Red vs Green Fiber Optic Front Sights

[GRV]

Can't believe I couldn't find such a thread.

Which color fiber optic do you prefer and why?


I don't want to hear how "the human eye is most sensitive to green" because that's a precise statement about an equal comparison in a vacuum....and has little to do with whether Fiber Optic Products fluorescent green fiber or fluorescent red fiber is a better choice for a front sight. On the other hand, I'm happy to hear things like "green, because it appears brighter and is easier to see for me".

I used to think almost everyone shot red, and that's basically all I ever see in the competitive world. I was starting to take it as a "clue", but then recently I found out LAV and Pannone shoot green. Now I'm wondering if there is a pattern due to specific reasons.

[MVS]

Just watching Paul Sharp's latest video on this subject. He prefers the green as well. I use red to keep it the same as my RDS guns. Maybe that is not a great reason, but it works for me.

[TheRoland]

Can't believe I couldn't find such a thread.

Which color fiber optic do you prefer and why?


I don't want to hear how "the human eye is most sensitive to green" because that's a precise statement about an equal comparison in a vacuum....and has little to do with whether Fiber Optic Products fluorescent green fiber or fluorescent red fiber is a better choice for a front sight. On the other hand, I'm happy to hear things like "green, because it appears brighter and is easier to see for me".

I used to think almost everyone shot red, and that's basically all I ever see in the competitive world. I was starting to take it as a "clue", but then recently I found out LAV and Pannone shoot green. Now I'm wondering if there is a pattern due to specific reasons.

Green. It generally glows brighter for me.

But it's so close that all of my fibers that originally came in red are still red, because the difference isn't worth the couple of minutes it would take to swap.

[BCL]

I prefer red because it is easier for me to see (color vision issues - can't see green as well as red). Green is brighter than red and easier to pick up in low-light. Stoeger (and I believe Vogel) also use green.

If either color is too bright, you can sharpie the rod a little to tone it down. On really bright days, the fiber (especially green) can bloom out the entire front sight post, making low-probability shots particularly difficult.

[GRV]

Wait, Vogel runs green!? I thought for sure he ran red. Not only have I seen pictures of such, and no pictures of green, but his signature sights come with red fiber and no extra green to swap.

FWIW, my guess going into this thread was that competitive shooters use red because of better contrast or something and the .mil types use green for better low-light visibility. Though, now that I think about it, I'd imagine green better contrasts with all the cardboard and dirt found in action shooting.

[pr1042]

I've always used red but am trying green when my replacement front sight comes in (forgot to add loctite...)

IIRC from the podcast, Stoeger switched to green after shooting a match in with some targets in the shade/darker area and couldn't see the red.

[BCL]

Wait, Vogel runs green!? I thought for sure he ran red. Not only have I seen pictures of such, and no pictures of green, but his signature sights come with red fiber and no extra green to swap.

I don't know what he is currently running, but in the Vogel for TTI video, he had green fiber on his G35.

https://youtu.be/u7WkpOM-bW8?t=3m20s (no idea how to embed a video properly.)

I personally think green is better overall, especially if you run a sharpie down the rod a little, as you have better performance in low light. I just can't see green that well unfortunately.

[olstyn]

Though, now that I think about it, I'd imagine green better contrasts with all the cardboard and dirt found in action shooting.

My Dawson front came with red installed, and I haven't felt the need to swap it out. There's a ton of grass and a lot of trees and other foliage at the range at which I most commonly shoot USPSA anyway, so I figure the red is better for me, but I could be completely wrong.

[Clusterfrack]

I've used both, and prefer green. The green dot appears sharper, and comes into focus faster for me.

[ReverendMeat]

Green. Definitely seems to pop more, red always looks too dark to me.

Either is better than blue, though. Saw a new Colt 1911 with blue FO front sight (to match the blue grips) and it didn't work worth a shit.