Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns My Concession to Near-Middle-Age: New 1911 Sights

Hi All,

I have to say first off that I'm a huge fan of the original sights found on military-style 1911 models. They are small and precise.

Not so long ago I fitted a National Match bushing to my carry 1911. I broke out the prescription glasses and lo, I could see the target but not the sights. Glasses off, reverse the problem. I could see the sights but not the target.

This was not the ideal situation.

Because I am, in the next couple years, going to be sidelining the Mosin sight business and start full-fledge gunsmithing, I've been buying tools from Brownell's when finances allow.

The past month was a staking tool and slide fixture. Just makes sense to have both, and the slide holding fixture fits nicely in a vice.

I chose a 10-8 National Match rear sight and an MGW serrated front sight.









The rear sight was designed to work with a 0.175" front sight, while the MGW serrated front is 0.195" high. I started sighting it in but ran out of time. I still have to take about 0.010" more off.

Test firing, however, revealed a nice surprise: I was never able to really test the NM bushing. At 15 long paces I was chewing out one ragged hole, albeit low. At 30 paces, most still touched. This was unrested shooting with ammo I consider my junk reloads that I keep around in an old ammo can specifically for function testing.

When I go finish sighting in this weekend, I'll be taking good handloads and a few carry loads I need to shoot.

I am pleased. While I might go to a night sight eventually, I'm not a fan of staking repeatedly. I figure one day the hole will waller out.

After I finish sighting in, the slide will get some more bluing and the sights will be blended better with the slide.

A note for the Rock Island users out there: Rock Island is supposed to use a G.I. dovetail rear sight on the rear. It's close, but plan on having to fit the sight with a file. This is a good thing for those of us who like our sights in tight in addition to any set-screw which may be present.

The front sight uses a narrow tenon, and that is in spec.

I look forward to finishing this up. This pistol has been with me since before I knew what I was doing, during the active learning period in which I subjected it to things a 1911 should never be subjected to, and it's survived to now with nary a complaint. It deserves some blending and fixing up! The one last thing it will eventually receive is a wide paddle Wilson Bulletproof Ambi Safety to replace the Caspian on it now.

All the internals are already military, Wilson, or Brown. No MIM.

Josh

I like the sights. I like lots of daylight around the front sight with my 55 year old eyes.

Ernie

Yup, I went with a Wilson battle sight blade for the same reason. I just ordered a new Wilson and went with battle sight blade and gold post. Old age is a bi-itch and than you die.

Can't beat the Brownells staking tool and sight jig, been using mine for YEARS whippersnapper.

Nice work, I finally got frustrated not being able to get the front sight sharp anymore, I went to green lasers. My eye Doc, said he can build a pair of dedicated "handgun" glasses.

May do this as I still like shooting my 1911's open sights.

Turning 70 next year and need all the help I can get with open sights. I found these Trijicon night sights to be about a good as it gets for these old eyes. Sig. 226 40 S&W, also equipped with Crimson Trace grips
Black on black just doesn't cut it for me anymore.

Dang, I'm only 36! I'm waiting 'til I'm 40 and seeing about Lasik. In my defense, I do a lot of very up-close work.

I sighted in today. At 11 strides (about 10 yards for me) I got about 1.5" shooting unsupported with junk handloads.

While I was sighting it in, I ended up reprofiling the front sight. This should take care of the narrow tenon concerns some have:



Not real sure I like the profile, but the sights work very well.

Interestingly, I had to take the front sight down to about 0.160" instead of 0.175" for 230 grain loads. I was hitting apples at 30 yards with ease after that.

Josh

Well Folks, I finished gettin' her sighted in today, with my good ammo. (The load is listed on the target, but be warned it's over what Lyman lists in their Cast Bullet Handbook.)



That was at 15 yards. I don't know what happened with that flier; chances are I just pushed the trigger.

Interestingly, I had to take the sight down further:



I can't figure this. The sight started at 0.195" and shouldn't have had to come down more than 0.015" or so. Ended up it had to come down around 0.050"!

The only thing I can figure is that Armscor mills their rear sight dovetails a bit deeper than the standard Series 70.

But, I'm happy. The new sights are letting me shoot this pistol closer to its mechanical accuracy.

Josh

Ours is a visual sport and that's hard on us old farts. But even when I was 18 years old with 20/10 vision, I still opened up the rear blade to let a bit more light in. These days it's mandatory though. I LOVE the 10-8 rear sight though; very classy. I'm probably fount to put one on my .38 Super.