Are there regulations for the shape of sights?

[paulo]

I shoot three guns and they all have different sights, I was thinking about standardize them, or even design my own sights, but I don't know if that would throw me out in a competition.
What are the competition rules for iron sights, for air 10m, 25m bulls eye, and 50m free pistol?

[David Levene]

The following rules apply to all ISSF events:-

8.4.1.3 Sights: see the Pistol Specification Table.
Only open sights are allowed. Optical, mirror, telescope, laserbeam, electronically projected dot sights etc., are prohibited. Any aiming device programmed to activate the firing mechanism is prohibited. No protective covering is permitted on front or rear open sights.

8.4.1.3.1 Correcting lenses and/or filters must not be attached to the pistol.

8.4.1.3.2 Correction glasses and/or filters may be worn by the shooter.

The only things to worry about in the Pistol Specification Table (8.9) is that the sights must obviously fit into the measuring box for 10m and 25m events and the maximum sight radius for 25m events is 220mm.

[Popeye]

Paulo-you ask an interesting question. For me the answer is yes. If you have a similar sight picture with all your ISSF pistols-it helps, especially when switching between pistols during training sessions and during competitions.

I have identical sights for GSP's for std and centrefire, and the sights on my LP10 for 10m and Toz for free pistol are very similar.

Popeye

[Rover]

Interesting question.

Back when I was experimenting with sights, I tried several versions on different guns. They all worked and I never bothered to uniform them.

I have one gun with a halfmoon notch from the Russian book. It was cut with an untapered round chain saw file. I like this because you can open up too narrow a notch width with ease, even if you're a spaz. Try this on a too narrow interchangable blade that you'll never use. I like this a lot!

I have another with the rear notch cut showing white on each side equal to the apparent width of the front sight. I found most rear notches too narrow and played with a very wide one. I found accuracy good with this (9 of 10 shots completely inside the 10 ring last SP match). I do find it slightly distracting, though.

I opened my AP notch slightly with a swiss file to give me a little more white. Works fine.

I have found many (most?) notches don't show enough white and that this is more of a handicap than anything else. The amount of white showing is also affected by the length of your arm.

[David Levene]

I have found many (most?) notches don't show enough white and that this is more of a handicap than anything else.

I think that is affected by the shooter's ability to hold the gun still. If you can naturally hold it still enough so that the white gaps don't disappear then narrow gaps can have the advantage of being more accurate.

This was the main thing I noticed on returning to shooting my FAS 602 after a couple of year "elbow break". Having previously been easily able to maintain the white gaps without modifying the non-adjustable rear sight (despite having long arms), the lack of training meant that the steadiness had gone. A session with a Swiss file to widen the notch allowed me to regain a reasonably consistent sight picture.

Having said that narrow gaps can be more accurate, many top shooters will give up some of that accuracy as a compromise for what they see as a more comfortable sight picture. That's what it's all about in the end; being comfortable with a sight picture.

[Rover]

It has been my experience that a narrow rear sight is NOT more accurate.

Here's what "Our Hero" has to say about the subject:

http://www.nygord-precision.com/sights.html

[seamaster]

Nygord said wider front sight is easier to sight.

I don't think he said extra wide gap is easier to sight.

[Rover]

Nygord plainly says there should be one-half to one full front sight width of white showing on each side of the blade.

He even has a diagram.

[David Levene]

Nygord plainly says there should be one-half to one full front sight width of white showing on each side of the blade.

I'm sorry but he didn't say that at all.

What he actually said was:-

"The most common ratios are "1:2:1" (see fig.2), and "1:1:1" (see fig. 3). I find the "1:2:1" to be best for me, but you should try to find what is best for you."

[Spencer]

...I have identical sights for GSP's for std and centrefire, and the sights on my LP10 for 10m and Toz for free pistol are very similar.
Popeye

this raises the points that:
- younger eyes cope with a finer gap: older eyes (e.g. mine) will normally do better with more white either side of the front sight
- the apparent width of the black aiming mark is quite different between the 10m, 50m and 25m events, and
- the width of the rear sight notch is (usually) wider for the 'faster' times such as STD and the Rapid Fire Stage of CF. Many RFP shooters have used even more white either side of the front sight; up to 2:1:2.

[David Levene]

It has been my experience that a narrow rear sight is NOT more accurate.

That sounds like you are talking about the relative accuracy of a narrow rear sight notch for you when you are shooting.

I was talking about the intrinsic accuracy of a narrow rear sight notch which is available if you are able to naturally hold the gun still enough.

[Steve Swartz a Guest]

David:

Aren't you really trying to say that errors in alignment are more easily perceived [with a narrower rear notch]?

Being more sensitive to the error (perceived) may or may not be more "accurate." It all depends on exactly how *you* process the increased information flow about the magnitude of the alignment error.

"Many a slip twixt cup and lip!"

Many shooters find that a too narrow rear notch inhibits the release of the shot (chicken finger). The sight picture is just too "scary;" a similar effect is noted by shooters moving from iron sights to a dot for the first time ("The dot magnifies my wobble" as commonly observed.).

Other negatives may also exist- the "Foucalt Effect" of too narrow a slit (appearing to be a fuzzy bar; kind of a visual "halo" effect in a linear fashion) and others . . .

[David Levene]

Aren't you really trying to say that errors in alignment are more easily perceived [with a narrower rear notch]?

Yes Steve, you are correct

Many shooters find that a too narrow rear notch inhibits the release of the shot (chicken finger). The sight picture is just too "scary;" a similar effect is noted by shooters moving from iron sights to a dot for the first time ("The dot magnifies my wobble" as commonly observed.).

This is why I said " I think that is affected by the shooter's ability to hold the gun still. If you can naturally hold it still enough so that the white gaps don't disappear then narrow gaps can have the advantage of being more accurate."

If you can't hold the gun still enough for the rear sight you are using, or are uncomfortable with it, then it is too narrow. (I now have to use a MUCH wider rear sight).

Other negatives may also exist- the "Foucalt Effect" of too narrow a slit (appearing to be a fuzzy bar; kind of a visual "halo" effect in a linear fashion) and others . . .

Agreed, but "too narrow" would be different for each shooter (and probably range conditions).