HIVIZ FastDot H3 Handgun Sights

There’s been a revolution in pistol sights in recent years, and that’s been driven in large part by the widespread acceptance of red dot pistol-mounted optics. But fans of traditional iron sights argue correctly that red-dot optics are not without their drawbacks.

HIVIZ sights has offered shooters innovative sighting solutions for almost 30 years, and their newest product, the FastDot H3, offers an innovative combination of features from both red dots and iron sights in a single, affordable, compact package.

How the FastDot H3 Works

The FastDot H3 is not a red-dot sight, and while the sighting system is more closely related to iron sights because of its design and size, the HIVIZ cannot truly be classified alongside traditional iron sights, either. Instead, it’s a combination of fiber optic and tritium tubes that align in the same front/rear position as traditional irons. The front fiber optic sight looks similar to traditional front sights, but the rear sight is a fiber optic LitePipe with a tritium source for 24-hour illumination. Though it sounds complex, the sighting system itself could not be simpler to operate: When the front fiber optic bar aligns with the tritium rear sight, the rear sight window glows a brilliant green color. HIVIZ has patented the sight’s design.

For practical shooting applications the HIVIZ FastDot H3 is perhaps the fastest, simplest sighting system available today. When the pistol is extended, and the front and rear sights are properly aligned, the glowing rear window illuminates a brilliant green color. This “green means go” sight system eliminates error and offers a bright aiming point for fast, accurate shooting at practical self-defense ranges.

Why It Beats Red Dots and Iron Sights

While the popularity of red-dot sights has grown tremendously, pistol-mounted optics are not without their downsides. First, you’re relying on a sighting system that is powered by batteries, and batteries have a finite life. Many red dot manufacturers have claimed that their batteries last for years, and this is generally true. However, these years-long battery lives are dependent on several factors that include brightness settings, time of use, and even temperature. Battery lives may be long, but they might not be as long as advertised.

Red dots also increase the overall footprint of the firearm. This can make it more complex to conceal your gun, and red dots may or may not work with your favorite holster. They add a few ounces of gun weight, and the addition of a red-dot sight — even a micro red dot — increases the likelihood of hanging-up during your draw. The HIVIZ FastDot H3 has a much smaller profile than a traditional red-dot sight, and they’re even smaller than most factory iron sights. The low-profile design of the FastDot H3 virtually eliminates the risk of hanging-up during your drawstroke, and they work with all factory holsters designed for your firearm.

Cost is also an important consideration. The HIVIZ FastDot H3 costs $175, whereas most red dots are priced from $199 to over $500. There’s also the issue of mounting a red dot on your pistol. I mount quite a few red dots on handguns each month, and sometimes rounding up the proper base plate and screws is a real hassle. Because they mount in place of your factory-installed iron sights, adding HIVIZ FastDot H3 sight set is less time-consuming and frustrating.

Iron sights are more compact than red dots, but learning to properly use iron sights is more difficult than the single illuminated dot design of both the FastDot H3 and traditional red dots. While instructing new shooters, I’ve found that the concept of sight alignment and front sight focus can be challenging for novices. What’s more, cross-dominance and vision issues can render iron sights virtually useless for some handgun owners.

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Here again, the FastDot H3 system from HIVIZ offers a simple, effective solution. Much like a red dot, operating the sight system is quite simple: When the FastDot H3 sights are aligned, and the rear sight glows green, shooters simply have to place the dot on the target and fire. My wife is cross-dominant and shooting iron sights is a challenge for her, but when she tested the FastDot H3 she found it a much simpler solution than traditional irons. Her solution for aiming is to tilt the firearm so that her dominant (left) eye aligns the sights, and the glowing FastDot simplifies the sight alignment process for her. Shooters with vision issues who may not be able to use irons will find that the HIVIZ’s illuminated dot is better solution since it’s even larger than the aiming points found in many popular red dot optics. What’s more, because of the ratio of rods and cones in the human eye, we pick up on green shades more easily than red, making the FastDot H3’s sighting system easier to see than a red dot—especially in bright sunlight.

Installation and Range Testing

HIVIZ provided me with a pair of FastDot H3 test sights for my Glock 19 pistol. Installation was straightforward. I removed the screw from the front sight and replaced it with the HIVIZ fiber optic tube then used a Wheeler Glock sight pusher tool to remove the rear sight of my G19 from the dovetail in the slide. It’s good practice to clean the sight channel, so after removing debris in the sight channel using an alcohol swab I installed the rear sight and made certain it was centered.

As advertised, the rear sight vial glowed brilliant green when aligned with the front sight. During the installation process I had inadvertently transferred some debris to the circular rear sight tube, but after wiping that away with an optic cloth the rear sight shone a brilliant green when aligned with the fiber optic front tube. It’s also worth noting that the FastDot H3 features all-metal construction. The durable metal design allows these sights to stand up well to installation and daily use.

On the range I found the FastDot H3 to be, well, fast. With the firearm extended the front and rear sight align naturally, glowing brightest when they are in perfect alignment. Much as when using a red-dot optic the shooter maintains focus on the target, and the large green rear sight serves as a reference point when firing. From 7 and 10 yards, I could draw the pistol and fire accurate shots into torso targets as quickly as I could with any other sighting system. Even at 25 yards, accuracy was on-par with my G19’s performance when using the factory-installed iron sights.

The FastDot H3 worked well in a variety of lighting conditions. When tested in a dark, enclosed space, I could still align the sights and see the green aiming point. It also works well in bright sunlight, performing better than most iron sights or red dots. This around-the-clock illumination is an important consideration when choosing sights for a defense pistol.

The FastDot H3 is a versatile and innovative sighting system that works on a variety of handgun platforms. Personally, I’d like to see these sights installed on factory firearms or at least offered as an optional upgrade. There are millions of new shooters or shooters with vision issues that will perform better, immediately, with this sighting system in place. In fact, I believe there are many experienced shooters with perfect vision who will also find the FastDot H3 system to be the best compromise between irons and red-dot optics.

HIVIZ has been providing shooters with innovative sighting solutions for almost 30 years, but I believe the FastDot H3 is their most impressive product to date. These sights are currently offered for Glock, Glock MOS, S&W M&P and SIG P320/P365 handguns, all of which are covered by a 12-year warranty, I anticipate that HIVIZ will add more offerings soon, as this is indeed an evolutionary step forward in handgun sight design.

For more information visit hivizsights.com.