Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns A pox on the deekhead who chose the sights for a S&W 329PD

I realize a lot of folks like fiber optic sights. I have also reached the age where it is getting hard for me to bring the front sight into crisp focus, but dammit.

As much as I enjoy the 329PD I picked up recently, I cannot abide those stupid, toyish, fragile looking sights on my pistol. I ordered a new red ramp front from Brownells and finally got it in.

At the first opportunity I'm ripping the red plastic junk off the barrel and installing the new sight.

Then I have to worry about replacing the blade on the rear sight. The genius put a blade on it that looks like it is a half inch tall and cut a ridiculous V notch. You know, the one that works so well K98 Mausers and the like.

I'll eventually have it changed into a butterfly from this caterpillar, but good grief, I'd much rather them stay with the sights that have worked for decades, over the gadget trash that they went with.

Ok. Now that I got that out, I feel much better.

I hate those damn fiber optic sights. They look like they ought to be on a toy gun.

Part of the problem with that particular gun is that it already "feels" like a toy gun. The stupid sights make it "look" like a toy gun. The only thing you are left with to remind you that it isn't a toy is vigorous recoil.

I can't STAND fiber optic sights, WTF are they thinking.

They thought themselves "uber".

Fiber Optic Sights are great for hunting but suck for shooting small groups

I'm sure theres some guys who are clueless about what your referring too, so posting pictures would be very helpful.

I don't mind a fiber optic front sight, so long as I don't need precision, but the rear "V" sight is a ridiculous affectation, in my opinion. They ought to sell a pith helmet to go with it A fiber-optic front and a square notch rear makes for a fast combination while still retaining decent control over elevation which is where a "V" sight breaks all the way down.

No use for them either. Same for the bead and v-notch. Give me black on black with a view like a Bomar and all is great though I am fine with the Smith factory rear.

i am one of the pagans. I took that sight from a 329 and put it on a four inch 29. I wasn't interested in paper targets, i wanted fast sight aquistion.
one good thing smith did is start pinning them in, which makes switching them fairly easy.

When we're sending a single bullet down range, when don't we need precision?

Yep, laser is where it's at.

For a gun like the 329/357 I also prefer a FO front sight but prefer a standard notch rear. I did one better on my 357 by adding Meprolite tritium night sights...just prefect camp gun as one can easily locate you gun in a dark tent. Also replaced the IL with The Plug and the grips with the S&W/Hogue 500s...









Great guns...just need a little personalizing...

Bob

When the target is large and up close, like the A zone of an IPSC target at 10 yards. Perhaps I should have said "precise sight picture" instead of "precision." It is sight picture, not the mechanical precision of the pistol, that a V/rear, fiber optic, sight set up degrades.

I acquired a fiber optic front with my Les Baer, and likewise I'd rather have the tritium insert with white outline like you show.

My brother has one of those Model 357's in .41 mag, and I've shot it with full house mag loads. Recoil was plenty, but tolerable. I think I'd prefer that one for serious bear defense, as compared to the .44 Model 329, even though bullets & ammo are easier for the 329.

I did put a 3/32" dia red fiber optic on my Ruger #1 in .458. It shot decently for me, so maybe on a rifle, with the sight at a distance it made more sense.

I did the main thing is, though, if the OP goes to S&W and complains to them face to face I'll bet they'll never, ever, do it again.

I actually like fiber optic sights on some pistols. They work really well on my Glock 19, and on my XDS .45 ACP compact. Extremely quick sight picture, and accurate enough for reasonable distance.
On my revolvers though, I really like steel, traditional sights.

The new Ruger LCRx3 has "real sights" even though the rest of it feels like a toy

Good God. They look like the open sight version of "See Thru" scope mounts.


Thanks for posting the picture, BTW.

You remind me that I need to purchase a plug for that ridiculous key lock device.

I'm only posting to say kudos for the use of the word "pox." Way to mix up the vocabulary!