File swipe on top serration of the front sight

[EricW]

I recently dumped my FO front sight for a plain, black serrated front. Best move I ever made. Got to yakking with Pat Kelley about the change and he gave me a GREAT tip:

Use a file to remove the black on the very top serration on the sight. Having that perfect little sliver of metal up there really helps me pick up the sight and shift my focus back. Now that I've made the switch from FO and done the Pat move to the sight, I can pick up my sights in much poorer lighting conditions than before.

Thanks Pat! You may have turned in your GM card for an M, but you're a Grandmaster instructor.

[P.E. Kelley]

Eric,

I am happy it is working for you. Picked up a similar trick reading the "Competitive AR 15". Pencil a diagonal line across your limited rifles front sight. Not so you will pick it up faster but so that you know when you are focusing on it. Works for me.

Oh by the by we have a couple of Pat Kelley's shooting our game. The"other one"

is from the midwest and IS Kelly. I was borne of the emerald isle's horse thieves and am a Kell(e)y

PK

[EricW]

Hey Put Kille, at least I spulled yer name rite in the title of the thred.

[Flexmoney]

I do something similar...

On my Glock, with a Heinie Slant Pro sight (serrated and ramped), I drilled a small divot in the center (toward the top) on the ramp. I usually take the tip of a tooth-pick and add a dab of white nail polish to the divot...making a whilte dot front sight.

Then, I often will sight black the sight from an angle...such that i lose most of the white dot. The vary top of it makes a cresent (moon shaped) sliver of white.

[Kevin Kline]

Pat,

Does it make a difference which way the diagonal is made for the AR front sight. Either / or \. Can you get a picture?

Thanks!!

[mcoliver]

Oh man, I, too, have recently shifted from FO to plain black.

One thing that became apparent was the need for me to have more light on each side. So I had the FS narrowed.

I'll try this trick and see if it works for me. But just to clarify, only on the last serration, right? Not the flat FS top? Thanks.

[Kory]

Mine got that top corner edge polished a bit on it's own from unholstering.

It was bugging me, (not while shooting but while thinking about it). Now I have an excuse to not bother reblackening it.

[Bill Schwab]

Picked up a similar trick reading the "Competitive AR 15". Pencil a diagonal line across your limited rifles front sight. Not so you will pick it up faster but so that you know when you are focusing on it.

That's an old, yet very effective, Highpower Rifle trick. Years ago when I shot Highpower I would employ that trick whenever I suspected my front sight focus was substandard. It provided enough of detail on the front sight to allow you to be certain you're focusing on it.

Kevin, no it doesn't matter which way you do it, in fact it doesn't even need to be diagonal, you can make a squiggly line if you like.

[waktasz]

I swipe across the top of the rear sight helps too. I like this little tip, adds a little definition to the top of those sights...seems to really help on those long arse shots.

[johnhurd]

Front sight ???? What kind of a file would I use so this ole phart can even see a front sight ???????

[benos]

Over the years I bet I tried every type of pinning, drilling, swiping, filing, coloring, notching trick known to shooters. But for me the problem was always the same in the end: once I got used to it, I'd stop looking at it. Throughout 20+ years of competiing, I never won "the battle." Unless I entered each stage with the firm commitment and determination to LOOK RIGHT AT THE FRONT SIGHT, for shots that I knew would be better if I did, I'd always default to looking at or toward the targets under pressure.

Big, bold, crisp, FLAT black sights are not a bad thing.

be