Painting Front Sight

[Malamute]

Elmer Keith wrote that S&W red front sight inserts tended to shoot to a different point of impact with strong sun from the side because the sight was not where you thought you saw it.

YMMV a lot.

I recall Keith mentioning that gold bead sights with rounded faces tended to do that, I dont recall him mentioning it with regards to the red ramp sights. Ive had pretty good experience with the factory red ramp sights, but they are a bit dark for my taste at this point, ive been painting them bright orange.

Dad had a pistol with a front fiber optic sight. I thought it was pretty cool, however i noticed it wasnt as easy to see in various lighting conditions as the sights painted with the Traffic Cone orange nail polish with white base coat. i removed the fiber optic front sight and put a regular one on and painted it orange. I do the white base coat and one thin top coat of orange, it seems brighter that way.

I use acetone for de-greasing, walmart has it in the nail polish area, its also marketed as nail polish remover, and can be had pure acetone or I think possibly with fragrance added. When painting in dots, lettering or sight markings, I fill the low spots, let it sit a minute until not quite fully cured, then use a q-tip with acetone to clean up the surrounding areas. It has worked pretty well once you get the hang of it. Painting in the sight markings on A2 sights makes them hugely easier to see to adjust as needed for range.

In my normal life I do a dusk skunk patrol around my place with the dog. Normal iron sights completely disappear in the failing light, but the orange on my pistol and Winchester carbine sights stands out very well long after black sights are impossible to use. It wears over time when pocket carried or carrying the carbine around, I just clean it off with the acetone and re-do it once a year or whenever it gets chipped up.

[That Guy]

I like orange paint for front sights during day time use, however I've noticed that with my eyes the orange front sight becomes difficult to see during dusk and after dark in the artificial light used on the range I use. I've yet to decide what color I want to try next.

[Lost River]

The smith who has done the work on my old Colt LW Commander suggested to go with a yellow fiber optic. I used to use red, then went with green after discovering they worked better for me. He is in his 70s and said they helped him pick up the front sight faster. He still is very active in USPSA and is a skilled shooter.

He was right.

This pic was taken with the skies dark and overcast with light rain and the front sight really pops for me. It is better than I expected.



So yellow is another option to consider when experimenting with fiber optic

[1slow]

I may be misremembering Keith, It would have been in one of the Guns and Ammo magazines before I bought his books.

[UNM1136]

As I age I think I also think fiber is the way to go.

I wish @SLG would have the old P-T site had the old blog posts available as well as the article...

But tnis is thankfully still there.

pat

[Danko]

Not many years ago I was looking to improve the sight contrast on my Beretta 92 INOX. I bought some Tester's Fluorescent orange and blobbed it into the tiny recessed circles. It's night here but here's the difference under cozy living room vs UV light:

Attachment 89749
Attachment 89750

Again, these are the same sights but the contrast you get will depend on your lighting conditions. Here's the paint I used:

Attachment 89751

Thank you for responding! You weren't kidding about different lighting having different effects. In your second shot the sights appear bright yellow. I like that look.

I took down the paint color in case I decide to try it.

Danko

[Danko]

I just turned 68 and I use green fiber optics pretty much exclusively on all iron sighted pistols. Front and rear if fiber-optic rears are available. The fiber optics are a boon to aging eyes and I would strongly recommend at least a fiber optic front sight.

Most good fiber optic sights allow you to recess the front bulb of the fiber rod into the sight to somewhat avoid the issues with sun over shoulder that the previous poster was talking about.

These guys make great sights. They come with all the things you need to change sights on a modern pistol except a hammer or mallet, including red and green fiber optic material so you can try each one:

https://dawsonprecision.com/dawson-p...-front-sights/

If you buy a set, they have an exact impact guarantee: https://dawsonprecision.com/product_...g?t=1440019909

Here is a carry set for your M&P: https://dawsonprecision.com/smith-an...t-set-310-036/

When you decide you want to carry your LC9, a set of these may be what works: https://xssights.com/products/dxt2-b...hts-ruger.html

As for the 'red dot' optics, their day is coming, if not already here. They shorten the learning curve for new shooters, and are becoming common for police and every day carry by civilians. Plus they are a BIGGG advantage for us old guys.

There are several threads discussing optics versus irons, this is one example: https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....iron-sight-gun

Good luck.

Thank you for your input, Dan. I happened to have looked at both sets of sights you linked a month or so back. Both look great and likely perform quite well. I may yet move onto the high tech road for my sights.

[TCinVA]

As I age I think I also think fiber is the way to go.

I wish @SLG would have the old P-T site had the old blog posts available as well as the article...

But tnis is thankfully still there.

pat

The JohnO modification is money for iron sights...and pretty easy to do.

For those of you painting your sights, use multiple coats of white appliance paint as your base and then apply the flourescent colors in a couple of layers over the top of that. It will really make a huge difference in how the color pops.

[Jared]

I’ve painted greens and oranges different times. They both work, and some of it is dependent on the individual eyes. Really, if I have my druthers, I prefer fiber, but I’ve even found I can make a white dot front and black rear work. All black isn’t really ideal for me and is definitely my least preferred option.

I’ve recently been experimenting with an RDS. First time around, several years ago, wasn’t all that promising. This time I’ve got a better understanding of what I’m doing and hoping for better results than then. I do not expect to ever abandoned irons completely until I’m forced to.

[Lost River]

The JohnO modification is money for iron sights...and pretty easy to do.

For those of you painting your sights, use multiple coats of white appliance paint as your base and then apply the flourescent colors in a couple of layers over the top of that. It will really make a huge difference in how the color pops.

This has been my experience as well.

I then apply a clear coat of nail polish hardener on top to make it last a long time. Seems to really work well.

White, then "traffic cone orange", then the clear hardener.