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Ghost ring sights are something I’ve always been curious about but never actually had the chance to mess around with – that is until recently when AMERIGLO sent me a pair of Glock Ghost Ring Sights that were compatible with the Glock 17/19 platform. I picked these particular sights as I don’t see them quite often and I was honestly morbidly curious if they offered any significant advantages or disadvantages over traditional three-dot or notch and post sights. For reference, I picked a pair of AMERIGLO GL-325 Ghost Ring Sights and used them on a Glock 19 Gen 4 pistol.
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TFB Review: AMERIGLO Ghost Ring Pistol Sights
The GL-325 Ghost Ring Sights come in a small package and are very simple to install. If you’ve never installed Glock sights before, then there are several YouTube videos online that will show you safe and effective ways to install them, or if you want to take the easy route, you can always have your local Glock Certified Armorer install and drift them properly for you.
The tritium inside both the rear and front sights was very fresh and started to glow even in the early hours of the evening when the sun hadn’t completely set. Aiding in the visibility was the really impressive green outline of the front sight post and this single feature turned out to be both a benefit and a detriment in my opinion depending on the situation. After the sights were seated and drifted it was time to take the rig to the range and see what all the rage with ghost ring sights was about.
Range Time
My trip to the range with my buddy Tom was enlightening, to say the least. In addition to the Glock 19 equipped with the ghost ring sights, we also brought along a Glock 34 equipped with a set of blacked-out rear sights and a small red fiber front sight to compare and contrast the two styles. While it wasn’t an apples-to-apples comparison, it was the best we could do with the equipment we had available and I feel like it was enough to show me the significant and simple difference the two styles of sights provide the shooter.
Even when not centered perfectly, the green dot inside of the ring means you’re more than likely going to hit your target – tested to each extreme end of the inside of the ring the spread was only 3″ in diameter as seen on the target below (range was ~4-5 yards)
The first thing I noticed when taking aim with the AMERIGLO Ghost Ring sights was that it felt very similar to the view you witness through the Leupold Deltapoint Micro red dot sight (but without the added bulk). It was because of this that I felt like I could shoot more confidently with both eyes open regardless of the range. What I think is happening here is that the bright front sight post acts more like a “dot” rather than a post when combined with the ghost ring rear sight and this makes for easier shooting with both eyes open. At ranges between 3 and 10 yards, I was able to make pretty decent rapid-fire groups using both eyes.
What was surprising to both myself and my friend is that the time from draw to on target was reduced when using both eyes and the ghost ring sights. Although I had never used them before, I felt like pointing the gun and getting on target was a bit more natural due to the “circle in circle” appearance of the sights as opposed to the more traditional sights which require “equal light equal height” in order to be on target. The best comparison I have for this is that it is sort of similar to putting a pair of A2 iron sights on your pistol but with a much brighter front sight which leads to a much quicker time to target than a standard sight configuration.
Useful, but not in every case
At close ranges (ranges I would consider to be in the realm of a self-defense scenario) the AMERIGLO Ghost Ring Sights performed admirably. I was able to make quick, and consistent draws to target and maintain an acceptable amount of accuracy out to those distances. Past those distances, however, I found some pretty diminishing returns. At distances greater than 10 yards, I found that the more traditional notch and post sights to be far more accurate. What is happening here is that the rear notch sights provide your front sight post with a solid 3rd point of reference of where your front sight post is supposed to be. While the ghost ring sights have two rear tritium dots to reference the front dot, this system isn’t quite as accurate as a traditional sight picture.
All in all, I would say that these would be a great pair of sights to use for a sport like steel challenge in the production class, or for a pistol, you might plan on using for self or home defense applications. Like any good pair of sights and firearms, you should probably buy a pair, install them and train and practice with them before employing them in your daily carry or home defense situation as the advantages and disadvantages I’ve listed here may or may not resonate with you.
The biggest takeaway I’ve found here is that while they may not be practical for long-distance engagements when you’re up close, ghost ring sights can offer you a lot of the benefits of a red dot sight without needing to worry about batteries or the extra bulk that comes with them. I’d like to hear your comments and thoughts on ghost ring sights. Have you ever used them? Would you consider using them over any other type of sight configuration? Once again thanks for stopping by to read TFB.
I’d like to extend a personal thanks to AMERIGLO for providing the GL-325 sights used for this review.
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