Primitive Irons vs Fancy Optics

[AJMD429]

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This may be the best pistol sight setup I’ve seen yet; it has the advantages of the handgun red-dots, but no batteries, less obstructive view, and (for me at least) is way easier to ‘acquire’, plus costs $200 less than a decent electronic dot sight. Works in all light levels, down to and including flashlight-time.

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One might expect that the front sight would have to be made taller, with a ‘suppressor height’ sight or something like that, but clearly from this rapid-fire seven-yard target the height of the sight is just about right. I drifted it in from the right and didn’t quite center it on the frame and it looks like I need to move it just a tiny bit to the left and it will be right on.

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What I like is the extremely rapid speed these sites enable. Snap shooting is a breeze but the inner circle provides precision aiming if you have just an extra half second or so. This photo doesn’t really capture the effect fully but you can see how a more visible front sight that you’re focusing on along with your distant target, would make it so much better.

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I definitely plan to replace the front sight, probably with a fiber optic sight, which will almost replicate the effect that the electronic red dot sights produce, only in a much more durable, battery-free, set up.

[AJMD429]

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I got the fiber-optic front (unfortunately guessed the wrong height, so have to get a lower one - it will only be 0.07" taller than the original factory front sight, which was a fairly standard little nub labeled 0.180" in the parts diagram (1911 9mm double stack Rock Island). So any concerns one might have of the sights protruding too much or unnecessary, because the front sight doesn’t have to be unusually tall, and the rear sight certainly protrudes less than the red dots do.

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I really like that the set up I have obstructs much less of the view than a red dot sight does (and I think I would feel the same way even if the red dot was not set up to co-witness with the factory iron sights).

So I'll order a 0.250" one (I had mistakenly ordered a 0.275" one) - from Fusion Firearms - https://fusionfirearms.com/1911-fusion- ... ont-sights

I got the Marble's Bullseye sight from Brownells - https://www.brownells.com/gun-parts/rif ... ear-sight/

The front sight went in the dovetail mount (I know other 1911's may have different styles of attachment) perfectly. It is very tough steel holding the fiber-optic, so hand-filing for 5 minutes and a brass punch to drift it in place was all that was needed.

Not only is this complete set up for less than $60 (about $22 for the Marbles and $30 for the Fusion) instead of several hundred, but it requires no batteries, and is extremely durable. Most important advantage for me though is that since I’m really not used to red dot sights on a handgun (although I really like them on a long gun), I find the Marbles/Fusion set up extremely fast to acquire. I think the reason is that with the electronic sights you don’t really see the red dot until you’re nearly lined up, whereas with the setup I have, the red ‘dot’ is visible even before it gets into the ‘window’.

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Definitely the FASTEST handgun sights for my old eyes…!