The gold bead front sight?

[VictorLouis]

The last two snubby orphans I adopted are so equipped. A patridge front blade with a brass bead. Man, you can really pick these up in the ambient light. This despite the fact they both have a fixed, trough, rear trench.

Is there anyone carrying likewise?

 

[Goblin]

I’m not carrying one, but I’d like to. What models are they, and are the beads aftermarket? Don’t forget, we like pictures.

 

[Fishinfool]

I have a couple handguns with gold bead front sights. I like them in decent light. One issue with them is the sunlight reflecting off the round bead can cause slight shifts in POI. I like the look of the gold bead, but I think, for my eyes, that a white or orange bead shows up better in poor light.

Larry

 

[colt_saa]

I have liked them on target guns for many years now

The reflection issue was solved decades later when the factory started putting red squares pinned onto the Patridge sights instead of the gold beads. Look at my blue 6 1/2" Model 27. Sorry I do not have a stand alone photo of this revolver. It is the Model 27 wearing the Hogue wood grips

 

[rednichols]

The last two snubby orphans I adopted are so equipped. A patridge front blade with a brass bead. Man, you can really pick these up in the ambient light. This despite the fact they both have a fixed, trough, rear trench.

Is there anyone carrying likewise?

Yes, if you're speaking of the sights that Colt_SA has posted, these were not intended to be used in holsters by anyone except Elmer Keith. His pair were carried in 1930-ish Berns-Martin 'Speed' holsters that were configured especially to accept his huge front sights without removing the sight black he smoked onto them. Why the holster was invented in the first place: hunting with a slip hammered SA with adjustable sights, in deep snow.

Adjustable sighted revolvers began to be used in holsters in the late 1960s and today you young'uns take that for granted. But the fixed sight guns had what were called 'holster sights': a grooved topstrap and rounded front sight, for a reason! As with the old 38/44s of FBI fame.

It was the SST of Safariland's late 1960s that was specifically created for the growing interest; for Neale Perkins' father's Patridge sights on a K-38 (K-22?).

 

[Beemerguy53]

I have several pistols with gold bead front sights, my favorite being a Wiley Clapp Colt Commander. That front sight really stands out...it's great.

 

[Mark8]

They work in decent light, but for me they're mostly about style and elegance. High quality fiber optic sights will beat them in any light condition, but are those beautiful? That small golden dot on a deep black finish revolver is pure perfection.

 

[lawandorder]

On my 649 that is close at hand most of the time.

About 8 years ago Sent the 649 to the folks up at Cylinder & Slide for a modification or 2. The main thing I needed was sight improvement for my suddenly old eyes. They widened the rear trough and dovetailed a front patridge style sight with a gold bead.

It has worked wonders for me. When I do carry other than a revolver , it is usually a BHP . Took my favorite to Nighthawk over west of us and they installed Heine slant pro rear and a dovetailed post with a gold bead.

In my old opinion the best sights for a revolver would be a dove tailed novak style rear and dove tailed front with gold bead. Similar to the model 640 pro but with the gold.

I am sure the high glow front sights work great also, just too non traditional for myself.

 

[Baxter6551]

I only have one on my Kimber Custom II. Not brass but real gold done by Jim Garthwaite in PA may he RIP. Really stands out. No tarnishing.

 

[IrishFritz]

There was a time that Smith & Wesson's custom shop would machine off the Bauman ramp and install a Patridge post with either of two sizes of gold bead as well as a red bead. Man I miss the old days!

 

[boykinlp]

The reflection issue was solved decades later when the factory started putting red squares pinned onto the Patridge sights instead of the gold beads. Look at my blue 6 1/2" Model 27. Sorry I do not have a stand alone photo of this revolver. It is the Model 27 wearing the Hogue wood grips

I think Wilson Combat makes a gold bead front sight for the new Python. I don’t have one of those, but do have a red square one. Here is a close up of one of mine:
Larry

 

[Doug M.]

There was a time that Smith & Wesson's custom shop would machine off the Bauman ramp and install a Patridge post with either of two sizes of gold bead as well as a red bead. Man I miss the old days!

*
Had the PC do that to my M66 about 2004. Works pretty well, even as my eyes get less cooperative.

I am all about function; style and the like be damned. I have a couple pistols with red dots; all my rifles but my 30-30 have one, and so does my Mossberg 590. Most of my other serious pistols have XS Big Dot or similar. The driving consideration has to be my eyes.

 

[StrawHat]

I like them!

A gold bead on a cut Model 1917, tiny but it works!

A McGivern bead on a cut Model 25-2,

Kevin

 

[LostintheOzone]

I had one put on my Colt Gold Cup. Improved my shooting considerably.

I need something on that front sight and I don't care for the look of light pipes or plastic inserts. Just a personal preference.

 

[bruce5781]

I have several gold bead guns, but I really prefer the one or two that I have with ivory beads.

Bruce

Sent from my SM-G781U1 using Tapatalk

 

[squidsix]

I have a gold bead on eight 1911s, two hipowers, two 1903s, and three revolvers, and one home made gold bead on a 3913. I guess I like them.
DIY gold bead front sight for 3900 pistols