Fiber Optic Front Sight is READY !

[Sean.McCanne]

Sean

Adjusting low would never be a problem. Taller sights require the rear to move up.

Yeah, but Mike's old front sight was taller than this one. I'm headed to the range after breakfast. I'm sure it will be ok.

Sean

[Sean.McCanne]

Well, this is a little embarassing because I screwed up, but I have to post it.

I installed the new fiber sight last night. I got it all tightened up and burned in. It was tight and required just a little percussive persuasion to install and I tightened the set screw very well. I lowered the rear because the old front was quite a bit taller. The front sight gives a clean, clear sight picture. I was very happy with the fit and finish, and ready to go shoot.

I went to the range this morning, loaded up to sight in and got started. I put 10 rounds downrange and the sight popped off the front of the gun into the grass. My wife and I crawled around in the grass for 45 minutes, but it is still somewhere between me and the 5 yard target at the range. I was pissed. It turned out to be a very short day at the range.

Now, this wasn't a problem with the sight, or the design. Everything went together beautifully. The install was quick and clean. It's a press fit, but not overly tight. The problem was me. I didn't drill for the set screw to seat in the slide. I don't have any loctite right now. I told Henning afterwards that some lessons are free and some are expensive. This one is a little expensive.

The moral of the story is: when you get your new Henning's fiber front sight, and I know you're ordering one, drill for the set screw and use loctite.

<sigh>

Sean

Edited October 26, 2008 by Sean.McCanne

[sinnsyk]

Loctiting the screw is definitely a must to ensure the screw doesn't come loose. The amount of concussion from the slide moving back and forth needs a solid locking to keep the sight in place. The factory drills a hole in the slide, but we cannot use that so to get the absolute best lock, a new hole can be marked and drilled into the slide. A cobalt drill bit is probably necessary to break through that glass-hard slide. I've used blue loctite so I can remove it if I want to, but if you have no intention of taking the sight out you could use red (262) which you'll have to use heat to break loose. Without loctite the screw will definitely work itself loose in no time. Anyone who has tried shooting a scope/mount without using loctite can testify to how few rounds it takes for it to come loose.

[slavex]

hope mine is waiting for me when i get home on satirday.lots of talk about them in Bali.

[R.Elliott]

Loctiting the screw is definitely a must to ensure the screw doesn't come loose. The amount of concussion from the slide moving back and forth needs a solid locking to keep the sight in place. The factory drills a hole in the slide, but we cannot use that so to get the absolute best lock, a new hole can be marked and drilled into the slide. A cobalt drill bit is probably necessary to break through that glass-hard slide. I've used blue loctite so I can remove it if I want to, but if you have no intention of taking the sight out you could use red (262) which you'll have to use heat to break loose. Without loctite the screw will definitely work itself loose in no time. Anyone who has tried shooting a scope/mount without using loctite can testify to how few rounds it takes for it to come loose.

For that matter, you'll want to lock tight the screws in your rear sights as well. Everyone up here who doesn't do that ends up having to order a new elevation screw. Put a slice of vacuum hose under the leaf and run the screw down through it, find your elevation adjustment and count the clicks as you back it out again. Drop some blue lock tight in there and re tighten the screw down so that it compresses the vacuum hose, and it should never walk out on you again.

Just a headache-preventative suggestion.

[Mo Hepworth]

shipping is taking a little longer than usual,..I am crossing my fingers that today is the day for the package.

[CAB33]

For that matter, you'll want to lock tight the screws in your rear sights as well. Everyone up here who doesn't do that ends up having to order a new elevation screw. Put a slice of vacuum hose under the leaf and run the screw down through it, find your elevation adjustment and count the clicks as you back it out again. Drop some blue lock tight in there and re tighten the screw down so that it compresses the vacuum hose, and it should never walk out on you again.

Just a headache-preventative suggestion.

Have you had luck ordering an elevation screw?

I have had a couple break and when I called they sid they don't have them.

I sent them the sight and they sent me an entire new one.

[R.Elliott]

For that matter, you'll want to lock tight the screws in your rear sights as well. Everyone up here who doesn't do that ends up having to order a new elevation screw. Put a slice of vacuum hose under the leaf and run the screw down through it, find your elevation adjustment and count the clicks as you back it out again. Drop some blue lock tight in there and re tighten the screw down so that it compresses the vacuum hose, and it should never walk out on you again.

Just a headache-preventative suggestion.

Have you had luck ordering an elevation screw?

I have had a couple break and when I called they sid they don't have them.

I sent them the sight and they sent me an entire new one.

Canadian Distributor had some on hand I believe, but I think that has dried up.

If they break they would probably replace on warranty, but if you loose it it's a little harder.

I would also stake the pin by the way. Sorry; should have mentioned that. Those things tend to walk their way out in short order also.

[sinnsyk]

Been shooting my Fiber sight at the first day at the Desert Classic today. Very happy with it. As the sun came out it was easy to shoot fast. Put in some times on Stage 2 and 3 that I was very happy with. I'm using the yellow fiber which is great during the day. In the dusk at 6:50am on the first stage with the sun coming through on part of the stage it was too much. I had a hard time with side-light and a bright dot. Probably red fiber would have been better since the dot was so bright I couldn't get a clear definition of the front and rear. Those were hard light conditions and very temporary. Stage 2, 3 and 4 the yellow proved to be very quick and easy to hit everything.

[sinnsyk]

On "supersight" elevation screw questions; I have them in stock. Not sure that you could say it's a warranty thing. The sight is not designed like a bomar that screws into the slide. And there's no set screw. So, given the design of the sight it is what it is. The best sight, definitely not. This winter I'll see if we can come up with something better. Monday I'm on the plane to New Zealand for their Nationals next weekend. My girlfriend Emma, my buddy Eddie and I are going and can't wait. While we're gone we've got a family member packing orders and I'll be available per email. We'll try to get online at least every other day.

;-)

Henning

[Neomet]

I fondled Henning's gun yesterday and the sight is really well made. The amount of light on either side of the front sight is really nice. The f/o is nice and bright. I'm colorblind like Henning so what color is best would be something I couldn't comment on.

[Mo Hepworth]

got my sights and the other goodies,....thanks Henning. All went on easy enough. I should have gotten a better drill bit,...but I used some red loctite.

It should hold after it sets.

[sinnsyk]

Hey Mo

Sure took it's time this time. We've been using Priority Mail to shorten the delivery time. Guess we never can estimate Canadian customs though. But still first class mail to Canada is always slow so not much of an alternative.

I loved using the sight at Area 2. I shot a lot faster. Was looking good for winning the match. Was leading after the first 6 stages until I totally didn't see a target in the walk through of stage 7. Got an FTE and 2 miss for not shooting it. My time was good, but it put me over 30 points behind Taran after that fatal mistake. I tried pushing to pick up which caused two more misses on hard targets. Mistakes I wouldn't have made if I hadn't had to push. Ended up 45 points behind Taran in the end. No doubt, fiber helped.

[Mo Hepworth]

Hey Mo

Sure took it's time this time. We've been using Priority Mail to shorten the delivery time. Guess we never can estimate Canadian customs though. But still first class mail to Canada is always slow so not much of an alternative.

I loved using the sight at Area 2. I shot a lot faster. Was looking good for winning the match. Was leading after the first 6 stages until I totally didn't see a target in the walk through of stage 7. Got an FTE and 2 miss for not shooting it. My time was good, but it put me over 30 points behind Taran after that fatal mistake. I tried pushing to pick up which caused two more misses on hard targets. Mistakes I wouldn't have made if I hadn't had to push. Ended up 45 points behind Taran in the end. No doubt, fiber helped.

Canada Customs decided to hold it and assess taxes/duties. Not much at $9.,..but just usually they don't bother on smaller packages.

[Mo Hepworth]

Hey Mo

Sure took it's time this time. We've been using Priority Mail to shorten the delivery time. Guess we never can estimate Canadian customs though. But still first class mail to Canada is always slow so not much of an alternative.

I loved using the sight at Area 2. I shot a lot faster. Was looking good for winning the match. Was leading after the first 6 stages until I totally didn't see a target in the walk through of stage 7. Got an FTE and 2 miss for not shooting it. My time was good, but it put me over 30 points behind Taran after that fatal mistake. I tried pushing to pick up which caused two more misses on hard targets. Mistakes I wouldn't have made if I hadn't had to push. Ended up 45 points behind Taran in the end. No doubt, fiber helped.

ARGHHHH!!! a FTE + 2 misses = minus 30points,....!!!!..

I have done that a few times,...usually when I felt too comfortable and maybe a little tired.

[Mo Hepworth]

anyone had a chance to adjust your sights after installation. I can not get to the range to sight in,...and have a match tomorrow indoors. I think I couple of clicks up should roughly do it, as the new sight appears taller so lined up I would be shooting a tad lower. Sound about right?

[sinnsyk]

Hey

I switched my sights out and shot it as is, worked well in Area 2 and I can hit a 6" plate at 20yds. For fine tuning it would make sense that it needs a few clicks. It's 0.015" taller than the old sight, but now you have a fiber dot that you'll use more than the top of the sight. And the top of the fiber will be pretty close where the old flat iron sights were. So besides sighting in using the top of the black sight, I would shoot it as you would in a stage quite a bit. Shoot some head shots etc at 15 - 20 yds and shoot quickly. Make some 2" black circles on a full target at 15 yds, 20 yds etc and shoot fast and see how you're actually using the sight. This is what you'll be doing in an actual match so know how you're using the sight when you're shooting at ipsc speed.

I know it's been helping me tremendously so far. I can pick up the sights quicker, but it's also of course easy to shoot too fast and forget about seeing the finer sight picture on plates etc. It's very dependent on how focused I am. If I'm mentally sloppy it's easy to think the gun/sights will shoot the stage for me. Not so.. and the scores will suffer.

When you start using the fiber sight, play with it. Like I mentioned, make 2" circle marks in the center of a full ipsc target and shoot quickly to see where you're at. 15 yds is a good distance and far enough to where it's necessary to be somewhat cognizant of the sights if you're going to hit something. Notice if you're consistently high, low, left or right. Don't be too picky, but try to look for patterns. We don't use the sights as well as we probably should in a stressful situation so you want to try to figure out how you'll most-likely be using them. Not how we theoretically will be using them.

Concur, doctor ?

[Mo Hepworth]

doh!!! I should have listened and got the good drill bit. Sight went flying in the middle of a medium stage today....point shooting on a half A at 12yards is not fun LOL

Tomorrow to the hardware store.

[kurtm]

Well I,m no fancy gunsmith, but I couldn't get ANYTHING to cut into the slide to mount My F.O. sight except a Tungston center drill on the mill. Even then I had to take a small grinder and grind through the top layer of hardening and then drill it. I figure with that done and all the red Loc-Tite I used I should be OK! KurtM

[Mo Hepworth]

would a cobalt drill bit do,...what size would you think?

[kurtm]

A Cobalt drill bit might do it IF you grind a place for it to start. I really think Tungsten-Carbide is the only thing that for sure will work. I think the size was 7/64", but I used a #1 center drill starter in Tungsten-Carbide. KurtM

[Mo Hepworth]

,..ok,..got it properly drilled using the drill bit (which broke,.damn that slide is hard!!! )

thanks!

MO

[CHA-LEE]

I gave the iFiber sight a go today at my local indoor range. I used the green fiber and it worked great for me. The extra gap between the front and rear sight really help with the sight alignment on long shots and on the close fast shots my eyes are automatically pulled to the front sight without even trying to look for it. This is a very cool experience if it has not happened to you before. I was using the standard iron sights before and the front and rear sights would seem to blend together. Now I can see a clearly the front sight on its own.

I drilled a recess in the slide for the set screw and used blue lock tight to secure it. After running through about 300 rounds today its still solid as a rock. I think its there to stay. The only thing I might try is the different fiber optic colors. I gave each color a test run at home before I settled on one and for whatever reason the green was the best color for me. It allowed me to see it but it wasnt too bright or obvious to distract me from clearly seeing the top metal edge and sides of the front sight. The other colors seemed to distract my focus away from the actual metal edges of the sight. Maybe I am just retarded or something to be so sensitive to the different fiber optic colors?

[sinnsyk]

I used yellow fiber at Area 2 and New Zealand Nationals and it was definitely bright enough. In the morning at 6:50am in Arizona it felt a little too bright, but as the day went on I loved it. I thought a slightly toned down (red for me since I'm color blind) would be good too.

The bottom line is that I have to still do the work to pay attention to my front sight. Every time I slack off my attention I'll ship a round off into never never land. There's definitely some fine tuning that can be done with colors and size of front and rear sight.

I'll get on with a better rear sight and find a nicely tuned front/rear combination. 90/110 is a classic. I like a lot of light and since the factory's 116 it works pretty good. More combo's will come in the upcoming months. I'll probably make some slightly wider sights as well.