Pistol Sights for Competition NEED ADVICE

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Hey guys,

thanks for the help. Looking online is tough to buy new sights. I'm looking at a black, U-notch rear that doesn't take up a lot of sight picture. For instance, i tried the Dawson, very nice, tight rear notch, but i dont like how they are big and square and take up alot of sight picture. Warren Tactical seems to have a slimmer rear sight as its beveled on the sides for a better outside sight picture. They come in a .140 rear and a .125 or .115 front. I like red FO and want as little "window" or "side bars" as possible. But at the same time, I like the smallest, front sight. So assuming the best combo is 140/115.

This is going on an M&P full size for discussion.

Can anyone provide insight? Possibly with a sight picture?


Thanks
 
I suggest that you contact Tim Gostling, G&N Gunsmithing here on NES. He just put Dawson FO front sights on some of my M&Ps and he told me that he runs them for competition, so he knows something about these particular sights and can help you figure out what to get as well as install them.
 
I personally run the Dawson full FO kit and I like it a lot. Unfortunately I dinged the very end of the front sight being stupid. I really like the size and definition it gives but the only negative I have seen is the front sights could be a little less durable than others.
 
what sizes does everyone run? this is the email i sent to dawson precision this AM

Looking for competition sights for my Smith M&P 9mm full size.


I want to find blacked out rear sights with a thin notch and a thin front fiber optic sight for precision and the least amount of target coverage.


Questions 1 - What rear sight has the smallest visual footprint. It seems alot of the competition sights are basically a large rectangle. I am talking more about the outer edges. The less material the better.


2 - I only want a U-Notch rear, to fit the FO front sight in the round. Which sights are tru U notches


3 - front sight width, i think i am between the .125 front and the .115 - i dont like a lot of side window visual within the sight picture. I would like the FO front to sit perfectly inside the U notch. As long as the rear sight is small overall to continue to acquire targets quickly.
 
According to Tim, S&W used 5 different sizes. I brought him my M&Ps and he measured the factory sights so that he'd order the right size Dawson's to replace them. Suggest that you do the same as it appears that there is no logical way to tell without measurements.
 
From Dawson precision you can get a .100 wide front and a .100 wide rear. Depending on how well your eye can/will focus on only the front sight, that combination will give you the slightest amount of light on either side of the front blade. I believe Dawson only makes square notches with full square profile. It could be shaped into a u notch rather easily, and the corners rounded or removed to resemble a Warren Sevigny style.

.2 - I only want a U-Notch rear, to fit the FO front sight in the round. Which sights are tru U notches
. That's not how it works. The fiber ball is much smaller than the U, and the fiber is higher up near the top of the blade. If you were to put the fiber ball in the bowl of the U, your impact will be low. The top of the front sight should be level with the top of the rear. The point of fiber optic sights is for fast sight acusition in most lighting conditions, the fiber itself is not used for precision shot placement.

What type of competition are you doing with this pistol? I ask because the sight combination you describe offers (for most people) a slow sight picture. For fast shooting, a narrow front blade with a somewhat wide rear notch produces the fastest sight picture ( again for most people). Sight preference is very personal, so go with what you like.
 
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Thanks great info. I definitely aim off of the FO and adjust accordingly. Didn't think about the extra. Thank you.

I shoot mostly steel 10yrdsish
 
Hey guys,

thanks for the help. Looking online is tough to buy new sights. I'm looking at a black, U-notch rear that doesn't take up a lot of sight picture. For instance, i tried the Dawson, very nice, tight rear notch, but i dont like how they are big and square and take up alot of sight picture. Warren Tactical seems to have a slimmer rear sight as its beveled on the sides for a better outside sight picture. They come in a .140 rear and a .125 or .115 front. I like red FO and want as little "window" or "side bars" as possible. But at the same time, I like the smallest, front sight. So assuming the best combo is 140/115.

This is going on an M&P full size for discussion.

Can anyone provide insight? Possibly with a sight picture?


Thanks

I use a large rear sight (Dawson has a good selection) and vary the width and style of the front sight for different situations. Black on black with a relatively wide front sight gives me the best sight picture for precision work.

Black rear sight with a fiber optic (red is my choice) front sight that is on the narrow side gives me a sight (front) that is easier to pick up when shooting quickly, a la IDPA or USPSA but still offers adequate accuracy.

For speed, like the Steel Challenge, I use the tried and true large black rear sight with a narrower fiber optic front sight. This arrangement leaves more open space to pick up the front sight and see the plate. This combination does give up some accuracy as the narrow front sight is more difficult to precisely align in the rear sight notch.

You will notice that I have not mentioned any dots or fiber optic rods in the rear sight. I find them worse than useless as they can distract your attention from the front sight.

Just my $.02 but I think you will find these views shared by a lot of competitive shooters.
 
I use a large rear sight (Dawson has a good selection) and vary the width and style of the front sight for different situations. Black on black with a relatively wide front sight gives me the best sight picture for precision work.

Black rear sight with a fiber optic (red is my choice) front sight that is on the narrow side gives me a sight (front) that is easier to pick up when shooting quickly, a la IDPA or USPSA but still offers adequate accuracy.

For speed, like the Steel Challenge, I use the tried and true large black rear sight with a narrower fiber optic front sight. This arrangement leaves more open space to pick up the front sight and see the plate. This combination does give up some accuracy as the narrow front sight is more difficult to precisely align in the rear sight notch.

You will notice that I have not mentioned any dots or fiber optic rods in the rear sight. I find them worse than useless as they can distract your attention from the front sight.

Just my $.02 but I think you will find these views shared by a lot of competitive shooters.

To add to this, I like the Ameriglo wide plain black rear sight. .150 or .165 and a .100 front Dawson fiber optic.

http://ameriglo.com/collections/smith-wesson/products/smith-wesson-standard-steel-rears

Wide rear sight and narrow front, I have found work well for faster acquisition but not great for precision shooting. You need to figure what you want the sights for as there are many different types of "competition"
 
I just ordered a Dawson 0.100" for my DW PM9. Hoping it will be better than the coarse factory sight which is 0.125" and has a 0.060" fiber optic rod.
 
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