Two front sights I can see pretty well primarily because of the orange color. On the right, a layer of florescent orange nail polish over a layer of white. On the left, one I did with files back in the early 1980's using a liquid sight insert kit from Brownells. The sight was originally a plain black serrated ramp. I filed the notch with a triangle file, scratched in the grooves with a thread gauge matching the spacing of the little grooves, then cut the grooves first with a knife-edge needle file and then finished them with a triangle needle file. I see in this pic, they've taken a little beating since then. Held up well though over the years.
View attachment 1435480
In terms of my eyes, I remember doing that insert with simply the issued eyeballs, no magnification. There is no way I could do that today. In my early 20's I tried scoping a revolver but found I could not shoot it any better than I could the iron sights. Might be time to revisit that. Today, I can sure shoot a red dot sighted 22 pistol way better than I can the same open sighted pistol.
AccelR8 -
Howdy !.
I am fond of "N"-frame 357Mags, also. I gravitate towards the square butt, pinned barrel; recessed cylinder ones.
While I loved my 6" M-28, and even more so the superb 5" M-27; both were a tad long for easy concealed carry.
What I did was go full custom, to have ( 2 ) heavy-handed .357Mag "N's made.
My 'smith was Dave Schwarze of Ft. Wayne, IN. I wanted to go w/ a fixed-rate frame, and for the first gun; I used a M-58 that was re-bored to accept a .357" cal barrel. Schwarze also installed a M-28 cylinder, smooth combat trigger, and did an action job. I completed the gun by installing a set of Herretts custom " Jordan Trooper " walnut stocks.
The gun shot well, but their way room for more barrel wt to help mitigate recoil even more.
I came across a former NYSP M-520, and took it to Schwarze also. For this gun, he went w/ a full bull Douglas 4" barrel, used the stock .357Mag cylinder, bobbed the hammer, installed a smooth combat trigger, did an action job; and machined the Rt side of the trigger guard down to about 1/2 width; ala' the trigger guard on the Bill Jordan commemorative M-19.
When I contacted Herretts about stocks for the gun, they happened to have some Goncalo Alves there. I went w/ Jordan Troopers custom taylored to fit my hand. I had them mimic a speed loader recess that I had carved / sanded out on the stocks for the M-58 based gun; and their iteration of the Lt stock recess was even better. I had Schwarze send the gun out to be manganese phosphate coated.
For carry, I had Ken Null of Resaka, GA make me a custom strong-side ultra hi-ride leather holster, tanned using his " Oxblood " shade. Ken did a great job of giving me the muzzle fwd rake that I wanted, so that the draw comes from a straight fore arm..... wrist.... gun barrel axis. The gun's cylinder is positioned above the upper belt line.
The custom M-520 has the balance of a 5" -27, and that robust fixed sight frame configuration. It's my carry gun, for today.
With regards,
357Mag