front sight configurations / colors

dhurt · Post by **dhurt** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 6:50 pm

I have read some posts regarding sight colors. Am I correct that you can color your front sight to any desired color? Can you use stripes or dots, like some combat sights? Do the open sight have to be rectangular? I have seen other types of sights, such as an open "U" rear notch with an open "ball" front sight. Many thanks to the GURUS out there, I didn't find the answers to my questions in US Shootings online rules. Thanks again, Dwaine

Spencer · Post by **Spencer** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:02 pm

I have read some posts regarding sight colors. Am I correct that you can color your front sight to any desired color? Can you use stripes or dots, like some combat sights?

YES (but why would you?)

Do the open sight have to be rectangular?

NO

dhurt · Post by **dhurt** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:46 pm

Yes Spencer, I have shot with the regular black rectangular sights for many years, but I have been wondering if a different color or shape or pattern might make it easier for me to maintain sharp focus on the front sight. I wanted to check the legality before experimenting too much. Thanks, Dwaine

SteveT · Post by **SteveT** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 5:05 pm

For action shooting colored sights might help you pick them up faster, but for precision shooting, I don't want anything other than flat black sights.

It is hard to beat a good square notch, but when I bought my TOZ, it had a different rear sight. The notch flares out (i.e. wider at the top than bottom) ever so slightly. As the front sight moves back and forth the height of the light bars changes.

I have the other rear sight blades with the gun, but figured I would shoot it for a while and see how I like it. I have not shot it enough to know yet.

Steve T

top end · Post by **top end** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:23 pm

Steve T wrote;
"It is hard to beat a good square notch, but when I bought my TOZ, it had a different rear sight. The notch flares out (i.e. wider at the top than bottom) ever so slightly. As the front sight moves back and forth the height of the light bars changes"

I would suggest that this is not an advanced russian sighting system but just a typical example of agricultural manufacturing techniques. You need to get a file onto it!

bubba_zenetti · Post by **bubba_zenetti** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 12:33 am

on another side 0of this subject, are there any other sights available for target pistols after market? i can find all sorts of adjustable stuff for 1911s but i cannot seem to find a repalcement that would enhance a walther gsp (or any other target pistol)

David Levene · Post by **David Levene** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 1:28 am

bubba_zenetti wrote:......... but i cannot seem to find a repalcement that would enhance a walther gsp (or anyher target pistol)

I know that some people will disagree but if changing away from the standard sights was really an enhancement for ISSF shooting then everyone would be selling replacements.

Elmas · Post by **Elmas** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 2:47 am

Nearly all FP and AP shooters use black sights...

Many 'old style' shooters would bring along to matches a 'sooting' lamp to blacken the sights to eliminate any reflected light off them .

Against a white background , black non reflective sights are ideal .

'dead centre' shooting will probably need colored sights. (( I have a Browning Hi-Power with a customised Millet Front Sight ( Orange ) and adjustable Wichita rear sight (Black ) The pistol is sighted to shoot dead center and against a black target , orange front sights work best.

RobStubbs · Post by **RobStubbs** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 5:35 am

Elmas wrote:Nearly all FP and AP shooters use black sights...

Many 'old style' shooters would bring along to matches a 'sooting' lamp to blacken the sights to eliminate any reflected light off them .

Against a white background , black non reflective sights are ideal .

'dead centre' shooting will probably need colored sights. (( I have a Browning Hi-Power with a customised Millet Front Sight ( Orange ) and adjustable Wichita rear sight (Black ) The pistol is sighted to shoot dead center and against a black target , orange front sights work best.

I'm not aware of any rapid fire shooters using anything other than black sights - although I'm sure there must be some. I use black for CF and rapid fire and I've never had any problems with contrast.

Rob.

deleted1 · Post by **deleted1** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 5:15 pm

I tried "White out" on the front sight of my Schumann RF pistol---it was not the solution---I always resort to an Acetylene lighter to blacken the rear of the front sight blade. I personally am able to pick up the front sight faster and clearer with the soot blackening.

Nicole Hamilton · Post by **Nicole Hamilton** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 5:28 pm

Elmas wrote:I have a Browning Hi-Power with a customised Millet Front Sight ( Orange ) and adjustable Wichita rear sight (Black ) The pistol is sighted to shoot dead center and against a black target , orange front sights work best.

I've got a couple revolvers with red ramps as front sights but my experience is that it takes a fair amount of light on the front sight before you see the color. Outdoors it works. But on a range where there's even a little more light on the target than there is at the firing positions, the front sight might as well be black because all you see is the silhouette. Actually, it'd be better if it were black, because to me the red ramps tend to look kind of greyish and they're harder to focus on than a true black front sight.

bubba_zenetti · Post by **bubba_zenetti** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 2:07 am

David Levene wrote:
bubba_zenetti wrote:......... but i cannot seem to find a repalcement that would enhance a walther gsp (or anyher target pistol)
I know that some people will disagree but if changing away from the standard sights was really an enhancement for ISSF shooting then everyone would be selling replacements.

probably so. but there is a wide variety of sights available for rifles. you would think there would be a variety for pistols. finer adjustments would be nice to have as well as the ability to change the width of the rear sight by turning an adjustment screw.

RobStubbs · Post by **RobStubbs** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 2:16 am

bubba_zenetti wrote: probably so. but there is a wide variety of sights available for rifles. you would think there would be a variety for pistols. finer adjustments would be nice to have as well as the ability to change the width of the rear sight by turning an adjustment screw.

Most pistols have the adjustments you mention - both my steyrs and pardini's have a screw which opens / closes the rear sight notch. The steyr also has the ability to make it deeper / shallower as well.

You need to remember the drivers for companies making these kind of adjustments is us shooters. Or predominantly the world class shooters that are often sponsored / supported by the factories. The fact that not all guns have loads of adjustments suggests that while they are nice gimmicks they are of little use to the shooter looking at improving their scores.

Rob.

bubba_zenetti · Post by **bubba_zenetti** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 4:37 am

RobStubbs wrote: You need to remember the drivers for companies making these kind of adjustments is us shooters. Or predominantly the world class shooters that are often sponsored / supported by the factories. The fact that not all guns have loads of adjustments suggests that while they are nice gimmicks they are of little use to the shooter looking at improving their scores.

Rob.

well if that was the case then why is it my walther lp300 has all of the features i mentioned but my gsp does not? even the new gsp has the same old basic sights.

you yourself just said your steyr has loads of adjustments. are they gimmicks or are they the result of research based on what shooters want?

not everyones eyes fit the same sights. this is why there is adjustability. the fact that some guns do not feature a lot of adjustability on the sights tells me that the manufacture is assuming that they will work for everyone which is not always the case.

Fred Mannis · Post by **Fred Mannis** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 10:18 am

RobStubbs wrote: The fact that not all guns have loads of adjustments suggests that while they are nice gimmicks they are of little use to the shooter looking at improving their scores.

Rob.

While training and practice are always the key to improving score, having equipment properly adjusted helps. Especially sights and grips/stocks. Steyr seems to think so.

Steve Swartz · Post by **Steve Swartz** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 12:14 pm

. . . but the point is still "well made" that while there are plenty of adjustments for important stuff, nobody offers a variety of sight colors and styles . . .

. . . which leads one to believe that at least for pistols, the good old square notch/square front blade in basic black is about as good as it gets.

Steve Swartz

Rifles, on the other hand, can benefit from a variety of front and rear sights in both styles and sizes.

Nicole Hamilton · Post by **Nicole Hamilton** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 1:13 pm

Steve Swartz wrote: . . . which leads one to believe that at least for pistols, the good old square notch/square front blade in basic black is about as good as it gets. ... Rifles, on the other hand, can benefit from a variety of front and rear sights in both styles and sizes.

It's possible that you'd see the same variety on pistols if only the rules allowed them. As it is, you're only allowed open sights for international competition. Well, duh. If they have to be open, what do you suppose they're going to look like? You're not going to see too many adjustable irises or colored filters, are you?

David Levene · Post by **David Levene** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 1:30 pm

Nicole Hamilton wrote:If they have to be open, what do you suppose they're going to look like? You're not going to see too many adjustable irises or colored filters, are you?

The original question was about coloured and differently shaped open coloured sights. Steve's comments were therefore perfectly valid.

Nicole Hamilton · Post by **Nicole Hamilton** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 2:00 pm

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound disrespectful. But I wasn't responding to the original question, David. I was responding to Steve's comment that it's different with rifles. But it's not. The only difference is in the rules that allow something other than open sights on rifles. On all the target rifles I've seen that use open sights, they're all black blades, too. I don't see any colored sights on rifles, either.

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