TruGlo TFO sights hit the mark for accuracy and quick aquisition...
Written: Mar 15 '09 (Updated May 09 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Bright and easy to acquire, glows clearly in low-light, snag free draws and re-holstering.
Cons: Pricey for a $550 gun, can't install yourself.
The Bottom Line: These sights brought out the best in my XD, also gives me 24/hour sight acquisition. Best upgrade besides laser for XD.
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| openroad's Full Review: Truglo Tfo Tritium/Fiber Optic Handgun Sight Sprin... |
Handgun sights have come a long way in the last decade and owners now have the option of replacing their factory sights with Tritium night sights (visible glow in lo-light/no-light) or Fiber Optic sights which offer excellent illumination during daylight and brilliant three-dot pattern thanks to the internal small fiber optic rods. TruGlo just made life perfect for owners of Glock, Sig, H&K USP, Kimber, and Springfield XD pistols by combining the daytime brightness of fiber optics with the night-time glow of Tritium, which they've cleverly named the... TFO sight.
So why upgrade your sights?
For starters, I've owned my Springfield XD 9mm Service pistol for 18 months and have fired more than 2,000 rounds through it. The factory sights are fine and I have no problem with the 3-dot design. The problem is the factory sights have always been off, and I don't mean a little bit, I mean WAY off. At 10' distance I had to hold the center dot completely above the rear sight notch, and a few ticks to the right... just to hit near the center of target. Sighting in at 20' was a joke, I was holding high and right like I needed to and hitting the sight-in target was nearly impossible with anything close to consistancy. From what I understand it's a hit or miss (pun intended) whether your XD has accurate sights from the factory, my gunsmith has done at least a half-dozen XD sight upgrades from unsatisfied owners looking for accuracy.
I decided it was time to get my pistol sighted in correctly, otherwise I couldn't count on it at the range or for self defence should I ever need it. The problem then became apparent, factory XD sights are extremely hard to remove and require a special press. Adjustments are nearly impossible as front sight damage is likely. I decided it was time to upgrade to a better sight and have an expert install a set of TFOs.
Using the TruGlo TFO
First of all, the brightness of these sights is amazing after becoming used the the dull greyish-white of the factory sights. My rear sights are a bright yellow and the single front dot is green, this makes it easy to distinguish your orientation quickly and instinctively, although it's possible to get all three dots in green. The sight design has a ramped front side and rounded edges on the backside to prevent snagging on draw or re-holstering. These sights draw quickly and smoothly from both my Crossbreed Supertuck and Fobus Paddle holsters, no hitches or snags which is a big plus.
After launching a few hundred rounds downrange I'm totally impressed with the sight aquisition and with the speed you're able to aquire a target through the sights. On my XD there's a slight gap on either side of the front sight when spaced in the middle of the rear sight, this is fine with me as it's easy to make micro adjustments to the drift this way. I emptied a few magazines at the firing range with the lights in my lane dimmed down to low, the Tritium glowed bright enough to easily see and aquire my target. If combined with a Surefire type rail-mounted weapon light this would make a great home-defense setup for low-light conditions.
As far as accuracy, my XD is spot on now and I was grouping my shots in a 6" circle at 25" without a bench rest. This really has more to do with the sights being installed correctly than with the sight itself, however it's easier to hit accurate follow up shots with the TFOs.
Bottom Line
I ended up dropping $175 on this upgrade after an hour of shop time at the gunsmith and the $115 I paid for the sights. WARNING: From what I've heard, this is a nearly impossible job to do yourself only because the XD sights are notoriously hard to drive off the slide. Damage to something is very likely and a special press is used for Springfield XD sights.
I highly recommend this upgrade if you want an improved sight with night and low-light visibility. Especially if you're like me and find your factory sights aren't close to accurate.
Related Links:
Vortex StrikeFire Red Dot Rifle Sight
LaserMax Guide Rod Laser Sighting System for Springfield XD
Crossbreed Supertuck IWB Holster
Fobus SP11 Paddle Holster
CRK&T My Tighe Knife
Thanks for reading and feel free to comment!
© Openroad 2009
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