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About two months ago, I purchased two pairs of Williams Adjustable Firesights #70969 from Brownell's. I installed a set on both my PT 145 MIL PRO (stainless) and my PT 640 PRO (blued).
After I installed them, I took both pistols to the range (outdoor, covered firing points) to sight them in. I found that with the front Williams Firesight was so high that I had to adjust the rear sight very high. Once sighted in, the adjustable Williams Firesights were a pleasure to use as they were very bright and very visible.
Other shooters at the range admired the Firesights, and also commented on their excellent visibility. I let several other shooters try both the PT640 and the PT145 with the Firesights, and the response was unanimously positive, with some of the other shooters saying that they also wanted to purchase a set.
On several subsequent range trips, on dank cloudy days and bright sunny days, the sights functioned well and maintained their excellent visibility.
As I continued to use the Williams Firesights, I became more aware of a shortcoming in their design, explicitly in the front Firesight. When carried in a case, the PT's had no problems, but when holstered in my Fobus, Remora, or Taurus 24/7 holster, the height of the front Firesight caused it to scratch and drag in the holsters, it was almost impossible to insert the PT's into the Taurus 24/7 holster, as the front sight would catch in the sight channel. Since the rear sight had to be elevated so high in order to line it up with the front sight, it would sometimes catch or snag on my shirt or on the holster when worn. Also sitting up so high, it appeared that the rear sight could be potentially damaged.
![Firesight3.jpg]()
![Firesight4.jpg]()
I had previously seen the HiViz front fiber optic sight ("Lightpipe"), which is a direct competitor to the Williams Firesights. When in another forum here on TA a PT 145 MilPro owner displayed the difference in height between the Williams and HiViz front sights, I decided that I would have to try them. I found that the green HiViz front sight for the 24/7 and MilPro dovetail series was in stock at Midway (the red sight was out of stock), and I had a "$10 off $50" Midway coupon, I decided to purchase two of the #TR2009 Handgun Sights with the green lightpipe. As is typical for Midway, they were delivered very promptly.
![Firesight7-Height.jpg]()
HiViz recommends gunsmith installation for the Taurus sights, but I have installed a lot of sights in my day, so I decided to do it myself. Removing the front Williams Firesight with a .05" Allen wrench was easy, but the HiViz is a friction fit. Unlike the Williams front sight, it took a few minutes with a flat file on the bottom of the HiViz sight base to get it to somewhat fit, and a few light taps with a plastic hammer and plastic push rod (being extremely careful to ONLY push on the base - NOT the lightpipe) to force it tightly in place.
While UPS only delivered the Midway package tonight at dinnertime, I have not yet had the opportunity to try the HiViz sights at the range, but I can tell you that in the house, the front HiViz sight is very bright, possibly only slightly less than the Firesight, but still very bright. With the adjustable Williams Firesight rear sight (red fiber optic), and the green HiViz front sight, the sight picture is excellent. I will still have to go to the range to sight in both pistols now that the sight geometry has changed, and the new front HiViz is only half the height of the front Firesight. With nothing concrete to go by, I cranked down the adjustable rear sight about half way, as it will obviously not need to be as high with the lower front sight. I also found that with the lower HiViz front sights, both pistols now fit all three holsters perfectly.
Weather permitting, I plan on going to the range this weekend and sight in these puppies.
![Firesight8-InstalledHeight.jpg]()
After I installed them, I took both pistols to the range (outdoor, covered firing points) to sight them in. I found that with the front Williams Firesight was so high that I had to adjust the rear sight very high. Once sighted in, the adjustable Williams Firesights were a pleasure to use as they were very bright and very visible.
Other shooters at the range admired the Firesights, and also commented on their excellent visibility. I let several other shooters try both the PT640 and the PT145 with the Firesights, and the response was unanimously positive, with some of the other shooters saying that they also wanted to purchase a set.
On several subsequent range trips, on dank cloudy days and bright sunny days, the sights functioned well and maintained their excellent visibility.
As I continued to use the Williams Firesights, I became more aware of a shortcoming in their design, explicitly in the front Firesight. When carried in a case, the PT's had no problems, but when holstered in my Fobus, Remora, or Taurus 24/7 holster, the height of the front Firesight caused it to scratch and drag in the holsters, it was almost impossible to insert the PT's into the Taurus 24/7 holster, as the front sight would catch in the sight channel. Since the rear sight had to be elevated so high in order to line it up with the front sight, it would sometimes catch or snag on my shirt or on the holster when worn. Also sitting up so high, it appeared that the rear sight could be potentially damaged.
I had previously seen the HiViz front fiber optic sight ("Lightpipe"), which is a direct competitor to the Williams Firesights. When in another forum here on TA a PT 145 MilPro owner displayed the difference in height between the Williams and HiViz front sights, I decided that I would have to try them. I found that the green HiViz front sight for the 24/7 and MilPro dovetail series was in stock at Midway (the red sight was out of stock), and I had a "$10 off $50" Midway coupon, I decided to purchase two of the #TR2009 Handgun Sights with the green lightpipe. As is typical for Midway, they were delivered very promptly.
HiViz recommends gunsmith installation for the Taurus sights, but I have installed a lot of sights in my day, so I decided to do it myself. Removing the front Williams Firesight with a .05" Allen wrench was easy, but the HiViz is a friction fit. Unlike the Williams front sight, it took a few minutes with a flat file on the bottom of the HiViz sight base to get it to somewhat fit, and a few light taps with a plastic hammer and plastic push rod (being extremely careful to ONLY push on the base - NOT the lightpipe) to force it tightly in place.
While UPS only delivered the Midway package tonight at dinnertime, I have not yet had the opportunity to try the HiViz sights at the range, but I can tell you that in the house, the front HiViz sight is very bright, possibly only slightly less than the Firesight, but still very bright. With the adjustable Williams Firesight rear sight (red fiber optic), and the green HiViz front sight, the sight picture is excellent. I will still have to go to the range to sight in both pistols now that the sight geometry has changed, and the new front HiViz is only half the height of the front Firesight. With nothing concrete to go by, I cranked down the adjustable rear sight about half way, as it will obviously not need to be as high with the lower front sight. I also found that with the lower HiViz front sights, both pistols now fit all three holsters perfectly.
Weather permitting, I plan on going to the range this weekend and sight in these puppies.
