Agreed on the epoxy, except the stuff *can* be sculpted to a smoothness rivaling ivory.
In this pic:
<a href="http://bowenclassicarms.com/port/50%20ae%20lightweight.JPG">Heavily modified Blackhawk (in .50AE)</a>
It's clear he started with a blackhawk, "filled in" the factory sight channel, rounded the back and cut a dovetail.
This is VERY cool, but expensive. It occurs to me I could take a factory adjustable sight, cut the rearmost chunk off, add metal just ahead of the vertical screw then cut a dovetail into that. Then narrow the dovetail portion of the sight so it fits in between the stock topstrap rails. Do it right, you'd still have vertical adjustment, although you wouldn't have the leverage or range of adjustment as stock.
Hell, grafting the stock sight to a modern rig is something I could do with a dremel, a drill and some creative hacking. And if I screw up, the gun itself isn't harmed a bit. Hey, I could even get the windage dead right on the stock sight, add the combat sights ahead of it, line it up based on where the stock sights are...chop the stock rear end off last...if I get the height a bit off, leave the vertical screw in.
I want to be able to take LONG range shots with this baby. For me, "outline shooting" just hasn't been working out, I just plain use sights. It's something about my eyes, or vision processing gear, or whatever. I've learned to take a quick sight picture and get off an accurate shot...but what it amounts to is, there's a very limited number of self-defense situations I train for or feel I can deal with.
If it's a close-range mugging with a non-gun, I'm going to "immediately comply", go for what he thinks is a wallet, and set off a minirevolver in his face drawn from the front right pocket. If he's got a gun and I think I can grapple with it, I'll take a shot. Anything "longer range" I'm going to head for cover as priority #1! Then I'm gonna make 'em "charge defended cover", I'm gonna line up sights and plink at 'em until they're dead, in flight or they nail me.
Given how I shoot, SA versus DA isn't a major issue. Accuracy and good sights matter...and if that rear sight is forward enough, I'd get the "first quick strike" ability that the stock "rear overhang" Ruger setup partially chucks out. Remember, I've got a Single Six .22LR/.22Mag already, I've got some clue how these handle for me.
That custom Blackhawk rig's sights or the adjustables on a Freedom Arms are *exactly* what I've been looking for.
Jim March