Gun Sight Paint

[Rough2000]

My old eyes aren't as good as the used to be. I think having brighter colors on my sights may help. I have considered Truglo, etc and am not sure I want to spend that kind of money on several guns. Has anyone used this product from Bright Sights [/url]http://www.brightsights.com/index.shtml[/url]. Has it helped the sight picture? Is it durable, removable? Any other considerations I should look at? Any other paints you have used that maybe better?

 

[Pinecone]

I used myself, and used to recommend to my customers good ole' Testor's paints for sight dots procurable at Wally-World. I used bright yellow, bright white and a flourescent orange and flourescent pink! They are certainly "cheap" enough. Some people liked those paints and others did not! Easy enough to touch up or repaint the sights when they needed it. Easy also to take off with Lacquer Thinner if you don't like it..................................Dick :wink:

 

[Iron Mike Golf]

I've used jig paint and like that.

 

[Snake45]

Testor Model Master Chevrolet Engine Red, a brilliant red-orange, is my favorite. Get the enamel, not the water-based acrylic. They make both kinds now.

1. Degrease the front sight with lacquer thinner, acetone, or something of the sort. Brush on several thin coats of the paint, letting each dry 24-48 hours before the next.

2. When the last coat is on and very dry, rub it with a pencil eraser. This will "flatten" the paint, eliminating all glare from it, while preserving the brilliant color.

3. When the paint gets dirty from shooting, repeat Step 2.

4. Keep all solvents and oils away from the paint when cleaning the gun.

5. When the edges of the paint start to wear away from the holster or whatever, strip it all off with lacquer thinner and start over. The paint will actually last a good long time if done right.

If there's no hobby shop in your town, check the fingernail polish colors at Walmart or a drugstore.

 

[berettapistols]

I also have had the best luck with the "Testors" enamel paint & wasted my time buying a kit of Brite Site paints for handgun sites..
The Testors paint applies smoother & last far longer than any of the other stuff I've tried..
I apply with a tooth pick & clean up any excess with a Q-Tip dipped in Acetone.. This was for a Ribbed fixed revolver site, for a smooth surface a small model brush would be best..
I did my 940 S&W several years ago & it still looks like new..

 

[rugerguy]

wow, sounds like we all have used AND like the "Testors", I have lots of their '
DayGlo orange' still on hand...................

BUT , never know just what kinds of finger nail polish may be around the house.................can and will work, easy to use , and easy to change at any time....they too come in MANY colors

 

[MADISON]

[1] You can go to the HOBBY SHOP and get a small bottle of LUMINUS/glow in the dark paint.

One thing you must do is find out what color your eyes are drawn to and get that color paint.

[2] A small bottle of "model" paint will do the job.
[3] I prefer FINGERNAIL POLISH. It is removable with Hopies #9.

 

[CajunBass]

I usually use fingernail polish these days, but back when I was building models I had a lot of Testors paint around. It worked fine for sights too.

I've used "White-Out" in a pinch.

 

[Snake45]

wow, sounds like we all have used AND like the "Testors", I have lots of their '
DayGlo orange' still on hand...................

Good stuff, but you can't put that on directly. You have to put it on over white, or over orange or red enamel. It's very translucent. I've had good luck putting a few coats of the Day-glo over the Chevy Engine Red. When the Dayglo begins to wear off, the CER is still under it, and I can recoat with the Dayglo.

 

[Pat-inCO]

I have a set of Bright Sights here on the bench. Not all they are cracked up to be. Do help a bit, but not stellar.

There is another set I got from Ace Hardware (that I can not find right now - dag nab it) that is better. It was $9.95 (now $12) for two paint pens. One is white for the undercoat and the other is florescent green or orange (one per set). Now THAT is really helpful. I ran one coat of white on the rear sight and it ended up looking gray (shows up well if the target is white - or - black) and two coats on the front sight. Then the Green and it REALLY stands out well.


Update:
They are the Birchwood Casey "Super Bright Sight Paint Pens"
The link I found is http://www.samsguns.com/cgi-bin/Sto...nu=rtreeview.htm&product=BLUEING_SIGHT_PAINTS

 

[WANT A LCR 22LR]

I tried "White out paper correction fluid" , sort of worked though on my LCR the front site ridges conspire to make the sight look dark. I might try building up a bunch of layers to get above the ridges.

 

[berettapistols]

Here's a few pics of what the testors orange looks like on the ribbed front sight of my S&W M940 9mm J Frame Revolver..
I did a couple of coats with the tooth pic to fill in the ridges & kept the sight taper flat while drying & cleaned up with a Q-Tip of Acetone on the sides.. It realy has held up well, Also for this color I didn't use any white under the paint, Just Testors Flouresent Orange bought at Wal-Mart..
Gary/BP
S&W M940 Front Sight - Testors Flouresent Orange

 

[Snake45]

I tried "White out paper correction fluid" , sort of worked though on my LCR the front site ridges conspire to make the sight look dark. I might try building up a bunch of layers to get above the ridges.

That stuff won't last. (I use it as a thin "putty" to fill fine cracks on plastic model airplanes because it sands so easy--almost like chalk.) Get some good Testor enamel.

 

[Snake45]

Here's a few pics of what the testors orange looks like on the ribbed front sight of my S&W M940 9mm J Frame Revolver..
I did a couple of coats with the tooth pic to fill in the ridges & kept the sight taper flat while drying & cleaned up with a Q-Tip of Acetone on the sides.. It realy has held up well, Also for this color I didn't use any white under the paint, Just Testors Flouresent Orange bought at Wal-Mart..
Gary/BP
S&W M940 Front Sight - Testors Flouresent Orange

Nice, and great pics, BTW. Now rub it with a pencil eraser to take the shine off of the paint--you'll find it won't glare in the sunlight and the direction the light is coming from won't make any difference. Try it!

 

[berettapistols]

The pics were from right after I did the "PaintJob" with Flash..
Over the years it has become dull with carry & holstering but still looks great..
That's a great Idea about useing the eraser to give the Paint a matte finish
And I have used the white out in the past on 1911s & it is very chalky & won't last any time at all..
I've also put a small piece of orange pinstripe tape on the front sites of a few pistols & afterwards they looked like Millet Sites, I bought a roll about 10 years ago & figure it's a lifetime supply..
After trying all the different stuff I'll have to say the Testors Enamel is the best out there..
I have a kit of Bright Sites with six vials of paint/cleaner etc & that stuff is like rubbery paint & very hard to get a smooth even coat with & peals right off anyhow..
Go with what you know works TESTORS
Gary/BP

 

[WANT A LCR 22LR]

Yea, white out was all I had sitting around.

Is there a reason sights are ribbed?

 

[Snake45]

Is there a reason sights are ribbed?

You mean serrated side to side? To cut down on glare. Theoretically, you are looking at a series of black shadows, which should appear more or less as a solid black surface.

An unserrated ramp sight can glare to one degree or other when light hits it, appearing not as black but as some shade of gray, which is difficult to focus on.