Front Sight Visibility

[Daryl]

I took this picture today on our trail walk, to show how a little 45 degree 'angle' filed on the rear top corner of a blade front sight shows up in flat light.  Not the 'white' dot on the front of Taylor's .40 cal. Kuntz.  Hit target is a small star,hanging on a chain on the left of the path - , 68 yard downrange.
 

[Roger Fisher]

We had steady rain most of yesterday during our shoot (at our covered range) and that little angle on my frt sight did help pick up the sight in that dull light, so try it!   It works.

Now if I could paint a spot on the paper targets!

[Daryl]

The only thing better is a bead.

[beleg2]

I'm thinking.
What about making a all brass front sight?
I remember seeing and old 98 Mauser made by Walter Germany that have a brass front sight.

Looks easier t make than a steel/iron base with brass bead.

Martin

[Daryl]

Brass blade is pretty soft for resisting damage.

[Candle Snuffer]

I use a home made brass blade front sight set in a home made iron base that I silver solder in - on most of my rifles. 

The brass starts out life at .093 thick x 1/4" tall, and when I'm done with the filing it's about .080 thick while height is determined later at the range through filing...

It has the slant like Daryl shows. 

Any more my eyes seem to like a thick front sight.  Granted, I sacrifice some accuracy with such a thick front sight, but I feel what I'm getting down range is still acceptable.

I do feel a thin brass front sight would be prone to damage through possible bumping and bending.  I think my thick brass front sight offers more durability against damage.

Have to make the sight set up that works best for each of us.  Use to be a time I thought .062 was to thick of a front sight.  Not any more...

[Daryl]

I think a lot of people believe their sights have to be narrower than necessary.  I've done some incredible shooting at 200 and 300 yards with my 4", M29 - that front sight is WIDE!  I went back to a wider sight on the double .58 - better for hunting and faster to pick up.  When shooting paper testing loads, it works very well indeed.  Once of these days, I'll make some low ramps for that gun, similar to the ones Lancaster used.

[Candle Snuffer]

The only thing better is a bead.

Daryl,

Does the high base of this front sight act as (what I can best describe) a front sight plain as to where 'if' the 'top of the base' would show in the bottom of the rear sight notch -  you would then know if your sight picture is either off or on, depending on the set up?

If so, I've often toyed with this idea with a high front sight base and small bead/blade but never made one to test the results.  The idea sounds reasonable, an I feel it would produce a very accurate zero (depending on desired zero range), and would work very well with the 3 leaf rear sight set up I've seen you post before, as well as a screw or elevation bar adjustable rear sight.

This is just conjector on my part of course.  I was just wondering if the high front base came into play on this application and act as a kind of referance bar?

[Daryl]

Good question - if the base is proud, the bead is then abotu flush with the top corners of the rear sight and this gives a 100 yard zero with the light target load, or 150 yard zero with the heavy hunting load. Just the bead showing in the notch, as in the picture is the 50yard zero with target load, or 100 yard zero with the hunting load.

[R.W.D.]

Have been making my own front sights.  The blade is 1/8" wide stainless steel with a steel base.  Don't have any nickle silver or the money to buy it so I'm using what I have in the best tradition of poor boy rifle building.   Started using a 1/8" blade when I began having trouble seeing the thinner ones.   Now I have to make another rear sight because I filed the notch too wide in the one on my 40cal flinter.   Man it's always something.    My favorite builder is Ken Guy.  I just love his work.

[Daryl]

Wide noches can be a blessing in the bush.

[northmn]

Open sights and their style is dependent upon individual eyesight When I was younger and did not need reading glasses I used very fine sights.  Today on those same rifles I have opened up the rear notch considerably.  I never did like a blade as I could never make out the top of the sight.  I have always used a bead.  I now use a much bigger bead of 1/8 inch with a corresponding U filed inthe rear sight to fit it.  Before replacing a rear sight that has "too wide" a notch I would try it.  At this stage I wish peep sights were correct on flintlocks.

DP

[Daryl]

Yeah - getting there myself.  Taylor and Neil have wide notches in the rear sights on some of their guns and every time I sight them, I find them easier to aim with than my own, but so far have resisted in opening mine up (with front blade sights) - one of these days!

[54Bucks]

 I hope this is not highjacking this subject but .............I can see(actually not as well as I used to) the day when I may have to try a rear peep aperature. Can a standard front sight blade be used with a rear peep to clear things up?

[northmn]

I have a crude peep sight on my 50 percussion where I just replaced the rear sight and use the sight I used with the standard sights.  As I mentioned I do put a bead on all my sights.

DP

[Daryl]

54 bucks - this sight can be used as an aperture sight and since it's almost idential to many original Hawken sights, is allowed at any black rondy.  I would use it with a bead, but a blade works just fine as well.  Forget about the notch in the bottom - it's there for looks only.

[northmn]

Used to call a similar set up a "Friendship Cheater" only they mounted them back closer to the breech.  The issue of permissable sights is a complex one.  Even if hunting, if one wants to do things the "old time" way that means using equipment "commonly" used by GGG Grandad.  Yet, the enjoyment of being able to compete or function with a slight modification is hard to argue.  Sights are mostly a matter of eyesight and become an increasing problem as one ages.  I can practice holding, breathing and other disciplines to become a good shot, but aiming depends on seeing the sights.  Its kind of like having a bad arm or shoulder where holding would be a problem and adapting to that.  There is no question when shooters try to win with gadgets and can use traditional firearms, that restrictions are needed.  It is those that need to adapt that opens the issues.

DP

[smylee grouch]

I have had some luck using a steel sight blade with a slot cut length ways down from top and silver solder sweated into slot. I can usualy see the steel blade in the sun and can see the silver insert when using a shader in bullseye matches. It looks alot like Darels brass blade with the 45 angle when you use the shader.    Gary

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Daryl,

I've been using a blade sight similar to yours for years.  Mine is nickel silver.

I learned that the entire face of the sight must be one, continuous plane.  If you simply file a small 45* bevel on the top of the sight blade, then depending on the light you may see either that bevel OR you'll see the section below the bevel. 

If the sight face is all on the same flat plane the whole sight shows up the same way regardless of the light direction. 

This sight works excellent in hunting conditions where the light often comes from straight above.  However, if it's a clear day the brightness of the sight will change as the sun changes position or your direction of shot changes.  Overcast days are the best.

[Daryl]

Daryl,

I've been using a blade sight similar to yours ? for years.  Mine is nickel silver.

I learned that the entire face of the sight must be one, continuous plane.  If you simply file a small 45* bevel on the top of the sight blade, then depending on the light you may see either that bevel OR you'll see the section below the bevel.  On our blade sights, with a small 45 degree angle that reflects light, it is all that is seen, when it's bright. In bright sunlight on bright targets, we blacken it with a felt pen. Works for us - every time.  
If the sight face is all on the same flat plane the whole sight shows up the same way regardless of the light direction.  

This sight works excellent in hunting conditions where the light often comes from straight above.  However, if it's a clear day the brightness of the sight will change as the sun changes position or your direction of shot changes.  Overcast days are the best. With it's flat face, although angled, there is no side glare that throws off shots, either for the bead or angle on a blade sight - the edges are square and do not reflect light from the side to throw off shots.  It's either bright or black.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

BJJ...I concur that if the sight has a rounded back end, like a polished barley-corn sight, you can get the light bulb effect from the side and that will through you off.  But I agree 100% with Daryl, that the angled flat on the sight tip is all one sees, or what one sees most and first, when using this sight.  If you are afraid of seeing sight blade below the angled tip, under cut the back of the blade so it is in shadow.  
I usually make the angled top the same length as the sight blade is thick, so that it appears as a square of bright sight.  For longer range shots, I just put this shiny square (that appears to be almost round to the eye) on top of the rear sight's horizontal plane, and in the centre of the target, and bingo...tack on.

[doug]

      For my eyesight and the poor light on our trail walks, I have to use a wide square notch at the back and a square post in the front, much like a pistol sight.  Even then it is often hard to find the front sight on some targets.  I also have to wear reading glasses over my regular glasses.  That gives me sharp focus to about 3 or 4 feet and about 90% at the target.   I find it considerably improved my shooting
     For me at least, a bright copper or brass front sight was counter productive.  On some shots I was getting glare that threw my shots off.  I had filed a notch at the top back of a front sight and soldered in a piece of copper.  Definite mistake.

cheers Doug

[northmn]

One of the old tricks on bright sights was to take some of the fouling form the bore after a shot or two and rub on the sight.  In not time that would eliminate the glare.  A brass sight should not be real shiny.
Discussing the front sight without the rear sight is contraproductive.  I was doing some shooting yesterday with a 22, I only use open sights as that is one form of practice for me.  I was getting a horizontal spread and decided that it may be due to too narrow a rear sight.  As you age you need to open up the rear sights also.  The fine sights that worked well when younger do not work later.

DP

[Daryl]

The fine sights that worked well when younger do not work later.
DP

YUP!

[WaterFowl]

This is a Ted Cash front sight  .080 wide- I filed it to a point on top-took a triangle jewelers file and filed a grove down the back from top to bottom painted it black... good in low light conditions..Filing to a point on top helped very much..also lightly sanded the paint off the back so only the groove has paint in it..this keeps the paint on the sight.....Hope this helps this works for me.sorry this is the best my camera can do.