Dumb question on Siglite sights...
Because I have been on vacation (I'm a public high school teacher but I'm back in the saddle to teach my government students the truth about the Second Amendment again). I haven't been on this forum for a while.
Last April I ordered a Sig 229 in .40 S&W. I didn't think it would ever arrive. I called Sig in June and they told me maybe in January or February of 2003 they would come in because law enforcement had snapped them all up.
Anyway, my gun broker found one in Minnesota. It is the nitron coated Sig with the Siglites on it. I finally got it in July (3 and a half months). It shoots as good as all of you said it would. And, I have never had a pistol that was easier to field strip and clean either. So THANKS for all my forum amigos who talked me into this!
I got to wondering how the little green lights work. Do they have to be exposed to light like glow in the dark stuff or do they have their own internal source of light power? I took mine into pitch dark and they just glowed away. I was curious as to how they worked.
Again, if you ever see a tall dark and not so handsome guy at Lake City Range near Blue Springs Missouri, say hello. I always share the shooting experience and my firearms with others.
Last April I ordered a Sig 229 in .40 S&W. I didn't think it would ever arrive. I called Sig in June and they told me maybe in January or February of 2003 they would come in because law enforcement had snapped them all up.
Anyway, my gun broker found one in Minnesota. It is the nitron coated Sig with the Siglites on it. I finally got it in July (3 and a half months). It shoots as good as all of you said it would. And, I have never had a pistol that was easier to field strip and clean either. So THANKS for all my forum amigos who talked me into this!
I got to wondering how the little green lights work. Do they have to be exposed to light like glow in the dark stuff or do they have their own internal source of light power? I took mine into pitch dark and they just glowed away. I was curious as to how they worked.
Again, if you ever see a tall dark and not so handsome guy at Lake City Range near Blue Springs Missouri, say hello. I always share the shooting experience and my firearms with others.
0
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They are tritium and should glow on their own for about a decade before they need replacement.
Three Precious Metals: Gold, silver and lead0 -
The above is correct but the physics of them are a little more complex.To make it short,makeing them glow is the easy part.At one point they have to capture some UV light.Getting them to retain there glow is the trick.Again to make it short,any light captured by the sights they retain for a very long period.And require a certain amount of light to glow.Once they have captured the light the process starts over again.Its kind of like fuel and they are worth their weight in Gold.
Best!!
Rugster
Toujours Pret0 -
quote:
Because I have been on vacation (I'm a public high school teacher but I'm back in the saddle to teach my government students the truth about the Second Amendment again). I haven't been on this forum for a while.
Last April I ordered a Sig 229 in .40 S&W. I didn't think it would ever arrive. I called Sig in June and they told me maybe in January or February of 2003 they would come in because law enforcement had snapped them all up.
Anyway, my gun broker found one in Minnesota. It is the nitron coated Sig with the Siglites on it. I finally got it in July (3 and a half months). It shoots as good as all of you said it would. And, I have never had a pistol that was easier to field strip and clean either. So THANKS for all my forum amigos who talked me into this!
I got to wondering how the little green lights work. Do they have to be exposed to light like glow in the dark stuff or do they have their own internal source of light power? I took mine into pitch dark and they just glowed away. I was curious as to how they worked.
Again, if you ever see a tall dark and not so handsome guy at Lake City Range near Blue Springs Missouri, say hello. I always share the shooting experience and my firearms with others.
Welcome back-- Hope to see you on here more often. Is this the first Sig you have owned ?? I have fired the .45, .40 and 9mm and they all fire with so much ease. I especially love the .45, it belongs to my son and I out shoot him every time with it. makes these young whipper snappers upset when that happens. They are great guns. Hope you like yours as well. Beejay0 -
I don't want to start any arguments, BUT Tritium is a radioactive isotope. It glows because it is a low level radioactive substance, not because of ever being exposed to light. It has a half life like all radioactive material. It looses its luminescence as the isotope decays. You could have the gun sitting in a dresser drawer in a dark room for a year or in a window well for the same length of time, one will not be any brighter than the other. The isotope is contained in a small glass vial. Each vial is one of the dots of your sight. If a vial should be damaged it can leak and your sight will go dim or out completely. The modern companies that make the night sights have warranties to go along with their products should they go out prematurely. However, if the sights have been altered or damaged in some way, your warranty may be void.
Phosphorus glows from being exposed to light, not tritium.
Edited by - lrarmsx on 08/28/2002 23:04:580
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