The open sight is the simplest in construction and the most common, standard sight for most models of modern small arms.
The design of the open sight is the sight and front sight, located on one line. Depending on the variant, the sights differ in shape and design, and the rear sight may have a fixed or fixed bar. To aim the weapon at the target, the shooter has to visually align the rear sight, front sight and the target itself, so they are on the same line, exactly in the middle of the sight slit.
Aside from sights with movable or flip-up reticle, sometimes there are variants with adjustable rear sight. Recently, fiber-optic frontsets illuminated by a green or red LED have become popular. This makes it a little easier for the shooter in twilight, but it doesn’t make the sight itself more accurate.
The advantages of open sights:
reliability;
low cost;
compactness and low weight;
Ease of maintenance, maintainability;
simplicity of design;
mechanical strength;
unlimited range of operating temperatures.
Disadvantages:
At long distances, the front sight overlaps the target;
Low accuracy of aiming, limited by the capabilities of vision;
Takes a long time to train your skills.
Using
Despite all disadvantages, open sights are used more often than others. They are installed practically on all models of military, service and civilian firearms, both rifled and smoothbore. This is due to their exceptional reliability and simplicity.
All hunting weapons, without exception, are equipped with one or another modification of mechanical sights. It can be argued that the traditional sighting device of the shotgun is a European cylindrical or American spherical front sight with a slat or without it at all. But it’s also one of the variants of an open mechanical sight, quite accurate for shooting shot.
Before you decide which sight to choose, you should understand the factors that limit the use of an open sight. These factors are specific to each type of sight, but here we’ll take a closer look at them.
Most often such a sight is used for hunting at distances up to 50 meters. In the general case typical of all sights, distance limiting factors may include:
sighting range of the weapon;
the design of the sight;
target size;
shooting or hunting tactics;
the skill of the shooter;
vision.