[1911 guy]

Here's the deal. I've got a Springer G.I. and all the aftermarket parts I want upgraded. Mostly Ed Brown stuff, extractor, hammer, sear, etc. Except for one important thing: sights. I have two criteria. One, fixed sights. It's gonna be a carry gun, no frills or bullseye at 50 yd needed. Paper plate at 25 yd is fine. Two, an uncluttered rear sight with a prominant front sight.

I'm open to opinions and voices of experience. I'm considering fiberoptic of some brand but obviously haven't decided yet.

Thanks in advance for the opinions.

[Technosavant]

I'm quite happy with the Novak Lo-Mount that came on my Springfield Loaded.

[Brian Williams]

Look at Ted Yost Retro GI rear sight and a white dot front

[Jim Watson]

The yoboretro looks kewl, and has the advantage of fitting the GI dovetail so you don't have to pay a hundred bucks for somebody to mill your slide into odd shapes to take a proprietary fixed sight like Novak or Heinie.
The King Hardball rear sight is not as stylish but it works, too.

I consider fibre optic sights too fragile for carry, the little plastic rods kick out of them every once in a while.

Most white dots are just dimples drilled in the blade and painted white. They are subject to funny shadows across the dot. There is one brand with the white protruding into almost a bead, which I would think preferable.
Or if you go Yobo, get their gold bead.

[HSMITH]

I would do Heinie 'straight eight' night sights if I went fixed sights. I would also get the rear 'race cut'. Hard to find a better set of sights.

[BullfrogKen]

Jim Watson said: Or if you go Yobo, get their gold bead.

Brian Williams said: Look at Ted Yost Retro GI rear sight and a white dot front


Those Ted Yost sights are pretty inobtrusive. And, I think the gold bead option is a great alternative to fiber optic or tritium. Jim Garthwaite has made quite a niche in the market putting them on, as have some of his other colleagues. Mine have plain Heinies with the gold bead insert. Nothing else. I'm all over them.

By the way, the Heinies require cutting to install properly - read: aesthetically. The Yobo retro might slip in, but I haven't installed any, so I can't comment.

[BrennanKG]

I like these from Hilton Yam/ 10-8:
http://www.10-8consulting.com/108performance.php

or these from Ted Yost:
http://www.yost-bonitz.com/products/prosights/

I'm also fond of Novak's half-ghost ring rear with tritium front post:
http://www.novaksights.com/images/sights/sf%20with%20novak/LMC-01-GS-PB.jpg




B.

[ugaarguy]

I'd go to a gun store and handle several different pistols to see what you like sight wise. Once you find a set you like find out what they are. The 1911 is arguably highest production numbers made pistol ever. The sight makers know this and most any make & model of sights on the market will be offered for 1911s.

[usp_fan]

Another vote for the Yost-Bonitz Rear. It was easy to install and has a very good sight picture.

Where can you get a gold bead front that will install in a standard springer tenon?

--usp_fan

[1911 guy]

Actually, I thing you fellas have sold me on that rear sight. I looked at the specs. on the Yost Bonitz web site. .140" notch sounds good. a little wider than the standard, but still tight enough to get an accurate sight picture. Saving a little dough on milling isn't bad, either.

I've seen white dot, gold dot and even glow in the dark dot tenon front sights. Does anyone have the springer tenon dimensions? If I can find a front sight that fits without milling it will save me a bit more. I don't know if any I've seen will fit, though.

Thanks for the responses so far.

[usp_fan]

I remember the springfield sight is somewhere between the Gold Cup and the standard colt dimensions. I've always bought the wider of the two, and filed for a tight fit in my springer slide.

--usp_fan

[10-Ring]

I like Novaks on 1911's

[Jim Watson]

For a stake-on front sight, SA uses an oddball tenon width intermediate between old narrow Colts and new wide Colts. I don't know anybody but Kings who makes "medium tenon" fronts for them. My FLG has cut down a number of other brands' wide tenons to fit, as usp says.

[TimboKhan]

My Taurus 1911 has Heinie Straight-Eights on it, and I can't seem to miss with them. Not that I am an experienced pistolero, but they do seem to be much faster to acquire. Just my $0.02.

[BullfrogKen]

1911 guy, you're about a 5 hours drive away, or a day's UPS shipment, from Jim Garthwaite. Any chance you'd simply let him do it for you, or are you wed to do doing it yourself? You might get away with just be able to ship the slide out for the mounting. If I needed this done, that's what I'd do.

If its an alternative, call him and ask. All he can do is say no.

[saltydog452]

What you get most likely will depend on the condition of your eyes. For carry, a rear sight with a wide enough notch for me to see the vertical 'lines' on either side of the front sight works for me. Kings will widen the notch on their 'Hardball' or 'King-Tappan' rear sights if you ask.

Tritrium works also.

Twenty years ago, I'd have prefered black on black, now I need all the help I can get.

salty.

[1911 guy]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I would up placing an order from Brownells and got a Millet wide tenon front sight with a flourescent orange insert in it. Saw a Colt at the fun shop with one and really liked it. Easy to pick up.

Again, thanks for being my think tank.