Great topic and it always brings out some good ideas especially when SD tactics and equipment are changing so often.
With the common front and rear sights I am with Tranter with one exception. I think the front sight above all else should have a night sight or tritium insert to make it easily found and seen in any condition. A good, wide and deep "U" or "V" notch rear sight specifically for alignment. But I believe the real, critical item is the well defined front sight.
I have had the opportunity to use a tremendous number of sight combinations over the years I have sold, trained with and used handguns. I have been fortunate as so many of you to see some great improvements that have been combat proven if you will. As a result we can all pick and choose from the best of the current offerings and most can be made to fit any or most specific defense weapons.
In all of my years and after using so many I have settled on the "ghost ring" rear with a 5/16" opening and the Trijicon front sight. It is the quickest to aquire a target and the most accurate defense sight I have ever used on any gun. These sights are not bullseye competition , but I have found that no matter the situation once you have the front sight in any configuration or amount in the rear ring, you will cut meat at any distance out to 30 feet. You will not miss.
I had occasion to use this combination twice at the H.I.T pistol courses at Thunder Ranch in Tx and even in the tower at night while assaulting either up or down, and in spite of my age I had the quickest times and the most accurate results of all 20 students.
I have used this combo successfully on all of my 1911s since 1988 or 89 and I have made some and installed them for friends on some Glocks and Sigs and even one of the XD models by Springfield. I have not seen this application on revolvers but I believe it can be done.
Many years ago I attended the IALEFI conference when the Mesa Az police hosted it. They put on a demo using the CT laser sights with three different firearms including Glock, Sig and Ruger. The outcome was so dismal I have never since been tempted to have one on a SD gun or any other gun except for a fun but expensive toy to play with.
But, as with everything else having to do with our personal choices involving our guns and equipment, that is only my own experience and "personal" opinion. I know a couple of people who have them and believe they are wonderful. To each, his own. For me, they are too slow to acquire target and too inaccurate and difficult to keep sighted. Also once sighted for a particular distance they are completely out of alignment at other distances and i mean by significant amounts making it doubtful that a target could be hit even if brought to bear.
This is the 1911 I built from scratch in 9MM to replace my Colt lightweight commander in 45 ACP. This gun has only the front sight with the tritium insert and as I said it is extremely accurate and very quick to aquire under any circumstance.
This gun was one of the first that I sent to Trijicon back in 89. I sent three slides and sets of sights for them to mill a trough in the rear ghost ring as you can see and then pour in the tritium. After they had done this two things became apparent, I did not need the rear slots with tritium or any other tritium insert in the rear and the other was from Trijicon when they said they could no longer do this as the amount of tritium exceeded some kind of limit set by the nuclear regulatory commission so they are the only guns that will ever have it.
As I pointed out the rear sight does not need to glow, only the front. If you bring the gun up and find the front sight in total dark and have someone turn on the lights the front sight is automatically aligned inside the rear.
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I hope this works as it will not let me preview the reply before I submit.
UncleFudd