doc540 Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Too-nice-to-mod Commander SOLD Not-too-nice-to-mod Commander BOUGHT Now that machining the slide is no longer and issue, what sights do you recommend for a vision challenged senior who want to have a little local IDPA fun? I looked at a gun with the orange fiber optic front sight, and it appeared brilliant. what say you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRider Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 I use the Millet fixed rear sight that fits the factory dovetail. I think it is a Mark II. It is the one that overhangs the rear of the slide and has a black blade. It requires a .200" tall front sight. I have a Brazos with a .060" fiber on my gun now, but I have been thinking of replacing the front with a Dawson that is thinner and uses .040" fiber. I also prefer green fiber over red, YMMV though. Hurley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve J Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Send your slide in for Heinie Slant Pros. It's the best fixed sight picture available - just like Bomar-style adjustable sights. They'll have to mill the slide and reblue it, but you'll be happy. http://www.heinie.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 You want a sight system that mates a thin front blade to a wide rear notch so you have wide light bars on either side of the front sight blade when it's centered in the rear notch. Especially important with less-than-perfect eyesight as tight light bars will cause the sight picture to just kind of blur into a black blob. In that regard it's just awfully hard to beat the Warren Tactical Series sights, either the orginal WTS design, or the Warren Tactical Series-Sevigny Competition or Sevigny Carry variants. I've used both the original WTS system and the Sevigny Competition and am actually coming to prefer the original design, myself. Fiber optic front sights, and tritium night sights as well for that matter, are available. Here is a good shot of what the original WTS rear sight design looks like: http://www.warrentactical.com/webpages/wts_5906_rear.htm Here are a few images for the Sevigny Competition design (basically this just fills in the scalloped away portion of the WTS rear sight body): http://www.warrentactical.com/webpages/wts...rsightfocus.htm http://www.warrentactical.com/webpages/wts...tsightfocus.htm http://www.warrentactical.com/webpages/wts_ds_rearsight.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc540 Posted December 20, 2009 Author Share Posted December 20, 2009 Thanks, that's the kind of info I need. What about front sight? Should I choose something that requires machining the slide or re-staking it front sight? If necessary I can have someone grind away on this other Commander. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Thanks, that's the kind of info I need. Yer welcome. Should I choose something that requires machining the slide or re-staking it front sight? One of the great questions of the ages. It's possible to silver solder and stake on a front sight using the old Colt tenon system so it will stay in place. Most of the time. However most sights you'll find today are intended to fit into a cross dovetail cut. Fitting one to an older Commander like yours will indeed require machining the slide. That's what I'd do. It opens up a much larger selection of front sights, and it's just an innately more secure system, granted the dovetail-to-sight-base fit is well-executed, natch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc540 Posted December 20, 2009 Author Share Posted December 20, 2009 And now that we have a rear sight plan, what do you recommend installing in the newly-cut, front dovetail? recap: no carry, just local range/match shooting I have not intentions of becoming a serious match shooter, just good enough to spank most of these local kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Since you have expressed an appreciation for fiber optic front sights, and apparently like what you see of the WTS rear sights, the fiber optic front sight to the WTS sights would seem a logical choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chirpy Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Just my .02...being an old guy myself and having tried different front sights especially I prefer the Hi-Viz front sight in green because you can choose from 3 different rods/front dots and they seem to be more visible for my old eyes. Also, I like green as opposed to red/orange because the dot is clear and sharp (for my eyes) vs. red/orange. As far as the rear sight I prefer the old Bo-Mar (never thought I'd be saying it that way) or the original Heine with the straight up and down blade. Try to find someone local to do the work so that they can advise, modify and cut to your liking. Try asking local IDPA shooters or maybe even USPSA shooters for the name of a local GS. Good luck and have fun, Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickB Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 I prefer the original 300 series Heinie to the Slant-Pro, as the former is angled to the rear so the notch is in shadow, rather than angling forward where the light will reflect off the surface. I prefer the Dawson fiber-optic sight, as it exposes a lot of the fiber, while still offering support along its entire length, making it both visible and durable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc540 Posted December 21, 2009 Author Share Posted December 21, 2009 Warren rear Dawson front I'll give'em a call tomorrow. thnx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 Sounds like a good combo. Let us know how it turns out for you. Did you decide to go for the original WTS rear or one of the Sevigny variants? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc540 Posted December 21, 2009 Author Share Posted December 21, 2009 Haven't decided yet. I'll discuss that with them and get their input. will report back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc540 Posted December 21, 2009 Author Share Posted December 21, 2009 (edited) Dawson recommended that I have a "Novak" dovetail machined into the front of the Commander slide. Said that would give me plenty of front sight options. Warren promptly called in response to my email. He said his rear sights would require re-cutting the rear dovetail and, at this time, he did not have a fiber optic front sight. So, it looks like I'll need to have the slide cut front and rear, install a Warren rear and a Dawson front. Sound about right? Edited December 21, 2009 by doc540 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redmanfixit Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 My favorite IDPA gun is a commander length 1911. I had the slide cut for Novak fiber optic sights. The rear is adjustable which requires a little extra cut but no big deal. I notice that many people seem to like the red color for a front sight and this makes little sense to me. If you are "more experienced" in the world, then there are lots of photons that have passed through your cornea and the crystalline lens inside of your eye. The result of that is a yellowing of that lens in a protective response as well as a consequence of photo chemistry on the cells that make up that structure. This response and other factors are ultimately what leads to cataracts in most cases. You mentioned some vision problems, so it might be nice to experiment a little to "see what you see" well. This can help you make purchase decision based on experience rather than conjecture. I suggest you find a sporting goods store like Sportsman's Warehouse that has a good archery department. There have been fiber optic sights on hunting bows for a long time now and many are VERY well designed. The multi pin sights have fibers in a variety of colors that present aiming dots to the archer. Having a look at one of those sights in sunlight will quickly show you what color is the best for your visual system. I suspect you'll find that a bright yellow is going to be the one you really see well and that should be your choice for the front sight because where you put that one is pretty much where the bullet goes! The rear sight I have on my gun are the red fibers. I don't see those as well but they are of secondary importance anyway. I want my eye on the front sight first. Lots of the people I shoot with are followers of the idea that a small front sight dot with lots of aiming space between the rear pin is best, which is mostly true for young eyes or those that aren't compromised by "wear and tear". If you have a suitable magnifier and good hands, the fibers in the Novak sights are easy to swap out and when you finally get the dot size adjusted to suit, you can use a drop of super glue to keep them in place. Brownell's stocks or can order fiber from Novak to fit. They are available in a broad pallet of colors. I bet you find that the color that they call yellow green really pops out for you. They add fluorescent dyes to give you extra brightness that really stands out in sunlight. The incident UV makes them glow like mad. And they are pretty darned good in lower light too. The optical reason for that color working so well is that your retina is most sensitive to that part of the spectrum and the eye's lens system focus's that color optimally. That color will pass through an aged lens optimally as well. Yellow does not scatter in the eye like blue light does and won't cause the "noise" in your visual system of those shorter wavelengths. Just my .02 cents worth! I'm a bit older myself and I've had a bunch of my old Vet pals try these out and most have been really surprised at how well they can hit with them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc540 Posted December 22, 2009 Author Share Posted December 22, 2009 That yellow/green will be the first color I try. Thanks for the info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 He said his rear sights would require re-cutting the rear dovetail and, at this time, he did not have a fiber optic front sight. This surprises me. I checked the WTS website and it specifically states the fo front is an option. Ah well....life goes on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc540 Posted December 22, 2009 Author Share Posted December 22, 2009 He said his rear sights would require re-cutting the rear dovetail and, at this time, he did not have a fiber optic front sight. This surprises me. I checked the WTS website and it specifically states the fo front is an option. Ah well....life goes on. I think "at this time" is the hinge this thing is turning on. Maybe he intended to have it by now, but it's just not ready for sale yet. That's my guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Watson Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 While I think cutting a cross-dovetail for a front fibre optic sight reasonable, I am reluctant to spend a hundred bucks machining for a proprietary rear sight. King's is apparently gone, you can't have my last spare National Match sight, so I recommend the MGW http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=21898/s...mbos__IRS_PB_NT Unfortunately, they don't catalog the rear sight alone, I would buy the set and discard the plain front, then use the rear with a fibre optic front. or the Novak Competition http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=24420/s...ade__735_x_425_ which is kind of ugly but fits the GI dovetail and gives a good sight picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc540 Posted December 22, 2009 Author Share Posted December 22, 2009 (edited) While I think cutting a cross-dovetail for a front fibre optic sight reasonable, I am reluctant to spend a hundred bucks machining for a proprietary rear sight. King's is apparently gone, you can't have my last spare National Match sight, so I recommend the MGWhttp://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=21898/s...mbos__IRS_PB_NT Unfortunately, they don't catalog the rear sight alone, I would buy the set and discard the plain front, then use the rear with a fibre optic front. or the Novak Competition http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=24420/s...ade__735_x_425_ which is kind of ugly but fits the GI dovetail and gives a good sight picture. Jim, I appreciate the info, and I'm liking the "lower cost" angle. edit: just called Novak They said the Comp 1911 is a wide rear sight and will fit the Colt dovetail. And recommended a 175-185 front fiber optic after cutting the slide for a Novak dovetail. Duane, does that line up with your recommendation, too? Edited December 22, 2009 by doc540 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 My concern with the MGW would be: what is the width of the rear sight notch? You could save money on the sight installation by not cutting the slide but wind up with a rear sight notch too narrow to give you a decent sight picture. Ask what is the rear notch width on the MGW. It may meet your needs. The .125" rear notch width standard on "high visibility combat sights" - which aren't - is a complete no-go. You might be able to get away with that if you were going for a very narrow front sight, but with a fiber optic insert you're not. If they say something in the .135" to .145" range, OTOH, you're in business. I would stay away from the Novak. Great company, but every Novak rear sight I've ever seen has had a VERY tight rear sight notch. Even if I wasn't going on prior experience, I can just look at that photo and tell you it's too tight. Unless you don't mind saving money on the installation, then whipping out the files to open up the rear notch I'd just go for something that has a wide notch to start with: Warren Tactical Series. My $0.02. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revchuck Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 Duane - FWIW, I've got a Novak rear/Trijicon front setup on my Beretta Brigadier, and there's gobs of room on each side of the front sight. If this is an issue, going to a narrower front sight is an option too. Having said that, I've got the WTS two dot night sights on my M&P .40, and they're better than the Novaks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc540 Posted December 23, 2009 Author Share Posted December 23, 2009 Duane, Novak has a new wide notch rear at .145. (And will fit my factory notch without having to recut it.) That wide enough? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Sounds good to me. Ah, the first time you ever look through a wide notch rear sight... Prepare to be amazed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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