Front sight only?

[angryman]

I want to put night sites on my 1911, but am trying to save a little money. For combat shooting, what do you think of just having a night sight for the front sight? I haven't seen anyone else with this, but have been giving it some thought. For fast focusing on the front sight at night, it seems as though that might work. Just curious about some other opinions.

[John]

The idea of having only a front tritium sight, is valid. At close up distances where a gunfight will occur, you only have to put your front sight on the target to shoot it. In the past, pistoleros used to put a gold bead on their front sight, sso the tritium, with a bright white outline is a good idea.

[SargeMO]

Agreed. I carried a nite-sighted Sig 220 for awhile, and looking down and seeing the rear sight winking at me made my skin crawl... if I can see them, the other guy can too. All future versions on my guns will be front-only.

[Rio Vista Slim]

A few years ago I had my gunsmith install a tritium front sight on a Kimber Compact model that I owned. It was a nice set up, and did not have a negative impact on accuracy. At indoor ranges, it was actually easier to acquire a good sight picture with the tritium front sight, as opposed to the original dark sights.

My current Raptor II has the factory installed Meprolights, front and rear, and I don't notice any appreciable advantage over the previous Compact.

[John]

Excuse me, but how can the other guy see your sights too? He SHOULD BE on the opposite end of your pistol, not behind you. If the BG is behind you, you are in serious trouble, and the two dots of your rear sigth is the least of your worries.

[SargeMO]

Excuse me, but how can the other guy see your sights too? He SHOULD BE on the opposite end of your pistol, not behind you. If the BG is behind you, you are in serious trouble, and the two dots of your rear sigth is the least of your worries.

Carried upright in the duty holster, John.

[warmrain]

Front tritium night sight only is common in J-frame revolvers... Got them. Not a problem.

[wichaka]

All my 1911's carry night sights, but on the front only. Then I paint the area around the glow tube, white. As there are situations that you can and most likely will get into where the lighting isnt enough to get the night sight to glow bright enough, but a black sight is too dark.
Helps in picking up the front sight faster in those situations.........walk around your house, and try it......you'll find a lot of those types of areas.

The 1911's have a natural pointing capability, which in my opinion, like no other has. You generally dont need the rear sight in most cases.......

If you're taking time to line up the 3 dots, or bar dot or?, you've taken too much time and you're already dead. Find the front sight, and get ta shootin'

I was in a situation some years ago, where I actually had the time to line up the sights in the dark before dropping the hammer.........but thats a rarity. It was about a 12 yard shot.........

Here's what I carry now.......a Comander with a front night sight;


http://w3.gorge.net/scshields/frontsight.jpg


http://w3.gorge.net/scshields/rearsight.jpg

[OD*]

Beautiful Commander, wichaka. http://forum.m1911.org/images/icons/icon14.gif

[wichaka]

Thanks.......I added a pic to show the front sight better.

Am looking for another Commander..........with the aluminum frame. As I pack 10+ hours a day, so I really notice the weight savings.

[OD*]

Nice set-up sir. Whose MSH is that?

[DHC]

It's been beat to death, but I also concur. I prefer only my front sight to show up. On all of my non-tritium guns, the back sights have been blacked out with permanant marker. On my night sight guns, the backs are also blacked out but you can still faintly see the rear sights at night. Either way, it makes it MUCH easier to pick up the front sight post quickly. Learned this trick from a cop several years ago...

[wichaka]

OD*, its an Ed Brown snakeskin model.

[OD*]

Thank you sir.
It looks very good on your Commander.

[Harlie]

Like every thing else in life, we each have our preferences. Mine is front and rear, due to the possiblity for needing to fine tune a sight picture for a small target such as head, knee, foot, exposed shoulder, hand, etc. COM won't cover all contingises. Contray to the popular believe, not all work will be at arms length. Brighter front than rear is an asset, a Magic marker helps here. As far as night sight glow being a determent, the jury is out on that. LEO's usually are spotted due to reflections off duty gear, IE: badge, buckles, snaps, using flashlight, etc. In a darkened room, searching, glow shouldn't be a concern w/ gun in hand.

[John]

OD*, its an Ed Brown snakeskin model.
Hey Steve, why I would prefer if the cuts on that MSH were the other way around? Do you feel the same?

[garrettwc]

Warning! Drool meter in red zone! :D

Nice Commander Wichaka. Please post details about it.

[wichaka]

John, I understand what you're saying. When the gun recoils in your hand, the gun rotates down a bit, and the snakeskin doesnt grab hold of anything, it feels smooth. But when you run your hand down it, it grabs a bit.

I like it better, as after an extened shooting session, checkered housings start wearing a pattern into my hand. Although 30 lpi works well........gives good grip, but doesnt put a cross hatch pattern on your hand.

Now for the gun...........got it from a guy on another forum, he said he could never get it to run. Of course, I offered to take it off his hands. :o

It was made in '77 if I remember right, and has the alum. frame. The feedramp has been touched, meaning someone did the big taboo to an alum frame..........they tried to polish the ramp. And in doing so, took off the anodizing, and exposed the soft alum. Luckily it was just a very small sliver, and the bullets aren't furthering the damage. As its right at the point where the barrel throat meets.

I left the frame and slide pretty much as stock, but did dovetail the front and installed the front night sight. Put on a McCormick drop in for the rear, will someday machine for a Novak, but thought I would try one. So far, no problems, a bit of blue loc-tite on the screw, its never moved.

Put in a full length guide rod (Brown) cut down a full length Gov. Wolff recoil spring to 23 1/4 coils, giving about a 17lb spring. I run a buff in it, no problems, except you cant sling shot the slide, as the buff takes up the extra room. But I never sling shot anyway, I always drop the slide with my support hand thumb.

New tuned extractor (Brown Hardcore), polished the breech face. Had EGW make a barrel bushing for it, then added a new firing pin spring. The pin itself and pin stop are stock, as the stop fits real well. Left the stock slide stop in, as I like the larger pad that Colt has. Also left the stock thumb safety too, as it goes on & off just the way I like it.........and I dont have any trouble getting my thumb on it. Re-contoured the ejector.......drops the cases out from 2-4 o'clock everytime.

Left the frame alone, did not flare the mag well, as again its alum. and did not want to send it out to be re-anodized. The grip safety is a Wilson drop in, and fits extremely well.
The trigger, sear, hammer & disconnect are all Nowlin. I had the parts laying around, so used what I had on hand. The MS housing is Brown, with snakeskin treatment. The hammer strut and sear spring are stock Colt.........none better in my opinion. MS spring is a Wolff 23lb, and the trigger breaks at 4 3/4lbs. Put on extended mag release (Brown), the type that has the stock style button, just a bit longer............and doesnt interfer with anything.

The barrel is in perfect shape top & bottom.......no abnormal wear on the lugs or the feet. The link rides as it should. The stocks are made by Tony Rist out of the Navada area.


It is my current duty gun until I either find or build my own CCO configuration.

[garrettwc]

Now for the gun...........got it from a guy on another forum, he said he could never get it to run. Of course, I offered to take it off his hands.
What a caring individual you must be to be so concerned with "his needs". :p

Another fine Colt rescued from the hands of the un-knowing.

Nice solid combination of parts. Thanks for sharing.