Smith & Wesson Forum

Advertise With Us Search
Go Back   Smith & Wesson Forum > General Topics > Gun Leather & Carry Gear

Gun Leather & Carry Gear All Holster and Gun Leather Topics


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 08-09-2023, 10:04 PM
VictorLouis's Avatar
VictorLouis VictorLouis is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 2,071
Likes: 108
Liked 2,132 Times in 975 Posts
Default The gold bead front sight?

The last two snubby orphans I adopted are so equipped. A patridge front blade with a brass bead. Man, you can really pick these up in the ambient light. This despite the fact they both have a fixed, trough, rear trench.

Is there anyone carrying likewise?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 08-09-2023, 11:51 PM
Goblin Goblin is offline
Member
The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight?  
Join Date: May 2014
Location: North Texas
Posts: 1,598
Likes: 2,457
Liked 1,151 Times in 609 Posts
Default

I’m not carrying one, but I’d like to. What models are they, and are the beads aftermarket? Don’t forget, we like pictures.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 08-10-2023, 12:12 AM
Fishinfool's Avatar
Fishinfool Fishinfool is offline
Member
The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight?  
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Central PA
Posts: 4,594
Likes: 8,315
Liked 11,570 Times in 3,049 Posts
Default

I have a couple handguns with gold bead front sights. I like them in decent light. One issue with them is the sunlight reflecting off the round bead can cause slight shifts in POI. I like the look of the gold bead, but I think, for my eyes, that a white or orange bead shows up better in poor light.

Larry

Last edited by Fishinfool; 08-10-2023 at 12:14 AM.
Reply With Quote
The Following User Likes This Post:
  #4  
Old 08-10-2023, 12:28 AM
colt_saa's Avatar
colt_saa colt_saa is online now
Member
The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight?  
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Cocoa Beach, Florida
Posts: 10,432
Likes: 3,146
Liked 22,825 Times in 5,891 Posts
Default

I have liked them on target guns for many years now







The reflection issue was solved decades later when the factory started putting red squares pinned onto the Patridge sights instead of the gold beads. Look at my blue 6 1/2" Model 27. Sorry I do not have a stand alone photo of this revolver. It is the Model 27 wearing the Hogue wood grips

__________________
"Acta non verba"
Reply With Quote
The Following 5 Users Like Post:
  #5  
Old 08-10-2023, 12:48 AM
rednichols's Avatar
rednichols rednichols is offline
Member
The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight?  
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 2,513
Likes: 1,864
Liked 7,789 Times in 2,138 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by VictorLouis View Post
The last two snubby orphans I adopted are so equipped. A patridge front blade with a brass bead. Man, you can really pick these up in the ambient light. This despite the fact they both have a fixed, trough, rear trench.

Is there anyone carrying likewise?
Yes, if you're speaking of the sights that Colt_SA has posted, these were not intended to be used in holsters by anyone except Elmer Keith. His pair were carried in 1930-ish Berns-Martin 'Speed' holsters that were configured especially to accept his huge front sights without removing the sight black he smoked onto them. Why the holster was invented in the first place: hunting with a slip hammered SA with adjustable sights, in deep snow.

Adjustable sighted revolvers began to be used in holsters in the late 1960s and today you young'uns take that for granted. But the fixed sight guns had what were called 'holster sights': a grooved topstrap and rounded front sight, for a reason! As with the old 38/44s of FBI fame.

It was the SST of Safariland's late 1960s that was specifically created for the growing interest; for Neale Perkins' father's Patridge sights on a K-38 (K-22?).
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 1931 keith first set (2).jpg (111.9 KB, 37 views)
File Type: jpg sst disintegrator (4).jpg (40.2 KB, 31 views)
__________________
Red Nichols The Holstorian

Last edited by rednichols; 08-10-2023 at 12:51 AM.
Reply With Quote
The Following 7 Users Like Post:
  #6  
Old 08-10-2023, 02:53 AM
Beemerguy53's Avatar
Beemerguy53 Beemerguy53 is offline
Member
The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight?  
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Maryland
Posts: 5,720
Likes: 29,099
Liked 17,041 Times in 3,909 Posts
Default

I have several pistols with gold bead front sights, my favorite being a Wiley Clapp Colt Commander. That front sight really stands out...it's great.
__________________
Where Law Ends, Tyranny Begins
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 08-10-2023, 05:10 AM
Mark8's Avatar
Mark8 Mark8 is offline
Member
The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight?  
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 310
Likes: 1,705
Liked 535 Times in 191 Posts
Default

They work in decent light, but for me they're mostly about style and elegance. High quality fiber optic sights will beat them in any light condition, but are those beautiful? That small golden dot on a deep black finish revolver is pure perfection.
Reply With Quote
The Following User Likes This Post:
  #8  
Old 08-10-2023, 06:22 AM
lawandorder's Avatar
lawandorder lawandorder is offline
Member
The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight?  
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 3,358
Likes: 15,083
Liked 10,841 Times in 2,014 Posts
Default On my 649 that is close at hand most of the time.

About 8 years ago Sent the 649 to the folks up at Cylinder & Slide for a modification or 2. The main thing I needed was sight improvement for my suddenly old eyes. They widened the rear trough and dovetailed a front patridge style sight with a gold bead.

It has worked wonders for me. When I do carry other than a revolver , it is usually a BHP . Took my favorite to Nighthawk over west of us and they installed Heine slant pro rear and a dovetailed post with a gold bead.

In my old opinion the best sights for a revolver would be a dove tailed novak style rear and dove tailed front with gold bead. Similar to the model 640 pro but with the gold.

I am sure the high glow front sights work great also, just too non traditional for myself.
__________________
LEX ET ORDO

Last edited by lawandorder; 08-10-2023 at 09:31 AM.
Reply With Quote
The Following User Likes This Post:
  #9  
Old 08-10-2023, 07:08 AM
Baxter6551 Baxter6551 is online now
Member
The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight?  
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 1,547
Likes: 4,913
Liked 3,686 Times in 1,060 Posts
Default

I only have one on my Kimber Custom II. Not brass but real gold done by Jim Garthwaite in PA may he RIP. Really stands out. No tarnishing.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 08-10-2023, 07:55 AM
IrishFritz IrishFritz is offline
Member
The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight?  
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 130
Likes: 3
Liked 255 Times in 97 Posts
Default

There was a time that Smith & Wesson's custom shop would machine off the Bauman ramp and install a Patridge post with either of two sizes of gold bead as well as a red bead. Man I miss the old days!
Reply With Quote
The Following User Likes This Post:
  #11  
Old 08-10-2023, 09:51 AM
boykinlp's Avatar
boykinlp boykinlp is online now
SWCA Member
The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight?  
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 7,341
Likes: 19,517
Liked 11,453 Times in 3,400 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by colt_saa View Post
The reflection issue was solved decades later when the factory started putting red squares pinned onto the Patridge sights instead of the gold beads. Look at my blue 6 1/2" Model 27. Sorry I do not have a stand alone photo of this revolver. It is the Model 27 wearing the Hogue wood grips

I think Wilson Combat makes a gold bead front sight for the new Python. I don’t have one of those, but do have a red square one. Here is a close up of one of mine:
Larry
Attached Images
File Type: jpg IMG_0631.jpg (74.1 KB, 19 views)
__________________
Miss Buddies crsides & fat tom
Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Like Post:
  #12  
Old 08-10-2023, 09:08 PM
Doug M.'s Avatar
Doug M. Doug M. is online now
Member
The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight?  
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Washington State
Posts: 7,556
Likes: 14,782
Liked 9,456 Times in 3,773 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by IrishFritz View Post
There was a time that Smith & Wesson's custom shop would machine off the Bauman ramp and install a Patridge post with either of two sizes of gold bead as well as a red bead. Man I miss the old days!
*
Had the PC do that to my M66 about 2004. Works pretty well, even as my eyes get less cooperative.

I am all about function; style and the like be damned. I have a couple pistols with red dots; all my rifles but my 30-30 have one, and so does my Mossberg 590. Most of my other serious pistols have XS Big Dot or similar. The driving consideration has to be my eyes.
__________________
NHI, 10-8.
Reply With Quote
The Following User Likes This Post:
  #13  
Old 08-10-2023, 10:13 PM
StrawHat's Avatar
StrawHat StrawHat is offline
SWCA Member
The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight?  
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Ashtabula County, Ohio
Posts: 6,070
Likes: 9,565
Liked 14,091 Times in 4,126 Posts
Default

I like them!

A gold bead on a cut Model 1917, tiny but it works!



A McGivern bead on a cut Model 25-2,



Kevin
__________________
Unshared knowledge is wasted.
Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Like Post:
  #14  
Old 08-10-2023, 10:24 PM
LostintheOzone's Avatar
LostintheOzone LostintheOzone is offline
US Veteran
The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight?  
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: WA.
Posts: 4,466
Likes: 4,529
Liked 4,510 Times in 2,196 Posts
Default

I had one put on my Colt Gold Cup. Improved my shooting considerably.

I need something on that front sight and I don't care for the look of light pipes or plastic inserts. Just a personal preference.
__________________
That's just somebody talkin.
Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Like Post:
  #15  
Old 08-11-2023, 07:30 AM
bruce5781's Avatar
bruce5781 bruce5781 is online now
US Veteran
The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight?  
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: East Texas
Posts: 1,878
Likes: 18,991
Liked 9,468 Times in 1,520 Posts
Default

I have several gold bead guns, but I really prefer the one or two that I have with ivory beads.

Bruce

Sent from my SM-G781U1 using Tapatalk
__________________
Regards,
Bruce
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 08-11-2023, 09:01 AM
squidsix squidsix is offline
Member
The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight? The gold bead front sight?  
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Southern Maine
Posts: 3,532
Likes: 1,906
Liked 5,640 Times in 1,547 Posts
Default

I have a gold bead on eight 1911s, two hipowers, two 1903s, and three revolvers, and one home made gold bead on a 3913. I guess I like them.
DIY gold bead front sight for 3900 pistols
Reply With Quote
The Following 2 Users Like Post:
Reply


Posting Rules
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
SDM gold bead front sight Browns fan S&W-Smithing 4 01-21-2019 02:31 AM
Gold Bead Front Sight Browns fan S&W-Smithing 6 01-24-2017 06:18 PM
gold bead front sight EvilWayz S&W Revolvers: 1980 to the Present 9 12-11-2015 04:02 PM
Gold Bead Front Sight for a Mod 22 2Guns S&W-Smithing 2 02-23-2010 03:55 AM
WTB-gold bead front sight... tjhennin WANTED to Buy 8 09-27-2009 12:59 AM

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
smith-wessonforum.com tested by Norton Internet Security smith-wessonforum.com tested by McAfee Internet Security

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:02 PM.


Smith-WessonForum.com is not affiliated with Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select: SWHC)