Painting Front Sights - Questions

[VaTom]

Back in the day (1970's) as LEOs we carried nickel Model 10s. (like in the picture) To help with visibility we would paint the front sights. Back then I used my wife's fingernail polish.

Decided to touch up the sights on my 1985 Beretta 92F as well as paint the front sight on my Model 10 and maybe some other regular shooters. Found some Testor's Enamel Model Paint at the local hobby store. Bought some gloss white and fluorescent red and yellow.

My question is this. If you paint your revolver sights do you paint the entire ramp or just the top part of it? I have a 1981 Model 63 with the factory red insert and it is only the top half. I painted the Model 10 sight (entire ramp). See pictures. Is it personal preference or is one way the best? Any preference on color?

 

[simonp]

I think color and amount are both personal preference- what works best for you and your eyes.


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[colt_saa]

I agree with simonp

You paint enough of it for your eyes to pick up.

Try a little at first. Draw and acquire your sights then decide if you need to paint more depending on how long it took you.

I would always use a color that contrasts to the rest of the firearm.

So no yellow or white on your stainless guns

In the olden days I typically used fluorescent orange on blued pistols and a dark or crimson red on stainless firearms

 

[robertrwalsh]

Go with what works for you. Personally I like red, but many like orange or yellow. Try them all, paint is cheap.

 

[MichiganScott]

I like florescent green. I paint the whole ramp on revolvers because the factory original red ramps appear to me to have the red all the way to the top when shooting them. A quick dab of florescent green in the front dot of three dot sights makes the front much quicker to pick up for me than when all three dots are white.

 

[LEO918]

Testor's orange - about the top 1/3 of the ramp. I also fill the dot on the front sight of pistols fitted with the three dot sight system.

 

[Execpro]

If my pistol/revolvers did not have white dot sights/night sights,I painted the entire front blade/post with Testers gloss yellow. I tried red but it does not index (eyes pick up) as fast as the yellow for me. I use the Testers paint thinner on a Q tip to clean off any oil/dirt before I paint the blade/post. Been doing this for 50+ years.
Before anyone comments,I know night sights have only been around for 10+ years.

I agree with the above post that it is personal preference on color used and amount of the blade is covered.

Be SAFE and Shoot often!

 

[Marshal Kane]

I do it exactly the way you did it.

 

[VaTom]

If my pistol/revolvers did not have white dot sights/night sights,I painted the entire front blade/post with Testers gloss yellow. I tried red but it does not index (eyes pick up) as fast as the yellow for me. I use the Testers paint thinner on a Q tip to clean off any oil/dirt before I paint the blade/post. Been doing this for 50+ years.
Before anyone comments,I know night sights have only been around for 10+ years.

I agree with the above post that it is personal preference on color used and amount of the blade is covered.

Be SAFE and Shoot often!

Yes on the testors thinner to clean prior. Seems Testors paint is thinner that what I remember as a kid back in the 1960's. patience and several coats is the key. Hobby store owner said it was difficult to get the fluorescent green. Two dollars a bottle is cheaper than I expected. Said he sold a lot of the Orange and Red over the the 50 years they had been in business to officers and gun folks!

 

[ABPOS]

Sorry for the bad pic, but I pretty much painted the whole sight. I didn't paint the top, although this pic kind of makes it look like it. I just wanted to be able to pick it up quick in low light. I don't really think it's the best for daytime shooting. I'd rather have black. But since a lot of crime happens at night.....

 

[bulletslap]

About 1975 I used my girl friends black mascara to darken the front sight of my model 64, to cut down on glare mostly. It held up pretty good, as a matter of fact I can still see some of off the sight.

 

[GB]

I liked the yellow (especially on Stainless or nickel sites) but used red on blue guns also. My old nickel 19 still has yellow on the front site some 30+ years later. That Testor's is some tough stuff. As I recall, I only had to touch it up every couple of years. When I couldn't see the lines on the front blade any more I would strip it with fingernail polish remover and start over.

 

[one eye joe]

Back in the day (1970's) as LEOs we carried nickel Model 10s. (like in the picture) To help with visibility we would paint the front sights. Back then I used my wife's fingernail polish.

Decided to touch up the sights on my 1985 Beretta 92F as well as paint the front sight on my Model 10 and maybe some other regular shooters. Found some Testor's Enamel Model Paint at the local hobby store. Bought some gloss white and fluorescent red and yellow.

My question is this. If you paint your revolver sights do you paint the entire ramp or just the top part of it? I have a 1981 Model 63 with the factory red insert and it is only the top half. I painted the Model 10 sight (entire ramp). See pictures. Is it personal preference or is one way the best? Any preference on color?

IMHO, PAINTING THE ENTIRE RAMP IS THE BEST CHOICE. THE BIGGER PATCH OF COLOR WILL ATTRACT YOUR EYE MORE READILY, IN A HIGH STRESS SITUATION.......

FLUORESCENT YELLOW/GREEN IS THE MOST VISIBLE COLOR OF THE SPECTRUM---THE LAST COLOR TO GO AWAY IN DIM LIGHT.....

I WOULD SUGGEST A COAT OF THAT TESTOR'S WHITE, FOLLOWED BY A COAT OF THE PAINT IN THE CENTER BOTTLE. IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT IS A SIMPLE MATTER TO GO BACK TO BARE METAL, AND START OVER WITH A COAT OF WHITE. THEN TRY THE RED/ORANGE ON THE LEFT.......

 

[Lobster Picnic]

I use some acrylic paint called TruGlo Bright Sight. You typically just need 1 coat and it's easy to remove without damaging the bluing.

 

[soFlaNative]

Yellow on nickel, top half of the ramp to start.
Thanks guys.

 

[bigggbbruce]

I use "Salon Perfect" nail polish, #506 Traffic Cone, it's a very bright orange and works well even in low light. At Walmart for a couple bucks.

 

[S&WIowegan]

I'm definitely not an expert, but I acquired a "Smolt" or "Smython" a while ago and decided to shoot it in IDPA. I took it for a practice run and had a very hard time picking up the blue front ramp on a dark blue barrel. So, I asked my wife to pick up some bright red nail polish. I painted the ramp the whole way. I shot the IDPA match with it and it worked well and the polish didn't fly off.

Try it, you'll like it.

 

[Babysitr]

Red, whole sight. works best for me. Just go easy

 

[Old Corp]

Always clean the ramp with acetone or alcohol.....
Cover whole ramp with fluorescent orange acrylic paint, using a straightened paper clip to apply.

Paint came from a hobby store when I found that WallyWorld no longer sells models or Testor's model paint.

We should all live long enough to run out of sight paint from any given container.

 

[Wee Hooker]

I've been using Testors paint for this purpose for the last 25+ years. Other paints/ nail polish's will work but Testors holds it's color well, is durable and seems to have the right consistency going on. It is also available in any color you want for about $1 bottle at any wally world. Lastly, it dissolves with acetone if you ever change your mind.
Tips:
Clean your surface well with alcohol or acetone.
Roll it on with a barely wet toothpick. Don't flood the surface/serrations. If you do, wipe it off and start again.
Whatever color you chose, use white for a base coat and your top coat will come out brighter.