Centennial and the Bodyguard

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DeafSmith

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Well ever since CCW started in Texas, back in '96, I've pack guns. The first one was a S&W Centennial 640.. got it new and then had a gunsmith put on a red insert in the front sight and I did my action job... added Secret Service stocks and a IWB holster made by Gould & Goodrich (they don't make it anymore.) Still have that baby and I put on a Tyler-T and Stag grips..

Well about 4 years ago I found a 649-2 S&W Bodyguard .. pawnshop find. Added Secret Service stocks and now I have lucked into some red insert material .. yes thinking about adding a red insert to the front sight and have a pair of 'em...

Centennial and Bodyguard.jpg

Now the question.. were to get a GOOD gunsmith to add the front sight.. I want it just like my Centennial there.

Might even scare up a set of stag grips and Tyler T for it to!!!
 
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Sgt. Buzzard said:
Blaze orange nail polish. Long lasting, adjustable and cheaper. All the cops used nail polish back in the day, some still do. Ah, on the gun that is.
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I want custom... long lasting factory style front sight orange... notice the Centennial in the picture has just that kind of sight.

I can paint a sight any day if that is what I wanted...
 
That's a close-up, defensive handgun (I have a 49 that I love). Given that it's no range gun why would you need a red insert on it? By the way, your first gunsmith did an excellent job.
 
ImDrRich said:
That's a close-up, defensive handgun (I have a 49 that I love). Given that it's no range gun why would you need a red insert on it? By the way, your first gunsmith did an excellent job.
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I'd want it so I could see the front sight.. and I want a pro job.. not a paint job!

While it is not a range gun per see I do like hitting IPSC targets 50 yards away... shows the young guys what a snub can do. Most of the young guys I see on the range can't hit a bucket at 10 yards when they stand up and use their hands to shoot...
 
DeafSmith said:
I'd want it so I could see the front sight.. and I want a pro job.. not a paint job!

While it is not a range gun per see I do like hitting IPSC targets 50 yards away... shows the young guys what a snub can do. Most of the young guys I see on the range can't hit a bucket at 10 yards when they stand up and use their hands to shoot...
Click to expand...


Over the decades, I've been both surprised & disappointed at how most folks can't shoot a snubbie worth spit. I had my PC Model 460 snubbie just TRASH another guy's Taurus snubbie many years ago at the range. He got SO mad I think if someone had offered him $20 for it right then, he'd have taken it. LOL!!!
 
Sgt. Buzzard said:
Blaze orange nail polish. Long lasting, adjustable and cheaper. All the cops used nail polish back in the day, some still do. Ah, on the gun that is.
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And I still use nail polish.

There's probably nothing wrong with a gunsmith milling out a dovetail to take a color insert. But since the gun is under the milling bit, ask how much more it would cost to have the whole sight milled off, dovetailed, and install an XS or something similar like S&W does with the .22 Airlights and the Lipsey's ultimate carry Centennials.
 
walkin' trails said:
And I still use nail polish.

There's probably nothing wrong with a gunsmith milling out a dovetail to take a color insert. But since the gun is under the milling bit, ask how much more it would cost to have the whole sight milled off, dovetailed, and install an XS or something similar like S&W does with the .22 Airlights and the Lipsey's ultimate carry Centennials.
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I was thinking that myself but I'd been using nail polish for 53 years and it works. No need to pimp up a combat weapon.
 
Sgt. Buzzard said:
I was thinking that myself but I'd been using nail polish for 53 years and it works. No need to pimp up a combat weapon.
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Well, I will have you know that I have graduated from fingernail polish to a paint pen! If I am using a snubby it will probably be at point blank if not contact range, so the sights are just for looks anyway.
 
65-2x2 said:
Well, I will have you know that I have graduated from fingernail polish to a paint pen! If I am using a snubby it will probably be at point blank if not contact range, so the sights are just for looks anyway.
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Your opponent does not care if you have a snubby or a buntline special... SD can be at any range and you must fight with what you have. I want sights I can see and the gun zeroed for those sights wither I use them or not.
 
DeafSmith said:
Your opponent does not care if you have a snubby or a buntline special... SD can be at any range and you must fight with what you have. I want sights I can see and the gun zeroed for those sights wither I use them or not.
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If armed with a 2" revolver, and If I ain't in bad breath distance I will be considering hiding, begging or what passes for running (for me in my old age) thus the point-blank comment. I just don't prepare of an old West TV style shootout with a snubby. So if the Dalton gang comes for me, and all I have is my '36 I will problably be pushing up daisysies in Boot Hill pardner. They can put on my tombstone that I should have paid more attention to the sights. Besides all of that, a five or six shot snubbie is a back-up not a primary carry piece as far as I am concerned.
 
65-2x2 said:
If armed with a 2" revolver, and If I ain't in bad breath distance I will be considering hiding, begging or what passes for running (for me in my old age) thus the point-blank comment. I just don't prepare of an old West TV style shootout with a snubby. So if the Dalton gang comes for me, and all I have is my '36 I will problably be pushing up daisysies in Boot Hill pardner. They can put on my tombstone that I should have paid more attention to the sights. Besides all of that, a five or six shot snubbie is a back-up not a primary carry piece as far as I am concerned.
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You would be surprised at what a 2" snub will do at 50 yards... or even 100 yards.


Making the J-Frame .38 Snub Work

Great training article on shooting J-frame, snubnosed revolvers. Excellent information if you every carry a small handgun for self defense.
snubnose.info
 
I don't know about the Bodyguard, but my 640 has a pinned front sight, which makes it easy to replace. I put an XS regular dot on it. Very easy to see and replace.
 
If one can get over the ugly looking cosmetics of the Body Guard, it is IMO a better choice for SD than the Centennial. It won't get snagged on clothing while still allowing a single action shot if needed. I LIKE that option! Truthfully, I could never get over it - lol. I carried a Model 60-7 instead prior to switching over 6 years ago to a Sig P365.
 
I believe there was a time S&W used to offer the red insert service. Not sure if they still do? You might want to contact them.
 
walkin' trails said:
… But since the gun is under the milling bit, ask how much more it would cost to have the whole sight milled [into a stud, per XS instructions], and install an XS [front sight onto the stud, somewhat similar to what] S&W does with the .22 Airlights and the Lipsey's ultimate carry Centennials [except their's are pinned].
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FullSizeRender 186.webp
The XS Big Dot Tritium yellow front sight is so easy to see in all lighting conditions that it could probably guide lost aircraft for safe landing in bad weather. (Please just ignore that flyer 8.)
 
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I'm disappointed at how "off the rails" this discussion has become regarding the original posters request.

He simply wants the front sights on two favorite revolvers to match. Usually this board is pretty good at helping people achieve their goals.

The irrelevant pontificating is disappointing.
 
sjmjax said:
I'm disappointed at how "off the rails" this discussion has become regarding the original posters request.

He simply wants the front sights on two favorite revolvers to match. Usually this board is pretty good at helping people achieve their goals.

The irrelevant pontificating is disappointing.
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Irrelevant? Not so sure. Depends on whether "the original poster" really wants to spend his gunsmith money on making his two revolvers match in a way which doesn't do much to improve their effectiveness, or would consider spending it in a slightly different way which does. The cost to make both revolvers more user friendly in varying light conditions may turn out to be little more than to install red ramp inserts which offer no real-world useful improvement.
 
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