S&W J-Frame Sight Dilemma

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Pat Riot

Pat Riot

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Howdy,
I have a Smith & Wesson model 63 that I bought a few months ago. I really like that revolver but I hate the sights. This fiber optic craze is quite annoying. Not a fan, but I must admit that perhaps color plays a part. I do like like the Tru-Glo TFX sights that I put on 2 of my Glocks. Those sights are green. They are also 3-dot, which helps with sight alignment. The front sight on my 63 is reddish-orange. It seems to never appear as a crisp dot, but a blob.
The rear sight blade, I discovered recently, is defective. The right side corner of the sight opening has a tiny bit of metal missing. It’s not been impacted. It was made that way. Thanks to what passes for S&W QC it made it to me.

Bottom line is I want to replace both sights. What I want is a red insert front ramp and a white outline blade rear. What I have found is that those only appear to be available for K frame and larger. What I keep finding for J frame are fiber optics or round Tritium front sights for SD guns.
The front sight on J frame revolvers seems to typically be 0.125” wide.

I have done searches and looked at Brownells online. I may call Brownells and see if they might have a recommendation, but I wanted to see if any of you good folks might be able to help.

What I would like are sights with some contrast. Not all black. I am 59 and have always had bad eyesight. All black sights are hard for me in dim light, like at some indoor ranges or in the woods.

The other thing I am noticing is that the fiber optic sights have a lower profile than other sights, therefore the rear sight does as well. So pretty much any front sight besides a fiber optic for a J frame will result in changing the rear.

Thank you
 
Pat Riot said:
Howdy,
I have a Smith & Wesson model 63 that I bought a few months ago. I really like that revolver but I hate the sights. This fiber optic craze is quite annoying. Not a fan, but I must admit that perhaps color plays a part. I do like like the Tru-Glo TFX sights that I put on 2 of my Glocks. Those sights are green. They are also 3-dot, which helps with sight alignment. The front sight on my 63 is reddish-orange. It seems to never appear as a crisp dot, but a blob.
The rear sight blade, I discovered recently, is defective. The right side corner of the sight opening has a tiny bit of metal missing. It’s not been impacted. It was made that way. Thanks to what passes for S&W QC it made it to me.

Bottom line is I want to replace both sights. What I want is a red insert front ramp and a white outline blade rear. What I have found is that those only appear to be available for K frame and larger. What I keep finding for J frame are fiber optics or round Tritium front sights for SD guns.
The front sight on J frame revolvers seems to typically be 0.125” wide.

I have done searches and looked at Brownells online. I may call Brownells and see if they might have a recommendation, but I wanted to see if any of you good folks might be able to help.

What I would like are sights with some contrast. Not all black. I am 59 and have always had bad eyesight. All black sights are hard for me in dim light, like at some indoor ranges or in the woods.

The other thing I am noticing is that the fiber optic sights have a lower profile than other sights, therefore the rear sight does as well. So pretty much any front sight besides a fiber optic for a J frame will result in changing the rear.

Thank you
Click to expand...
This may not be your perfect solution, not even sure how well it would work? Speed beez?
https://www.speedbeez.com/product-category/revolver-sights/fiber-optic-sets/
 
Yo Pat!

How about an experiment?

Daub some black fingernail polish on that orange front sight, and outline that rear notch with some white. Try it and make sure that’s what you want before messing with replacement sights. If you don’t like it, the polish is easy to remove.
 
beag_nut said:
Just a thought, based on many years in the industry of eye surgery instruments: If your front sight looks like a blob, it may be your eyesight needs some correction. Definitely not the best time for an exam, but it may reveal something. My best buddy had the same problem, which was easily corrected.
Click to expand...

A friend told me that Astigmatism affects the way folks see red dot sights and to try green. I am wondering if this also goes for fiber optics. I do have some Astigmatism in my right eye. And I am right eye dominant so I got that going for me. :confused:
 
Pat Riot said:
A friend told me that Astigmatism affects the way folks see red dot sights and to try green. I am wondering if this also goes for fiber optics. I do have some Astigmatism in my right eye. And I am right eye dominant so I got that going for me. :confused:
Click to expand...
My wife (astigmatism) likes green dots/fibers over red any day if that helps.
 
This is what I did to my 442. I filed it down where the small step is on the front sight and then filed it on a forward slant just a bit. I filed it down till the new flat filled the depth of the rear notch. Painted the new flat with Testors bright yellow and the new flat that’s parallel to the barrel with flat black. Seems to be more useful than the plastic fiber optic sights to my mid sixty eyes.

5C049867-1915-4CD7-9D08-96EFE6A9E351.jpeg View attachment 930805
 
I had the same problem with my 317. The factory V notch and FO front really suck.

I replaced the rear blade with a square notch, and the front, with a Patridge front. A dab of florescent orange nail polish and it worked out well.

After all that, came to find the rear sight would not hold elevation and would drop as you shot it. I ended up putting Loctite on the screw and putting a shim under it.

Not real impressed with S&W's current sights.


Looks like Midway now has a red ramp type front too. It says it will fit any gun that takes a pinned in front sight.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/100445330?pid=395278

I dont think they have the rear blade with the white outline though, but they do have this....

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1004477188?pid=541186

Word of advice if youre going to do it yourself. Get a Quaalude and the largest ziplock baggie you can and work on it in that. There is a small spring and detent that will drive you nuts, and will fly off to nowhere if you arent careful. :thumbup:
 
AK103K said:
I had the same problem with my 317. The factory V notch and FO front really suck.

I replaced the rear blade with a square notch, and the front, with a Patridge front. A dab of florescent orange nail polish and it worked out well.

After all that, came to find the rear sight would not hold elevation and would drop as you shot it. I ended up putting Loctite on the screw and putting a shim under it.

Not real impressed with S&W's current sights.


Looks like Midway now has a red ramp type front too. It says it will fit any gun that takes a pinned in front sight.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/100445330?pid=395278

I dont think they have the rear blade with the white outline though, but they do have this....

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1004477188?pid=541186

Word of advice if youre going to do it yourself. Get a Quaalude and the largest ziplock baggie you can and work on it in that. There is a small spring and detent that will drive you nuts, and will fly off to nowhere if you arent careful. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Thanks very much. I was looking at the same front sight on Brownells website. Good to know it will work. Is it too tall for the rear sight? We’re you able to sight in easily with the factory rear and the new blade?

Where do I order the Quaaludes?
I am kidding....:rofl:

I think I would rather go this route than fool with the fiber optics.

Thank you again.

Edit:
The funny thing is I have Tru Glo TFX sights on my Glocks. They are green fiber / tritium, but they are 3 dot sights. Not many revolver sights available like this but I am kind of traditional when it come to my revolvers.
 
I measured the FO front sight and ordered a sight of the same height or close to it, dont remember exactly. It did work with the rear sight, once I got that worked out.

Not sure what the height of the ramp blade is, but a quick check with your calipers should give you an idea.
 
I took a different approach with my 60-15. I, too, could not stand the fiber optics and have always had a positive relationship with the red ramp front sight on my other Smiths. I ordered a red ramp sight from Smith. I was really designed for a k frame, but fit just fine. Installing it was a challenge and you have to be careful.

This sight was taller than the fiber optic, so I had to order a taller rear blade from Smith. They have not used these taller j-frame blades in years, and I think I ordered three of their remaining 7 or 8. This was some years ago, so I imagine they are all gone now. They won't be making any more. Anyway, I like the final results:

DmIks6c.jpg
 
I like the W/O rear sight too, but even plain, its still a major improvement over those silly "V" notch blades.
 
Well, I am still trying to find the right combination of sights for this revolver. It has become a mission now to dump the fiber optic all together but find a front sight that is similar in height to the original fiber optic sight.

After numerous attempts to measure the front sight I have found that the fiber optic sight is .184” tall. The rear sight is the standard J Frame .086” blade that @AK103K listed. I am buying one of those because in all this I have discovered that when the S&W had my gun in to repair the B/C gap issue someone apparently dropped my gun and damaged the rear sight blade. I will not send it back to their incompetent Warranty Repair Dept for replacement (if I tell you my experiences with their warranty repair dept of late you would understand why I say “incompetent” but I don’t want to divert)
Anyway, it seems that most ramp sights are .241 and taller. I don’t wish to install a tall sight and then have to elevate the rear sight a tenth of an inch or more to get a proper point of aim / impact.
If I wanted to stick with fiber optics there are numerous options.

By the way, these Hi-Viz brand front sights do not appear to be the type of sight thst one can swap the fiber to change color.

Front sight height
282B13AF-97B4-46DA-9502-A2C35C379B1B.jpeg

Rear sight blade height
D28AFED4-C9BE-48DF-8924-D3533491FC3F.jpeg

Rear sight blade deformity
7340021F-1DCD-43DD-A99C-E8C48D88BB1C.jpeg

I wish there were more J frame rear sight blade options regarding height and configuration. A taller blade with make installing a .278” red ramp much easier in regards to rear height adjustments.
 
I find it's easier to use the bottom/base of the calipers to measure things like this. I find I get a more accurate reading.

When you slide the jaws open, a "tail" comes out the base of the slide. Push enough out so it's more than you need, and put that tail at the base of the sight and push down until it stops against the base of the slide.

Just try and get things as square as possible when you measure, take a number of measurements and average them. That's how I usually do it anyway.
 
AK103K said:
I find it's easier to use the bottom/base of the calipers to measure things like this. I find I get a more accurate reading.

When you slide the jaws open, a "tail" comes out the base of the slide. Push enough out so it's more than you need, and put that tail at the base of the sight and push down until it stops against the base of the slide.

Just try and get things as square as possible when you measure, take a number of measurements and average them. That's how I usually do it anyway.
Click to expand...

Well, I just had my “Duh-huh” moment of the day. I knew this and completely forgot. Holy Cow! :confused::notworthy::D
 
I think I have my solution. I just need to call Brownells in the morning to verify this J frame V notch sight will work. The hardware will not but if the blade will work I will buy it.
It’s the top one for the J frame.
https://www.brownells.com/handgun-p.../s-w-v-notched-rear-sight-kits-prod22514.aspx

This is the front sight I am considering IF the V notch sight above will work.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1005958054?pid=540350

This sight research is really getting to be work. :alien:

But it’s still kinda fun...:cool:
 
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