Sight black

Mike38 · November 13, 2016, 05:31 PM

I came up with something today, and thought I'd share it. Either it's a great idea, or the dumbest thing ever, not sure which yet. Even though I'm 57 years old, and have less than prefect eye sight, I still use iron sights for pistol shooting. Bullseye (Precision Pistol) and Combat Pistol, I still use irons. But any glare what so ever on that front sight, plays havoc on me. So while in Walmart today I bought a pack of dry erase markers for the white board in my work van. Looked at the black one, and thought, why not try it for sight black? I do believe it will work. It goes on the sight a real glossy black, and at first I thought nope, this is bad. But in 20-30 seconds, it dried to a flat black, and appears like it will work great as a sight black. Anyone else do this? Think it will work? Or am I crazy?

Shadow72 · November 13, 2016, 08:32 PM

Birchwood Casey used to make a sight black in a aerosol can. It was a black paint like marerial that could be wiped off. Then there was a sight black "cigarette lighter" tool that used carbide to black sights. You drop a piece of carbide along with water, which would generate acetylene gas which you would light. The acetylene would burn with a smokey flame, allowing you to black your sights. Blacking sights isn't something new.

Mike38 · November 13, 2016, 10:33 PM

I've seen guys use the burning sight black, but something as easy as a dry erase pen is interesting. I tried a regular 'Sharpie' pen, but it leaves a glossy finish which I didn't care for. I'll give the dry erase thing a try and see how things go.

saleen322 · November 13, 2016, 10:55 PM

Never tried the dry erase marker but it would make it simple. Years ago I used candle smoke to put soot on the sight. Now I use the commercial sprays. I will have to try the marker.

Slopemeno · November 14, 2016, 01:31 PM

I've used the Birchwood Casey sight black in an aerosol can, magic marker, and flat black paint. They all worked- and helped.

**44 AMP** · November 15, 2016, 10:12 PM

I use a Sharpie marker on the sights of my stainless guns. Also have flat black model paint. For the paint, the trick is to make sure the sight is free of any oil or grease before painting.

Not permanent, of course, but easy to touch up...

Bob Wright · November 16, 2016, 02:07 PM

I've used flat black model airplane paint. Dries quick, easily removed with lacquer thinner.

Bob Wright

foolzrushn · November 21, 2016, 10:30 AM

Why do those of you using a flat black ( however you get it) prefer it to a flouresent on sights?

Wally World sells paint pen markers with several different ( green, orange, red) colors and some white flat. I like a brighter color on the front sight, to distinguish the front in the rear sight, on darker targets. They do work better over a white undercoat.

Just glare hasn't bothered me yet. But the flat flouresents would handle that. I have also tried cutting very small pieces of adhesive backed flouresent paper for use on the back of the front sight, but that's very fussy.

lamarw · November 21, 2016, 11:40 AM

Birchwood Casey still makes the Instant Touch-Up Pen in Flat Black. Not saying it is any better than magic markers and other remedies, but it does stay on for a long time.

HistoryJunky · December 14, 2016, 08:56 PM

I personally am used to the 3 dot setup. When I first bought my CZ-85b, it came with some VERY worn out looking white dots from the factory. I don't have the $$ for new sights at the moment, so I took some of my wife's hot pink nail polish and added it to the dots. It helps me pick the sights up a lot quicker.

mehavey · December 14, 2016, 10:27 PM

I just pull out my ordinary book of matches... and 10 seconds later... voila!
blackbody sight sucking every photon in & not letting a single visible one out.

Slopemeno · December 15, 2016, 12:02 PM

Why do we prefer black sights? Contrast. I competed in action shooting heavily for five or six years, and I started with:

1970's- Red Ramp front/white outline rear: Kind of busy sight picture. On bright days that front sight stood OUT but in dark conditions red becomes grey. The additional white line around the rear notch didn't seem do do much, IMHO.

1980's Then three dots became the rage. I had a Springfield defender 5" with Wilson 3-dots. Only- the tree dots picture was still "busy' and the dots weren't even correctly centered. My mentor suggested blacking out the dots and trying again. Hey- that really worked! I shot that Defender for a couple of season and won a couple of matches against the master Class shooters who had full-on race guns.

1990's Then I went to all-black full-size sights with a decent sized rear notch...wow- that's a bold sight picture. I was running Wichitas on my race gun, and I made a custom set of Millet's for my Security Six that had a sight picture that was 99% as good as a Bomar- I disc sanded off all the lines, bars, etc and re-serrated it at 50 lpi, and made a post front sight.

So- experiment yourself. Try it, and compete so you can measure any improvement.

Nanuk · December 18, 2016, 05:19 PM

In the 80's shooting PPC we darkened the sights to get a crisper sight picture.

Reloadron · December 20, 2016, 05:08 PM

I still use the Birchwood Casey Sight Black and a single can last a long, long time. I use it primarily on rifle on sunny days but guess it would do just fine on handgun.

Ron

James K · December 23, 2016, 12:17 AM

Just for info, in the distant past (1970's and earlier) an important part of every shooter's "kit" was a miner's "carbide" lamp. These produced acetylene gas (C2H2) by mixing calcium carbide (CaC2) with water. The resulting flame is normally clear and very bright but the lamp can be adjusted to create a lot of smoke, which was how it was used to blacken sights.

There is a good Wikipedia article under "carbide lamp."

Jim

mehavey · December 24, 2016, 06:46 AM

Still got mine. (But....)
A simple box of wooden matches is what's in the gunbox now.

November 13, 2016, 05:31 PM	#1
Mike38 Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2009 Location: North Central Illinois Posts: 2,710	Sight black I came up with something today, and thought I'd share it. Either it's a great idea, or the dumbest thing ever, not sure which yet. Even though I'm 57 years old, and have less than prefect eye sight, I still use iron sights for pistol shooting. Bullseye (Precision Pistol) and Combat Pistol, I still use irons. But any glare what so ever on that front sight, plays havoc on me. So while in Walmart today I bought a pack of dry erase markers for the white board in my work van. Looked at the black one, and thought, why not try it for sight black? I do believe it will work. It goes on the sight a real glossy black, and at first I thought nope, this is bad. But in 20-30 seconds, it dried to a flat black, and appears like it will work great as a sight black. Anyone else do this? Think it will work? Or am I crazy?

November 15, 2016, 10:12 PM	#6
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,804	I use a Sharpie marker on the sights of my stainless guns. Also have flat black model paint. For the paint, the trick is to make sure the sight is free of any oil or grease before painting. Not permanent, of course, but easy to touch up... __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

November 16, 2016, 02:07 PM	#7
Bob Wright Senior Member Join Date: July 10, 2012 Location: Memphis, Tennessee Posts: 2,987	I've used flat black model airplane paint. Dries quick, easily removed with lacquer thinner. Bob Wright __________________ Time spent at the reloading bench is an investment in contentment.

November 21, 2016, 10:30 AM	#8
foolzrushn Senior Member Join Date: April 29, 2015 Location: middle of the Santa Fe Trail Posts: 396	Why do those of you using a flat black ( however you get it) prefer it to a flouresent on sights? Wally World sells paint pen markers with several different ( green, orange, red) colors and some white flat. I like a brighter color on the front sight, to distinguish the front in the rear sight, on darker targets. They do work better over a white undercoat. Just glare hasn't bothered me yet. But the flat flouresents would handle that. I have also tried cutting very small pieces of adhesive backed flouresent paper for use on the back of the front sight, but that's very fussy. __________________ If you feel that you're pretty important...you should think about your significance to the Universe....and re-evaluate ! certified 'soap welder' Last edited by foolzrushn; November 21, 2016 at 10:35 AM.

December 18, 2016, 05:19 PM	#13
Nanuk Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2005 Location: Where the deer and the antelope roam. Posts: 3,082	In the 80's shooting PPC we darkened the sights to get a crisper sight picture. __________________ Retired Law Enforcement U. S. Army Veteran Armorer My rifle and pistol are tools, I am the weapon.

November 13, 2016, 08:32 PM	#2
Shadow72 Member Join Date: October 27, 2015 Location: Tejas Republic Posts: 70	Birchwood Casey used to make a sight black in a aerosol can. It was a black paint like marerial that could be wiped off. Then there was a sight black "cigarette lighter" tool that used carbide to black sights. You drop a piece of carbide along with water, which would generate acetylene gas which you would light. The acetylene would burn with a smokey flame, allowing you to black your sights. Blacking sights isn't something new.

November 13, 2016, 10:33 PM	#3
Mike38 Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2009 Location: North Central Illinois Posts: 2,710	I've seen guys use the burning sight black, but something as easy as a dry erase pen is interesting. I tried a regular 'Sharpie' pen, but it leaves a glossy finish which I didn't care for. I'll give the dry erase thing a try and see how things go.

November 13, 2016, 10:55 PM	#4
saleen322 Senior Member Join Date: March 8, 2010 Posts: 778	Never tried the dry erase marker but it would make it simple. Years ago I used candle smoke to put soot on the sight. Now I use the commercial sprays. I will have to try the marker.

November 14, 2016, 01:31 PM	#5
Slopemeno Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2007 Posts: 2,663	I've used the Birchwood Casey sight black in an aerosol can, magic marker, and flat black paint. They all worked- and helped.

November 21, 2016, 11:40 AM	#9
lamarw Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2010 Location: Lake Martin, AL Posts: 3,311	Birchwood Casey still makes the Instant Touch-Up Pen in Flat Black. Not saying it is any better than magic markers and other remedies, but it does stay on for a long time.

December 14, 2016, 08:56 PM	#10
HistoryJunky Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2010 Location: Freeport, IL Posts: 833	I personally am used to the 3 dot setup. When I first bought my CZ-85b, it came with some VERY worn out looking white dots from the factory. I don't have the $$ for new sights at the moment, so I took some of my wife's hot pink nail polish and added it to the dots. It helps me pick the sights up a lot quicker.

December 14, 2016, 10:27 PM	#11
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,883	I just pull out my ordinary book of matches... and 10 seconds later... voila! blackbody sight sucking every photon in & not letting a single visible one out.

December 15, 2016, 12:02 PM	#12
Slopemeno Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2007 Posts: 2,663	Why do we prefer black sights? Contrast. I competed in action shooting heavily for five or six years, and I started with: 1970's- Red Ramp front/white outline rear: Kind of busy sight picture. On bright days that front sight stood OUT but in dark conditions red becomes grey. The additional white line around the rear notch didn't seem do do much, IMHO. 1980's Then three dots became the rage. I had a Springfield defender 5" with Wilson 3-dots. Only- the tree dots picture was still "busy' and the dots weren't even correctly centered. My mentor suggested blacking out the dots and trying again. Hey- that really worked! I shot that Defender for a couple of season and won a couple of matches against the master Class shooters who had full-on race guns. 1990's Then I went to all-black full-size sights with a decent sized rear notch...wow- that's a bold sight picture. I was running Wichitas on my race gun, and I made a custom set of Millet's for my Security Six that had a sight picture that was 99% as good as a Bomar- I disc sanded off all the lines, bars, etc and re-serrated it at 50 lpi, and made a post front sight. So- experiment yourself. Try it, and compete so you can measure any improvement.

December 20, 2016, 05:08 PM	#14
Reloadron Senior Member Join Date: June 8, 2016 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Suburbs Posts: 1,750	I still use the *Birchwood Casey Sight Black* and a single can last a long, long time. I use it primarily on rifle on sunny days but guess it would do just fine on handgun. Ron

December 23, 2016, 12:17 AM	#15
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Just for info, in the distant past (1970's and earlier) an important part of every shooter's "kit" was a miner's "carbide" lamp. These produced acetylene gas (C2H2) by mixing calcium carbide (CaC2) with water. The resulting flame is normally clear and very bright but the lamp can be adjusted to create a lot of smoke, which was how it was used to blacken sights. There is a good Wikipedia article under "carbide lamp." Jim

December 24, 2016, 06:46 AM	#16
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,883	Still got mine. (But....) A simple box of wooden matches is what's in the gunbox now.

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