Author Topic: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight  (Read 4305 times)

Offline HighUintas

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Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« on: October 25, 2022, 06:10:48 PM »
I have two different sights I'm trying to decide between to put on my gun. A cast steel blade and a silver blade with a copper base. They are both 3/8 dovetail bases, but the copper base is actually 0.370 instead of 3/8, so I'm not sure if I can just switch between the two to see which I like better.

Anyway, in deciding which one to install in my barrel, I was hoping you old school sight shooters could give some pros and cons of each type when the gun is primarily a hunting gun but also $#*& at targets for fun.

The silver blade is awfully shiny. I can't see that being great for bright light hunting. I know people will black it with a marker in bright light, but I can't imagine putting on and removing marker a couple times a day each day I hunt from sunrise to sunset.

Offline ScottNE

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #1 on: October 25, 2022, 06:25:47 PM »
I don’t hunt, but I do black my sights as conditions demand when target shooting. It’s really not any more of a hassle than refreshing your priming pan.

I use soot to black my sights, which wipes off easily.

Offline Mike Lyons

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #2 on: October 25, 2022, 06:37:37 PM »
I vote silver.  One of the first things I noticed when looking at guns from high end builders is that their front sights lit up like a flashlight.  It’s not a big deal at all to darken it.  I’ve switched to silver and never looked back.  The  angles of the front sight and notches for the rear is something that has lots of different opinions.

Offline smylee grouch

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #3 on: October 25, 2022, 07:09:56 PM »
I think you could " forge " that copper base a mere 5/1000s into the dovetail undercut to try it out. I like to make mine out of .125 thick T iron and cut a slit in them and fill that with silver solder. 

Offline Daryl

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #4 on: October 25, 2022, 08:34:27 PM »
Steel, with a short 1/16" long 45 degree angle & polished on the back corner, will light up like a torch in the bush, just as will a brass or silver sight.
The short angle, if held above the flat of the rear sight and put on target will usually give a 100yard zero, from a 50 yard normal zero with level sight.
A small brass bead with 45 degree angle on the back. Any available light will light it up, just as with silver or even steel. for a hunting rifle, I would suggest
steel.  You can carry an erasable felt pen in your pocket or pouch to dull-blacken the angled edge in bright light, to reduce glare is necessary. The flat black
of the erasable felt pen is easily wiped off with a finger or thumb. I ALWAYS carry one with me. So simple and easy to apply.


Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline Jeff Murray

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #5 on: October 25, 2022, 08:38:04 PM »
Silver works good in the deep woods.  It will cause reflection in the bright sunlight which can make lining up your sights more of a challenge, particularly when the sun is not directly overhead.  Blacking a silver sight at the range works ok if you have a source of soot or lamp black.  I have used an iron sight with a very small line of white inlayed in the back edge of the sight which gives me a good visual way to center the blade in the rear notch.  The sight is made by drilling vertically down the back edge, inserting a very small "cylinder" of white in the drilled hole and then filing the back edge until the white shows.  The more you file it the wider the white line gets.   Older eyes need all the help they can get.

Offline smylee grouch

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #6 on: October 25, 2022, 09:19:28 PM »
Jeff, that front sight construction sounds good and not that hard to do. Do you turn something white down for the cylinder?  :-\

Offline Daryl

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #7 on: October 25, 2022, 10:19:19 PM »
  Blacking a silver sight at the range works ok if you have a source of soot or lamp black.

Dry Erase Felt Pen does a better job than lamp black or soot as it is easier/faster to apply & removes just as easily.

The black from dry erase felt pen is as dull as soot or lamp black - it is not shiny like permanent felt pen, which is not much better than a glaring front sight.
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline HighUintas

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #8 on: October 25, 2022, 10:31:46 PM »
Thanks for the comments. I'll have to think about which route to go. Polishing up the steel sight seems that it would give it just as much glint as the silver, if so desired.

Daryl, that's a good point in the dry erase marker vs sharpie marker. I had wondered why one would choose a marker that runs off so easily over a more durable one. Sharpies do produce a high shine.

Regarding your filing a 45* angle on the rear of the post to use as a 100yard aim, do you only do this with a rectangular front post or can it be done on a rounded type post like below? Having a hard time picturing it on the rounded one.




Offline Chocktaw Brave

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #9 on: October 26, 2022, 12:29:51 AM »
I’m using white fingernail polish, but I thought about putting one of those fancy fiber optic sights on. I know it’s not traditional but my eyes could sure appreciate it!

Offline D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #10 on: October 26, 2022, 12:53:18 AM »
None of the front sights on any of my rifles have that eliptical shape.  I make all my own front sights using a copper base and pure silver blade and by the time I get the rifle sighted in, any hump has been carefully filed off...I file so that the top profile of the sight has a declining line back to front.  I then file the back edge off so it is almost vertical, then cut the 45 degree bevel on the tip to catch light.  The bevel is only as long as it is high so that it is in effect a cube which when viewed at the far end of your barrel appears to be a round ball of light.  As Daryl has noted, many rifles will be dead on at 100 yards with the bevel alone over the flat top of the rear sight, assuming first the rifle is zeroed at 25 - 50 yards with the sight level and in the notch.
The sight that HU has shown is an attempt by their manufacturers, I think, to emulate the barely corn bead front sight found on many original longrifles.  Of course, it isn't even close, because those barley corn sights are as wide as they are high above the barrel flat, and are in fact, just a very low bead sight.
D. Taylor Sapergia
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Offline Daryl

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #11 on: October 26, 2022, 01:59:19 AM »
Daryl, that's a good point in the dry erase marker vs sharpie marker. I had wondered why one would choose a marker that runs off so easily over a more durable one. Sharpies do produce a high shine.

The dry erase marker will stay as long as the sight is not wiped clean.  That is the beauti of it - flat black, no shine and easily removed if desired, but will stay as long as you don't wipe it.
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline Austin

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #12 on: October 26, 2022, 03:32:48 AM »
Im a hunter, silver is my favorite….. but my eyes are getting older, so figure that in your equation….
« Last Edit: October 26, 2022, 04:00:47 AM by Austin »
Eat Beef

Offline Pukka Bundook

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #13 on: October 26, 2022, 04:04:53 PM »
I too like silver.
Blacking was traditionally done with a piece of burning  birch bark, in Nordic and Finn lands.

Offline BOB HILL

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #14 on: October 26, 2022, 04:47:19 PM »
Silver for me too.
 Bob
South Carolina Lowcountry

Offline HighUintas

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #15 on: October 26, 2022, 05:54:59 PM »
The silver sight base is just a hair shorter than the steel sight at 0.370 (went back and looked at listed and it is actually stated to be such, not 3/8). So I think I'll give the silver one a try first and then just open up the dovetail a bit for the steel one if I don't like the shiny silver. I really like the snazzy copper base on the silver sight. I'll have to procure a dry erase marker!

Offline bluenoser

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #16 on: October 26, 2022, 06:34:25 PM »
Would it not be better to use the principle of "always try to modify the least costly component" and adjust the sight base to fit the dovetail in the barrel?

Offline Mike Lyons

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #17 on: October 26, 2022, 06:37:34 PM »
Sir,  It is super simple to file a front sight out of any combination of metals.  I have used a lot of different solders and have been using a product called stay brite silver solder for all of my soldering needs.  The stuff is idiot proof and holds up well.  If you find out you want a steel sight with a copper base, just make one or I'll make one and mail it to you. 

Offline HighUintas

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #18 on: October 26, 2022, 08:56:01 PM »
Would it not be better to use the principle of "always try to modify the least costly component" and adjust the sight base to fit the dovetail in the barrel?

Sir,  It is super simple to file a front sight out of any combination of metals.  I have used a lot of different solders and have been using a product called stay brite silver solder for all of my soldering needs.  The stuff is idiot proof and holds up well.  If you find out you want a steel sight with a copper base, just make one or I'll make one and mail it to you.

Ahem.... You are both very correct. I was up really late with my baby last night and my brain isn't functioning. I should probably NOT do any work on my rifle today ::) I will just file the base on the steel sight back to fit the dovetail of the copper base.

I guess it would also be very simple to make a copper base steel post sight. I was thinking the advantage of a cast steel sight would be the strength.

Anywho, I'll keep the barrel dovetail to 0.370 and modify the sights and attempt to make my own over time.

Offline Daryl

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #19 on: October 26, 2022, 11:40:27 PM »
This sight has been on the rifle and has not moved in 36, almost 37 years. The rifle hunted for at least 1/2 of those.


This is the front sight on Taylor's Lang rifle, made sometime around 1853.


Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline Jeff Murray

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #20 on: October 27, 2022, 03:39:58 AM »
Smylee,

Have used both Ivory and antler for the insert.   I don't have a lathe, so it is all hand work.  The metal around the top of the hole will shave off the extra material if you are close to the diameter and have patience tapping it in.  If you start with a rectangular blade and shape after installing the insert you might have better luck.

Offline smylee grouch

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #21 on: October 27, 2022, 04:11:32 AM »
Thanks for that tip Jeff. It will be some time before I get to that stage but it sounds doable.

Offline axman

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #22 on: October 27, 2022, 04:49:13 AM »
Here’s a front sight I saw a few years back at Pricketts fort.
The fellow said he used factory TC sights and slit the blade with a hacksaw and put ivory or antler in the slit.
I thought it was a great looking sight.


Offline Pukka Bundook

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #23 on: October 27, 2022, 08:29:53 AM »
warthog ivory was favoured for that kind of work axeman, as it stays white.

Offline alacran

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Re: Pros and cons of steel vs silver front sight
« Reply #24 on: October 27, 2022, 01:07:36 PM »
This sight i made recently and it is wide and made of Mastodon ivory, maybe warthog I have both and not sure of which I used.
Not quite finished here. Slot cut in blade and ivory T- tenon epoxied in. Quite visible in low light.

I think it works like low tech fiber optic sight.

« Last Edit: October 28, 2022, 01:12:41 PM by alacran »
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