won't be a factor.

I have heard this time and time again down through the years. Back when i was training cops I got the department to stage a "night training" once a year. Other agencies sent some of their people to get the experience. Every time I ran into an officer who told me he/she didn't have to aim at close quarters, and in poor lighting, I would find they didn't hit very much if at all. This was particularly popular with the Feds who would stop by on occasion (BP, Customs, F&WS). So, in my declining years I remain skeptical. (smile)

Dave

[Stephanie B]

CT Lastergrips on a S&W Model 65.

[Wingate's Hairbrush]

I have heard this time and time again down through the years. Back when i was training cops I got the department to stage a "night training" once a year. Other agencies sent some of their people to get the experience. Every time I ran into an officer who told me he/she didn't have to aim at close quarters, and in poor lighting, I would find they didn't hit very much if at all. This was particularly popular with the Feds who would stop by on occasion (BP, Customs, F&WS). So, in my declining years I remain skeptical. (smile)
Dave

I'm familiar with the tropes referenced and agree with you.

My point in the scenario OP posits -- which is different than general close quarters in poor lighting -- is that if there's no time to get glasses on it means the target is in the room and upon you, in which case assuming you can get the firearm into play, it's going to be an entangled or contact shot.

[Dave T]

I'm familiar with the tropes referenced and agree with you.

My point in the scenario OP posits -- which is different than general close quarters in poor lighting -- is that if there's no time to get glasses on it means the target is in the room and upon you, in which case assuming you can get the firearm into play, it's going to be an entangled or contact shot.

Point taken!

Dave

[BN]

My bedside pistol is a Glock 17 with Ameriglo Tritium sights, CT Laser grips and a big light on the rail.

[HCM]

I have heard this time and time again down through the years. Back when i was training cops I got the department to stage a "night training" once a year. Other agencies sent some of their people to get the experience. Every time I ran into an officer who told me he/she didn't have to aim at close quarters, and in poor lighting, I would find they didn't hit very much if at all. This was particularly popular with the Feds who would stop by on occasion (BP, Customs, F&WS). So, in my declining years I remain skeptical. (smile)

Dave

How long ago was this?

Can’t speak to the other agencies but the BP course of fire was the same for a decades prior to me coming in and anything beyond the 1.5 yard retention shooting was sighted fire at eye level. At 3 yards we have traditionally use the term referencing your sites which basically turns in to bring the gun to eye level and aiming with the whole gun instead of just the sights, Crude but it is still a form of sighted fire.

Subsequently in the nuclear night sights era, We officially run a night fire familiarization At 3 yards we have traditionally use the term referencing your sites which basically turns in to bring the gun to I level an email with the whole gun instead of the site we shoot the standard course of fire without light omitting the 25 yard line. Locally, to give a better frame of reference we started shooting out to 25 yards with night sites in low light. What we found wasMany of our marginal performers shot 20 to 30 points higher than their normal qualification scores because they had nothing to look at but the sights.
.
For the OP, you may want to try and auto pistol with something like the Trijicon HD sites or even the XS sights for no glasses use though a red dot sight or laser would likely be the best soloution.

You can mount a red dot sight to most Smith and Wesson and Ruger adjustable sight revolvers without too much trouble if you are more comfortable running a revolver. Do a search as we have a thread going on revolvers with red dots.

A weapon mounted light is the biggest argument for a modern semi auto as a home defense gun all those Smith and Wesson does make the TR8.

[Dave T]

How long ago was this?

Mid-1980s. All the Federal officers who participated were carrying revolvers, loaded with 110g 38 Special +P+ rounds which seemed to be held in some contempt by most.

Dave