Front Sight Options

[rwt]

Williams has put there FP aperture sight on my Browning B-92 in .357. I'll pick it up tomorrow. Their head gunsmith advised me that the front sight may need to be replaced.

If it does need replacing, do you all have recommendations on what (whose) front sight I should consider buying?

For instance-Does the white stripe on black background that the XS folks have really work great if you have 70 year old eyes? Or, will a Truglo fiber optic sight work better? Is it rugged enough?

Are there others?

Thank you!

[Pete44ru]

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I'm in my mid-70's, and fiber optic front sights have been my go-to front sight ever since they were first introduced, many years ago.

They work for me because all my deer hunting occurs at ranges under 100yds, and usually in dark brush and/or cedar swamps (aka: buck bedrooms). YMMV, of course.

Fiber-optic front sights are available in different colors (red, amber, green, yellow, etc) from different vendors (Hi-Viz, TruGlo, T/C, Marbles, Williams, etc, etc - just google "fiber optic rifle sights") that shooters with different color perceptions can choose from; AND (besides different heights) with the same bead sizes (1/16"- fine & 3/32" - coarse) that Gold & Ivory bead front sights are.

I'm surprised that Williams themselves didn't suggest they install their fiber-optic FireSight, since it's a given that adding a receiver peepsight will require usually a commensurately-taller front sight (because adding the peepsight raises the rifle's line-of-sight).

I had an XS White Line front sight on a .405 Miroku/Winchester Model 1895, but soon just blacked-out the white line with a Sharpie, because the black post didn't fade like it did with the white line.


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[AJMD429]

I like the very-durable 'Marlin' (don't remember who actually makes them) tiny gold-bead ones, as long as the light is good.

I like the more-visible Williams 'FireSight' in green (you can change fiber colors VERY easily with some spare fibers (Brownells or MidwayUSA) and a lighter for hunting when the light may be 'iffy'.

I like the Lyman 'Globe' front sights for range/target use, but they are the most bulky and probably most fragile.

[Malamute]

I didn't have to change the front sight on mine when I put a Lyman receiver sight on it. actually, Ive not ever had to out a taller front sight on when using a receiver sight.

Unless someone has already changed your front sight, its not simple. The front sight is silver soldered to the barrel, and doesn't have a removable blade like the older Winchester carbines did (and the Browning Centennial 92). Yours will have to either have the front sight base machined with a slot to accept pinned in blade sights like the old ones (would be my choice), or a dovetail machined into the barrel.

Bright orange fingernail polish, with a white base coat underneath, works really well on the factory sight. It isn't as bright in good light as the fiber optic sights, but when light gets low I think it works better than fiber optics.

[AJMD429]

If it is permanently mounted (or in my case, I was just too lazy to order and replace the sight already there), there's always THIS option:

• viewtopic.php?f=1&t=21648

The entire project took less than thirty minutes. And yes, the angle was not a problem - actually it seems to pick up light better in 'dim' conditions, without being excessively bright in direct sunlight.

The picture isn't great, but the sight works VERY well...!

[MrMurphy]

The XS stripe works well but fiber works better for most older shooters.