38 special (S&W j-frame) sight question

[hangfour]

Hello everyone,

I was reading the posts on comfortable vs. comforting. It got me thinking. I don't carry my S&W 38 special airweight much partly because the sight picture is (for me) poor. The little gun is all silver in color (both the front and rear sights). I'm a little older and my eyes (even though my vision is good) just can't make out the front sight from the rear. Does anyone out there have a recommendation? Should I have three dot sights installed on the little snubby? I'm thinking about doing that but before I invest the money (and time) to do it, I wanted to check with you all. Thanks!

[A-R]

Bright orange model paint from the hobby store. Apply carefully to front sight with a Q-tip. Works great. Costs about $3.

[Oldgringo]

Mrs. Oldfringo's S&W 638 has a 1-7/8" barrel and that in itself is not conducive to long range varmint shooting. Her revolver is an up close, and personal, point and shoot defensive weapon. It's not even fun to shoot but it will get its intended job done.

I've painted the front sights on other handguns as austinrealtor suggested. Give it a go, that may help your sight picture?

[longtooth]

As above & I will add one more thing.

It will also let you see if you want to persue the expense of new sights.
The paint works wonders.

[b322da]

Bright orange model paint from the hobby store. Apply carefully to front sight with a Q-tip. Works great. Costs about $3.

Although I used a toothpick to apply the paint, having had experience before with my old eyes and shaky hand getting paint over too much of the front end. Not easy to get off. Also, white paint worked fine for me. I might give the orange a try if I can find a model store somewhere.

Elmo

[Oldgringo]

Bright orange model paint from the hobby store. Apply carefully to front sight with a Q-tip. Works great. Costs about $3.

Although I used a toothpick to apply the paint, having had experience before with my old eyes and shaky hand getting paint over too much of the front end. Not easy to get off. Also, white paint worked fine for me. I might give the orange a try if I can find a model store somewhere.

Elmo

You're looking for TESTORS flourescent orange and may even find it in the toy/model section at Wal-Mart. Use two toothpicks. One to apply and one to remove .

[Excaliber]

Bright orange model paint from the hobby store. Apply carefully to front sight with a Q-tip. Works great. Costs about $3.

Although I used a toothpick to apply the paint, having had experience before with my old eyes and shaky hand getting paint over too much of the front end. Not easy to get off. Also, white paint worked fine for me. I might give the orange a try if I can find a model store somewhere.

Elmo

You're looking for TESTORS flourescent orange and may even find it in the toy/model section at Wal-Mart. Use two toothpicks. One to apply and one to remove .

Applying a bit of masking tape and cutting out a section for only the part you want coated can save some cleanup time.

[gwashorn]

I have the same problem with wife's S&W642. Since she got her new P238 last week I figure the 642 will become my BUG. So I need an easier way to see that thing.

Gary

[couzin]

Mrs. Oldfringo's S&W 638 has a 1-7/8" barrel and that in itself is not good conducive to long range varmint shooting. Her revolver is an up close, and personal, point and shoot defensive weapon.

Ditto - a snub is up close and personal, don't worry about sight picture or one inch groups at 25 yards - just learn to make the most effective use of these firearms as they were intended to be used. Goto http://www.snubnose.info/docs/Theory.htm.

[Jungle Work]

The model airplane paint comes off too quickly.

Since it was recommended in the early 70s by one of the EPS Instructors at the Treasury Academy in the District of Criminals,
I've been using bright white appliance enamle. I paint the rear portion (the side you line up in the rear sight) with it.
It stays on a long time and reflects ambient light at night. It also shows up well against anything not white, I don't see criminals
where I live wearing a lot of white clothes.
Remember,
Front Sight, Front Sight, Front Sight.

Jungle Work

[longtooth]

Criminals dont wear white.
You are right. A parolee once told me he would never wear a white shirt or cut his hair under any circumstances.
Alas he is wearing white again now & has a hair cut.

[A-R]

The model airplane paint comes off too quickly.

I like your appliance enamel idea. You could even use a bit of brightly colored Duracoat if you do it right.

But I disagree about model paint coming off too quickly. I've been painting all my revolver sights for quite some time and the paint lasts well over a year, even on my heavy use pocket-carried snub nose guns.

Perhaps you're not cleaning/prepping the sight first? Before applying the paint, I always wipe the sight clean with rubbing alcohol and let it dry/evaporate thoroughly before applying paint.

[gringop]

Mrs. Oldfringo's S&W 638 has a 1-7/8" barrel and that in itself is not good conducive to long range varmint shooting. Her revolver is an up close, and personal, point and shoot defensive weapon.

Ditto - a snub is up close and personal, don't worry about sight picture or one inch groups at 25 yards - just learn to make the most effective use of these firearms as they were intended to be used. Goto http://www.snubnose.info/docs/Theory.htm.

With all due respect, what are you going to do when the bad guy is at 15 yards instead of 1 yard? Run closer? Run away? Get a different gun? Empty the cylinder while point shooting and not worrying about the sight picture?

Every self-defense firearms class that I have attended emphasized putting multiple hits in the upper chest of an attacker to stop them, no matter what the distance. It may require a little less precision to do this at 5 yards than at 20 yards, but the shots still need to hit a 10" triangle in the upper chest. This is possible with a snubby if you USE YOUR SIGHTS.

Kudos to the OP for trying to improve his snubby sights. Look at this link for some good info from Claude Werner, a noted instructor.
http://www.personaldefensenetwork.com/a ... bull-sights/

Gringop

[b322da]

I am all the way with those above who point out that this snubby is manufactured for one use only, and it is not for shooting at paper, except when you are training yourself to point and shoot.

For example, today on my shopping list is locating some paint remover to remove the paint I put on the front sight of my new Springfield micro compact .45 GI, the "GI," of course, meaning it has the same poor excuse for sights as the Colt M1911 I learned to shoot many long years ago at recruit training.

I purchased the Springfield as my new carry weapon precisely because it had no reliable sights, particularly with my failing vision, coupled with a shorter sight radius than the real 1911. Nostalgia had a bit to do with it, but the "real" 1911 I found to be uncomfortable to carry.

The reason for that purchase is that I realize that no handgun can be all things to all men, and that if I ever, Lord forbid, need to fire mine in self defense, or the defense of another, it is more than likely that I will be up-close-and-personal, with no time to breathe right and get a good sight picture using my special shooting glasses upstairs in my gunbox and a classic shooting stance. That means point-and-shoot at somewhere around 3 to 7 yards is what I have decided to concentrate on. Any further than that and I would be in a gun battle I had no business being in. I have plenty of handguns to fire at the x-ring with.

Having essentially no sights I am not tempted to worry about sight picture, and I compromised myself by putting the darned paint on the .45.

Similar considerations selected my carry ammo: Hornady Crltical Defense .45 ACP, what, after quite a bit of study, I decided, for me, is a good compromise between stopping power and unwanted over-penetration. I am also a firm believer that there is no one ammo good for all things for all men.

For an old-timer with my health issues I am happy with my choices, but there are probably as many opinions in this regard as there are CHLs out there. One makes one's choice and lives or dies with it, and I of course respect the differing opinions of others, but when there is no one-size-fits-all, one must often compromise, IMHO.

[hangfour]

Thanks everyone for the great tips. I went to the range today and shot my 38 special with the 'stock' sights. From 7 yards the shots were within a four inch radius pattern just a wee bit to the right of the bulls eye (probably due to my trigger pull because when I shoot it single action the pattern moves to the left over the bulls eye).

On the way home I stopped by a local hobby shop and bought some bright orange (Testors) paint ... it's now (after cleaning the gun) on the front sight drying. Thanks for the tips about the masking tape and the wonderful article:
http://www.snubnose.info/docs/Theory.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I clearly need to practice more with my 38 special and I bet I'll feel comfortable carrying it without putting after-market sights on it.