Sight Paint facts and fancies

**randyt** · 10-09-2016, 02:53 PM

Years ago I dabbled with fingernail polish for sight paint, it seemed to help. Fast forward to now days and my eyesight isn't what it use to be (I haven't been shooting as much lately but am trying to change that). Been thinking about trying some on my sights.
any thoughts on sight paint?

**madmax** · 10-09-2016, 03:17 PM

It sure helps me. Even in the indoor pistol range light.

Mannlicher immediately started schooling me outside when he borrowed my 1911 with fiber optic rod in the front sight and paint in the rear.

**hunter63** · 10-09-2016, 03:21 PM

Still have fingernail polish on some sights.......tried some day-glo paint...but didn't hold up

**Rick** · 10-10-2016, 07:01 AM

I've tried some but didn't find it all that helpful. Here's a question you probably never thought you'd hear a bunch of guys talk about. What color of fingernail polish do you like best? ....Yeah, sad, I know......I've tried pink and red thinking they would show up best but wasn't impressed.

**kyratshooter** · 10-10-2016, 12:14 PM

I used it back when it was all that we could have. Mostly what I used was model car epoxy paint. It was more durable and some of it actually had some glow in the mix.

The problem is that paint works in the daylight, if you choose the right color for your background. And most of the colors do not stand out well against the backgrounds we work in. White does not work well in bright conditions or against a horizon, red does not stand out well in low light, orange does not work well on the small skinny front sights of most pistols. I never found anything that would stand out on a bright sunlit shooting range except solid black. and solid black seems to disappear against a standard silhouette target, especially the solid black one used by the FBI and sold at every indoor gun range.

I worked on thousands of firearms for police officers over the years and they universally preferred white front and white outline rear. I asked one old officer why they chose that set up and I refrain from posting the answer here. Lets just say contrast was involved.

I used a combination of Millit orange front sights and Bomar rear for many years. I even mounted an ivory shotgun bead on the front of one 1911 and a melted Micro on the rear.

Many of my firearms now have fiber optic front sights, even a couple of my carry guns. I still remember picking up a shotgun equipped with an early fiber optic tube from Weaver back around 1980 and thinking that would be just the thing for a handgun. It had a big orange dot about the size of a basketball.

I have been waiting for 40 years for someone to make a truly miniaturized red dot sight the size of a standard adjustable rear sight or only slightly larger. Perhaps 1/4 the size of the one Glock has been pushing lately. If someone made one that cost less then the pistol I was mounting it on I would go that direction in a heartbeat and would probably change EDC carry guns to accommodate it.

**Wildthang** · 10-11-2016, 12:21 PM

I like some of the tritium sites with the green glow in the dark dots that are outlined in white. To me they are the best sights you can get for day and night shooting, but that's just me!

**kyratshooter** · 10-11-2016, 02:30 PM

What I want from a set of sights on a pistol is totally dependent on the use I am intending for the pistol and there is no one type that covers all my needs.

For precision target shooting I want one type front sight, for rapid fire defense work I want another type front sight and I do not even care if a rear sight is present, for twilight dusk/dawn hunting I need another set.

I am not an "only one gun" shooter so I have several different setups. Some will do double duty, but none cover all the possible needs. I have a bedside table gun set up with laser and light, a couple of CCW guns with fixed sights and some others with adjustable sights and scopes.

A good reflex or Aimpoint type would work for almost everything, but like I said, the bulk is a problem.

Why can't someone come up with a red dot sight the size of a big milkshake soda straw and lay that thing right down the top of an auto pistol slide or down the top of a revolver barrel?

If Crimson Trace can do it with a laser in the grip why can't someone do it with a red dot? After all, the reflex technology is over 100 years old ad lasers have only been around for 50 !!

I guess all this means I need three or four bottles of paint/polish.

**hunter63** · 10-11-2016, 06:48 PM

Well, I hadput a fiber optic site....the little clip on with 3 colors in the package for turkey hunting.
But when I was using for ducks, I was missing a lot on pass shooting.
Turkeys you sight in....and hold the bead or fiber on the turkey till your shot presents it self....being along and out of full strut......you you aim and follow.

Then it dawned on me that I had always shot instinctively while hunting......
I found my self getting all involved with sights and such....and was missing the ducks.

I take it off for duck hunting.

Most of my shooting seem to be instinctive unless it a scope or red dot.

**Wildthang** · 10-17-2016, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by kyratshooter

What I want from a set of sights on a pistol is totally dependent on the use I am intending for the pistol and there is no one type that covers all my needs.

For precision target shooting I want one type front sight, for rapid fire defense work I want another type front sight and I do not even care if a rear sight is present, for twilight dusk/dawn hunting I need another set.

I am not an "only one gun" shooter so I have several different setups. Some will do double duty, but none cover all the possible needs. I have a bedside table gun set up with laser and light, a couple of CCW guns with fixed sights and some others with adjustable sights and scopes.

A good reflex or Aimpoint type would work for almost everything, but like I said, the bulk is a problem.

Why can't someone come up with a red dot sight the size of a big milkshake soda straw and lay that thing right down the top of an auto pistol slide or down the top of a revolver barrel?

If Crimson Trace can do it with a laser in the grip why can't someone do it with a red dot? After all, the reflex technology is over 100 years old ad lasers have only been around for 50 !!

I guess all this means I need three or four bottles of paint/polish.

There is no replacing knowing your gun and getting to that point of Zen, where you shoot instinctively without even thinking about it! I have an old Colt Trooper 3, and have shot it so much that the stock sights are all I need, just blues stock sights, even at night. Probably couldn't pick off a coke bottle cap at 25 yards, but humans would be in real trouble.
It seems like people are trying to replace the " Zen " with gadgets, only problem, gadgets can fail!

**hunter63** · 10-17-2016, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by Wildthang

There is no replacing knowing your gun and getting to that point of Zen, where you shoot instinctively without even thinking about it! I have an old Colt Trooper 3, and have shot it so much that the stock sights are all I need, just blues stock sights, even at night. Probably couldn't pick off a coke bottle cap at 25 yards, but humans would be in real trouble.
It seems like people are trying to replace the " Zen " with gadgets, only problem, gadgets can fail!

"Luke use the force......."

**kyratshooter** · 10-18-2016, 12:14 AM

I just had an image flash through my head of Sheldon Cooper trying to blow up Lenard's head with his mind!

Are we talking about the force we get when we do the velocity times mass thing?

**Wildthang** · 10-18-2016, 12:19 PM

I knew that comment would bring the cats out...........LOL

What I'm talking about is when you take your favorite gun to the range several times, and burn several boxes of bullets through it simply because you love to shoot that particular gun. After several sessions and many bullets have been fired, you realize that you are no longer thinking about shooting this gun, and you almost never miss the target! A glow comes over you and your weapon, as well as a feeling of peace and tranquility. Your soul has become one with your gun, and it has become part of you.
There is no doubt about hitting the target, there is no thought about squeezing the trigger gently, or where it breaks and releases the hammer, it is a thoughtless process akin to your own heart beating.

That my friends is when you know you have reached Zen with your gun

**hunter63** · 10-18-2016, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by Wildthang

I knew that comment would bring the cats out...........LOL

What I'm talking about is when you take your favorite gun to the range several times, and burn several boxes of bullets through it simply because you love to shoot that particular gun. After several sessions and many bullets have been fired, you realize that you are no longer thinking about shooting this gun, and you almost never miss the target! A glow comes over you and your weapon, as well as a feeling of peace and tranquility. Your soul has become one with your gun, and it has become part of you.
There is no doubt about hitting the target, there is no thought about squeezing the trigger gently, or where it breaks and releases the hammer, it is a thoughtless process akin to your own heart beating.

That my friends is when you know you have reached Zen with your gun

All my hunting guns are like that......I don't even hear them go off....