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XS Big Dot Tritium vs Meprolight Tru-Dot

Hi all!! Brand new to the group...

Got my first Mossy on order with a bead sight and already thinking of tinkering with it. Anyone here upgrade their bead?? I'm trying to find pros and cons to either the XS Big Dot front sight and Meprolight's Tru-Dot. My first shotgun (Benelli SuperNova) has Ghost Rings on it and though it is pretty good at accuracy, they make switching out barrels problematic. Anyone have experience with both or either of these?? (preferably both so I can get a comparison) Which should I go with?? Thanks!!
 
I didn't see this thread until after I posted in your intro thread. I can't speak for the XS but really like my Meprolight bead. No issues with it in 1 1/2 years.
 
I'm running the meprolight…. cheaper, easy install, use blue locktite. Done. Held up to abuse and a nice big dot.
 
Another +1 for Meprolight here.

I run their night sights on a couple pistols as well. Sorry, no experience with XS though...
 
And another for meprolight! Mine's been on for 2 years... still shining and trucking along after more than one direct hit to the floor!
 
My Meprolight went out about 6 months after I bought it.....never got an answer back from the company

I have them on my G29 and CZ75 and they have been super bright for years
 
Lot of Meprolight fans here huh?? Funny, a lot of the YouTube channels I subscribe to use the XS but I can't really find any info comparing the two.
Thanks for the feed back so far guys!! No one else out there with an XS Big Dot??
 
My Meprolight went out about 6 months after I bought it.....never got an answer back from the company

I have them on my G29 and CZ75 and they have been super bright for years

So... do you still recommend it? Maybe you got a bad one or one that's been sitting around too long? Isn't it true that tritium eventual fades after a number of years? Have you had to deal with the company before this? A great product is only so great if the company that makes it stands behind the product. Think you'll swap it out for another one or something else?
 
XS last I checked was a pita to install. It's meant to epoxy to a Remmington bead.
 
So... do you still recommend it? Maybe you got a bad one or one that's been sitting around too long? Isn't it true that tritium eventual fades after a number of years? Have you had to deal with the company before this? A great product is only so great if the company that makes it stands behind the product. Think you'll swap it out for another one or something else?

I do just because others here have never had a problem, however the customer service sucks if you do have a problem......like I said the sights on my pistols have been awesome

I considered replacing with the Big Dot actually but never got around to it.....I just don't really care for gluing it to my bead, if I could even find my bead anymore

The Mepro I had didn't index right either, the threads wanted to go past where they should stop, I used a spacer under it to get it properly aligned.

The Big Dot is much larger of a dot than the Mepro but the tritium vial is the same size on both so at night they are going to look the same
 
Isn't it true that tritium fades after a number of years?

Yes but that is not exactly what happens. The radioactive decay of tritium gas powers a fluorescent substance. Tritium has a distinct half-life; however the limiting factor in a gaseous tritium light source is the fluorescent material. Unlike the systematic time line of radioactive half-life the fluorescent material is used up quite abruptly.

In other words the glow material wears out; not the tritium gas. In reality you'll get about 10 good years, a couple of bad ones and then nothing.
 
Yes but that is not exactly what happens. The radioactive decay of tritium gas powers a fluorescent substance. Tritium has a distinct half-life; however the limiting factor in a gaseous tritium light source is the fluorescent material. Unlike the systematic time line of radioactive half-life the fluorescent material is used up quite abruptly.

In other words the glow material wears out; not the tritium gas. In reality you'll get about 10 good years, a couple of bad ones and then nothing.
Nice explanation Blacksmith.
 
The Big Dot is much larger of a dot than the Mepro but the tritium vial is the same size on both so at night they are going to look the same

Really?? See... THAT'S exactly the kind of detail and comparison I was looking for! Thank you @oli700 ! I didn't know that but it makes sense why they call it Big Dot. Shame you had such a bad experience with their CS. What did you use for a shim/spacer when you installed your Meprolight??

Yes, @blacksmith , thank you for the excellent explanation. I do remember reading about that somewhere before.

So if the Big Dot is much larger than the Meprolight, how much larger is the Meprolight than the original bead??
 
The standard dot and mepro are similar with a small white face surrounding the vial, the big dot is even bigger yet. They are all bigger and more visible than a factory bead, the big dot the next step up than most any white face dot you see on most firearms

If I were to do it I wouldn't get a Remington bead and bother with rethreading and such I would just open up the whole on the sight till it fit over the Mossberg bead base

What did you use for a shim/spacer when you installed your Meprolight??
a small rubber o-ring, got it where I wanted it and them trimmed the excess squished out rubber with a razor
 
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No need to rethread. XS makes a Big Dot for Mossbergs / plain barrel beads. Model SG-2003-3. But with what you and others have said so far, I think I may be leaning towards the Meprolight. Cheaper is good... and after a number of years when the glow fades it seems like it'll be easier to replace. I plan on holding onto my Mossy for quite a while. So unless someone else sounds off with a reason for me to go with an XS, it looks like I may be getting a Meprolight.

Thanks a lot @oli700 and everyone else!!
 
well that's kinda crap... Why advertise it as a Mossberg sight if I FIRST have to by a Remington bead for it just to install another product?? Yeah... looks like I'll be going the Meprolight route. Thank you so much for all your help @oli700 . Thank you to the others as well for sounding off with their thoughts.

I assume the little rubber o-ring is something I can get at a Home Depot or something similar...

LOL... This forum is awesome!! Already got great info and a decision on an upgrade part... and I still don't even have the shotgun in hand yet!! :D Thanks again, everyone!!
 
I used a file to grind down the threads on the mepro when I installed it.

Install it first and then check the barrel to see if the threads are exiting into the barrel. If they are you can use a spacer or just file it down. Once you are ready to install use blue locktite to keep it in place.
 
Thank you so much for all your help @oli700 .

I assume the little rubber o-ring is something I can get at a Home Depot or something similar...
anytime.


The o-ring can out of a big o-ring kit I think for automotive work or something. It had a ton of sizes, I just kept trying on the little ones until I got one that was tight on the stud. It took up enough space that I could index it correctly and it had tension ,I believe I used a little drop of blue Loctite on the threads
 
I think I may try @Water Monkey 's suggestion of filing down the post instead (thanks for that). I've never really been fond of using shims or spacers if I don't have to. Hey, I might get usually lucky and get one that fits my Mossy without need for either... I will definitely be using Blue Loctite in any case.
 
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