[pilotdane]

I just got my second H&K. A P2Ksk 9mm with factory night sights. They do look different than the white dot sights on my P2Ksk .40 so I know they are not the plain sights. The problem is that they don't glow at all. they are totally dark.

I've held the gun out in the full sunlight, run inside to a totally dark room... nothing. Hold it 1" away from a halogen light until the gun gets warm, run into a totally dark room... nothing.

The gun has an AE manufacture stamp and the test cartridge was done in 2004. Would sitting in a totally dark box for 3+ years kill the glow in the dark dots?

 

[aralls]

I've never had night sights, but from what I've read, they're radioactive and glow on their own without needing any outside light to charge them. I've also read that they're supposed to last for 7-10 years, so I don't know why yours aren't working.

 

[digitalkimchee]

Yeap, seems like they're dead. It's not like the past Glow-in-the-dark stickers that we had when we were young, where you had to "charge" to have them glow. They're literally radioactive like aralls said. I'm familiar with the Trijicon night sights, and they have pressurized tritium gas in them. I think the life of the glowing material depends on the maker. With a high-end maker like Trijicon, they warranty them for 12 years.

You state you just got it; I don't know where you got it, but I'd talk to the dealer. If you haven't even fired it, good chances you'll get a replacement. I know mine would. But the fact that you probably looked over the gun and then took it home, I don't know. I usually check the night sights to see how bright, new or used, when I'm at a shop. Worst case scenario, you bought it, you're stuck with it, you've gotta replace them. Maybe calling H&K and asking what their factory night sight life is on them will get ya something.

Oh, if you think about it, just because your gun is stamped with a certain date, that doesn't mean the night sights were made the same year. Maybe those have been sitting on a shelf for five years before they were installed in your gun.

 

[pilotdane]

The sights are not the sexy tritium ones, but a glow-in-the-dark variety. If they glowed the one time I took them into a dark room I would be happy. They could quit after that and I might never know. I'm just curious why they don't work.

Do they need regular charging to stay viable?

 

[F22_RaptoR]

If they are just glow-in-the-dark, you should just take a bright flashlight, and shine it on the sights for a minute or so...

I think member here "Kenji" did a writeup on the P30 glowey sights, you can search his name and see if you can find anything!

 

[MaverickH1]

I don't think HK has a factory sight for the P2000 series other than the white dots, and the meprolight Tru-Dot tritium night sights.

They do put some Fiber Optic style sights on weapons... but that doesn't sound like what you're talking about either. Can you get us a picture? Or do the sights say anything on them (Tru-Dot, Novak, etc, etc)?

 

[sfguard]

Gotta agree a picture will help. They maybe dead or they may not be night sights.

 

[Tecumseh]

Sounds like you might have got a bad set of sights.

 

[pilotdane]

There are no markings or name on the sights. The dots are an off white or light creme color with a glossy surface. Their off white color is apparent when I hold them next to my other P2Ksk with traditional three dot sights.

The gun came from Clyde Armory and the description is "H&K P2000SK 9mm (LEM DAO) w/ Night Sights". I'll give them a call tomorrow and see what they say. This is my training gun (9mm cheaper than the .40 I carry) and it will be used in daylight on the range 99% of the time so the lack of glowing is no big deal. I'm just curious at this point since I've never seen anything glow-in-the-dark go bad.

 

[sfguard]

From what you are saying about the color of them they are NOT night sights. If they were they would be light green, yellow, orange etc. not white. I have several HKs and all of them with white sights are not night sights.

 

[MaverickH1]

And if they don't say Tru-Dot on the side of 'em, they aren't the Mepros that come on the stock guns...

Like on the rear sight, right side of this gun:

 

[pilotdane]

I E-mailed a picture to Clyde Armory and they confirmed that the gun does not have the proper sights. I'll be sending the slide back to have the night sights installed.

This is why you need to buy two of every gun. You need a a backup in case you have to send one off for service...

 

[MaverickH1]

Nice. Well, yay for Clyde's stepping in to fix it immediately.