I have long been a fan of XS Sights — the XS Express Sighting Systems in particular. XS Express Sights are based on the express sights used on big-bore double rifles used for hunting dangerous game in Africa.
Consisting of a shallow “V”-shaped rear sight and a bead-type front sight, express sights are extremely fast; they are the fastest close-range open sights bar none.
XS’s modern version of express sights provides two size choices for the front sight — Standard Dot and Big Dot — and adds a Trijicon Tritium Vial insert surrounded by a white ceramic housing for quick acquisition in daylight conditions. The “V” rear sight is available with a plain white stripe or a white stripe with Tritium insert. I have always preferred the plain-white rear sight stripe, as I only want to worry about aligning one glowing object on a threat during a close-range encounter in low light.
Personal Experience With XS Express Sights
I have been using XS Express Sights on many of my handguns since 2005.
One thing I’ve found out through personal experience with XS Express Sights (now referred to as XS “DXT” and “DXW” Sights) over the years is that they are also a great system to use for teaching shooting basics to novices. One simply instructs a new shooter to “make a lollipop” by putting the front dot on the rear “stick” for alignment. This has proven to be a lot easier than explaining how to align standard sights. I highly recommend them for someone who is just starting out in the world of concealed carry, as they definitely shorten the learning curve. (Of course, they are great for the experienced shooter as well.) We made XS Sights the official sighting system of our 727 Counter Terror Training Unit back in 2006 due to their quickness in highly volatile close-quarters (bus, train and aircraft interiors) terrorist confrontations. They also obstruct your field of view far less than any other open sight currently on the market.
New Handgun Sight From XS
XS’s newest handgun sight, the F8 (which I assume stands for “Figure Eight”), is a departure to a more conventional handgun sighting format that still provides the user with some of the latest in modern sighting concepts.
The XS F8 starts with a fixed rear sight that at first glance appears to be a wide square notch. However, after reading the specifications, I found that the rear notch is actually gently rounded at the base into a “U” shape. XS says that the “U” shape draws the focus to the top edges of the sight for proper alignment. I’m not quite sure about that, but the extra width of the rear notch comes in handy for quick and precise alignment and leaves a fair amount of daylight on either side of the front sight.
The Rear Sight
The rear sight also features an angled overhang, which isn’t noticeable unless viewed from the side. This overhang helps prevent glare in bright sunlight. XS uses it instead of serrations to accomplish this task.
Instead of the almost standard Novak-type ramping on rear sights these days to reduce “snagging” on clothing when drawing from concealment, the F8 stands proud and provides a ledge to use in emergency one-handed slide manipulation.
Midway below the rear notch and the base is a very small Tritium dot, which forms the base of the figure eight when aligned with the front sight. While it is not large enough to form a true figure eight, it does help pull the front sight into alignment. In fact, if you do hold a true contact figure eight with the front and rear sight dots, the top of the front sight will be well below the top of the rear sight, thus throwing the shots low.
The Front Sight
The front sight is extremely eye-catching. In its center is the same-sized Tritium vial that is in the rear sight. Surrounding the vial is a bright orange “photoluminescent” ring. The orange ring not only naturally draws your eye to it via the color, its particles also absorb ambient light and glow when “charged” for a limited time period. The front sight can be charged with a tactical handheld light if the situation allows, giving an orange and green glow. If not, the tritium vial is sufficient. I found that sights pick up well under a wide variety of lighting conditions both indoors and out. This is very important to those of us who are older shooters and are losing our ability to easily focus on sights. The F8 setup is a marvelous design.
Conclusions
I had the opportunity to mount the XS F8 sights on my Gen1 Glock 17 and pack it while on duty. I installed the F8 rear sight using a Glock rear sight pusher tool. There are videos on the XS webpage that explain how to mount the sights without a sight tool. If you have any doubts about installation, XS offers an installation service for about $40.
I found I really like the F8s. As it turns out, they are nearly as fast as the XS Express Sights but have an advantage at increased ranges. With the Express Sight System, once the distance is 25 yards or greater, you have to switch from a dead-center hold on your target to a 6 o’clock hold. None of that is necessary with the F8 sights, which makes them a bit of a better choice for a law enforcement duty pistol — where extended distance shots may be necessary — or for the person who wants to use his or her self-defense pistol in competition.
The new XS F8 Night Sights are an excellent addition to the XS product line and a superb option for those folks who want a solid sighting system designed to enhance visibility in high-stress situations, especially at extended ranges. The F8 is available for a wide range of defensive pistols. MSRP is $142.
More info at: www.xssights.com
