XS Sight Systems Big Dot front sight on revolver????

Status
Not open for further replies.
G

Gary in Pennsylvania

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2003
Messages
683
Anyone have experience with XS Sight Systems 24/7 Big Dot Tritium Sights on revolvers?
I wanna get one for my SP-101.

Your thoughts???
 
the sp101 is a great solid preformer and you would be ell served o use the xs 24/7 sights there is no better choice in my opinion for a defensive handgun when it comes to sights. they are fast on target, they allow quick follow up, they make hitting horizonatally moving targets much easier, and they are bright day and night.plus xs is a great company that have a great customer servcie. and despit what people say it is possible to hit targets t distace with em. though that is not what they are designed for but it is very possile,
 
Good info; I just picked up a S&W 386 Sc/S and was planning on having the XO Big Dot front installed. Is this something a gunsmith has to do? It look pretty simple (famous last words indeed).
 
Good info; I just picked up a S&W 386 Sc/S and was planning on having the XO Big Dot front installed. Is this something a gunsmith has to do? It look pretty simple (famous last words indeed).
Click to expand...
i think that is a great idea, go for it. i have only installed the xs sights on glocks but that was cake to do. i have shot with them on several handguns and revolvers but never put them on a revolver myself.

be advised that if you do put them on yourself take care not to tourqe the rear sight down too much or the vial will bust and the rear sight will be really dull. light tighting and use the lockite that comes with the sights. this is what happened when a smith put a set on my glock 19, though xs was great about the whole thing and sent me a new rear sight, if it is avoided just that much better. ever since then i started installing my own.
 
Thanks for the input, possum.

I'm gonna only get the front site - and it'll be installed by a smith.

I'm also getting some other work done to the SP101....all mods should be done by mid Feb.


.......oooooh I can't wait!
 
sounds great, i bet it will be a heck of a good wheel gun when it is done.

be advised that for best results the xs rear sight should be used in conjunction with the front dot. but even if you don't there shouldn't be any issues.
 
This is a Standard Dot on a 625 with 4" barrel. It is huge. The Big Dot is even larger, and obscures much of the target.

625-3PC024.jpg
 
That might be a Cylinder & Slide rear sight. They are also available with dots and/or tritium inserts. The Bowen Rough Country rear sight is another good choice that is tough but also adjustable. Less likely to snag than the S&W factory sight as well.

As for the XS sights, I agree the Big Dot is huge. I would rather have the standard dot version. The Big Dot is a good choice for a purely defensive handgun to be used only at very close range, but not for a general purpose gun.
 
I've had both the Big Dot and Standard Dot sights on my SP-101s. I prefer the standard as it is plenty big to me and obscures less of the target. I makes the front extremely easy to pick up compared to other options e.g. blaze orange regular sight. The problem with the standard sight if you shoot full bore 125 gr .357s is the gun shoots high and by the time the sight is filed down there is only about an 1/8" front sight left. At 7-10 yds I set the dot on top of the rear notch and the shoots go where aimed. That plus an action job, contoured trigger and chamfered chambers and the gun does what I want it to. As to S&Ws the Bowen Rough Country sight can be obtained with a blade setup for the XS Dot front.
 
I have a "Big Dot" front sight on my Ruger SP101 (DAO). I like it just fine. I suspect you will too.
 
I Have Them...

...on all my S&W 640-1's. While you can pay someone to machine out a semi-circular shape in the groove that serves as the rear sight, I find that the Big Dot "fits" the square groove just fine. While they are intended as a quick acqusition sights, the last time I fired a pair of Nevada CFP "qualifications," I kept all of my shots in the 10-ring with the gun I carry behind the right hip and fired right-handed and had one round barely sneak into the 9-ring with the other one, that I carry behind the left hip and fired left-handed. Not exactly bullseye shooting but close enough for my needs.

I do note that with .38 Special loads I simply place the bottom of the dot in the bottom of the groove, which places the tritium insert even with the top of the rear sight. When I still carried 110 gr. Magnum loads, I believe that I needed to place the tritium insert at the bottom of the groove for precision shots.
 
Gary,

I installed Big Dot on 640 and removed it after 2 range sessions. Several issues to consider here. First, as others mentioned already, it obscures the target. Second, under daylight the sight picture is not standard - big dot needs to sit ON TOP of the rear notch, not inside it. I found this much less accurate then normal sight picture. Third, in low light, since you only have front sight visible there is no windage or elevation reference. Yet seeing the front sight somehow interferes with my point shooting skill and in fact I was less accurate with big dot then just point shooting...

Just my 2c worth.

MikeR
 
Differences in Grip...

Second, under daylight the sight picture is not standard - big dot needs to sit ON TOP of the rear notch, not inside it.
Click to expand...
I believe that the reason that different people may need different sight settings is not due to differences in vision but in recoil arc (bullets don't leave the barrel until the gun is already in recoil). My carry 640-1's are fitted with Craig Spegel Boot Grips with the high-horn Centennial option. Different grips stocks or a different grasp of the gun may be why one person places the Big Dot inside the sight groove and another places it on top. Fortunately, with the newer S&W J-frame revolvers, it's not an irrevocable commitment to pin one of these sights into the cut in the top of the barrel. I suspect that there might be a few folks interested in the Big Dot sight you removed when you found it was not your cup of tea.
 
Excellent point, spwenger!

My Big Dot already has a hole in it and it is not exactly in mint condition - I had to use pliers to remove it. :eek: So, I don't recommend installing it on a sd gun but it can help someone else make up his mind before investing $60 in a new dot.

Due to the hole and damage I am not comfortable selling it. However I am happy to mail it free of charge to the first member who asks for it. On one condition though. If winner of this "auction" chooses not to use this sight on his guns he would have to pass it on to the next interested member.

Any takers?

MikeR
 
"While you can pay someone to machine out a semi-circular shape in the groove that serves as the rear sight, I find that the Big Dot "fits" the square groove just fine. "

I did that and was not happy with the result (mill the semi-circular groove). Wound up having the rear sight notch welded up and recut. I am now happy with the notch. As noted one must find where they need to set the dot in the notch for the bullet weight and range they are shooting at. Grips affect this too.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

G
  • Locked
Front Sight: XS Standard Dot vs. XS Big Dot
Replies
7
Views
5K
gb6491
G
G
  • Locked
SP101 Sight Modification Idea...
Replies
11
Views
2K
Ghost Tracker
G
M
  • Locked
XS Big Dot for SP101
Replies
6
Views
783
Haywood
Haywood
S
  • Locked
XS Big Dot on 637?
Replies
7
Views
763
Jim March
J
W
  • Locked
Revolver Sights
Replies
2
Views
507
george29
george29
Back
Top