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Old 12-13-2010, 09:54 PM
Joebklyn Joebklyn is offline
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replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4" replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4" replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4" replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4" replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4"  
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I'd like to replace the front sight on my 617 with a ramp type (red) sight. Does anybody know of the size drift I need to use to remove the sight? A source of ramp sights?
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Old 12-13-2010, 10:36 PM
Big Cholla Big Cholla is offline
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Originally Posted by Joebklyn View Post
I'd like to replace the front sight on my 617 with a ramp type (red) sight. Does anybody know of the size drift I need to use to remove the sight? A source of ramp sights?
First of all it requires a roll pin punch not a standard drift pin. Just eyeballing mine it looks like the smallest standard roll pin punch of 1/16" dia. I have no idea if yours is a solid pin or a roll pin, but my guess is that is is the factory roll pin. Brownells is a good source for ramp sight blades. S&W would probably have them also.

Since the Model 617 is not usually thought of being in the category of pistols that requires fast draw from a holster, my thinking is that the factory patridge sight is optimum for the handgun. YMMV .... Big Cholla
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Old 12-13-2010, 11:44 PM
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My eyes are'nt what they use to be and I need to get the drop on these nasty New York squirrels.
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Old 12-13-2010, 11:54 PM
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Coming from another pair of "Old eyes" let me suggest that you consider a fibre optic front sight if they are available. All my competition guns wear fibre optic front sights. Huge improvement over patridge sights (my second choice) or ramped sights.
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Old 12-14-2010, 07:58 PM
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Be careful to well support the barrel area surrounding the front sight roll pin.

I've seen folks bend, distort, damage their gun, because that 617 stainless is a bit softer than regular S&W gun steel, and the sides of the front sight area is not particularly thick.

Also, If You change the Patridge front sight blade to a Ramp blade, You're going to need a lower rear site blade, because the ramp blade is significantly taller, than the patridge blade. Not enough vertical adjustment.

Measure the height of the rear blade (top to bottom), if it is .160", you'll prolly need a .146", or if it's a .146", you'll prolly need the .122" or whatever.

Have Fun!
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Old 12-14-2010, 08:02 PM
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Thought about changing mine also but it will be with fiber optic. I have seen them advertised for the 617. I have fiber on my m&p 9.
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Old 12-14-2010, 08:16 PM
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Thought about changing mine also but it will be with fiber optic. I have seen them advertised for the 617. I have fiber on my m&p 9.
Yes, the fiber optic sight is nice in the field, but not great under a cover pistol range.

I've tried several different blades on My 617, and simply went back to the factory patridge blade, every time.
S&W knew what they were doing when they built this fine revolver.

What I have changed permanently was the rear sight blade, that is, I changed it to a white outline blade.
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Old 12-14-2010, 09:02 PM
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The cheapest solution would be to paint the patridge sight face with some red paint. If you decide later that you don't like it, you can remove the paint.
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Old 01-31-2011, 08:07 PM
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I installed a HiViz green fiber optic front sight on my 617 this afternoon. You can drive the roll pin out with a .050 pin punch, and then remove the front sight blade with padded pliers. Replacement sights, including the HiViz, are not pre-drilled. Insert the new sight and hold it in place while drilling with a #54 bit. Drill carefully by hand a little at a time, alternating sides until you are through. When you reinstall the pin it will follow the hole even if it is not quite straight. I replaced the roll pin with a solid .055 pin. You can get everything you need from Brownell's, or you can also get pins from Speedshooter Specialties (including oversize "repair" pins).
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Old 02-01-2011, 08:27 AM
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I had a red ramp installed on both my 617 and 648 and for me it was a big improvement.
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Old 02-01-2011, 11:24 AM
Wee Hooker Wee Hooker is offline
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Been around the block with this one of my two 617's as my eyes age.
IMHO, The fiber optic is a very nice option for general outdoor shooting but lacks definition of shape for precision bullseye shooting.

I've considered other styles/types as well but ended up pretty content with just painting the partridge sight. ( Gold bead was a close second)

I'd suggest it's a simple, cheap and reversible experiment anyway. I've found a white base of Testers model paint covered by a red/orange top coat of the same brand works great. Goes on neat, wears well and retains it's brightness/contrast. Just apply sparingly with the tip of a tooth pick.
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Old 03-26-2013, 07:05 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by robmcd View Post
I installed a HiViz green fiber optic front sight on my 617 this afternoon. You can drive the roll pin out with a .050 pin punch, and then remove the front sight blade with padded pliers. Replacement sights, including the HiViz, are not pre-drilled. Insert the new sight and hold it in place while drilling with a #54 bit. Drill carefully by hand a little at a time, alternating sides until you are through. When you reinstall the pin it will follow the hole even if it is not quite straight. I replaced the roll pin with a solid .055 pin. You can get everything you need from Brownell's, or you can also get pins from Speedshooter Specialties (including oversize "repair" pins).
I am getting ready to install one of these in a day or two. I can envision everything except press fitting a solid .055 pin into the side of an odd shaped piece. Arbor press it? Tap it in with a ball peen? What works best?
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Old 03-26-2013, 08:24 AM
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The red ramp is easily the worst of the four common front sight options!

I like the green fiber optic best. Get a good FO sight, like the SDM Super Sight, and it has a squared top for precision.

The gold bead is a close second.

The patridge is far, far behind those two, but far ahead of the red ramp.

Buy a rear sight blade the same height as those used on the 686. Get a plain black blade or reverse the white outline. One should focus on the front sight - the white outline is a worse idea than the awful red ramp!
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Old 03-27-2013, 03:15 PM
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I have a gold bead dot sight on my 627 Pro and love it. I have patridge sights on most of my guns and they work for me in most lighting situations. Red ramp sights would be best bought directly from S&W. You will get exactly the correct sight. I find them useful in low light conditions only, especially when back-lit. In bright light, the red insert glows and obscures the sight picture (at least, for my old eyes). I hear great things about fibre optics. S&W sells them online as do a number of others such as Midway USA.
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Old 03-27-2013, 03:25 PM
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I ende up putting a red dot Ultra Dot on mine. Now I can see the dot and the target.
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Old 12-22-2015, 06:11 PM
Aegis Defense Aegis Defense is offline
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I installed the HiViz (Green) front sight on my S&W 617-6 (4" barrel) and the results were excellent. It's easier to get good sight alignment and sight picture with the HiViz versus the OEM black front sight. I've included installation notes (long) below in case anyone is interested:

You will need to drill a hole in the HiViz base tab for the roll pin to install it on a S&W 617. You can pay a smith to install it for $20 - $30 or you can install it yourself if you have the right tools and skill level. I installed the HiViz on a S&W 617 in about an hour. Here are instructions if you plan to DIY:

Tools/Materials needed: .050 cup tip punch (Brownells); a 2”x2”x3/4” piece of plywood; small hammer; 1.35 mm (.053) drill bit with a 1/8” shank (get at least two drill bits, available on eBay for about $1.99 each) and a variable speed Dremel tool. You will need to reuse the OEM roll pin.

The OEM front sight blade is secured by a roll pin that should be driven out with the .050 cup tip punch. The pin should come out easily with several light taps. Once the pin is removed, you can tap the front sight blade out with the piece of plywood and a small hammer. Place the plywood on the back of the blade and tap it forward with the hammer until the front edge of the blade clears the barrel, then using the plywood again, tap the front of the blade upwards. Use Kroil or similar if the blade is difficult to remove. You don’t have to and shouldn’t have to use pliers to remove the blade.

You may want to very lightly sand the sides of the HiViz tab where it will sit into the groove of the front sight mount on the 617. This will help with the installation because right out of the box, the HiViz will be very, very snug. However, don’t take off too much from the tab. The HiViz was made to be somewhat snug in the mount. Also, remove a little material from the base of the HiViz tab to ensure a flush fit between the sight mount on the 617 and the bottom edges of the HiViz. You’ll only need to take off very little from the bottom of the tab (1/64” or so). Next “eyeball” the HiViz so that the front end looks somewhat flush with the front barrel and start to sit the HiViz (by hand) into the groove of the front sight mount (note the optic side of the HiViz faces the rear sight). Place the plywood so that it is flat on top of the HiViz ensuring that it covers both ends (to prevent damage to the fiber optic cylinder). Gently tap the plywood until the HiViz bottoms out in the mount. Hold the 617 up to a light source and check if the HiViz is seated flush with the sight mount. If you see light coming from between the HiViz and the mount, you will need to take a little more material off the bottom of the HiViz tab. Remove the HiViz from the mount using the same technique that was used to remove the OEM blade and take off a little more material from the base of the tab (light sanding may do it).

Reinsert the HiViz into the mount with the plywood and hammer as describe above if it was removed for adjustment. Check that the front of the HiViz is flush with the front of the barrel. If not, use the plywood and hammer to adjust horizontally as necessary. Finally, lay the plywood on the top of the HiViz and tap lightly to ensure it is flush with the mount on the 617. Now you’re ready to drill the hole through the HiViz tab for the roll pin.

Use the existing holes in the front sight mount as a guide to drill the hole in the HiViz tab, start on one side of the 617 sight mount. Use a low/medium low speed on the Dremel and carefully start to drill a hole in the HiViz using very light pressure on the Dremel. Be careful not elongate the hole of the mount. Drill about halfway then drill from the other side of the mount. Take your time. The HiViz tab is soft metal and it won’t take much to drill a hole straight through. CAUTION: TOO MUCH PRESSURE OR HIGH SPEED WILL BREAK THE DRILL BIT. Use the .050 punch to check that the hole is aligned then insert the roll pin and you’re done!

Note: Some use a .054 drill bit for the roll pin hole but I went to a .053 drill bit instead to get a snug fit when reusing the OEM roll pin. The plywood block was used as a “tool” because it’s soft and not likely to damage OEM blade or the HiViz.
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Old 12-23-2015, 11:28 AM
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Originally Posted by Aegis Defense View Post
I installed the HiViz (Green) front sight on my S&W 617-6 (4" barrel) and the results were excellent. It's easier to get good sight alignment and sight picture with the HiViz versus the OEM black front sight. I've included installation notes (long) below in case anyone is interested...........
Although you are replying to a 3 year old thread, great instructions! Question. Why do you leave the new blade in the gun when you drill the new pin hole? Isn't there a danger of damaging the front sight base? Why not remove the front sight blade and drill it outside of the gun?

Second question. Older guns have a solid pin. Would this make any difference to your instructions?
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Old 12-23-2015, 05:18 PM
Aegis Defense Aegis Defense is offline
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I recently purchased the S&W 617 for my basic pistol classes. I didn't like the front sight that came with the revolver because I found it difficult for students to get good sight alignment and sight picture. I decided to replace the OEM front sight with a HiViz and went online searching for information on its installation. I found that quality installation tips were somewhat lacking and at times erroneous. That's why I joined this forum to share my experience to help others looking for similar information.

I discovered that the metal of the HiViz was softer than the revolver while fitting it to the mount. It didn't take much to remove material from the bottom of the HiViz tab for a flush fit. In fact, I used a disposable fingernail emery board and 600 sandpaper to do it. That being said, I used the existing holes in the mount as a guide to drill into the HiViz tab while it was sitting in the mount in the exact position that I wanted it to be. I had no problems since I used a .053 bit and worked on from both sides of the mount. I would advise NOT to drill the hole straight though from one side of the mount. If you do, you may hit metal from the mount on the opposite side and this may cause the bit to break because the revolver metal is harder than the HiViz tab.

I considered drilling the hole while the HiViz was off the revolver but the hole would have to be perfectly centered otherwise the HiViz may not fit exactly where you wanted. The other thing is that the HiViz is small and it may be difficult to secure it while drilling the hole.

I’m sure a solid pin will fit in a .053 hole because the metal on the HiViz is soft. However, if in doubt, use a .054 bit instead.
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Old 12-23-2015, 10:51 PM
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I recently purchased the S&W 617 for my basic pistol classes. I didn't like the front sight that came with the revolver because I found it difficult for students to get good sight alignment and sight picture.......
Interesting. I'm a pistol instructor as well, and have found the exact opposite to be true with my students. Using the illustrations below, my students quickly pick up the concept of sight alignment and sight picture. I use a 617 with stock patridge sights. Personally I think it's best to teach sighting concepts by using plain black target sights, and let the students try other sights only after mastering the fundamentals using basic target sights.

This is not intended as a criticism of your approach......rather simply to relay that I've had good success over the years instructing with this technique.

Lou


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Old 12-23-2015, 11:14 PM
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Aegis: welcome to the forum!!! I think that you will like it here. This place is a fantastic place for gun folks to share information, opinions and knowledge. Most of the folks here are courteous, collegial, and their experience spans generations. You'll find nationally known names from the firearms world rubbing elbows with the newest beginners. I only joined back in May, but have used this as a resource for many years before I became a member.

You just posted a great first post. Remember, not everyone will agree with each other, but that diversity of opinion frequently results in expanding horizons, and, well, sometimes not. Welcome aboard!!!
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Old 12-23-2015, 11:41 PM
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I applaud what Lou posted. There is a reason why just about every handgun that has target shooting as an intended purpose comes with a black Patridge front sight. If you need help seeing your sights, getting proper eyeglasses is the right avenue of attack, not a different sight.

If sight coloration is the best approach to better sight acquisition, why isn't the red ramp used on those guns? It has been proven that the sharp, repeatable sight picture afforded by the black Patridge yields the best accuracy. Attend a bullseye match at your gun club and look at the sights on the competitors' guns.

Ed
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Old 10-28-2016, 08:46 PM
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I think I would like the FO site as I have them on some Glocks. However at this time I have just painted the front site a dull white. Shooting in covered ranges with the targets in bright sun and black targets nothing stands out. Not Tru-Glo not FO or painted. That is the problem for me. If I concentrate on seeing the front site which you are supposed to do while target alignment you just can't see it clearly.
Out in the sun or with the same contrast as the target gets anything has worked for me...YMMV
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Old 06-19-2018, 04:18 PM
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one of the best marksmen in the world uses/replaces HIVIZ / from your "Patridge" sight - would not say much but you telling someone to get proper eyeglasses put me off
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I applaud what Lou posted. There is a reason why just about every handgun that has target shooting as an intended purpose comes with a black Patridge front sight. If you need help seeing your sights, getting proper eyeglasses is the right avenue of attack, not a different sight.

If sight coloration is the best approach to better sight acquisition, why isn't the red ramp used on those guns? It has been proven that the sharp, repeatable sight picture afforded by the black Patridge yields the best accuracy. Attend a bullseye match at your gun club and look at the sights on the competitors' guns.

Ed
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Old 06-19-2018, 04:55 PM
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I picked up a Dawson precision FO for my 617. I can pick up and focus on that sight amazingly well and can castrate a mosquito with it.

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Old 06-19-2018, 07:11 PM
AveragEd AveragEd is offline
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one of the best marksmen in the world uses/replaces HIVIZ / from your "Patridge" sight - would not say much but you telling someone to get proper eyeglasses put me off
I'm sorry if I offended you but I was/am just trying to help. Like you, I could not see my handgun sights with any degree of clarity. The target was fine but you know how older eyes get and mine were no exception. I did find that my bifocal reading prescription allowed me to see my sights nicely but the black bullseye of an NRA 25-Yard Pistol Target looked like a blurry football standing on end.

I am a contributing editor for Shotgun Sports Magazine and mentioned this in a column. That generated an email response from Dr. Harold Morgan of Morgan Sports Optical in Olean, New York. Dr. Morgan told me he could make glasses for me that would allow me to see both my sights and the target with clarity if I would provide him with my distance prescription, whether I am right- or left-handed and the distance at which I most often shot. I was doubtful but complied and am very glad I did for he was right!

As myself and others have mentioned, the black Patridge front sight is by far the preferred sight for precision handgun shooting so I felt then and still feel that changing to another sight would not be addressing the true cause of your problem.

Ed
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Old 06-19-2018, 07:20 PM
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one of the best marksmen in the world uses/replaces HIVIZ / from your "Patridge" sight - would not say much but you telling someone to get proper eyeglasses put me off

It shouldn't put any one 'off' as it's sound advice. Trying to shoot a pistol with regular eyeglasses will only lead to moderate success. On the other hand, if your glasses give you a clear sight picture but leave the target slightly fuzzy, I guarantee you'll still hit it, consistently and close to center.
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Old 06-19-2018, 09:34 PM
RGVshooter RGVshooter is offline
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replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4" replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4" replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4" replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4" replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4"  
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I shoot my 6" 617 on a regular basis at outdoor steel plate rack competition's. On a good day I can put the plates down just as fast as the guys using a red dot on top of a Ruger or Browning autoloader.

But I wonder. the factory steel sights on the gun are they meant to be aimed dead center or at the 6 'o'clock position? I always line up the sights dead center of the target. However I noticed that if I aim at the base of the plates I know 'em down more consistently. I bought the revolver new several months ago & only had to adjust the windage a click or two.
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Old 06-20-2018, 05:26 PM
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3rdgeargrndrr 3rdgeargrndrr is offline
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replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4" replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4" replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4" replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4" replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4"  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RGVshooter View Post
I shoot my 6" 617 on a regular basis at outdoor steel plate rack competition's. On a good day I can put the plates down just as fast as the guys using a red dot on top of a Ruger or Browning autoloader.

But I wonder. the factory steel sights on the gun are they meant to be aimed dead center or at the 6 'o'clock position? I always line up the sights dead center of the target. However I noticed that if I aim at the base of the plates I know 'em down more consistently. I bought the revolver new several months ago & only had to adjust the windage a click or two.
Generally on handguns it should be dead center of target but I always adjust mine to 6
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Old 06-21-2018, 02:37 PM
johnnywitt johnnywitt is offline
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replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4" replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4" replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4" replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4" replacing the front sight on a S&W 617 4"  
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On the Benos Forums there's a Guy that makes really good F.O. Front Sights for the 617: Toolguy is his username I think. Dawson also makes an excellent F.O. Front for the 617 in different sizes.
The Hi Viz are very pricey and the FO Rods can't be changed out on the drop in replacement for the 617 & the M63 because they are plastic coated units. They are also pretty wide which is going to be harder for shooters that need reading glasses.
I agree with posters that say to leave the black patridge sights on a Target Gun. In my mind the best of all worlds is a small red dot optic. They ruin the lines and aesthetics of a fine revolver for some folks, so the next best thing is a good thin F.O. Front that allows you to see a bit of light on both sides of the front sight. The Rear Notch on those Guns are usually .125, so a .115 wide front will still allow good accuracy.
The thing that I have found with the F.O. Fronts is that for precision accuracy, you are still doing what you would be doing with the Patridge sights and that is line up the top of the sight, but now you have a big distraction with the F.O. Rod. Maybe Ed McGivern had it right with just a small gold bead that didn't jump out at you like the Fiber does.
Fiber will also cause Folks just looking at the Fiber to shoot high IMO. For shooting at med. range and further, nothing beats a red dot for shootability.
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617, 648, brownells, bullseye, hiviz, patridge, rrwo, s&w

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