Currently I've been using my 4" 686-6 for bowling pin matches and informal target shooting. it has factory sights on it now however I'm seriously considering replacing the front sight with a Patridge sight. The rear sight is fine and I want to leave it alone. I shoot outdoors, I have carried it a few times while hiking down the trails. So I'm open for suggestion from the S&W crowd for front sights that worked for them on this model revolver. thanks!

You could try a little sight black. It worked for me. Always got a lot of glare off the red ramps myself and this was a quick fix.
Jim

I feel patridge is the best type of front sight for targeting purposes.

I would suggest a .100 wide fiber optic with green or orange fiber. The factory sight is .125 wide. You still use the black iron part to aim with, same as always, the fiber just helps you track it from the draw and between shots.

All my iron sight guns have fiber optic front and rear, with green in the back and .100 wide orange in the front.

Personally I have never been a fan of white dots or coloured inserts on front sights. For so,e reason my eyes just concentrate on that bit of colour and not front sight position.

Unfortunately I have to put up with the white dots and rear aigh5 outline on my duty G17, but all of my personal pistols have plain black front sights except for my Springfield 1911 .45 Auto. That has a red plastic insert that I black out with a permanant marker pen.

Some people can see black sights very well. I envy them. Something about the way my eyes see colors, I have a hard time distinguishing black sights from a dark target or background. I can see them just OK in bright sunlight, but very poorly in any lower light. Thus, the fiber optics offer a major improvement in finding where the sights are in relation to each other and the target. I would be fine with black sights if I could see them clearly. Each person has to find what works for them.

I put a patridge front sight on my 686-6 6" since I only shoot silhouettes with it. It greatly improved the sight picture for shooting outside.

I will search for a pic but I can't find it at the moment

With me, I'm having difficulty picking up the top of the front sight quickly. The orange/red on the front sight is fine in a defensive situation in acquiring the sight but for precision work? Nah. It takes time for me to find that top of the sight.