Questions About Bowen Sight

[hi-power man]

It is a bit of a saga.

I need to put my Model 19 into carry duty until I find a Ruger GP100 3" to purchase.

I was told by a friend that the S&W adjustable rear sight on my 19 is not good for carry - too delicate. He recommends installing a Bowen Rough Country.

I have seen a lot of S&W revolvers thru the years with adjustable sights being carried. This make me question the delicate comment.

I looked at the Bowen on their website. It's hard for me to tell if it is a "more rugged" unit.

Now to the questions:

Are the S&W adjustable sights really delicate ? The unit will be in a Simply Rugged Holster which does rise above the sight on both sides and front.

Does anyone have experience with the Bowen Rough Country sight ? Do you consider it more rugged than the S&W ?

 

[Protocall_Design]

The S&W adjustable sight has worked fine for a hundred years or so. If the gun is dropped on a hard surface, it can bend or break the sight leaf. They are pretty rugged, but not indestructible. Fixed sights are toughest. The BRC is tougher than the S&W.

 

[roninsan]

I think the way the Bowen sight is designed the blade is more protected, but whack it hard enough it'll break too. I wouldn't worry about your rear sight during CCW, I never had an issue with any of mine.
That being said, I'm currently putting together my ultimate carry revolver and will be using the Cylinder & Slide fixed rear sight. They typically work fine with the S&W front sight, but mine will be getting a Novak dovetail front as well. I like the C&S fixed for durability, and it's easy enough to dial it in for your particular load.

 

[hi-power man]

Thanks for the info fellows. I think I'm going to stay with the S&W sight. This is my shooter 19 but I like to keep units as close to original as possible.

The holster is on it's way back from my son's. I remember it covers the sides and front of the sight pretty well.

 

[lilwoody]

Your friend is wrong. Just ask the tens of thousands of law enforcement officers that carried model 15s, 19s, 66s, and 686s.

 

[hi-power man]

As I mentioned earlier, I've seen many guys with revolvers. I think all the Smith's I remember specifically had adjustable sights.

The other thing I remember is the sights were always above the top of the holster. I like the Simply Rugged design which covers the sight.