painting a front sight

ol'gil

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does anyone have any suggestions/ideas about types of paint to make the front sight a bit more visable/ easier to pick up quickly on my 638? also any ideas how to make it more visable in low light with out having a whole new sight put on
 
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does anyone have any suggestions/ideas about types of paint to make the front sight a bit more visable/ easier to pick up quickly on my 638? also any ideas how to make it more visable in low light with out having a whole new sight put on
 
if you clean and degrease the blade GOOD, about any of the model paints, even nail polish will stick ( adhere) put on thin coats, maybe a couple of them , let them dry and set.......lots of colors out there, extremes too, like the "day-Glo ' oranges, etc........no need or reason to change sight blades.....the thing you will find , is what the colors appear to "look like", at different times of day, high noon, dark, dusk etc...this is where the trouble lies. as well as the target itself, and the back ground......contrasts and things blending in, trick the eyes.......I tried many over the years , and have gone back to plain old black, I want the front and rear to match on the target...now for 'combat' the three dots seem to work about the best, but the "dots" are a whole different concept than 'paint'....for 'defense', my carry guns, I do not even use the sights...so go figure.

anway with any of the paints, you can do them over and over, till YOU find what works BEST for YOU......
 
i do not know your skill level at basic gunsmithing but you could probably install a red insert like the factory does. i have done them and they are not that difficult. requires a little time and patience.
 
Originally posted by ol'gil:
does anyone have any suggestions/ideas about types of paint to make the front sight a bit more visable/ easier to pick up quickly on my 638? also any ideas how to make it more visable in low light with out having a whole new sight put on

I have seen type writer correction fluid used to good effect, but if you sort of want "night sights" use the model paint that glows when you shine a light on it.
 
Not that a new sight is a bad idea, but if after installing it you find there is no advantage a little red paint first would have save you a lot of trouble. I have tried flourescent red, orange, green, and bright white. I have also tried TFO in green. I am still looking for the ultimate compromise. I shoot indoor IDPA and USPSA in a dim room and I have yet to find the perfect combo for MY eyes. I also shoot USPSA outside and it is a completely different sight picture for MY eyes. Experiment until you find what works for you, keeping in mind that someone else might hate your set up. And if you haven't tried different colored glasses yet, at least try some amber ones on overcast days.
 
Originally posted by sar4937:
I shoot indoor IDPA and USPSA in a dim room and I have yet to find the perfect combo for MY eyes. I also shoot USPSA outside and it is a completely different sight picture for MY eyes.
Yep. I shoot USPSA, indoors during the winter, outdoors in the summer. The indoor ranges I shoot at are like being in a black hole. My green fiber front (great outdoors) looks like a black patridge. I "fixed" it by going to a C-More. NO front sight color helped enough to matter. What helped the most was widening the rear sight notch, other than REAL night sights.
 
Originally posted by shawn mccarver:
Originally posted by ol'gil:
does anyone have any suggestions/ideas about types of paint to make the front sight a bit more visable/ easier to pick up quickly on my 638? also any ideas how to make it more visable in low light with out having a whole new sight put on

I have seen type writer correction fluid used to good effect, but if you sort of want "night sights" use the model paint that glows when you shine a light on it.

Just did mine with that. It is REALLY bright after you shine a light on it. Use a white model paint underneath.

http://www.readysetglo.com/Glowpaint_water_bases.asp#1

Commercial Grade Green Glow Paint Qty Price $
1 fl oz 8.99
4 fl oz 29.99
1 Pint 49.99
1 Quart 79.99
1 Gallon 255.00
Free Shipping Details


Initial brilliance - Extreme: Yellow/Green
After Glow - 12 Plus hours
Day Color-Almost clear with a tinge of pale yellow
Highest Commercial Grade Paint on Market-Guaranteed
 
I found that even real night sights didn't help my failing eyes. I am shooting an HK45 with luminous sight and a pair of deep amber glasses. Which you would think would darken things, but the amber really pick up the luminous sights for me at least. While definitely not a night sight, luminous paint works well in dim rooms if charged up.
 
Testors has a red Phosphorous enamel paint that I have used on a variety of guns. It makes a huge difference. I am looking for sights for my Model 60 3 inch, and have yet to locate any that will fit.
 
I have tried white paint then one day decided to try and put some of my wife's hot pink nail polish over it. It worked so well and really stands out (I went and bought my own bottle) that I use on all my guns.
icon_smile.gif
 
If it works. I almost did that myself and then found the Testor enamel
 
I've had good luck with the flouresent orange testors paint that I applied to the front sight of one of my 940s, Before the sight would dissapear in bright sunlight but with the orange I can see it fairly well in sunlight.
I applied it with a toothpick lightly & used a Q-Tip soaked in acetone to clean the excess off.
I'll probobly do this to my other 940 before taking it to the range this spring.
Also If you ever want the paint gone just take some acetone to it & it'll disolve it away fairly quickly, acetone won't damage stainless or blueing, The newer spray on finishes I wouldn't use acetone apon..
Gary/Hk
940 Front Sight
fsii.jpg
 
Go to your local Gander Mtn. and go to lure dept.
Buy the CS Coatings "Natural Glow" Lure and Jig
finish. this stuff is fantastic. Glows like
night sights for about 8 hrs (just expose to light for a couple of seconds). I have a pellet
gun I put some on about 15 years ago and it still glows.
this is a greenish/white color, but you can put it over another color ie fluorescents.

Cost is about $4.00 for a 1 oz bottle.
Apply with a toothpick.
 
Looks nice. I used on my Model 60 and it looks nice also. Will go to the range in a few days.
 
I've tried the incredibly tiny and expensive bottles packaged as "sight" paint - save your money. Testors flourescent model paint - about a buck a bottle - works better. The water cleanup testors works great, and lasts quite well. With daily carry and occasional range use you might need to touch it up annually while cleaning the gun. Toothpick is the way to go as Headknocker describes.

I've tried a variety of colors and came up with a combination I've standardized all my guns to. I use flourescent orange front and flourescent yellow for rear. I think it's important to standardize all your defense/carry guns to prevent a fraction-of-second delay while sorting out what you're looking for while sighting in. I find the orange, get the yellow around it and finish the press. Serves me well at timed shooting.

As far as glow-paint, I never could envision the circumstance where there would have been enough light on the sights to charge them up just before I needed them in the dark.
 
Headknocker, thats a really good job on your sights. That may be the ticket for a M-60 of mine.
 
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