Glock Sights Guide

As with every weapon, the sights are obviously a very important component to our gun. Glock is an incredibly reliable brand of firearm and very popular but many people dislike their sights. So what options do we have for aftermarket Glock sights? Let’s take a look at how you can upgrade your Glock sights!

Glock Stock Sights

Glock Sights might not be as bad as the internet says they are but they do leave a lot to be desired. For starters, they are polymer not metal which means they are able to be broken under hard use. (They pop out very easily) The primary complaint tends to be that people have a hard time getting a good sight picture with them as well.

While you can order some Glocks with steel or tritium night sights many Glocks off the shelf do not have those options from the factory.

Aftermarket Options

Before we go to order aftermarket sights for our Glock pistol we need to consider what the primary use of the gun will be. Home defense? Duty gun? Concealed Carry? Range toy? Thankfully there are no shortage of options when it comes to aftermarket Glock sights but let’s make sure we identify the primary usage of the gun then dive into some options!

Suppressor Height Sights

Photo Credit: Cheaper than Dirt

Suppressor height sights for Glocks are a popular option. As you may have guessed already, these sights are taller so the shooter can sight over a suppressor. This can be a handy feature for shooters that do not plan on shooting suppressed as well.

Because of the height of these Glock suppressor height sights they work very well for co-witnessing if running a red dot optic. Many companies make suppressor height sights for Glock but some of our favorites are from Trijicon. Check them out here.

Night Sights

The best Glock night sights available as far as night sights go are made from something called Tritium. Tritium is a self-contained autonomous light source that doesn’t need batteries or to be charged by the sun. Tritium night sights can be on normal or suppressor-height sights and glows to allow target acquisition in low-light conditions.

If there is a chance we’ll be shooting under low-light conditions such as in a home defense scenario, Glock Tritium Night front and rear night sights are a great option. Note the set we linked above are Tritium suppressor-height sights.

Glock Optics Cuts

Glock finally listened after years of being hounded and now offers an optic cut on many models. This option is called the MOS (Modular Optic System). If we want to run a red dot optic on our Glock we’ll need to make sure our slide is cut for an optic to allow mounting.

If an optic is mounted to the Glock make sure to add suppressor-height sights so co-witnessing is possible in case the optic ever goes down. This author personally owns a Glock 19 with an optic cut slide that is paired with suppressor-height sights and loves it!

Fiber Optic Sights

Photo Credit: Defensive Depot 

Fiber optics are flexible colored fiber that is a mix of plastic and glass. Essentially a fiber optic absorbs light from surroundings. The fiber itself is called a cable and is encased in a reflective outer sheath. When light is trapped in the tube it becomes very bright.

Fiber optic sights are usually found in red, green or orange are the most common colors with sights. Because of how bright these sights are they are extremely fast and easy to acquire a sight picture on target with and this is why many experienced shooters prefer them.

The only downside to fiber optic sights for your Glock is that the tube can be damaged easily so we’ll want to find a sight that protects the fiber optic from impact. Luckily, many of the options for fiber optics sights for our Glocks are available in a smartly-designed and protected package.

Rear Sights

Think about what your dominant eye naturally gravitates toward when it comes to the rear sight. All Black? Glowing dots? This is something to keep in consideration when choosing upgraded sights. We want something that allows for fast target acquisition and sight picture.

This writer, for instance, had a hard time with the stock Glock plastic sights and the Glock “U” sights as well. I prefer two dots on my rear sight and a fiber optic green front sight. It’s all about finding what works naturally and best for you, the shooter!

Installing Glock Sights

Installing Glock sights is actually incredibly easy! You will need the following:

• Glock Sight tool
• Loctite (blue)
• Gunsmith Vice (or padded vice that will not screw up the slide)
• Non-marring punch and hammer

Next use the punch and hammer to drive out the rear sight. Then use the front sight tool to remove the front sight. Clean the weapon extremely well and then follow the instructions on the new sights to install them. The entire operation can be done in about ten minutes!

Disassembly

First render the weapon safe and unloaded. Field strip the Glock- if not familiar with this there are plenty of videos on YouTube that will show the process. Remove the barrel and guide rod spring assembly. Place the slide into a non-marring vice.

Installing Glock Front Sights

Looking at the slide from the bottom, we notice a 3/16” hex nut. Use the sight tool to remove the nut and remove the old sight. Place the new one into place and add a drop of Loctite before tightening the hex nut back down with the front sight tool.

Installing Glock Rear Sights

Photo Credit: Real Avid

Using our sight tool, push the rear sight out of its groove. This can take a bit of elbow grease but if we take our time and work slowly it’ll come loose. Seat the new rear sight by pushing it in with a thumb and then use the sight tool to push it as close to perfectly center as possible. Remember to keep the new sight level as you install it and to get it as close to the center as possible.

Reassembly

When all this is done, reassemble the weapon. At this point we’ll need to go test fire the Glock to make sure our sights are aligned properly. Fire the weapon at the target and note where each shot hits when aiming dead center. If the impacts are right of center, move the sights to the right slightly with the sight tool and vice versa.

Our Favorite Glock Sight

We hope this helped sort out some of the many options with upgrading sights for your Glock. There are a boatload of options out there to be sure! But our favorites Glock sights are simply the Trijicon Night and Tough night Suppressor height sights because we often run red dot sights on Glocks or Mod1's.

Thanks for spending some time out of your day with your buddies here at 5D Tactical. While you are here - why not check out our GST-9 Mod 1 kits and consider building a totally custom handgun to your own specifications?! 

Legal Disclaimer:

Unless specifically noted otherwise, products mentioned in this blog are not authorized, endorsed, manufactured or warrantied by GLOCK. GLOCK does not guarantee that these products are compatible with GLOCK pistols.

“GLOCK” is a federally registered trademark of GLOCK, Inc. and GLOCK Ges.m.b.H.. Neither 5D Tactical nor this website are affiliated in any manner with, or otherwise endorsed by, GLOCK, Inc. or GLOCK Ges.mb.b.H.. The use of “Glock” on this page is merely to advertise the sale of GLOCK-style pistol frames, components and aftermarket parts that are compatible with Glock products. For additional genuine GLOCK, Inc. parts and products please visit www.glock.com.