spoiled by modern sights

B

btmj

New member
Yesterday I was shooting a very old, and very fine SW 38. It was pre WWII and it did not have a model number, it just said "Smith & Wesson 38 spcl". It looked a lot like a Model 10. There was a hand-made craftsmanship that I don't find in modern guns. What a nice firearm, I really enjoyed shooting it.

Except for the sights. I think I have gotten spoiled by modern high-visibility sights. I had the hardest time keeping focused on the half-penny front sight, and the milled groove rear sight was challenging. I had a hard time maintaining a consistent sight picture.

In order to be effective, I needed bright light directly behind and above me. If the light was over my right or left shoulder, it illuminated one side of the front sight and threw me off. Dim light? forget that, I was basically point shooting.

Am I blind or stupid? Or do others have the same problem?
 
Three-dot sights and night sights were invented for a reason. That being said, all my handguns and rifles have old sights. I think the fanciest thing I run is a rifle with a brass dot on the front sight. I have two Model 10s with standard sights. I carry both and I'm capable of really good accuracy with both.

It just takes some getting used to, but if I'm shooting a black target against a black background, I can get in trouble.

I suggest trying some sight paint, either the real thing or some fingernail polish. It's easily removable and doesn't damage the gun.
 
Yep, those modern sights were invented for a reason. ;)

You think the sights on an old M&P (which is what it sounds like you were shooting) are bad, you should try the ones on a Colt Government Model 1911. Those things are not for the old I tell you.

Blackening the sights with soot from a match, candle, lighter, can help cut down on the reflective glare you mentioned and is easy to remove. I've used model car paint, and "White Out" as well as fingernail polish to give a contrasting color.
 
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I have a Nazi P-35 and those teeny tiny sights are hard to see with my old eyes. For bull's-eye target shooting that's one thing, but for combat give me easy to acquire large sights every day.
 
S&W has a long history of tiny sights I have a 5th model .38 safety hammerless. The rear sight on that one is something like 1/8" wide 1/16" tall. With my old eyes I cant even see the notch anymore.
 

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OK thanks... I am glad I am not the only one who finds those old sights difficult.

I shoot my Ruger Vaquero with no problem, and those sights are similar in design to the old SW, but something about the ruger sights make them a lot easier to use.

Anyway it was a great gun. My buddy (the owner) thinks it was made in 1928.
 
shoot my Ruger Vaquero with no problem, and those sights are similar in design to the old SW, but something about the ruger sights make them a lot easier to use.

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The Ruger Vaq sights have a fairly wide front blade and a decent size rear sight groove. This is an update on the old skinny blade, narrow sight grove of the old Colts.

Try a first gen Colt, or a black powder frame Uberti SAA clone for comparison.


As far as the old D/A's go, the Colts from the mid/late 20s on have a much nicer sight picture than the vintage S&W's.
 
When you have the time, the tiny sights on the old guns can be used quite effectively. When you don't have the time, you point shoot, or "go by instinct" as some old timers would say.

Clearly today we have a better idea.
 
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