Sponsored by Trijicon
By Dustin Dodd for Police1 BrandFocus
Every law enforcement agency has its own set of policies and procedures for firearms. Every firing range used by law enforcement has its own directions or parameters for personnel at the range. While guidelines governing the use of duty weapons vary across the nation, nearly every safety regulation regarding the use of a firearm in law enforcement can be broken down into four basic rules:
- Every gun is always loaded.
- Never point your weapon at anything you are not willing to destroy.
- Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to destroy your target.
- Be sure of your target and beyond.
It is the last rule that frequently is the most difficult to adhere to. It is easy to follow when you are at the range. You know that you are safe. Your target is often a menacing piece of paper stapled to a very threatening, immobile piece of cardboard. The paper may even have a photo of a person holding some sort of weapon to make it that much easier for you to pull the trigger. The backdrop of your target is a giant dirt mound that eagerly eats every round you throw at it.
It is another thing entirely to be sure of your target and beyond it while on the street, under extreme stress with moving, angry, humans. It is already hard enough to level your sight picture, control your breathing, and focus your eyes on the front sight to fire accurately. It is even harder in the dead of night.
Firing your weapon is the single greatest responsibility every law enforcement officer has. If that day comes, it is critical that the rounds are delivered, not only accurately and effectively, but to the intended target. Every officer is responsible for every round fired. A clear, easily identifiable sight system is the best way to properly align the weapon at the threat. Trijicon’s Bright & Tough Night Sights enable officers to do just that.
Trijicon’s Bright & Tough Night Sights were the first of their kind on the market nearly forty years ago. I have personally used them on my duty weapon for roughly twenty years. I have fired thousands of rounds through a .40 caliber Glock in my years of service. I did not have to have the sights adjusted a single time. In serving double duty at both department range training and SWAT trainings over the years, my service weapon took a beating.
I have raked the rear sights numerous times along my belt to cycle the firearm in a one-handed malfunction clearance drill. I have repeatedly ground them into the ground while shooting my rifle prone. I am sure that I have inadvertently applied at least one entire bottle of solvent to them by now. Rugged and reliable, Trijicon’s Bright & Tough Night Sights steadily glowed the same soft blueish-green the last time I fired my weapon as the first day it was issued to me.
Comprised of an isotope of hydrogen, the Tritium phosphor gas-filled front and rear sights generate their own soft light, making them easy to see to ensure proper sight alignment, even in low-light or no light conditions. Bright enough to see yet not distort one’s vision, the Bright & Tough Night Sights provide a balance that has enhanced my abilities to accurately fire my weapon. Compared to iron sights, the ability to see the Tritium lamps and align them properly in the middle of the night will continue to be a game changer.
For bright light or even daylight conditions, Trijicon applied a thin, white ring around each light chamber to enhance the ability for the human eye to focus and utilize them properly. The ring does not interfere with or obstruct the lamps, making the sights dependable no matter what shift an officer is assigned to.
Trijicon added a sapphire jewel to each lamp to ensure the light is distributed evenly and to help safeguard them from the abuse of modern law enforcement. The sights are further encapsulated in an aluminum cylinder and embedded in a silicon rubber to protect them from violent recoil, or the occasional inadvertent application of copious amounts of solvent. Certified to remain functional in all climates, as well as impact and vibration tested, the sights will function in the diverse environments we serve and protect.
Superior to iron sights, Trijicon’s Bright & Tough Night Sights have been reliably used by law enforcement officers across the nation for years. If they are ever needed, the sights can be depended upon to accurately deliver rounds to the threat with precision, no matter what the lighting conditions are. Trijicon’s Tritium lamps will help an officer be sure of where, and upon which target, their force will be applied.
Visit Trijicon for more information.
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About the Author
Dustin Dodd is an active-duty detective supervisor for a municipal police department in the California Bay Area. He was sworn in 2001, and his assignments have included K-9 handler, explosive ordnance disposal, SWAT explosive breacher, driver training instructor, traffic accident reconstruction and computer and cellular phone forensic examiner.