Model 41 sights

[Tom M]

Does anyone make a white outline or 3-dot sight system for the 41? I do most of my pistol shooting indoors these days, and the all black sights just aren't friendly to old eyes. I really don't want to mount a red-dot or scope on the thing, unless I absolutely have to, as it will spoil the balance (I think).

 

[BoDog]

Try whiteout and any color of marker or hi-liter you like, if you don't like it wipe it off and start over.

 

[bigshot500]

why not just use some glow in the dark paint on the top of the sights?? 2-3 bucks at any craft store and you will have enough to do several thousand sights...

 

[Hussky]

I went to a hobby store and bought the smallest brush they had and a bottle of snow white paint. I put a dot on each side of the rear sight and painted a very small portion of the front sight on my 539, the process took about 3 minuets and it looks great. The total cost was under $4.00. it is so simple my wife could do this, did i really say that? I used Acrylic for my trial test, it can be removed very easily and if i like it i will replace the Acrylic with some hard oil based white Enamel, also inexpensive paint. Good luck Doug

 

[Hussky]

why not just use some glow in the dark paint on the top of the sights?? 2-3 bucks at any craft store and you will have enough to do several thousand sights...

That's a good idea, i din't know you could buy glow in the dark paint in a craft store, that is my next project. Thank you

 

[Duffy]

Smith 41

The S&W 41 is a fine target pistol,used one for years but to paint the sights would sure mess it up..We always used a carbide lamp to get the sights as black as possible..I like the white out-line sights on my carry pistol but not for target....

 

[Hussky]

Well I learn something new every day. how do the white dots interfear with target shooting?

 

[Duffy]

Smith 41

You cannot get the correct sight alinement or at least it's better if the sights are black..I'm long retired now but still shoot a few matches, and other shooters ask it they can use my carbide lamp.The sights stand out so much clearer when they're black...Most now use the dot sight even on the .45 but I stick with the open sights..

 

[Tom M]

Thanks for the replies, guys. I've painted sights before, with good results, using ceramic paint like you'd use to fix a chip on an appliance. I was searching for something just a little more OEM looking.

Duffy, I flat out can't see black sights indoors. That's the point of this exercise. Thanks for the input, though. I'll bet your lamp-black trick works great outside.

 

[civil1977]

Does anyone make a white outline or 3-dot sight system for the 41?

Yes.....Smith & Wesson did make some 5" Field Barrels with 3-dot sights. I've never seen one but I've read that they do exist. Short of finding one of those rare barrels, I think replacing the factory sights is not going to be easy so paint is probably the best and cheapest option.

 

[Cyrano]

I've used white nail polish on several guns, including a 638, a 625 and a couple of Glocks. It comes off easily with the wife's nail polish remover if you don't like it. The overly made-up girl at the cosmetic counter looked at me a little strangely when I showed up with it in my hand. I'm 6' 3" and not particularly handsome. I told her "it matches my hair'...she didnt know which way to look.

 

[S&Wman]

Are you using a six o'clock hold? The Model 41's big blocky black sights show up very nicey against a white (or beige to be more correct) background. I don't think anyone could see black sights against a black bull (especially indoors), hence the reason for the six o'clock hold.

 

[41user]

Are you using a six o'clock hold? The Model 41's big blocky black sights show up very nicey against a white (or beige to be more correct) background. I don't think anyone could see black sights against a black bull (especially indoors), hence the reason for the six o'clock hold.

the 41 sights were originally designed for this type of hold (six o'clock)where you have a thin sliver of white between the bull and the top of the front sight. I'm 60+ and must admit my eyes ain't what they used to be but I can still use this hold. YMMV

 

[k22fan]

Yes.....Smith & Wesson did make some 5" Field Barrels with 3-dot sights. I've never seen one but I've read that they do exist. [...]

I'm not trying to be critical with this question, I'm just interested in the details of 41 Field Barrels. I've handled one with plain black sights and one that had a red ramp front. I don't recall if the one with a red ramp had any color other than black on the rear. Are you sure you remember one that came from S&W with 3 dots? There are more gunsmith shortened 7" barrels around than original Field Barrels. It appears S&W created at least some of their original field barrels by shortening 7" barrels so it get confusing.

Gil

 

[k22fan]

[...] I don't think anyone could see black sights against a black bull (especially indoors), hence the reason for the six o'clock hold.

The 6 o'clock hold certainly is text book correct but not everybody likes it. The disadvantage to a 6 o'clock hold is that trying to get the shot off when it looks text book correct leaves you trying to hit a point rather than letting the sights float around the area near the center of the bull throughout the squeeze. Area aiming produces higher scores for me. If you are focused on the front sight like you should be the bull appears as a blurry blob that is not as dark as black sights providing plenty of contrast even indoors at 50 feet. I think most of the focus problems not so young guys like us have are agravated by glasses that were ground to focus in the distance preventing us from focusing on our sights. I took my target pistol to my optician's and he tried different lenses while I aimed it. A pair of bullseye glasses kept me from resorting to an optical sight.

Best Regards,
Gil

 

[Hussky]

I am new to pistol target shooting, can anyone illustrate what 6 O'Clock means? does it mean you don't aim at the bulls eye and instead aim below it?

 

[Swelfelo]

Precisely, Assuming that the black circle on the target is a clock face, you aim at the six o'clock position at the bottom of the black circle, hence the six o'clock hold.

 

[Hussky]

If you are holding at the 6 O'Clock hold won't you be aiming below the bulls eye and you will be low with the shot? I aim confussed. I am missing something? Thank you

 

[Swelfelo]

No, because you set your elevation adjustment so that with a six o'clock hold your shot strikes in the center of the target. In other words, you are not shooting to point of aim, but slightly high. The point of a six o'clock hold is that it is easier for some people to "lollipop" the target than to set all black sights in the middle of the target. Lollipopping the target means that your sight picture is the front blade sight (the stick) and the black center of the target (the pop) sits right on top of it. Either method works and you just have to find what works best for you.

I hope this helps.

 

[BUFF]

You adjust your sights so that, when you are aimed at 6 o'clock on a specific target at a specific range with a specific load, the bullets strike several inches higher, in the X ring.

A number of target shooting strategies involve adjusting point-of-aim/point-of-impact to be different, usually because the intended portion of the target (usually an X ring) is a lot harder to see and aim precisely at compared to some other part of the target.

For example, PPC shooting involves shooting at a fairly life-size humanoid silhouette target with the X ring in the middle of the chest and only very thin lines dividing the parts of the target into X, 10, 9, etc. scoring zones. The center of the 2"x3" X ring is 12 inches below the center of the neck of the silhouette. You can't see the scoring rings at 25 and 50 yards, where a lot of the match is fired from. So a PPC gun will have sights with adjustment that allows the shooter to aim at the center of the neck ("neck hold") and have the bullets strike 12 inches lower in the center of the X ring, because a neck hold is so much easier to be precise with, because it is much easier to see. The match is fired at 7, 15, 25 and 50 yards, and the sights are made so they can be quickly and repeatably adjusted for each distance.

My explanation is probably as clear as mud...

edit: I see swelfelo's reply is shorter, clearer and understandable. I type slowly!