One of the many boundless things about 1911 sights is the infinite options for customization that they offer up for you. Probably the leading candidate for customization is the sights. As there are so many 1911 sights available in the best firearms market, the best possibilities are endless.
A 1911 gun is not restricted to a single gun maker. The 1911 sights are a specific style of handgun that is best famed by several of its 1911 sights features. These pistols have a short recoil process with a tilting barrel and swinging link when fired. The safety is on the back of the grip, which is then pushed into the frame by the web between the thumb and forefinger of your shooting hand.
The trigger is single action and is unhinged. It thrusts straight backward, which makes it quite less likely that your trigger-press will move the gun off of your target. These are the major essential handgun sights of the best 1911 sights.
Many guns have been made from these 1911 sights as it is easily the best base but also comes with other features that are dissimilar from the original, like no best barrel bushing and an external extractor instead of internal with a clear sight picture.
While there are plenty of debates among fanatics about what can or can’t go into a 1911’s design, it is sufficient to know that there are plenty of great guns on the market that are considered best 1911 sights. And a great gun merits a great sight. Read up on our guide for the best 1911 sights expert on the market as of this article.
| Sights | Name | Editor’s Comment | Rating | Get The Deal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Burris FastFire II Red Dot Reflex Sight, 4 MOA Dot Reticle | Most Recommended Option 1. Fine 4 MOA dot | 10/10 | SHOP NOW |
 | Kensight – 1911 Adjustable Night Sights | Premium Option 1. Green or yellow trijicon tritium inserts | 9.5/10 | SHOP NOW |
 | Novak – Semi-auto Tritium Dovetail Front Sight Government | 1. Low-profile design 2. Reduce residue accumulation on the face 3. Comes either with or without a high-visibility ring | 9.0/10 | SHOP NOW |
 | Trijicon 1911 HD Night Sight Set | 1. Deep U-Shaped notch on rear 2. Quick front sight acquisition 3. Three-dot design with tritium inserts and photoluminescent-ringed front sight | 9.0/10 | Currently unavailable |
 | Crimson Trace 1911 Lasergrip, Front Activation | 1. Integrated into an ergonomic 2. Extremely robust G10 side panel 3. Instinctive activation | 8.5/10 | Currently unavailable |
 | Vortex Razor Red Dot Reflex Sight | 1. Select between a 3 MOA and a 6 MOA dot size 2. Nine brightness settings 3. Covered by Vortex’s Popular Unlimited Lifetime Warranty | 8.0/10 | Currently unavailable |
 | 1911 Kimber Rear Night Sight Fixed Ghost Ring | 1. Rounded edges 2. Provide a completely smooth and snag-proof surface 3. Includes two white-outlined trijicon tritium inserts | 7.5/10 | Currently unavailable |
The Different Types of 1911 Aftermarket Sights
There are a few categories to choose from depending on what you want in a best 1911 sight – even one with fiber optic illumination and tritium night sights. While this article touches on open 1911 sights, it is good to know what the substitutes are, so you can make a well-informed decision on choosing the best 1911 sights for yourself in self defense or target shooting with a single handed clear sight picture. Take note that although we have front and rear sights in separate categories below’s 1911 sights, they often come as one set.
Front Sight
The front sight is attached to the front of your 1911 slide and typically appears as a black post when getting a sight picture for your 1911 sights. This post design can be changed in various ways to make it easier to quickly acquire your target for your 1911 fiber optic sight. Sometimes the post is simply painted white or comes with a white dot for your 1911 sight fiber optics.
Any other times, front sights come with a tritium insert that glows in the dark. This is often circled and painted in white paint. Fiber optic front sights are also a very prevalent option as they offer quick target acquisition. This makes them one of the most popular choices in target competition sights.
Rear Sight
Rear open sights are simply those that are attached to the rear of your 1911 slide for competition sights and other sight options for target shooting. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Usually, front and rear sights come as a set optimized to be perused together, such as with the popular three-dot arrangement. With three-dot sights, you line up a dot on the front sight with 2 similar dots at the end.
These often come with tritium for night-time illumination, usually ringed with light paint to provide contrast during the daytime. Fibre optic three-dot sights are also relatively popular. Other rear sights usually come with a simple notch or a dovetail. These best sights can be marked with paint in many ways to aid in lining the best front and rear sights up.
Reflex Sight
Reflex sights include both the red dot sight and holographic sights. In both choices, an image, dot, or reticule is proposed onto a curved piece of glass. Unlike with traditional sights, the point of aim specified will remain true no matter where the shooter’s eye is situated in relation to the 1911 sight.
The technology behind red dot sights is much humbler than that behind a holographic sight. In the latter case, the sight image is projected away from the holder’s eye, making it appear to be more or less on the same horizon as the target. They also offer some of the best aiming points on the best market for your sights, at approximately 1 MOA. EOTech dominates the market for holographic sights and they don’t come low-cost.
Red Dot
Red dot sight is the term for a laser projected onto a bent piece of glass. They offer no magnification, but moderately quick and easy both-eyes-open target achievement no matter where exactly your eye is placed relative to the best sight. Red dot sights actually come in a range of shades including red, green, and orange fiber optic sights.
They are a relatively unassuming technology, providing a very long battery life, and cost a lot less than best holographic sights. They are a lot higher profile than traditional open sights, which may be quite a problem with holstering night sights and concealed carry.
Ghost Ring
A ghost ring is a kind of aperture sight. Apertures are usually located on back-up iron sights on rifles, however they can also be used on handguns and fiber optic sights. A ghost ring is basically just an aperture that is much bigger in diameter than your standard pin-hole style. This decreases long-range accuracy, which is insignificant on a handgun.
It escalates the speed and ease of target acquisition with the help of your fiber optic sights. Although ghost rings are uncommon on handguns and may take some getting used to, as they don’t haze out the same way as it will on a rifle. A fibre optic front sight is a good choice to go with a ghost ring on your fiber optic sights.
Aspects to Consider Before Buying 1911 Pistol Sights
Your choice of sights is one of the areas of firearms where personal preference plays the biggest role. As usual, more trustworthy manufacturers generally offer products with better build quality and complete design.
Snag-Proof
One reflection is how snag-proof these sights are, especially if you intend to carry your 1911 concealed. You want some that aren’t going to hitch on your clothing, preventing you from making a quick draw and quick target acquisition with your sights.
Durability
Fibre optic target sights options offer great disparity and target acquisition, however they are not always very robustly built. If you just need something rock-solid, a standard painted steel open sight may be the best fit for you. If you think illumination for night-time shooting is a requirement, consider tritium.
Adjustability
Some sights, especially target modes, offer easy adjustments for windage and elevation. Otherwise, you will have to muddle around with tools to sight-in your gun. For most of us, this is all right, we only sight-in once in a while and the accuracy is adequate enough for practical purposes on our sights. For competition shooting, more adjustability may be needed on our sight.
Our Review of The Best 1911 Sights
With all the great diversified options out there, it can seem nearly impossible to choose a great sight. Here is our list of the best 1911 sights – as of this writing. Whatever your personal taste, there’s a great 1911 sight here for you.
1. Trijicon 1911 HD Night Sight Set
Trijicon brand itself started out in 1981 in Michigan. Trijicon is considered by many as a market leader in reflex sights, fibre optic sights, and sights using tritium for night-time visibility. Their brand name has made its place in firearm history with the ACOG series of fixed magnification sights with phosphorescent reticles that is popular with the military for self-defense
The design of the 1911 sight discourses the needs of tactical hunters for self-defense. It includes a three-dot design with green tritium lamp inserts. These inserts are warrantied for 12 years from the date of its manufacture. The aiming point on the front is ringed in photo-luminescent paint for distinct daytime visibility.
Besides the 2 tritium inserts for self defense sight, the rear comes with a wide U-shaped notch for greater visibility and faster front sight acquisition, even when exposed in low light conditions. As an additional design feature, the front surface of the rear sight is sharply hooked to enable emergency slide operation with just one hand.
This is an outstanding set for tactical purposes for self-defense purposes. It is especially ideal for night-time use in an urban setting on this night sights. Trijicon is certainly a company that knows what it’s doing and puts its products through systematic review and testing for this sight. The best features of this set are the tritium inserts and quick front sight attainment. The one-handed racking hook is also a nice touch for the sight.
2. Crimson Trace 1911 Lasergrip – Front Activation
Crimson Trace is a devoted laser sight manufacturer that was established back in 1994 in Oregon. They are currently owned by the well-known firearms dealer Smith & Wesson. Laser sights actually started out as a prop in the popular movie The Terminator, but have later achieved widespread popular application since the film came out in the mid-80s. Early sight models were big and bulky, but progress has brought us designs such as this one, integrated flawlessly into a dedicated 1911’s rear sight pistol grip.
This product uses two #2025 batteries to offer more than four hours of constant use. The proprietary Instinctive Activation feature automatically triggers the laser when you bring your 1911 rear sight up into an ordinary firing grip. It has a rubber, over-molded activation button combined into an ergonomic and belligerently robust G10 side panel.
The unit is factory sighted to 50 feet but provides user-adjustable windage and elevation on this rear sight. The dot size is about 1/2 inches at fifty feet. This product is attuned with any 1911 sight with grip screws measuring up to 3 1/16 inches apart. It is fully-compatible with ambidextrous safeties and is enclosed by a three-year limited warranty.
From their big-screen beginnings, laser sights have found acceptance in various tactical contexts. They can also be really good training aids. Whatever your intended use is, the Crimson Trace is an outstanding choice. Its top features include the fine dot size and also the ergonomic, durable grip.
3. Novak Semi-Auto Tritium Dovetail Front Sight Government
Sometimes we find ourselves feeling real contented with our rear sights but are not too sure about the front one. Luckily, plenty of choices for a modular update exist in the market. If you expect to shoot a lot in low light conditions, tritium can basically be your lifesaver.
Novak has been producing extraordinary products in West Virginia since 1985. This front sight is a low-profile unit though. Due to its short length, it accrues less residue on its face during firing. It also offers a slick and gorgeous profile for any 1911. A side benefit is a stress-free, snag-free draw.
The sight picture comes with a bright tritium insert enclosed by a high-visibility white ring. Versions without the white ring are also accessible as some shooters find them distracting. However, we recommend sticking with the ring, as you are better off focusing on your front sight.
This 1911 sight is made of pre-heat-treated 4140 American steel that has been precision CNC machined in the U.S.A. and finished with black nitride. It features a front roll pin hole for security purposes and an extra-reliable position.
This is a great tritium sight that comes with a classic low-profile design. The top features are the tritium insert and the discretionary white ring around it. The low-profile design will also be alluring to some shooters. It is an all-around pretty good choice.
4. Kensight 1911 Adjustable Night Sights
Kensight has been around since 1997 and it focuses in high-end competition sights and precision night sights. This rear sight brings together 2 design goals that you don’t usually find together. It is envisioned to be both a solid, low-printing concealed carry choice and an easily adjustable target-style sight.
In simple words, it is a dot night sight with rounded corners on the blade and beveled edges on the base to significantly reduce snag. The rear blade contains 2 Trijicon tritium lamp inserts in either green or yellow shade. These are ringed in white outlines for better conspicuousness in the daylight.
The rear blade is jagged to break up light reflection for improved sight acquisition. The body is EDM machined from 4140 chrome-moly steel. This is then heat-treated and vacuum-tempered to retain extra-tight machining forbearances. The windage and promotion knobs adjust with precise clicks, providing you with consistent and predictable changes in aim point.
If you love the convenient adjustability of a dot night sight but worry that it won’t function effectively for concealed carry, this rear sight is certainly made for you. The top features are the tritium inserts, beveled edges, and the detailed clicks of the adjustment knobs. This is a top-quality item for thoughtful shooters and is great for law enforcement applications.
5. Burris FastFire II Red Dot Reflex Sight, 4 MOA Dot Reticle
Burris has existed for a long time and is currently owned by Beretta. Red dot sights are our personal preference, as the speed of target acquisition with them is hard to top. We also prefer open red dots such as this one over the tube design, as they offer less obstruction of your view downrange.
This model delivers a 4 MOA dot, which is on the finer end of the spectrum for red dots. This may seem like an imprecise aim point, however it is a lot better than what open sights have to offer. This features an automatic brightness sensor that adjusts the dot intensity conferring to ambient light conditions.
The absence of magnification lets you acquire your target with both eyes open for greater situational awareness. The boost adjustment gives you a 115 MOA range to play with while you have an 86 MOA range with windage.
This sight window has a field of view of 190 feet wide and at 100 yards. The high-grade optical glass is multi-coated for the best possible lucidity, brightness, durability, and glare elimination. It is solid and lightweight so it won’t affect the balance or handling of your 1911.
The leading features are the lifetime warranty, fine dot size, and the automatic brightness adjustment. If you want to try it out on a different firearm, no problem at all. It will mount on just about anything with a Picatinny rail. The entirely metal body is waterproof, shockproof, and recoil-proof, tested to endure up to 1000 Gs. It is covered by a lifetime warranty.
6. Vortex Razor Red Dot Reflex Sight
Vortex has been around for almost twenty years, and in that period of time they have taken a huge market share from their contenders in the optics field. They are the only company besides EOTech to yield a holographic sight and they offer some of the best warranties in the business.
This is a sweet little sight made from Vortex with all the features you are looking for. It has a waterproof and shockproof O-ring sealed chassis secondary glass with protective multi-coating. The glass also has great brightness and anti-reflective assets. This can remain on the highest brightness setting for more or less one year using a single CR2032 battery.
As with all red dotted sights, this unit offers unrestricted eye relief for the fastest possible target acquisition. The Picatinny mount lets you switch this between almost any firearms in your possession. You have the choice of selecting between a 3 MOA and a 6 MOA dot size with 9 brightness settings. All this is sponsored by Vortex’s unlimited lifetime warranty.
Vortex has taken out a huge slice of the market for itself for a pretty good reason. Their excellent warranty allows you to pull the trigger with peace of mind. The top features are the choice of dot size, the long battery life, and all the overall benefits a red dot has to offer.
7. 1911 Kimber Rear Night Sight Fixed Ghost Ring
Ghost rings work a bit inversely on handguns than they do on long guns. The ring will not be near enough to your eye to haze out as it can on a rifle, but it can still provide a quick and easy method of target acquisition.
The geometry of a large aperture is normal for the human eye to aim for. If you haven’t tried out a ghost ring on sights for a handgun, it takes some getting used to. However, many shooters swear by them. If they didn’t, a company like Kimber wouldn’t really waste their time or care about producing such sights. This is a high-quality engineered rear sight that looks really cool on any 1911. All the edges are level and snag-proof.
Kimber has included 2 green Trijicon tritium inserts on both sides of the ghost ring, both ringed with a white outline to help with target acquisition in broad daylight. This ghost ring sight comes with a retentive screw and a wrench. It is made in the USA and is envisioned for all Kimber models that accept fixed sights.
Kimber is a legendary name in custom 1911s and we are personally big fans of their products. The top features of this ghost ring sight are the white-outlined tritium inserts, stress-free installation, and smooth, snag-free edges.
Conclusion
Getting the correct sight can make all the difference in your shooting experience. If you find your sights to be relaxed and easy to get on target you will enjoy shooting more. The more you enjoy shooting, the more you will exercise, and the better you will improve. We hope you liked our list of the best 1911 sights and wish you fun and safe shooting.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Difference Between a Red Dot and Reflex Sight?
Red dot sights are one variety of reflex sight. Most red dots are reflex kind sights. Red dot refers to any technology that uses a floodlit red dot reticule. However, they can also use a green dot or crosshair and still be seen as a red dot. Both red dot and reflexes can be used interchangeably to define a specific product. This type plans an aiming point forward and reflects it back so you see a red dot on your target.
What is the Difference Between a Red Dot Sight and a Holographic Sight?
Red dot sights are far more affordable and simpler technologically than holographic sights. The difference is in how the sight image is projected onto the bowed piece of glass. To understand why holographic sights are so much healthier and more expensive, you really have to try using both, as they are just easier on the eye and easier to obtain a target. However, this type of sight comes with a significant price increase to match.
Red dot sights offer an aiming point usually between four to seven MOA, while a holographic sight provides you with an aiming point of about 1 MOA, the finest on the market. Holographic sights also appear to be on the same sight plane as the target, making aiming much more normal than with any other choice. All holographic sights are produced by EOTech, except for one choice from Vortex.
How to choose your 1911 sights?
The best pistol sights would depends on the purpose of your 1911. For instance, you can’t have self defense sights for target competitions. To make things simpler for you, you should get pistol sights that also work best for night sights so you can use them day and night regardless of shooting conditions. However, some gun owners do not require dark night sights as they mostly use their 1911 for target shooting. Regardless, the gun owners surely wouldn’t mind more comprehensive features of their sights which would come in handy next time.
Do I need adjustable sights for my 1911?
Well, I wouldn’t say it’s necessary if you’re tight on budget. However, if situation permits, it is best to invest in adjustable sights because it’d offers more flexibility and enhance your overall shooting experience. Alternatively, you’d opt for night sights rather than adjustable iron sights which are equally good. Also, it is easy to install a rear sight with wooden or rubber tapping hammer.
Hello there, it’s Michael here. A gun lover since young, served the country for the last 20 years. I started the blog to share my experience and gun-related knowledge accumulated throughout the years. Hopefully, you will find something useful over here or just have fun! You can learn more about me here.