Anyone paint their sights?

[NAGANT]

I paint my fixed sighted N-frame sights, rear/white.... front orange on the top edge. What paint do you use? I had a small art set but its not available anymore. Those S&W rear notches are tough to see anymore and especially when both are blued. I paint the whole hollow on the rear sight and it really helps, thanks.

 

[Ian]

Fingernail polish. First white, then florescent orange over that, then matte clear. If I want them black I use flat BBQ black spray paint (shoot a spot on cardboard and use a Q-tip to mop it up and wipe onto the sight)....then I warm it with a torch to set the paint.

 

[fiver]

I bought one of those glow in the dark sets.
I broke the green bottle trying to open it. [nice spot in the carpet that one]
the orange slashes I made on the rear sights of my 1911 both fell off the other day.
I wanted the glow in the dark colors for the SHTF AR's since that's the only upgrade they need.
I guess i'll look into some powder coating for those, and go back to finger nail polish for the pistol sights.

 

[Rick]

I use one of these . . . Calcium Carbide makes the flattest pure black without fuzziness that can be had.



Want I would absolutely never use is that Beech Wood Casey spray on sight black. That is the worst stuff on sights I have ever seen. Big fuzzy all over the sights. Now I do keep a can of the stuff in my loading room, it's great for "smoking" a case neck to determine how far down it's sized. But on sights . . . Never!

.

 

[NAGANT]

O'boy, walmart here i come. Rick i didn't know you could still buy calcium carbide. Way to much fun when i was a kid.

 

[Rick]

I should add a word of caution about the Gun Smoke calcium carbide smoker. Never, never, never . . .

Use it on plastic sights.

.

 

[NAGANT]

Or put it in a mason jar with a little water.

 

[Rick]

Or flush a can of it down the commode.

 

[35 shooter]

# 1 on the carbide. I used to use an old carbide lantern to smoke both front and rear. Nothing cuts the glare quite like carbide.

 

[Brad]

I use one of these.
http://www.sbsdistributing.com/index.php?pr=Ray-Vin_SuperSmoker

Carries water and carbide on board. I can use it all week on one fill up.

 

[Ben]

Fingernail polish. First white, then florescent orange over that, then matte clear. If I want them black I use flat BBQ black spray paint (shoot a spot on cardboard and use a Q-tip to mop it up and wipe onto the sight)....then I warm it with a torch to set the paint.

I'm with Ian, flat black paint on several of mine....works great for me.

Ben

 

[NAGANT]

I can't keep the front blade centered without paint on this revolver. Barrel was cut and tall blade silver soldered i think. It's a tad too thin doesn't help either. I am still trying to find a load it likes. .452's drop thru cylinder, .454 hang up but easily push's thru with pencil, LEE's DC456-220-1r. I slugged the barrel but 5 grooves are hard to measure, lets say .454. At 20 yards the best i'm getting is about 4 1/2" but usually around 6" and up, and with .452 and the .456 which is only that big above the front groove. Been using trailboss and unique. have 100 rounds loaded from 6 to 8 grains unique and ready too see how they do.

 

[Missionary]

Greetings
Up there in the US of A I have the small bottles of flat colors of model paint. Black,green, red and white enamel.
Down here I use my wife's Acrylic paints. Generally front sights are white. Rear just whatever seems to be the better but the dark green works well to my eyes.
Mike in Peru

 

[KHornet]

Like Ian, I use fingernail polish (buck a bottle at the dollar store). I also use it to mark primers for different loads. Keep about 5 colors on hand. Ian, you can find black nail polish, because of the weirdo's into the goth movement.

 

[Pistolero]

Carbide is excellent, and I have a gunsmoke just like Rick's, but I am not sure
with my current vision that his is still the best. Will know more after a summer of
shooting.

 

[Lost Dog]

This is a fixed sight? Ever consider a brass insert? Even if you don't have a milling machine, you can, if careful and go slow, cut the base in the front sight. And it does not have to be anything but a shallow cut. Make your cut with a small tri-file and don't rush. Make a very shallow dovetail like a mini rear sight on a rifle, and again, go slow! Trim your brass piece and tap it into the groove you have and lightly peen the ends. Trim with a small file and done. Then you have what most folks call "a gold sight insert". After all the front sight is the key to fast sighting yes?

 

[NAGANT]

I might do that once i find the right load. Trying to get time to go my favorite range this week. here is the S&W when i first got it. I whittled out a few pairs of grips for it since.

 

[Lost Dog]

Sounds like a plan.

 

[NAGANT]

Just trying to figure out pictures

 

[Ian]

Like Ian, I use fingernail polish (buck a bottle at the dollar store). I also use it to mark primers for different loads. Keep about 5 colors on hand. Ian, you can find black nail polish, because of the weirdo's into the goth movement.

I figure that's the same reason why orange and lime green is available as well. The matte clear coat helps, but still has some sheen, which is ok for bright colors. Nothing beats acetylene black for soaking up every last visage of light.