Need sight replacement advice, please...

[Preacherman]

Hi, folks. I've been shooting snubbies for years, and usually have applied model paint to the front sight to make it stand out a little, and so acquire a sight picture more quickly and easily. However, I'm getting to the point where I'm going to have to start using spectacles, and the front sights are getting harder to see! (Funny, I hear that from a lot of older - sorry, middle-aged! - members round here... )

Anyway, my question is this. Does anyone know / has anyone had this done / can anyone recommend a gunsmith, who is able to mill off the fixed front sight on various snubbies, and insert either a fiber-optic front sight, or an Express Sights Big Dot? I'd also want the sight channel in the top strap to be milled out into a U shape, so as to get a clearer view of the front sight.

Preferably, I'd want a system which would allow for the use of dovetailed and/or pinned front sights. I'd do this to a couple of .38 Special snubs, and probably to a couple of .44 Specials as well.

Any and all advice would be appreciated.

 

[Tupperware]

Tim Bacus has installed dovetailed front sights on S&W snubbies. Contact him at Gilberts Small Arms (703) 550-8005.

 

[HSMITH]

Preacher, stick with the dovetails. The pins are not nearly as rugged.

 

[Sprout]

I know this isn't exactly what you are asking about, but you might think about a Lasergrip. Just a thought.

 

[Preacherman]

Sprout, how would I carve a channel in the top strap to fit a Lasergrip? Oh - wait a minute - I see...

Seriously, I do have a set of Lasergrips on one gun, and will probably get more in due course: but I NEVER trust my life to something battery-powered! I'll use it with pleasure, but if the excrement hits the rotary air impeller, the batteries might be dead, or I might have the wrong hold on the gun and obscure the laser designator with a finger, or something like that. I'll trust good sights on the gun as a primary, and treat the Lasergrips as a useful secondary - if they work!

 

[sm]

Next time at Clarks...

Inquire about drilling through the sight and installing a large "gold bead".
To clarify, the Hi-Vis or fiber optics , recall how the sight is drilled ? Ok since the "metal" doesn't require light as do the fiber optic, drill and tap like a bead on SG. You with me so far? Adjust bead size to your needs, rugged, don't snag, no tritium...

I personally like this better than Ashley Big Dots...but there is that option too.

I figure you can figure out something to do whilst hanging around Clark's....

Disclaimer: not responsible for any "additional" purchases, drooling, Iwantanewgunvirus, ...etc. Advised to leave monies at home for bifocals before leaving...

 

[scott45b]

Front sight problems....yes, I know, been there, still there. Here is how I have handled it. I wear bifocals. I had my eye doc make a special pair of shooting glasses for me. The right side (my dominant eye) of my glasses has a lens that focuses at the distance of my outstreched arm plus the length of my index finger. This distance takes care of all my handguns, it allows my dominant eye to focus on the front sight. The left sight is focused at my normal distance vision. When shooting at distances up to 25 yards it works great. At greater distances and when shooting long guns, I wear my regular glasses.

The front sights of all my competition revolvers have a patridge/w gold dot blade. The dots are then painted with a dab of bright orange model aircraft paint.

This may not work for everyone, but it works for me.

 

[sm]

A good point was made...

My eye doc is a shooter, he takes this into acct. He knows I CCW, that in particular is taken into acct, especially the location of bifocal and size/shape.

When I finally had to have bifocals, He strongly advised getting the "LINE". Being a new wearer, and all the line is easier to distinguish , get used to. I've had friends get the non-lined...and more easily stumbled on stairs, curbs...and really messed up their shooting.

CCW and glasses need to be considered together. Range is important, and get advise also, but the everyday carry is priorty IMO.

My doc has training guns, he notes the shooter's style, be it Weaver, Isocelese...whatever...it makes a difference...eye chart becomes a 'teddy' and he notes every aspect of shooter. Distance of "eye" to guns front sight...little stuff like that... Does the same for long arms...

 

[Old Fuff]

Get out your copy of Brownells' catalog (you do have one don't you?) and look at the fiber optic sights that are made for shotguns. They are sometimes shorter and lower then the ones offered for handguns and are held on with a threaded stud. You can file or mill off the original front shight and then drill and tap a hole in the barrel's rib. A little loc-tite, screw in the sight and your done.

On the other hand, using the dovetail method allows for some windage adjustment. The big problem with a snubby is finding a new sight that is low enough, unless the revolver has adjustable sights. That's another reason I suggest you look at some of the shotgun models.

 

[George Hill]

Can't you get a set of Ashley Express sights for a revolver? I think you can.
Take a look at them, Preach...
They work well for old eyes. I had put them on a Springfield TRP that I had and loved it.

I also like gold beads on revolvers... not sure why. Just seems more fitting.

 

[OH25shooter]

If you have that many handguns to change, wouldn't it be better to focus on a pair of prescription shooting glasses instead? That's the route I took. My shooting glasses are yellow lenses with a bi-focal for loading and a tri-focal for front sight focus. If you choose to do that, tell your doctor during the exam and he'll measure your shooting stance distance to get the right power. Works great for me.

 

[Preacherman]

OH25, nice thought, but I want something I can shoot in an emergency situation - and I might not have my "shooting glasses" along at the time. (Mental picture: "Just a minute, Mr. Mugger - I have to change my glasses..." )

OF, thanks for the suggestion about the shotgun sights. I'll look into those.

George, I spoke with Steve Barron at Express Sights this afternoon. He gave me the names of a few gunsmiths who do the sort of work I want, and said that XS has a dovetail front sight that requires the milling away of the existing front sight, and the cutting of a small dovetail into which the sight is pinned. It will depend on whether or not there's enough metal in the barrel shroud to allow the cutting of the dovetail. He also said that the modification I want to the sight channel in the top strap is frequently done in conjunction with a Big Dot front sight, so that the bottom half of the front sight dot sits in the U-shaped sight channel.

Unfortunately, Clark Custom Guns (who do most of my gunsmithing) won't work on Rossi's, and I'll probably have to send my guns out for the work to be done, whatever sight I end up choosing. Bummer...