Gun sight paints

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While shopping around for some gun accessories for my wife's birthday present, I ran across some gun sight paint called "Bright Sights" and decided to pick up a couple small bottles for use on one of my pistols.

Here's a link:

http://www.brightsights.com/


My colt 1991A1 is factory original, parkerized. Right down to the sights.

I love the factory sights...simple and unobtrusive, definately not a snag hazzard for concealed carry. But my eyesight isn't what it used to be and, at any rate, all black sights on a dark or all black target background sucks. Especially in any kind of low light condition.

I settled on two colors...orange (which I intend to use on the front sight) and yellow (for the back sight).

This was from available color choices which also included red, white, and green. Also available was Ghost Glow in green, white, orange, and yellow, plus a Ghost Glow additive you could mix in with the regular paints. Ghost Glow is not a Tritium type of glow in the dark...this requires previous exposure to light. I opted not to buy Ghost Glow because my experience with such glow in the dark paints leaves a lot to be desired. A holstered gun is necessarily in the dark and won't do you a bit of good if drawing it in an already dark scenario.


My reasoning for my color choices are:

Orange for the front sight because it's both highly visible and it would stand out against most backgrounds very well. This should make it a good choice for the most important of the two gun sights.

Yellow to be different than orange, making it easier to use the rear sight for centering the differently colored front sight.


Who here has painted their own sights? Was there a color scheme you particularly liked? And how did you like the durability of the paint(s) you used?
 
If you're willing to do white, you can buy a tube of porcelain repair goop at the Home Depot. It works great, and at a fraction of the cost of the paints.
 
I like a orange or orange-red over a white base coat on the front blade.
Model Master Fluorescent Red is my best color but I have a pretty good nail polish that is easier to apply.
I leave the rear black.
If you want rear color, lime green stands out.
 
I have guns that have worn Testors flourescent orange paint for decades. Easy to see and durable.
 
I use neon orange nail polish. The bottle set me back a whole dollar bill. I painted my MK II pistols' sights about 2 years ago and haven't had to touch them up.
 
My wife dragged me into a beauty supply store with her where I saw "Finger Paints" brand neon green nail polish -- made her buy me a jar. Works far better than a set of "sight paints" I'd bought years ago.

Lots of color choices and cheap, comes right off with acetone, but seems pretty immune to normal gun cleaning oils and solvents.
 
I have used those paints on a few of my guns. I like green over white base on front and red on rear sights. Be careful not to apply to thick of layers or it will peel off. Also clean the sights well with a degreaser first and let dry and stir the paint well and it works very well. I like to apply it using the stick from a swab (q-tip with a wooden stick) that has been cut to a flat point the width of the sight.
 
I like a orange or orange-red over a white base coat on the front blade.
Model Master Fluorescent Red is my best color but I have a pretty good nail polish that is easier to apply.
I leave the rear black.
If you want rear color, lime green stands out.

Hmmm...I like the color contrast you suggect with the green. I may pick up a bottle of that as well.
 
You may feel funny doing it, but nail polish will last just as long or longer than most paints designed to stay on firearms. And they have nearly any color you could think of. I did watch a video of a guy mix nail polish with a little bit of clear epoxy to help the nail polish stay in the sight notches longer, but that is an optional step.
 
You may feel funny doing it, but nail polish will last just as long or longer than most paints designed to stay on firearms. And they have nearly any color you could think of. I did watch a video of a guy mix nail polish with a little bit of clear epoxy to help the nail polish stay in the sight notches longer, but that is an optional step.

Nah...I don't feel funny about that at all. I've two girls, aside from my wife, and I've never felt "unmanly" about doing anything with them. Heck, I sat through that Katy Perry movie with them...while Mommy and son were two doors down watching Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. (Never did quite figure how that came about.)

In fact, the girls think I do a better job at painting their nails than Mommy! (All those years of detailed model building/painting, I guess.)

I started painting the front and rear sights last night...and have put 3 coats on so far. Probably put a fourth one on later. This stuff covers thinly, requiring multiple coats. Fingernail polish typically is a one coat job.

I like the colors I chose, so far. The yellow, when painted on the matt black rear sight, comes out a little darker yellow, almost a greenish look to it. Good visibility and, I think, will work well in contrast with the orange on the front sight.

Be a while before I get out shooting with it, but I'll know more about durability over the next few weeks as this is my carry piece. If it turns out not to be very durable, I'll make a trip to Walmart or Target and pick something up in the makeup section.

Only one problem with nail polish, though...I may never feel "unmanly" about doing anything with my girls, but I have a dread centered around taking a nap on the couch and waking up with my toenails painted. I crashed hard on the couch after nearly two days of being awake and the girls took a permanent marker to my stomach. Didn't even notice until much later, when I was getting ready to take a shower.

:neener:
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
Nah...I don't feel funny about that at all. I've two girls, aside from my wife, and I've never felt "unmanly" about doing anything with them. Heck, I sat through that Katy Perry movie with them...while Mommy and son were two doors down watching Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. (Never did quite figure how that came about.)

Well I meant more for going through the checkout at Wal-Mart with Lime Green nail polish in your cart. Can always balance it out by getting a grill set :neener:
 
As long as you don't start taking it in every week for a manicure.
 
Man…you guys go all out. I just use White-Out…the super cheap typewriter correction fluid. It's bright and it lasts forever.
 
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