Editor’s Note: In this article, Yamil Sued takes a look at night sights for the Springfield SA-35 pistol. Made by XS Sights, this sight set offers distinct advantages for self-defense in low-light shooting. The tritium sights were provided to the author for this article.
OK, I admit it. I’m a boomer. Why? Because I love the P-35 pistol platform. Ever since I picked up my first example of one of these amazing 9mm pistols back in the mid 1980s, I found it to be one of the most comfortable and easy-to-shoot handguns on the market. It’s been almost 40 years since then, and my feelings toward the platform remain unchanged.
So, you can imagine my excitement when Springfield Armory launched its own version in the SA-35. I was immediately fascinated with this new take on the classic pistol design. The pistol shipped with everything needed and, in my humble opinion, it lacked nothing.
[Be sure to read Justin Opinion’s XS Sights R3D 2.0 review for additional information on these sights.]
The Foundation
Before we dive into our discussion of the XS Sights I decided to test out on this amazing pistol, let’s first talk about what Springfield retained from the original classic design as well as the new enhancements they added.
First and foremost, Springfield retained the exceptional ergonomics and handling characteristics of the original P-35. Everything that made the original so great remains in the SA-35. However, Springfield added much to the platform — while still retaining its classic looks.
[Catch Rob Garrett’s Springfield SA-35 review for additional information on this amazing gun.]
For improved durability and strength, the SA-35 features not only a forged steel slide and frame (with an attractive matte-blued finish), but also a cold hammer-forged barrel. The rowel-type hammer of the pistol and features improved geometry over the original to address the “hammer bite” issue common with the original. In addition, a modernized and extended thumb safety that is easier to engage further enhances the handling characteristics — along with a set of checkered walnut grips.
The frame of the SA-35 features a subtle but significant magwell bevel to help ensure speedy and consistent reloads of the magazine. Speaking of the magazine, the SA-35 also comes with one 15-round unit, bumping up the capacity by two rounds over the original. (Don’t worry, the pistol will still accept original 13-rounders.)
Another feature of the SA-35 — and probably one of the most notable — also relates to the magazine. Unlike the original P-35, the SA-35 doesn’t employ a magazine disconnect safety. In addition to bringing the pistol in line with the rest of Springfield’s handgun offerings and allowing for a drop-free magazine design, this characteristic also removes a design element that negatively affected the trigger pull of the P-35. As a result, the SA-35 employs a factory-tuned trigger with a smooth pull and crisp, clean break.
In My Sights
Which brings us to the final enhancement of the Springfield pistol I’d like to mention. The SA-35 ships with a very nice set of sights, vastly superior to the tiny ones you will find on the original P-35. The SA-35 employs a rear sight that is both serrated on its rear face for light diffusion and a “Tactical Rack” unit that can be used to rack the slide against a hard surface. The front consists of a high-visibility white dot dovetailed sight. For general shooting and self-defense training, they are extremely effective.
Anyone familiar with my writing knows I love to customize my guns — particularly the sights. However, the truth is that sights are one of those products that few of us agree on. We all like something different, but I think we can all agree that one type that can be very helpful is a set of night sights. But where do we start?
I did some research and quickly found an answer. XS Sights has been a huge name in sights for the better part of the past three decades, and they keep innovating. Given their vast experience manufacturing sights, I gave them a look and boy, was it worth it. What I found was the R3D 2.0 Tritium Night Sights.
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The 2.0 in the name denotes that these are the second generation of the R3D sights. The original R3D night sights offer a three-dot notch and post sighting system, with the front sight featuring a green or orange photoluminescent glow dot surrounding a tritium vial in the center. This front sight design offers an easy-to-see vibrant front sight in bright light, as well as a glowing sight in low light. The rear sight has two tritium vials and a simple, blacked-out rear face. The rear sight’s wide notch makes for fast sight alignment.
The R3D 2.0 takes all that and adds some very nice enhancements. First up, the rear sight employs larger tritium vials for increased visibility in low light. In addition, the rear face of the rear sight is serrated for light diffusion and an improved sight picture. Also, the sights feature an upgraded black nitride finish for increased rust resistance and durability. Lastly, the sight is designed for ease of installation with a lead-in edge and crush zone on the underside of the rear sight.
While the design of the R3D 2.0 is designed for ease of DIY installation, I thought it might be a good idea to talk to XS Sights about installation services (for those who might be uncomfortable trying this themselves). Customer service at the company told me that they offer a very low-cost solution for this in their professional sight installation services at their Fort Worth, Texas, headquarters.
Rather than trying it myself, I decided to try out this service and sent them my SA-35 slide for their installation option with a green R3D 2.0 sight set. I was pleasantly surprised on the quick turnaround time, and the new sights looked fantastic. But we all know that the proof is in the pudding, so it was time to get it out to the range.
Hands On
Now, for the tricky part. To test night sights, you need to simulate a low-light situation — not an easy task at most ranges. However, I’m lucky to have access to a range like C2 Tactical in Scottsdale, Arizona. I was allowed to run my test on a complete shooting bay with full lighting control for the purposes of this article.
One point I’d like to make is that night sights are designed for use in low light, not no-light situations. While you can see them in total darkness, this is not a safe practice as you must be aware of not just your target, but also what’s in front of and behind it. So, I would strongly suggest learning to use a flashlight in your support hand to be able to discern your target and make the decision as to whether or not to engage your target.
Because I had full control of the range lights, I was able to create a realistic low-light situation that didn’t require the use of a supplemental light. I tested several distances, from three to 10 yards to simulate defense scenarios inside my own house.
Once I had the light levels figured out, I moved on to live fire. Given that I was testing the sights and not the pistol or any specific ammunition, I chose to strictly use Federal Syntech Range ammo. I started at three yards doing pairs and failure drills. I then did the same testing at five yards, seven yards and finally 10 yards, then proceeded to fluctuate the lighting conditions depending on the distance.
As previously stated, not everyone has the same sensitivity to light levels. Personally, I have terrible low-light vision, so my results might be different than yours. That being said, my first impression on the R3D 2.0 tritium night sights was extremely positive.
The front sight with its high-contrast green dual-illuminated glow dot was very easy to acquire, and it was so in all lighting situations I tested. The rear sights were bright, but didn’t overpower the front. This made low-light sight acquisition so much easier. Even when I tested at the fringes of my own low-light visibility abilities, I was able to easily acquire a proper sight picture.
Final Thoughts
I love the P-35 platform. However, it is an older design. With the subtle but notable changes that Springfield has brought to the design, the SA-35 offers shooters a modernized classic that is still respectful of the original pistol and what makes it so popular.
Having the SA-35 with all the improvements Springfield Armory added to it, and now with the addition of the XS Sights R3D 2.0 Tritium Night Sights, I think I’ve found the perfect package for self-defense.
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