Surviving The Anti-Gun Crackdown After NYSRPA v. Bruen (ft. Night Fision)

Rachel from Night Fision joins State of the Second and clears up the name first: people hear it and assume night vision, but the company makes sights, not night vision optics. Night Fision builds tritium iron sights and optics-ready backup sights, and Rachel argues they make the best sights on the market. She traces the company's roots to Kamenga, which has been around a little over 30 years and produces the compass used by the US military, and explains that Night Fision took that experience selecting and inserting tritium and applied it to firearm sights. The conversation covers why sights matter more than most new owners think, how tritium is regulated by the NRC even though it is safe, and why the company leans on hot yellows and oranges for front sights based on how human eyes see color. The discussion moves into practical guidance for new gun owners. Rachel walks through how to tell whether a gun can even accept aftermarket sights, why tritium in both the front and rear is the right starting point, and why a choice like a blacked-out rear comes later, after experience. She and the hosts spend real time on the value of building a relationship with a local gun shop, asking questions without embarrassment, and not relying on Google or YouTube alone when you do not yet have a way to tell good information from bad. The conversation also gets into the manufacturing reality of dovetail tolerances, why sights have to stay put on a slide cycling under heavy force, and a shared wish that the industry would settle on standardized sight footprints and optics patterns. The back half turns to the second amendment fight. GOA's lawsuit over the zero-tolerance policy frames a larger point: gun stores are frontline workers for the community, providing education, maintenance, and a place to ask questions, and shutting them over a clerical error harms law-abiding owners rather than criminals. Rachel, a firearms instructor in New York, gives a firsthand account of life after Bruen. She describes the state's strong reaction, new permit requirements of 16 classroom hours plus two range hours, expanded restrictions on where you can carry, and the ongoing court fights to win some of those locations back. She pushes back on the wild west narrative and on the caricature of who gun owners are, then closes with where to find Night Fision, Glow Rhino, and Kamenga online. Questions this episode answers What is the difference between Night Fision and night vision? Despite the name, Night Fision does not make night vision optics. The company makes firearm sights, specifically tritium iron sights and optics-ready backup sights. How is Night Fision connected to Kamenga and the US military compass? Night Fision traces its roots to Kamenga, a company that has been around a little over 30 years and produces the compass used by the US military. Night Fision took Kamenga's experience selecting and inserting tritium and applied it to firearm sights. Why is tritium regulated by the NRC even though it is safe? Rachel of Night Fision is clear that tritium itself is safe, so safety is not the reason it falls under regulation. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission oversees tritium in firearm sights even though it poses no danger to the user. Why do front sights use hot yellows and oranges instead of blue? Night Fision leans on hot yellows and oranges for front sights because of how the human eye perceives color. Those colors are easier for the eye to pick up quickly, which helps the shooter find the front sight. What should a new gun owner check before buying aftermarket sights? First confirm the gun can even accept aftermarket sights. Rachel recommends starting with tritium in both the front and rear, and saving choices like a blacked-out rear for later once you have more experience. Why do some shooters switch to a blacked-out rear sight? A blacked-out rear is a later choice that comes after experience, not a starting point. New owners are better served by tritium in both the front and rear before moving to that setup. How did New York's permit process change after NYSRPA v. Bruen? Rachel, a firearms instructor in New York, says the state reacted strongly after Bruen with new permit requirements of 16 classroom hours plus two range hours, along with expanded restrictions on where people can carry. Court fights are ongoing to win some of those locations back. Why does Gun Owners of America argue that closing a gun store hurts the whole community? Gun Owners of America (GOA) treats gun stores as frontline workers that provide education, maintenance, and a place to ask questions. Its lawsuit over the zero-tolerance policy argues that shutting a store over a clerical error harms law-abiding owners rather than criminals. Chapters 00:00 — Welcome and meet Rachel from Night Fision 00:35 — Night Fision vs night vision and what they make 01:45 — Kamenga roots and the military compass 02:32 — Optics-ready backup sights and new products 05:47 — How tritium is regulated by the NRC 08:41 — Glow Rhino fobs and EDC tritium uses 11:48 — The science behind front sight colors 15:50 — Why shooters choose a blacked-out rear 19:59 — A roadmap for new gun owners 27:02 — Building a relationship with your gun shop 30:38 — When to make sights for a new gun model 33:50 — Dovetail tolerances and standardized footprints 36:39 — GOA, zero tolerance, and gun stores as frontline workers 44:36 — Life in New York after Bruen 56:39 — Where to find Night Fision, Glow Rhino, and Kamenga About the guest Rachel represents Night Fision, a company known for tritium iron sights and optics-ready backup sights. [VERIFY] Night Fision shares ties with Kamenga, which has been around a little over 30 years and produces the compass used by the US military, and with Glow Rhino, which makes tritium EDC products such as fobs and knife scales. Rachel is a firearms instructor who lives in New York and teaches beginner classes. She has said her background is not law enforcement or military; she went to art school and spent almost 15 years working in Manhattan. [VERIFY: Rachel's last name and exact title at Night Fision] Key quotes "People think, well, the bumpy things that came on the gun are sufficient. That's what they sent it out with, so they must be perfect. It's just not the truth." — Rachel "100% tritium is safe. It's not why it's regulated." — Rachel "You don't necessarily want to learn how to drive on the supercar. You want to learn how to drive on the Corolla." — Rachel "developing a relationship with the shop is vital and also not feeling like an island." — Rachel "If we are to define what a frontline worker is in the second amendment community, it's the people at the gun stores because they provide that base level of education." — Co-host