Question for iron sight shooters

[promtcy]

I have a Ruger MKIV 22/45 Lite that I'm sort of struggling with. The depth of the rear sight notch is very shallow. I can't see much of the front sight. With a TK front sight on it which has a .060 fiber in it the bottom of the fiber optic is just barely visible. I bought a Volquartsen rear sight for it and had them widen the rear notch for me, but it has the same depth issue. I didn't ask about the notch depth when I talked to them.

 

When I look at the Volquartsen guns on the website it looks like the rear blade is taller. My double stack 1911's notch depth is .130, the Volquartsen and the Ruger rear sight have a notch depth of .080. Because of the design it's not really feasible to make the notch any deeper, I'd need a taller rear blade. 

 

So is anyone shooting a Ruger MKIV 22/45 Lite with iron sights and if so is it a problem? 

 

Another quick question, has anyone tried a rear peep sight for Steel Challenge? 
 

 

[zzt]

Go with a Ghost sight, or better yet, a half Ghost.

[Southpaw]

I have Williams Fire Sights on mine and they work well for Steel Challenge.

[Thomas H]

I agree that the factory rear sights on the various Rugers have a very shallow notch, and I agree that it is very annoying.  (I keep thinking of literally just taking a file to the bottom of it.  It isn't like it would affect the accuracy, I'd just be able to see more of the front sight.)

 

I personally think that ghost rings for pistols are a very bad idea (MUCH too far away from your eyes to work correctly), similarly for rear sights that don't have sharp interior angles.  Peep sights for pistols don't work well for quick transitions and movement.

 

Mostly, I just got used to it for the rear sight, and it still worked--after all, you don't need to see much more than the top of the front sight, and the factory rear sights do have a little depth. 

 

But I do agree that it is annoying, and I wish it was not quite so shallow. 

[promtcy]

Thanks for the replies. 

 

I just don't understand why they made the notch so shallow. With the stock sights you can actually see the top of the rail when aiming, that's just weird. Maybe that's the reason for the shallow notch but why not just put taller sights on it? Doesn't make sense to me. I get that they needed a short rear sight because of the rail. It's just a bad design, imho. 

 

I looked at the Williams and they appear to be the same except they have the fiber optic in the rear sight as well. I really wish I had thought to ask Volquartsen about the notch depth before I ordered theirs. 

 

I have a Williams "Eagle Eye" rear peep, it replaces the blade on the stock Ruger sight. Seemed logical since most of the targets in Steel Challenge are round. Never tried it on any practice stages though. I took the rail off and with that peep it seems to work except it has to be raised quite a bit. Which means the elevation screw ends up loose and it moves sometimes. I also realized putting the gun in the bag upside down means it compresses the rear sight and the screw will loosen up. It was laying in the bottom of my bag from the drive home. 

 

With the way the stock rear sight is made in order to make it deeper you would have to file an awful lot of material. It's a whole piece, it's not just the blade. I finally found a machine shop that will cut the stock rear sight blade for me. Still have to solve the elevation screw issue though. Might have to get a shorter front sight or stiffer spring to keep tension on the elevation screw because with it high the detent ball comes out of place. Ruger told me the way they keep the detent ball in place is with grease. Another part of it that from my perspective is a bad design. 

[louu]

I have the same gun. All I did was put the Dawson front sight on it and put a small O-ring under the stock rear sight around the screw, it does not losen up now. I also took the rail off. 

[promtcy]

6 hours ago, louu said:

I have the same gun. All I did was put the Dawson front sight on it and put a small O-ring under the stock rear sight around the screw, it does not losen up now. I also took the rail off. 

Awesome, have to try that. Thanks

[AzShooter]

I too used the Dawson front sight on my RFPI Mark IV 22/45 Lite.  Lose the rail as well.