Enhancing fixed sights.

[rfd]

S&W 642, my fave little popper, except for those danged fixed sights ... mainly that rear notch. I put a dot of GlowOn orange to each side of the rear notch and bigger dot on the front blade. This made a huge difference for much better and faster sight acquisition. However, that paint just won't adhere well to the aluminum frame, no matter how I prepped the metal, and eventually rubs off. Anyone found a better way to enhance fixed sights? Maybe epoxy little rhinestones to the rear notch?

[rking22]

Watching this for more suggestions. I use model paint and just redo it when needed. I tried mixing it with clear epoxy but wasn’t any better. I like to use a sky blue or lime green on the rear and orange on the front, easier for me to see.

[Conditor22]

1912 colt 1911 45 acp painted the back white and the front fluorescent pink. Got a better sight picture by notching the front sight


Got small bottles of enamel paint @ Micheals

I'm liking fluorescent lime green on the back and fluorescent pink on the front

[rfd]

1911 with dovetailed large rear notch sights are easy - been there and done that with lasting results.

However, a snubbie is not so easy due to the very limited area of its rear notch - THAT is the concern and reason for this thread.

[megasupermagnum]

I only know what works for my eyes, and color is the wrong way to go about the rear sight for me. I like flat black. No dots, no lines, no fiber optics. The front can be colorful. I've never tried aluminum, but I couldn't get a permanent solution on my stainless SP101 either. I carried it every day, and every couple of weeks I touched up the rear with a black paint marker.

The permanent solution for me was to modify for a real rear sight. Dovetail sights like what they put on semiauto's are fine. Milling a notch in a revolver and calling it a "sight" is bogus. A S&W J frame rear sight is in the $60 range, and a gunsmith can install it for around $150. It's well worth it.

[Outpost75]

I did a "drill and fill" having 1/16" holes professionally done on the mill by my gunsmith, then filled with white appliance baking enamel. Not inexpensive, but durable and as good or better than if the factory did'em.

[nicholst55]

Take a look at this stuff:

http://unitednuclear.com/index.php?m...oducts_id=1079

[edp2k]

Try painting over the glow-in-the-dark paint with clear fingernail polish.

[rfd]

I did a "drill and fill" having 1/16" holes professionally done on the mill by my gunsmith, then filled with white appliance baking enamel. Not inexpensive, but durable and as good or better than if the factory did'em.

i thought of that and think it might do the trick for me, too. 1/16" might be a tad too large for the 642's notch "wings", 1/32" or maybe 3/64". i need to think on this a bit more but i think this is a simple DIY thing ... no matter what, i'd start with a 1/32" bit.

[rfd]

Try painting over the glow-in-the-dark paint with clear fingernail polish.

better yet, i flowed on a small drop of quality CYA to each of the glow-on dots. i'll see how that goes first, and if it fails i'll take to drilling and filling the rear notch wings.

[Petrol & Powder]

On some of my stainless revolvers I use flat black paint on the fixed sights to reduce glare. On the fixed rear notch I paint the small semi-circular cut on the top strap and the rear facing edges of the sight notch. I prep the surface with acetone before applying the paint. Those surfaces are fairly well protected and that paint adheres well.

The front ramp sight is different problem. I also paint the rear facing surface of the front blade but that surface isn't as well protected and that paint needs to be re-applied more often. I use just a drop of paint on a Q-tip, so my "brush" is cheap and disposable.
On my snubnose revolvers I don't even bother to paint the rear notch, I just paint the ramp portion of the front blade.

If one were to drill little divots for the paint, a drill press or mill would be a must. That's not a job that can be accomplished by hand.
I think a skilled gunsmith could drill a small hole in the front blade and insert a brass bead. That would be a bit more durable than paint.
Considering the small size, a gold bead may be an option.

[rfd]

the 642 frame is hard aluminum. however, from my personal crafting skill level, i don't see a problem drilling 1/32" dimples at each "ear" of the rear notch, using a drill press and a carbide bit, nor enlarging those dimples to 3/64" if need be. but firstly, hoping to see if the CYA coated glow-on dots does the trick.

i wouldn't bring this sight issue up if those glow-on dots didn't instantly and dramatically improve the sights for my old eyes, both in terms of much faster target acquisition and better consistent accuracy with the little snubbie. it's been an .... eye opener experience.

[country gent]

Drilling the aluminum frame isn't all that hard its the anodizing that's tough. It very smooth and slippery making a drill harder to start straight, and some coatings are as high as 70 on the Rockwell scale. Several things to help one center drills work well for spotting / starting holes better than drills do. Chuck the drill bit up as short as possible to limit flex and spring. On a small drill 1/32 or so open the drill press up to full rpm. even better clamp a dremil tool to the spindle and use it at 20,000 rpm I have a mount for my foredooms wand o hold it in the mil or drill press chuck for small drills mills it gives me a 20,000 rpm spindle. Last don't try for the super smooth finish a little roughness will help the paint to adhere.

I used super glue for finishing wood pens I turned and it is a very hard finish. Pens finished with it took a lot to scratch or marr. Make sure it is compatible with the paint you are using first. If they will mix, mix the paint and glue together. Just a layer on top of the paint is depending on the paints bond strength not the glues. another trick is to drill the hole flat bottomed then take a fine scribe and under score the corner ( in cross section this would look like a T) making a fine mechanical lock for the paint to grip into. This is done with some metal inlays. the engraving is cut then a slight dovetail formed in thee edge and the soft inlay is peened into this to hold it tight. A scribe point used in the corner and a small groove makes a solid gripping for the paints.

[Speedo66]

For my stainless S&W 65 I borrowed some nail polish from my granddaughter, covered the front ramp sight with a white base followed by a bright orange over it. On the back, I filled in the back of the cut out with white.

Very easy to pick out the front sight just looking over the barrel. The enamel seems to be staying in place.

[Froogal]

I use the paint pens from the arts and crafts section at walmart. I did red first, didn't like it, so I painted the front sight white. Made a big difference for these old eyes. When the paint starts chipping off, just wipe down with isopropyl alcohol and repaint.

[Green Frog]

My dream is to get the King Super Police conversion done on my Baby Chiefs Special and/or my I-frame snub in 32 S&W L. The rear sight is enhanced by having a half circle groove cut to outline the aperture then filling it with a white or platinum inlay. The front sight gets a round, gold colored rod on top so it looks end on like a bead. I don't think any of the alterations would be all that tough for a well equipped machinist, I just haven't found one willing to tackle the job for me.

Froggie

[Bigslug]

Black Sharpie.

[rfd]

Black Sharpie.

been there done that a bunch - temporarily far less than permanent, however.

[Rick Hodges]

Way back when, my issued duty revolver as a S&W Model 66 the sights front and rear blade were solid stainless. I cleaned and degreased the rear blade with acetone and painted it with flat black rustoleum, and did the front ramp with red fingernail polish. I would have to touch up the front every couple of months and the rear blade perhaps once a year. I still have the little bottle of fingernail polish....use it for and insurance mark when scope mounting...a drop on rings and scope body to let me know if anything moved.

[bigted]

My 63 year old eyes have trouble also with sights.

I started with my old 1911 that I was having trouble seeing those sights ... sooo ... I first took a round chainsaw file and filed the rear sight round and open. This helped immensely.

Taking the next step ... still not finding the sights very easy ... I took brilliant white model paint and painted the face of the front sight a very bright white with the crisp square edges against the very black round rear turned out to be THE thing.

The contrast is very easy for these older eyes to pick up and enable me to focus on the front sight and trust that the round U rear would center like the peep's do.

Works for me anyway. My sixguns do the same for me. The round U contrasted with the square vivid white front is my new fav sights both fixed AND adjustable.