Front sight red insert benefit?

[rosewood]

What are the advantages of cutting the front sight and adding a red/orange insert over just painting the sight?

Thanks,

Rosewood

 

[Rule3]

Good question.
I certainly would not pay to have it done,

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

Depending on the gun it can make the front sight easier to see in dim light...and the practice predates tritium in common use.

As I've gotten older I've found nickel and stainless guns with matching front sights have become harder for my eyes to pick up on. The contrast of the orange...or even better...tritium in orange or green...is much better. Red inserts never were much of a help...that's why manufacturers went to orange pretty early on.

 

[.455_Hunter]

The S&W plastic red ramp insert is an aesthetic disaster. The sighting aid function could have easily be replicated by a painted, rear-facing, recessed trough (like seen on some more recent Custom Shop guns) that didn't look like a project from Bubba's X-Acto Knife and Septic Pumping Services. Any guns I have acquired with the plastic insert have been replaced with night sights.

 

[Alk8944]

There is absolutely no advantage to installing the red insert compared to just painting the sight. The paint can easily renewed as needed. You can easily experiment with what color works best for you too.

Personally I have come to prefer a medium green. I also sometimes use Forster's "Bonanza Gold", usually used for filling the markings on guns, to paint the sight which then resembles a square Gold bead. Just paint the serrated side of the sight. I only paint the top about 3/16" so when the gun is at arms length it appears as a square instead of a vertical gold bar.

 

[oink]

I had it on several of my work guns. I found it to be an asset for quicker sight acquisition in varied lighting conditions. There are better options now I suppose. My only complaint was in bright sun, coming in from some directions and if the plastic was very smooth, you could get glare disrupting your sight picture. It never was the best option for a target gun. That's what the Patridge option was for, and sooted up too.

For a duty gun paint just isn't durable enough with the frequent holster wear.

 

[rosewood]

Any guns I have acquired with the plastic insert have been replaced with night sights.

Some of mine are milled into the barrel and adding night sights isn't much of an option without mill work. I can easily cut a slot and add insert myself for only the cost of my time.

 

[rosewood]

.

For a duty gun paint just isn't durable enough with the frequent holster wear.

This may be the answer why the factory did it, it was because paint would wear off in holster. Hmm.

 

[.455_Hunter]

This may be the answer why the factory did it, it was because paint would wear off in holster. Hmm.

If the paint was placed in a correctly recessed trough, holster rub would not be a problem.

 

[mikerjf]

My 637, whose sight insert was recently featured in another post here, was previously painted. I also had another painted snub to A/B against the new insert. (BTW, the same bottle of Testors was used for all of these.)

I see no advantage to the insert over the paint in appearance. The paint may be ever-so-slightly better because the insert is not as shiny after filing to shape.

However, after about 3 years of pocket-holstering, the previous paint on the 637 was pretty dark. I’ll have to see how the insert holds up by comparison. I suspect it will be longer lasting. But it was also more work, and not “undoable”.

 

[jculloden]

Never cared for the red insert, always tried to find guns without it.

 

[biblethumpincop]

I wonder if fitting an insert made of brass would be beneficial?

 

[rosewood]

I bought a 67 with the insert missing. I originally filled it with yellow glow in the dark paint, but that color was hard to see in sun. Made a new one with epoxy colored with casting dye in a reddishorange color. Turned out great, much easier to see. Have a 60 that I just painted the front red and trimmed rear in black. Made a big difference. The stainless on stainless is hard to see, but the contrast really helps.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

My favorite S&W Model 19-3 has TT = target trigger. TH= target hammer. TS = target stocks. RR = red ramp (front sight) WO = white outline (rear sight) that was the setup you wanted in the 1970s. It was the "Premium" S&W.

If you had a 19 without the 3Ts and RR/WO you had a plain jane.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Gold dot is a great "old school" option.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

I wonder if fitting an insert made of brass would be beneficial?

That would be a great replacement. I have a gold dot on one and it works great indoors or outdoors picking it up on thee draw.

My newest a 686 Plus four inch has the RR/WO and my old eyes picks up that combination too.

 

[.455_Hunter]

My favorite S&W Model 19-3 has TT = target trigger. TH= target hammer. TS = target stocks. RR = red ramp (front sight) WO = white outline (rear sight) that was the setup you wanted in the 1970s. It was the "Premium" S&W.

If you had a 19 without the 3Ts and RR/WO you had a plain jane.

At the LGS, I would instantly skip over such an over-accessorized gun without even a second thought.

Thank goodness for Plain Janes!

There is a reason why every vehicle I have ever purchased has been the base model or one step above the base model.

 

[oink]

I wouldn't have wanted that gold dot for a duty gun due to possible snag issues. That said, my 6" 686 that I did carry on duty some had a Patridge front sight.

 

[Browns fan]

Does any one know where i can purchase a red or orange insert for a s&w 65 the sight is milled already just want to change the inset already on the gun. I want to BUY one not do it myself thanks

 

[balin]

I find many of the red sight inserts to dark and don't show well in some light conditions for me. Same with fiber optics. I go for the green, same with holo sights.