How Long Does Tritium Last

jackrabbit000

jackrabbit000

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For handguns with tritium night sights, I was just wondering how long the tritium usually lasts. Once they dim or go dark, can the tritium be replaced or do you have to replace the whole sight?
 
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not sure if they still use tritium or have found a suitable replacement as it is radioactive to my knowledge. On a side note the tritium used on my submariner is 21 yrs old and still glows ever so slightly.
 
I think the half live of tritium is 8 years, so after 8 years it will be roughly half as bright as when new.

Taken from Wikipedia:

Tritium illumination is used to make the sights of some small arms illuminate at night. Most night sights are used on semi-automatic handguns. The reticule on the SA80's optical SUSAT sight (Sight Unit Small Arms Trilux) contains a small amount of tritium for the same effect as an example of tritium use on a rifle sight. The electrons emitted by the radioactive decay of the tritium cause phosphor to glow, thus providing a long lasting (several years) and non-battery-powered firearms sight which is visible in dim lighting conditions. The tritium glow is not noticeable in bright conditions such as during daylight however. As a result, some manufacturers have started to integrate fiber optic sights with tritium vials to provide bright, high-contrast firearms sights in both bright and dim conditions.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betalight
 
Max Relax said:
Stolen from some random physics site:
"The half-life of tritium (hydrogen-3) is 12.3 yr"
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Because sights use vials of gaseous tritium and phosphor I don't think it lasts that long.

I think the 12.3 number is for the half life of solid tritium.

But I'm not a nuclear scientist so I could be talking complete crap.... :D
 
Most sights can be sent back to have the vials replaced. Average life, is about 10 years from manufacture. I've heard Trijicon will do it for free, but that could be a lie. Personally, after ten years of banging on the sights, I would just replace them.

TDC
 
Tritium lamp sights have an annual cost of operation that you just have to accept. (If you can't accept it, you might choose a gold bead instead.) Brightness differs greatly, even within a few years of manufacture, even between sights from the same manufacturer, and perceptible differences may be noted. It will range from visibility in daylight, to visibility in dark shadow, to visibility only in complete darkness. What level of illumination is useful? The level of illumination that you will be satisfied with - and what cost expenditure you will be comfortable with - is your decision to make.
 
I sent my Smith in for refurb a couple of years ago (probably in 2008 or 2009). It came back with new sights that glowed oh so brightly. I guess that I'd had the pistol for about 8 or 9 years at that point (got it in October 2000) and I don't know if it got new sights before it came to me, but I doubt it. I'd guess that the sights last about 10 years before you'd want to look at a new set.
 
As the other posters have mentioned, chemically, Tritium has a half life of approx ~ 12.32 years i.e. a block of Tritium will lose half it's brightness in that period. However, that itself will not determine the longevity of the gun sight.

In gun sights (much like watches, exit signs etc) the quantity of Tritium initially placed will determine it's useful life. Greater the amount placed, the brighter and longer it will glow. This difference in 'useful' life separates the wide range of 'Tritium Night Sights' available on the market. The lower end ones will glow duller when new and 'extinguish' much faster that a higher quality set. Realistically, a Tritium Night Sight will continue to be useful beyond it's half life - how much illumination is left will depend on how bright it was initially. Confused yet ? :p

Note that it is also due to the miniscule amounts of Tritium placed in reticules that these sights lose their glow in the dark ability much faster than the advertised half life rate.

If possible try to compare a few sets together before arriving at your decision on which one to buy.
 
The tritium sights on my glock 35 are quite dim. Does anyone know where I could send it to for new tritium or do I just need to replace the entire sights. The gun only has 2 or 3 boxes of shells through her so the sights (other than the tritium) are still in new shape.
 
MillerTime said:
The tritium sights on my glock 35 are quite dim. Does anyone know where I could send it to for new tritium or do I just need to replace the entire sights. The gun only has 2 or 3 boxes of shells through her so the sights (other than the tritium) are still in new shape.
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If you want to send it to a Glock warranty station, Police Ordnance can replace the sights for you.

Police Ordnance

Police Ordnance Company Inc.
22 Riviera Drive
Markham, Ontario, Canada
L3R 5M1

<http://192.139.188.71/>
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If you want to replace the sights yourself, and that is easily done, there are many, many aftermarket sight options for Glocks that you might even prefer to the sights you have now.

Sight set for Glock 17 <http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=659539>

Heinie Sights in Canada? <http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=628976>

IPSC sights for a Glock 35, what do you recommend? <http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=621398>

Glock - Best Combat sights? <http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=562416>

Which night sights would you choose? <http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=310356>

Night Sights for Glock <http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=614953>

Glock rear sights model compatibility <http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=569434>

Installing sights <http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=394889>
 
GIGGIDY said:
Because sights use vials of gaseous tritium and phosphor I don't think it lasts that long.

I think the 12.3 number is for the half life of solid tritium.

But I'm not a nuclear scientist so I could be talking complete crap.... :D
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Yep, you sure are! :D

12.3yr is the half-life of tritium, period.

In most night sights, the phosphor loses its fluorescence long before the tritium loses its radioactivity.

The decay one sees in night sights is due to a combination of total tritium placed, quality of phosphor used, and the chemical qualities of said phosphor. The radioactive half-life of tritium does not change anywhere within the known universe.

-M
 
Doc M said:
Yep, you sure are! :D

12.3yr is the half-life of tritium, period.

In most night sights, the phosphor loses its fluorescence long before the tritium loses its radioactivity.

The decay one sees in night sights is due to a combination of total tritium placed, quality of phosphor used, and the chemical qualities of said phosphor. The radioactive half-life of tritium does not change anywhere within the known universe.

-M
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Thanks for setting me straight. Like I said I'm no Scientist.
 
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