Unveiling the Seely Night Sight: The Revolutionary First Weapon Light

When you look at modern shooting techniques and weapon choices there is a growing number that feature weapon mounted lights.  This makes a ton of tactical sense and in today’s world, there are a myriad of options.  However, that was not always the case.  Back at the turn of the 20^th century, there was no options for lowlight shooting.  That all changed in 1911 when San Francisco inventor George Seely introduced his “Seely Night Sight”.

This story is an incredible one and deserves mention.  The battery powered flashlight was invented in 1899.  Once this happened, the possibilities for the usage of such a device is endless.  As we know today, it seems everything is battery powered.  It was only a matter of time before someone looked at this leap forward and applied it to the world of firearms.  George Seely set out to do just that.

The first problem Seely had to figure out was how to protect the bulb itself.  Unlike today in the world of LEDs, the filament for incandescent bulbs back in the day were extremely fragile.  The concussive force of firing a gun would instantly break the bulb and render the flashlight useless.  To counteract this, Seely encased his bulb and a series of springs and rubber to lesson the below of firing a gun.

This ingenious design and idea protected the bulb and allowed the shooter to fire with confidence.  To prove this point, Seely put his device on a Colt Police Positive pistol that was chambered in 38 special the common police caliber of the time. These devices were ultimately unsuccessful in being sold, however.  There was significant time required to install them.  What is most incredible is how quickly this idea came into reality.

With flashlights only being invented in 1899, the Seely applied for a patent in 1911 and was granted in 1912.  The industrial revolution ignited innovation across the nation and many inventors turned to firearms as their focus.  The Seely Company unfortunately did not last long.  It would go bankrupt in 1915 with unpaid taxes.  It was a design, and idea, light years ahead of its time. 

For George Seely, the concept would not hit with his invention, however it would provide a path forward for others to take his idea and move forward with it.  As technology would progress and finally in the 1980’s Surefire would take Seely’s idea and implement it in a more realistic way.

There are only two known examples of his patented device.  One was housed in famed author Clive Cussler’s firearm collection.  The other, the one pictured here, was sold to Guns.com on a their “We Buy Guns” tab.  It was a shocking find, and one that does not happen often.  We had a rare opportunity to tour Guns.com and see it in person.  It is an awesome example of firearms innovation and attempts to overcome the limitations of the time.

Seely was, unfortunately, limited by the technology of the day.  He did not have access to the type of batteries needed to pull consistent power and the bulbs that would hold up to the forces of firearms in an economical way.  Today, we often enjoy guns with weapon lights and lasers, and we can all thank him for attempting something that would inspire future generations to fully flush out his concept.

As we progress in the world of firearms, we often see examples like the Night Sight that were not successful in their time.  However, they end up enjoying a second life in another era or with a different manufacturer.  Many of the guns and accessories we enjoy today had humble beginnings.  Often, the original inventors would not live to see the success of their designs.  When we do run across them though, it is nice to spend a moment remembering those who put a lot on the line to help usher in the era we have today.