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Best Front Sight Width for NRA Precision

Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2020 9:38 pm
by dulcmr-man
I've been shooting Ultra-Dot sights on both my .45 and S&W Model 41 for a VERY LONG time, but recently shot a service pistol match for the first time and observed a .22 EIC match. At 73 years old my eyes are not what they once were and I find that the sight picture with iron sights for both guns is "too fine", that is, too little light on either side of the front sight for me. I "know" that less light is supposed to be more precise, and more light is alleged to be "quicker" to pick up the front sight,but both guns simply have too little light to maintain good sight alignment for precision shooting.

Therefore, I'm contemplating either opening up the rear sight or milling the front sight a bit to obtain just a tad more light on each side of the front sight. I've done some internet research and come up with this:

https://forums.brianenos.com/topic/9004 ... ght-width/

Before starting this journey, I'm looking for advice from anyone with similar problems. BTW, I don't expect to qualify for distinguished. That time has, for me, long passed, but I'd like to shoot the matches anyway and do as well as possible. I also hesitate to make irrevocable changes to either my model 41 or my iron sight .45 without some knowledgeable input. I really wish both guns had an adjustable width rear sight like my Morini 162EI, but that's a pipe dream at this point.

I look forward to hearing from all of you with your gems of wisdom.

Dennis, aka Dulcmrman

Re: Best Front Sight Width for NRA Precision

Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2020 10:10 pm
by Rover
I've posted on this before, but not in quite a while.

First, forget narrowing the front sight. It's already too narrow.

My quick and dirty rear sight fix is: at a hardware store, buy a round 3/16" chainsaw file. Cut the notch with it, angling the file to the right and left so that you can't "see" the sides of the notch. It will make a "cleaner" sight picture. The whole thing will take about a minute.

If you think this won't work, just remember that Russians kicked the world's ass for many years with this "half-moon" system.

Re: Best Front Sight Width for NRA Precision

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2020 9:56 am
by dulcmr-man
Rover wrote: Tue Mar 03, 2020 10:10 pm My quick and dirty rear sight fix is: at a hardware store, buy a round 3/16" chainsaw file. Cut the notch with it, angling the file to the right and left so that you can't "see" the sides of the notch. It will make a "cleaner" sight picture. The whole thing will take about a minute.
Thanks Rover. I've seen those posts before and I'm considering that. However, my iron sight .45 is a Giles with the wagon wheel rear sight and I hate to alter it from its original state. Still ruminating on that.

Dennis, aka Dulcmrman

Re: Best Front Sight Width for NRA Precision

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2020 12:14 pm
by fc60
Greetings,

I have a spare Giles rear sight blade you can experiment with.

$10.00 plus postage.

Cheers,

Dave