Rear sight black out

lthrnck03

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Has anyone blacked out the rear dots on the factory 3 dot sights? If so.... did you notice any improvement?
 
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Depends on the shooter. I black out the rear dots on all of my guns with 3 dot sights. I can't hit the broad side of a barn with 3 dot sights. I prefer the lollipop style sights with a front dot and a rear bar. I'm sure lots of people shoot quite well with three dot sights - I'm just not one of them.
 
No but the damn dot of my front sight fell out within the first hundred rounds. Not so fun to shoot that way.

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Its all preference. Years ago (10+) I preferred 3 dots, as I shot/trained more I found that I work better with black rear sights and a dot front (usually FO).

To get the dots out of the white dot painted sights, I just take a metal pick and scrape it out. Can also use a sharpie.

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I shoot with both eyes open, so it helped me a great deal. I just used a sharpie.

It didn't make me a better shot, as much as it helped sight alignment and confidence.

The way I see it, is the fundamentals are what makes you a good shot. Choosing a sight picture that best suits you (blacked out rears for me), is a bit of fine tuning that better rounds out the shooter's technique that leads up to the moment, right before the trigger is pulled.

I look at shooting as a 3 point event (A, B, and C). A being at the ready, B being the draw and pressing out, and C being taking the shot. I'd put blacking out the sights in point B, if that get's my point across any better.
 
I prefer a flat black rear sight, mostly because I get a touch more speed in IDPA. YMMV
 
Don't care for 3 dot, I have blacked out all of my M&P's, the dot's distract me, whether it's training or just getting old, I don't know.
 
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so if you black out the rear sight....which sight picture would you use?
 
I blacked out my stock rear sight this week.

I used a small piece of carbon I cut from a used candle wick, then a Q-tip to pick it up and rub/grind it into each dot.

Seems to do the trick.

Really makes my 10 8 FO front sight "pop" and removes the distracting white dots at the rear so I can focus on the front sight.
 
Most of my shooting is at steel plates, painted white. Lining up 3 white dots with a 4th white dot doesn't work very good with my old eyes.. :eek:
So, I prefer black rear sights. Flat black model car paint and a toothpick takes care of it..
Don't shoot much bullseye with iron sights any more. But still prefer black sights if I do.
 
All white dots blacked out (except for one Shield front dot, which self-eliminated in the first 100 rounds). I replaced the factory sights on the M&P .45 s with the 10-8 rear sights and blacked out the eactiry fronts.

White dots just slow me down, YMMV
 
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I've found the three dot systems too busy. They slow me down and are imprecise.

They seem to distract inexperienced shooters (and many experienced shooters) so that focusing on the front sight is difficult.

Like any shortcut to good shooting, the three dot systems seem like they would help: all you have to do is line up the dots.

Trouble is the shooter isn't looking at the front sight: the fundamental key to handgun shooting.

I much prefer all black (no dots): much, much quicker and much more precise in all lighting conditions for me.

White dots are easily neutralized with shoe polish (my solution), sharpies or by digging out the white.
 
Back when the earth was young and night sights were new, the best configuration I used was a bar-dot. A horizontal bar under the rear sight notch and a dot on the front. Faint enough in open light to not distract from a good sight picture, bright enough in low light to let o pickup and align the front.

Time marched on and the dots got brighter, white outlined etc.
 
I blacked out my rear sights with a paint pen. I noticed a big difference, I was able to pick up on the the front sight much better and faster. When my son looked at my 40fs, he immediately asked if I would do the same to his.
 
Years ago I was at a PPC shoot over around Seattle and a lot of shooters had a Carbide Smoker to blacken their sights. It make them a flat black and sunlight wouldn't reflect off them giving them a clean sight picture! I can remember my old academy range master saying over and over as he walked down the firing line... "light bars & level"!
 
Years ago I was at a PPC shoot over around Seattle and a lot of shooters had a Carbide Smoker to blacken their sights. It make them a flat black and sunlight wouldn't reflect off them giving them a clean sight picture! I can remember my old academy range master saying over and over as he walked down the firing line... "light bars & level"!

Brings back memories. I used one of those smokers. I got it somewhere.

It's a pretty neat concept...the smoker turns the sights a blacker black than the black target creating the contrast.

It wouldnt be practical for anything but at the range because it smears and smudges too easily.

OP: Ive replaced my rear completely to a plain black sight. For me it allows for quicker front sight pick up. The sight picture is the same...put the front blade in the middle of your rear sight, make sure you have equal height/equal light, and with the majority of your focus on your frt sight, the target and rear sight will look blurry.
 
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