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Question about front sights on revolvers


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Question:

Can we paint the front sight on a revolver to make it more visible?

If so, what brand paint & what color do y'all use?

Thanks in advance.

--Dawg

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YES.

 

Quote

- Sights must look like sights available during the cowboy era. Bead, blade, simple post, or otherwise approved front sights (such as the XS Cowboy Express) made of materials such as steel, iron, ivory, faux ivory, brass, gold, pewter, copper, or silver are allowed.

- Colors other than those of the materials referenced above or any “fluorescent” materials may not be applied to either front or rear sights.

- Rear and front sights may be “blacked,” painted, or plated in the colors of the previously listed materials. If blacking, paint, or plating is applied to a revolver front sight, it must cover the entire rear surface of the sight to give the appearance of a solid material.

SHB p.34 - SIGHTS - All Firearms

 

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Yes.

There is a list of approved colors in the SHB

(No glow in the dark blaze orange - I regret to inform you).

 

Some will use nail polish (comes with its own brush and is cheap).

Before I put on brass covers - I used the "Paint Pens" in Gold that I would buy at Michaels (but I assume any well stocked craft store would have).

Then I would just keep the pen in the guncart and give my sights a touchup when I felt it was needed.  

 

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 I can see it now back in the old west Bill Hickock sitting down putting nail polish on his front sights. :lol:

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I'm using gold nail polish. Lasts a long time. Handy having the brush built in. I color in the rear sight on my Rugers with a black sharpie.

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6 hours ago, john brown said:

 I can see it now back in the old west Bill Hickock sitting down putting nail polish on his front sights. :lol:

His front sights didn't need painting, they were brass posts.  But he probably polished the brass every morning. :)

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11 hours ago, Hells Comin said:

How would that help pickup the front sight?

My understanding is; to look for and focus on a single bright point is quicker than seeing the entirety of the rear sight.  

 

Also highlighting just a small portion on the sight would allow for tighter accuracy...

Place the dot on target instead of blade on target.

And varying the height of the "dot" on the front site would create elevation adjustable sites without metal removal.

 

At least that is the way I understood the reasoning.

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On my SS Vaqueros I use flat black model paint.  Besides the post I paint the back of the notched rear sight.  I couldn't make out the sights in bright sunlight.  That is why I won't have a polished or satin SS long gun.

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Whate are these “sights” thingys y’all are referring to?

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25 minutes ago, Hoss said:

Whate are these “sights” thingys y’all are referring to?

It's like when the Texas cowboys got to the end of the drive and got paid, and they wanted to go into the big town to "See the sights" and "Paint the town".   I guess that got shortened to "Painting the sights".

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8 hours ago, Eyesa Horg said:

I'm using gold nail polish. Lasts a long time. Handy having the brush built in. I color in the rear sight on my Rugers with a black sharpie.

 What revolver has a brush built in ?

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2 hours ago, Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme said:

Gold leaf paint with 2 clear nail polish finish coats. 

Going to have to try the 2 clear coats afterwards.

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I haven't wondered about this question for a LONG time... And for the first 10 years I played this game... the rule was "no colored sights..."  Yet, sometime between my 2000 SHB and the 2006 SHB, it was changed to read that various "natural" colored sights were legal.   And while it didn't specifically allow painting of revolver sights, it did specifically state that sights colored match were legal.   It makes me wonder where you've been hiding for at least the past 16 years?

image.png

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Actually, I knew they could be painted -- poorly phrased question.
Mostly, I wanted to know what folks were using.

Thanks for all the replies.

--Dawg  

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7 hours ago, Hoss said:

Whate are these “sights” thingys y’all are referring to?

It's them little bumpy things at the end of the barrel.;)

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4 minutes ago, Dutch Wheeler said:

It's them little bumpy things at the end of the barrel.;)

As much as we laugh about front sights, last year I managed to knock a front sight off a vaquero. It fell off somewhere between loading table and when I drew it to shoot. First 3 shots missed! I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Then I noticed no “little bumpy thang” on end of barrel. Only by really concentrating was I able to hit anything. Fortunately there was only one more stage. I could have borrowed a pistol but I figured might as well muddle thru. 

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12 hours ago, john brown said:

 What revolver has a brush built in ?

The nail polish, the nail polish!!:D

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On 6/2/2022 at 12:22 AM, Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329 said:

Question:

Can we paint the front sight on a revolver to make it more visible?

If so, what brand paint & what color do y'all use?

Thanks in advance.

--Dawg

You use your front sights? Hmmm…I’ll have to try that :P

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Sights are NOT used to align the revolver .They are used to verify an alignment already achieved by means of a trained presentation. At SASS distances sights are meaningless. We are talking revolvers.   

 

JB

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1 hour ago, john brown said:

Sights are NOT used to align the revolver .They are used to verify an alignment already achieved by means of a trained presentation. At SASS distances sights are meaningless. We are talking revolvers.   

 

JB

For a guest account with no club affliation - you certainly seem to have a depth of insight on SASS and cowboy action.

 

A lot of us have missed pistol shots at SASS distances even using our sights - so being better able to see our front site is a valid discussion.

 

Of course, if you are shooting stages in the teens without the use of sight and have never missed a shot - then your input is truly valuable. 

I know we would all love to learn from a master.

 

Perhaps you would like to share some clubs and matches you have shot so the rest of us could marvel at your results.

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1 hour ago, Creeker, SASS #43022 said:

For a guest account with no club affliation - you certainly seem to have a depth of insight on SASS and cowboy action.

 

A lot of us have missed pistol shots at SASS distances even using our sights - so being better able to see our front site is a valid discussion.

 

Of course, if you are shooting stages in the teens without the use of sight and have never missed a shot - then your input is truly valuable. 

I know we would all love to learn from a master.

 

Perhaps you would like to share some clubs and matches you have shot so the rest of us could marvel at your results.

  I was shooting SASS long before you . That being said .I also said trained presentation. We all have missed targets and that is when we lose the proper presentation.  Handlebar Doc used to say who needs sights. Always brought a chuckle to me.

 

 Best wishes.

 

  JB 

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36 minutes ago, john brown said:

  I was shooting SASS long before you . That being said .I also said trained presentation. We all have missed targets and that is when we lose the proper presentation.  Handlebar Doc used to say who needs sights. Always brought a chuckle to me.

 

 Best wishes.

 

  JB 

The assertion that perhaps you shot or attended a match 30 years ago doesn't mean you've shot SASS longer than me or participated in more matches.

And name dropping is pretty easy - I can do it too.

 

But the difference being; I am an actual SASS member and have actively participated (see actively - that word is important) for over 20 years as a shooter, club officer and match director.

In addition, I am a NRA instructor and Concealed carry instructor.

So based on my obviously limited knowledge and experience; I would assert ANYONE who claims sights are meaningless or unneeded is either joking (as in the case of Handlebar Doc) or being willfully ignorant.

 

But back to the inquiry - Since you made the assertion about sights being unneeded; I am assuming you must have vastly more SASS experience and firearms training - possess perfectly trained presentation and accuracy and we would all love to see the fabulous results from your apparently decades of shooting SASS.

 

So where have you shot so we may look at scores and results? 

And please, as a courtesy; try to limit it to the last 5 years so we are not overcome by the terrabytes of data we have to look at.

 

And all my best to you as well.

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Just a point of interest, in 1972 during my first LEO firearms class, we were taught to shoot instinctively at 7 yds and under.  That is to say, not using sights unless a precision shot was required.

 

Later on during a 30+ year LEO career, with 25 years as a range master, we continued to teach instinctive shooting at sub 7 yd targets.

 

All that being said, a person who puts in the work can shoot SASS distances with a handgun without using sights.  Instinctive shooting is not for everyone and flys in the face of the front sight teaching methodology so generally is thought of as junk science.  Plenty of outlaw shooters can tell you they never use sights.  YMMV

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I'm with you Creeker ...Now & again you do get SASS targets that are out a bit further..I'II take the revolver that has sights..come ta' think of it even the close ones, I've missed a few of those critters too  !!

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Just get a $1.50 gold paint pen.  Carry it in your cart and touch up whenever needed. Dries almost instantly. 

 

Beware people will borrow it when they see you using it.  

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