Handgun Sight Review: AmeriGlo Hackathorn Sights

The Hackathorn Sights are, like the recently reviewed I-Dot sights, a relatively new offering from AmeriGlo. Their name comes from their designer, Ken Hackathorn. Mr. Hackathorn is one of the premier trainers in the tactical world and needs no introduction.

The bright red front sight demands your attention. This picture approximates the shooter's point of view (on a Glock 21SF for reference). Click to enlarge.

Stats

Front sight width: .140″

Rear sight notch: .180″

Price: $80

Front Sight

The front sight is what makes the Hackathorn sights unique. Dimensionally, it is similar to most other standard front night sights on the market. It features one tritium vial insert. The magic of the Hackathorn sights come from the wide circle of bright red/orange paint that rings the front sight. This makes the front sight incredibly fast to acquire in daylight. In low light, it behaves just as well as any other tritium front sight.

The bright red ring on the front sight is what makes these excellent sights unique. Click to enlarge.

Rear Sight

There are two ways that manufacturers typically deal with glare on the rear sight. One is to under cut the rear face of the sight and the other is serrate the rear face of the sight. AmeriGlo and Ken Hackathorn chose to serrate the rear sight in this set. It is effective, but I have found that, over time, I prefer under cut rear sights. Serrated sights have more high points and hard corners to wear and become shiny with use. They can actually become more distracting than a plain rear sight. However, this is hardly an issue since it can easily be fixed with periodic application of “sight black” (which high volume shooters are probably doing already).

The serrated rear sight does not have any tritium, outlining, or dots to distract from your front sight focus. Click to enlarge.

This rear sight also features a wide notch and sloped, snag-free profile. The wide notch allows for quick acquisition of the front sight. The sloped profile makes some one-hand manipulation techniques difficult but provides a sleek package for carry or competition.

The Hackathorn sights feature a smooth, snag-free profile. Click to enlarge.

The mix of eye catching front sight with low glare rear sight makes for an excellent combination. These sights are very, very fast. The wide rear notch and relatively wide front sight aren’t the most “bulls eye” friendly combination but they are capable of great accuracy if the shooter does their part. It is hard to argue with the experience and opinions of Ken Hackathorn. These sights are definitely worth your consideration.