XS Sighting Systems

There are a lot of sights in the industry for many firearms, Glocks are probably one of the most modular and easy to “Do it yourself” firearms out there. The aftermarket products for Glocks are staggering. Most Glock owners first modification, and for some their only, is to change the sights. The Glock plastic sight are possibly the worst sights you could own. They are flimsy, plastic, and truthfully outdated. Glock probably doesn’t change them because the market has plenty of affordable choices that you can replace them with. One of those choices are from XS Sighting Systems. They started out as Ashley Research and Development in 1996 and then A&E Mfg., Ashley Outdoors, AO Sight, Express Sights and finally XS Sights. Some companies with rich histories says something about them, they are committed. On their website they state that their sights are “Ultimate defensive tritium night sights” and “Aids in placing shots on target in high-stress and/or with imperfect vision”. We shall see.

Features

The XS Standard dot sights came in very nice and functional packaging with the model number and a list of compatible firearms. Unlike other sights, it came with a front sight tool, nylon punch, some type red thread locker, a rear sight hex wrench, and a very nice manual. It was nice to see such an assortment of equipment when you buy sights. Installation of the sights was really straight forward and I really enjoyed not needing a sight pusher to apply the rear sight. No modifications had to be made to the sights for fitting, but the manual has very good instructions if you have to. The rear sight had a very obtuse “V” shape to it with a single white line in the center. The front sight was rounded with a white PVC insert and a vile of Trijicon marked vile in the center. I found out later that the PVC insert makes it easier to maintain and also keep dust and lint off the front sight longer. Way better than the painted sights, especially if you shoot a lot and get plenty of carbon on the front sight.

Testing

After installation I ran around the house testing the sights with different color backgrounds and different lighting conditions. During dry practice I also realized that lining up the round front sight in the V-shape rear will be something to practice. My first range session was interesting. I started with a 7 yd. grouping exercise (slow fire for a nice tight group). Usually I can easily make all my rounds touch, but with the XS sights got the better of me. At 25 yards, I had problems getting tighter groups, still had effective hits on the body size target.

For shooting fast and close the sights worked as intended. Putting the big front sight on the target area and pressing shots. Shooting faster strings of fire was easy within 7-10 yards. I was able to track my front sight due to its large size. I enjoyed shooting on the move with the sights because it was hard to lose a front sight that made a distinctive appearance to the target area.

Playing with it more and more it became easier to line up these sights. My groups became tighter and like anything else new, there was a learning curve. The rear sight has a slight backwards angle to it giving a more difficult shelf to manipulate the slide. I was hoping for a flatter or more clawed area which to work off of. It still worked nonetheless. At distances further than 10 yards, the front sight being the slightly smaller size of the two was too large to do precise shooting. I didn’t like that, being someone who tends to drift towards slimmer front sights. To test the coating on the XS Sights I shot in a rainy setting and also let them get rained on. I didn’t and still haven’t cleaned or added and CLP to them. The coating protected as expected.

(Photo: Lone Wolf Distributors Slide and internals on a Danger Close Armament Modified Glock 19 frame)

Conclusion

The XS Sights aren’t the worst or the best that I have used. I didn’t enjoy having a harder time when shooting precise shots at distance. When shooting on the move these sights are easy to acquire for shooting fast and with a little practice you can make more accurate shots. Over all these sights are for a shooter that enjoys them. They aren’t for everyone but that’s why we have options.

MSRP: $95-$125 per set via xssights.com

Functionality: 4/5

Weight: 5/5

Durability: 5/5

Cost: 4/5

Comfort: N/A

Overall Total: 18/20

Material Disclosure

I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer via Spotter Up so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based off my personal experience with the product.