Just a data point from Harrison Custom

http://www.harrisoncustom.com/FAQ.aspx

If pressed for my favorite, my eyes like the white dot (.062" diameter) better than the Gold Bead (.082" diameter). To me, the appearance of the White Dot stays more consistent in varying light conditions than the Gold Bead does.

 

Personally I am Gold Dot or Gold line. Much is to your preference as I just had cataract surgery and the one shot groups no longer exist for me at 68 years old. Fist size groups are my standard and best as I or my eyes age

 

I have used both. My old eyes like the Green FO sight - easy/fast to pick up. Red is to bright for me especially outdoors. Comes down to what works best for you.

 

Good bead is the classiest option and what I choose for guns I intend to be handed down for generations. It works pretty well and in certain lighting conditions it really ‘pops’. In MOST lighting conditions, however, the white dot is superior from a practical standpoint. The fiber optics are better then either in bright sunlight, but not as good as the white dot in most other conditions.

 

Love this question's where everyone who shoots a gun can provide input. Here is mine having used, white dot, GoldB, green and red FO extensively.

FOR ME (I make no claim's what works for anyone else):

I think white dot and GB make great all-round sights, especially for a SD gun. I find both WD and GB approximately on par with each other in this regard (granted, the GB looks nicer and is more trendy in the sense you generally find them more on expensive rather that cheaper priced gun's).

For pure speed, Fiber can't be beat in most lighting condition's (except in low light where GB/WD is better). BUT, with too bright of a sunny day, FO has the disadvantage with precision/long-shots as the top of the front post get's washed out with glare from the FO (GB does this also but to a much lesser extent. WD is probably the best here short of a plain black post). This can be mitigated (not eliminated) by using a narrower diameter FO and/or some limited method on the FO. These are usually called "competition" sights and they do help a lot. Red vs Green, user's choice, I find green is a little less glarry on a sunny day, but it can get loss in background foliage during target transition if you shoot on the edge of a forest like my club is set up.

Everything has trade-off's. But generally, I like WD (plastic gun's) and GB (fancy guns) for SD/short-slide type gun's and The Competition-version-FO sights for range/full slide guns. Of course this is a general statement as I require and use all my gun's to work for both SD and Range/competition.

I prefer the C-FO these day's as inspired by the "latest" IDPA rules tightening up the accuracy requirement's. Not to say you can't do this at SD ranges with the normal FO (one certainly can), but out at 25Y shooting at an 8" plate rack on a very-sunny day in summer, the C-FO makes a difference (and even more at 50 yards).

 

For pure speed, Fiber can't be beat in most lighting condition's (except in low light where GB/WD is better). BUT, with too bright of a sunny day, FO has the disadvantage with precision/long-shots as the top of the front post get's washed out with glare from the FO (GB does this also but to a much lesser extent. WD is probably the best here short of a plain black post). This can be mitigated (not eliminated) by using a narrower diameter FO and/or some limited method on the FO. These are usually called "competition" sights and they do help a lot. Red vs Green, user's choice, I find green is a little less glarry on a sunny day, but it can get loss in background foliage during target transition if you shoot on the edge of a forest like my club is set up.

A lot of this selection is based on an individual's eyes and what works for them, plus the intended role as noted by combat auto above in his excellent post. I have tried a lot of different tritiums, plain post (no insert), FO, white dot, gold bead, and Ameriglo on the recent Wilson/Beretta Centurion. For most lighting conditions and outdoor settings, my aging eyes do better with the domed gold bead. In low light the Wilson "Night Eyes" which are yellow rear tritium with green front tritium and the Ameriglo work best for me. Peoples' eyes change with age, and what worked well at 20 or 25 years old probably isn't going to work as well at 60+ years old - just my experience talking here for me and many of my friends and students. All anyone can do is tell you what works for them, but in the end each person has to try a few different things to discover what THEIR eyes work best with.

This^

Just like type of gun, which type and maker of holster, which ammo. A lot of guidance can be given but the end user needs to find out what is best for them.

I pretty much know what I like and what works best for me but getting there took a lot of time and money and may not be appropriate at all for someone else.

I don't own a handgun with a gold bead front sight. I am a big fan of fiber optic front sights. My Kimber Stainless Target has a red FO on it and I like it. My GP100 has a Hi-Viz front sight with white, green, and red pipes and I switch back and forth between the green and red. I like the white but it doesn't show up in low light as well as with the colored ones. I just like having the ability to switch back and forth depending on lighting and back ground situations.

I'm with these guys.
I strongly prefer a narrower FO insert front sight. I like neon orange or green, but it really depends upon the background and your eyes. The ability to swap fibers is mandatory, for me.
Experiment with different colors and swap it out when it gets dingy or the background is different. It is amazing how bright a fresh fiber is after you've run the same one for awhile!

 

For me, I find the gold bead easier to pick up in lower light conditions, especially if light source is behind you.

I would imagine tru-glo sights would be better in very dark conditions. I found the same color front/rear to be distracting, so when the front one came out I had them change the rear to yellow and front to green, and find that works better.

 

A lot of this selection is based on an individual's eyes and what works for them, plus the intended role as noted by combat auto above in his excellent post. I have tried a lot of different tritiums, plain post (no insert), FO, white dot, gold bead, and Ameriglo on the recent Wilson/Beretta Centurion. For most lighting conditions and outdoor settings, my aging eyes do better with the domed gold bead. In low light the Wilson "Night Eyes" which are yellow rear tritium with green front tritium and the Ameriglo work best for me. Peoples' eyes change with age, and what worked well at 20 or 25 years old probably isn't going to work as well at 60+ years old - just my experience talking here for me and many of my friends and students. All anyone can do is tell you what works for them, but in the end each person has to try a few different things to discover what THEIR eyes work best with.

 

All anyone can do is tell you what works for them, but in the end each person has to try a few different things to discover what THEIR eyes work best with.

This^

Just like type of gun, which type and maker of holster, which ammo. A lot of guidance can be given but the end user needs to find out what is best for them.

I pretty much know what I like and what works best for me but getting there took a lot of time and money and may not be appropriate at all for someone else.

 

I've got tritiums, brass beads, flat gold beads, spherical gold beads, red FO, green FO, ........

For me, it doesn't matter.....I can't see any of em worth a crap anymore.......

 

That's funny...Have you thought (or have you already) about going to the red-dot's on pistol's?...

 

My combo is 2 small red dots on the rear and green FS.....I use the red rear as a reference point only and focus 110% on the front - been working of me the last 5years really well. I do see a red dot with a 3.5 moa in the future.

 

I don't own a handgun with a gold bead front sight. I am a big fan of fiber optic front sights. My Kimber Stainless Target has a red FO on it and I like it. My GP100 has a Hi-Viz front sight with white, green, and red pipes and I switch back and forth between the green and red. I like the white but it doesn't show up in low light as well as with the colored ones. I just like having the ability to switch back and forth depending on lighting and back ground situations.

 

God willing I'll stay good with iron for some year's yet. But I have thought about it especially after I put that Aimpoint on my AR it made a huge difference even vs the chepo RMS I which came with the gun...The trouble (to me) with all these shooting enhancements on pistol's: Comp's, low power 9mm ball at the range, low power 45 load's at range, Red Dot's, 2.5# trigger's, etc., they do have a tendency to "dumb-down" basic shooting skill's. And if it is too, too, easy to shoot a pistol with say most of the above,, where is the sport in it? It is one reason I will not shoot my Infinity too often. It doesn't have a comp or a red dot (2.5# trigger-yes), but it shoot's even the hottest 38S load's (174 PF) to the point of a big "yawn". After some 100's of round's, it is like "OK, I shoot like a Pro-Shooter with this gun, so what?" (Who get's the credit, me or the "gun" :scratch:;-))...That said, I did go to comped 45s out of some necessity, reduce trips to the chiropractor (and it worked!) - that 230gr HST use to get me right in the neck -LOL after 300+R before I got my 3 comped 45's, so we all have to do what we have to do . Someday I might have to put RMS on my pistol's also, and if the need is there it makes sense 1,000%.

 

I have a Gold Bead on all of my 1911's and including one on a Glock 19. For me it is easy for my eyes to pick up in almost any light condition. For my second choice for what you listed would be a green FO. I personally don't own any fiber optic sights but the ones that I have held the green works for me.

 

Green is suppose to be the quickest for our yes to pick up. I think I agree. I like a green fiber optic one or the green tritium night sight.

But my eyes my not be your eyes, so I suggest you go to your local gun store and do a little testing with the ones on hand.

 

sights......

For me............Green FO for outdoors or lighted in doors.
I had great luck with the TFO's (Tritium/fiber optic) front with a plain black rear.

I am currently transitioning to RMR. Really wish Tijicon would make a 3.5 moa with a "GREEN" dot. I'd really like to try that as the green FO really pops for me.
YMMV

TR

 

A gold front bead has never worked well for me on my big game rifles I changed them to white ivory, on my hand guns I like both green and red fiber optics.

 

On one of our Wilsons, the wife has a gold bead front site. It is nice. I use the battle black rear and green fiber optic front site on mine. She now prefers the green fiber optic front as well vs the gold bead and uses that on one of our other Wilsons. She finds it easier to pick up the green fiber optic in more diverse lighting conditions. We are both around 50 years old and both wear eye glasses to help with far away vision and close up reading. Everyone is different but I hope this info helps.

 

The WC Fiber Optic front sight is the slimmest/thinnest of the Wilson Front sights, followed by the standard Trijicon Night Sight, with the Amerigo being the widest.

I find any front sight other than a green fiber optic, or the traditional/basic trijicon night sight WC sells, to be distracting. Plain Black and Gold bead work pretty well for me too, but not my top choce. Night sights like the Ameriglo, with those big fluorescent circles around the tritium vial are very distracting to my eye. I have noticed my groups definitely open up a little when shooting with those type of front sights.

Funny thing is, The Red Fiber Optic is distracting for me as well. A few weeks ago I replaced the Green Fiber Optic sight on my CQB 9mm, with a Red Fiber Optic. I found it really distracting and my groups opened up. I was shooting either higher or lower on the target than I wanted to. After of couple of frustrating sessions with the Red FO, I switched back to the Green. My groups went back to normal.

My most accurate groups are shot with U-Notch Rear and WC Green Fiber Optic front. If find the WC Fiber Optic Sight to be the thinnest I have found. Much more accurate for me than a wide sight. I shoot almost as well with the standard trijicon Night Sight WC sells. It is just a few hairs wider than the Fiber Optic, which explains the difference. But if you put something on the front sight that distracts me, especially anything red, my shooting falls apart pretty quick.

 

The bead is fast to pick up. Good for action shooting but like the F/O sight not so good for precision shooting. I have a Ruger CMD that's begging for a Gold bead and new Novac adjustable rear sight but I can't make myself pull the trigger on it. I may have talked myself into calling Novak tomorrow.