Glock Sight Comparison; Meprolight vs TruGlo TFO vs Ameriglo
I have been busy lately upgrading the sights of some of my pistols. This time around, I have tried out Meprolight (ML-10224) sights, Ameriglo (GL-115) sights and TruGlo TFO (TG131GTIY) fiber optic sights. They all fit well on Glock Pistol (9mm) and can be used at night.
After reading the manuals and documentations of Ameriglo, I found out the the Ameriglo sights is marked as Trijicon (contains Titanium) and manufactured by Trijicon.
Tritium is an isotope of Hydrogen with radioactive properties, which gives off electron and causes phosphorous to glow when it gets struck by the flow of electron. Devices like betalights leverage on this and are used for night sights and watches. Tritium is quite pricey costing around $30,000 for every gram.
Construction
Each of the three sights is made metal at their base, and contains tritium for illumination at night. Meprolight and Ameriglo sights come with a small ring white in color and installed around the tritium, making is easy to be used during the day. However TFO sights are made of fiber optics and don’t have white ring installed on them.
Good enough, each of the sight is sturdily constructed. They are made in such a way to last you a long while.
Meprolight sight and Ameriglo fit well on any gun they are installed on like the Glock pistol. What this means is that they have a standard front sight post, a dovetail at the back, and 30 degrees viewing angle. Due to the fiber optic component of TFO, its front and back are long. None of the three sights have the same length. TFO being the longest is 0.965 inches in length followed closely by Meprolight which spans 0.497 inches (12.62mm).
From what I have gathered, I got to know that TFO sights weren’t that good in the time past. Its fiber optic kept losing or falling off. But all seems to be long gone now. The one I have wouldn’t shake a bit no matter how hard I smack it. I intend using it as my training gun. Users of Trijicon sights have been complaining of having problems with the white paint on the sight cleaning off the instance a solvent touches it. I am yet to experience this, but will definitely report I encounter this on my Meprolight or Ameriglo sights.
Specifications
Ameriglo Meprolight TruGlo TFO Glock Factory Sights
Front Sight Length 0.451in (11.47mm) 0.497in (12.62mm) 0.965in (25.51mm) 0.301in (7.66mm)
Front Sight Height 0.164in (4.18mm) 0.172in (4.39mm) 0.194in (4.94mm) 0.153in (3.90mm)
Front Sight Width 0.139in (3.53mm) 0.160in (4.06mm) 0.141in (3.59mm) 0.159in (4.04mm)
Rear Sight Length 0.311in (7.91mm) 0.276in (7.01mm) 0.966in (24.55mm) 0.256in (6.51mm)
Rear Sight Height 0.167in (4.24mm) 0.187in (4.76mm) 0.218in (5.55mm) 0.206in (5.23mm)
Rear Sight Width 0.740in (18.81mm) 0.692in (17.59mm) 0.717in (18.21mm) 0.903in (22.95mm)
Rear Sight Aperture Width 0.151in (3.85mm) 0.140in (3.57mm) 0.147in (3.74mm) 0.140in (3.57mm)
Note: This is just the overall measurement with the exclusion of the dovetail. Glock rear sights are mounted on the dovetail, thus making the width measurement negligible.
Use during the day
When being used during the day, Meprolight and Ameriglo sights are no different from a normal white 3-dot sight. However, the illumination won’t be visible under sunlight. Visibility gets worse when placed in spots with low light. On the other hand, TFO illuminates well when placed under sunlight thanks to its fiber optics. The fiber optic light is so visible that it can be easily seen.
Ameriglo and Meprolight have a lot in common. The only difference is that Meprolights has a bigger tritium, with less white. TruGlo sight is distinctively different from the rest primarily due to its fiber optics. The yellow and green light it emits during the day can be easily seen no matter the light source. However, it is pretty difficult to see it in moderate light. They work best when placed in direct light or used at night. The dot does not give off sufficient light like the standard non-night post style sights.
Use at night
For me, sights with different colors at the front and rear are the best option. The rationale for this is that at night or times of the day when light is minimal, keeping up with the sights becomes difficult especially when they are of the same color. Your perception can become wacked putting you totally out of control of things. But since what works for me might not work for you, it is best you, I advise you try out stuffs till you find what is ideal for you.
For TFO and Ameriglo sights have green and yellow colors at their front and rear respectively. For Meprolight, it is green and orange. Every manufacturer gives you the freedom to choose a color you are comfortable with.
For me, orange and green sight is a much better option that yellow and green sights because orange contrast more than green. It sometimes hard to tell the difference between green and yellow, when placed in certain light condition.
Installation
If you have the right set of tools, installing the sights won’t be much of a problem. A 3/16 inches driver will definitely be needed. Not only is it effective, it is pretty cheap as well. Another tool you will need is a sight pusher like MGM Sight Pro Tool which allows you install and remove the rear sight.
There is nothing actually hard with installing sights on Glock. Get a punch and knock the stock on the front sight out, after which you will dismantle the factory rear sight. The factory sight that is made up of plastic often gets damaged when it is being removed. To install a new sight, use a screw to fasten the sight at the front end. Ensue there is proper alignment between all components. Fire some test bullets to know if there is need for adjustment.
Meprolight and Ameriglo fit amazingly well even with little effort. TFO wasn’t that easy, as I had to do some sanding at the front sight before I could finally fit in the notch. It appeared too big to me. I had to do some sanding to reduce the size, but I wasn’t still satisfied and had to perform some extra modification. I can’t really tell if all TFO will be smooth for you like it was to me. It is best you get your mind well prepared ahead of time for some modifications.
Conclusion
I have used Meprolight sights for some couple of years now, and I can only say they work and nothing else. This is true for other brands as well. Where the actual difference lies in most of the sights, is in the overall height of their sight post, sight gap and sight brightness. The best brightness and sight gap depends on your personal preference. Sight height is has to be right because it affects your aim and impact.
You don’t really need something that is excessively bright. Something you can see is enough.
XS sight system is another type of sight you can consider. There are just many types of sights out there you can choose from. What you finally settle for should be able to work well for you. My favorite is the standard 3-dot sight.
This is what works for me. It is left for you to find out what works for you. How you ask.. Keep testing until you can test no more.
On a final note, when making modification to things like firearm and weapons, it is important to get it tested before use to ensure it works in the way it is supposed to.