Sight Width

[JD45]

Please help me make a decision regarding fixed sights on my 1911.

The sights currently measure .125", front, and the same inside rear. I need a good set-up for steel, IDPA, and USPSA matches.

I'm thinking that my eyes like that wide front sight, so maybe the rear is the one to change.

But the rear looks to be some sort of alloy(Kimber) that might not reblue.

Another thing is with harsh in-your-face sunlight at early morning matches I tend to lose the front sight. Is a fiber-optic sight the best for Steel challenge matches?

I want to get the sights changed for good so I can quit wondering if it's costing me targets. If you say open up the rear sight, how much? .150"?

[dirtypool40]

I'm not an expert, but I know what I like. I like the site picture divided into thirds, light, fs, light.

The rear notch on a bomar seems a little tighter than a heinie.

On a 5" gun, I like a .090" with a bomar and a .100" with a heinie.

[Joe4d]

I really really like the SDM U notch rear with a Novak front. Novak front only because I can get them for any height. The SDM rear is a Novak shape rear but the notch is at the rear of the sight and a little bigger than stock Novaks. Gonna also agree with above poster. Which is the generally excepted rule 1/3 1/3 1/3. Basically a front sight width of light on each side of front sight when taking a sight picture unless we are talking Bulls eye style which I know nothing about.

[Clyde]

I believe 0.150 would be as far as I would go with a 0.125 front.

I prefer a smaller front for action pistol matches.

What--------Rear---------Front----------Diference

2011--------0.126--------0.0770--------0.049

1991A1-----0.113--------0.0750--------0.038

Kimber------0.125--------0.1000--------0.025

Edited November 25, 2005 by Clyde