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Old June 18, 2018, 01:49 PM   #1
Winny
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Blacking out rear sights

I've been noticing that I get distracted by the rear white "U" sight on my pistol.

I've seen a couple folks black out the rear sights and just use the front bead for quicker, cleaner sight alignment and am tempted, but hesitant.

Pros and cons/ general experience with blacked out rear sights would be appreciated.

Thank you for your input!
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Old June 18, 2018, 01:58 PM   #2
44 AMP
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I blacken stainless sights with a Sharpie marker. Works tolerably well, and while it does wear, its easy to touch up.

If you're talking about a white dot/bar/ block on a dark rear sight being a distraction, you could darken it easily enough, and if you use the right stuff, it can be removed if you change your mind.

I would suggest, that, if its a dot on your rear sight distracting you, you're not focusing where you should be. Don't look AT the rear sight, look through it.

Easier to say than do, I admit, but its what works best, focus on the front sight, the rear sight, and the target should be a bit blurred.
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Old June 18, 2018, 02:26 PM   #3
RickB
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I've blacked the rear dots on my two guns so equipped.
I used a Sharpie paint pen, and have not had to reapply the paint . . . but I have also not cleaned the rears sights with solvents.

Can't think of a downside, unless I tried to sell the guns to someone who was a fan of 3-dot sights.
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Old June 18, 2018, 03:05 PM   #4
TailGator
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Another approach is to make the front sight more prominent. I use a night sight with a bright orange ring on the front only (HD).
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Old June 19, 2018, 02:30 PM   #5
SIGSHR
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I learned to shoot a handgun Bullseye style, black sights, hence colored sights, white outlines do nothing for me. YMMV.
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Old June 20, 2018, 08:59 AM   #6
tipoc
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Nothing wrong with doing that. Some may have more trouble with a U shaped sight.

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Old June 20, 2018, 10:15 AM   #7
Winny
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I blacked out the back U sight and it has definitely improved my sighting.

Gun shoots point of aim and sight alignment is much quicker.

I don't know what it was about that big white U but it was really throwing me off!

Thanks for the help, yall.
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Old July 17, 2018, 05:05 PM   #8
Sterling
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Most 3 dot rear sights (2dot rear) can be easily modded to be all black with a small steel drill bit. Take the best fitting bit preferably from a set and with the bit in hand simply twist back and forth the bit on to the white dots and the white filled dot will begin to come off easy does it no HeMan twisting. Ive done it on Glock Taurus Springfield plastic rear sights and had good results with a f.o sight up front. Need to resale the gun just refill with white junkyard permanent marker. Not directly. Just mark up a spot on a hard surface take toothpick to the wet marker ink and touch up your rear dots again. Easy peazy.
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Old July 17, 2018, 06:03 PM   #9
UncleEd
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To blacken out the rear sight will void
the warranty on the gun, cause it to
shoot violently left if you are a right-hander
and will cause the future generation
of your family to be sterile.

Is that enough warning?
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Old July 18, 2018, 08:49 AM   #10
MGMorden
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I do it pretty frequently. Depending on the gun I'll just take a marker or black nail polish and cover up the dots. This works for quick shooting but you can still usually tell the dots were there - they're just black dots instead. As such for a decent number of my guns I just went ahead and bought new sights.

Often times when replacing sights I'll go with plain black front and rear, but I also don't mind black rear with Fiber optic front.
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Old July 19, 2018, 05:04 PM   #11
craddleshooter
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I don't do it, and can't figured out why you would. Thunder, you must know something I don't! Please tell me why you would do such a thing? For me that's how I was trained in the military and LE. They are a big part of my sight picture.
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