S&W 617 SIGHT MODIFICATION

[Kittitas George]

Anyone experienced with sight changes on a S&W 617? My 686 has a HIVIZ green front sight and a XTREME shallow V with a vertical white line rear sight. I' looking for a S&W 617 either 4" or 6" barrel (thoughts on that?) and using the HIVIZ green on the front. My 83 y.o. color blind eyes see that the best. On the rear I'm thinking the deeper V sight that Brownell's sells for S&Ws. The correct height is needed. I've sent inquiries to the companies, but 'no reply'. That S&W maybe on sale at Brownell's this weekend.

 

[dhbill]

Anyone experienced with sight changes on a S&W 617? My 686 has a HIVIZ green front sight and a XTREME shallow V with a vertical white line rear sight. I' looking for a S&W 617 either 4" or 6" barrel (thoughts on that?) and using the HIVIZ green on the front. My 83 y.o. color blind eyes see that the best. On the rear I'm thinking the deeper V sight that Brownell's sells for S&Ws. The correct height is needed. I've sent inquiries to the companies, but 'no reply'. That S&W maybe on sale at Brownell's this weekend.

Not an answer to your question but are you looking for a 6 shot or 10?
Not to hijack your question but I have a S&W 617-1 with 4” in 6 shot with box and papers I’d sell.

If you have interest I would send pics by PM

Bill Bowers
Chambersburg, Pa

 

[Kittitas George]

Not an answer to your question but are you looking for a 6 shot or 10?
Not to hijack your question but I have a S&W 617-1 with 4” in 6 shot with box and papers I’d sell.

If you have interest I would send pics by PM

Bill Bowers
Chambersburg, Pa

Yes, I would be very interested. I've been looking at all the sale sites. I would prefer a 6 shot instead of a 10.
Could/would you send the pictures to my PM, that would be better.
Thank you, George

 

[chuckshooter]

I couldn't see the sites on my 10 shot, 6" barrel 617 anymore, so I put a inexpensive red dot on it and now I can shoot it again.

 

[K22]

If your eyesight is such that with corrective lenses that you can clearly see the front sight, then the best open sights system, in my experience, is a standard blackened partridge square front blade with a standard rear blade sight.

This system can be improved by have the front blade cut back at a slight angle facing the shooter. This keeps overhead light from obscuring the front sight. If all you do is shoot under cover, then overhead light is not an issue. Also, a "cut back" front sight can snag so it is not a good option for self-defense purposes. But for hunting and target shooting, it works well in open light.

Ramped front sights and colored inserts never worked for me for shooting in open light. When the angle of the light was not ideal, the front sight would be obscured. As you know, you must be able to clearly see the front sight to shoot accurately. When I hunted with a revolver, the standard partridge sight worked best.

If eyesight cannot not be improved with corrective lenses*, then a compact red dot might be the way to go. I have an aversion to placing an optic on a revolver but one has to do what one has to do to stay in the game.

* Sometimes an eye doctor can fit you with a special lens that allows you to see the front sight. However, a more cost-effective solution may be a red dot. They make some nice ones today that are compact.

 

[Doug Casner]

I bought my son a617 6in. 10 shot when he graduated high school. Dont remember the sights seems like a high viz on the front but it shoots good. Doug

 

[divingin]

This system can be improved by have the front blade cut back at a slight angle facing the shooter. This keeps overhead light from obscuring the front sight.

Undercut on the near side, is what you're describing.

Ramped front sights and colored inserts never worked for me for shooting in open light. When the angle of the light was not ideal, the front sight would be obscured. As you know, you must be able to clearly see the front sight to shoot accurately. When I hunted with a revolver, the standard partridge sight worked best.

Ramped sight washout can be somewhat reduced by breaking the smooth sight surface (usually by horizontal scoring on the visible face of the sight.)

 

[K22]

Undercut on the near side, is what you're describing.



Ramped sight washout can be somewhat reduced by breaking the smooth sight surface (usually by horizontal scoring on the visible face of the sight.)

The front sight blade cut at a slight angle towards the shooter is what I was trying to describe. You can view as sort of a reverse ramp.

The old Colt Officer Model Match 22 LR's and 38 Specials had this feature if my memory serves me correctly. The S&W's target revolvers had a vertical straight front blade sight which was effective in overhead light conditions, but the Colt target design was better.

Also blackening the front sight blade helped a lot to remove any wear (shining) spots. The goal has always been in open sight shooting is to have a clear well defined front sight aligned vertically and horizontally within the rear sight notch.

 

[divingin]

The front sight blade cut at a slight angle towards the shooter is what I was trying to describe. You can view as sort of a reverse ramp.

Yes, undercut. Very common on target guns but out of favor on defensive guns because of the snagging issue.

Having the rear sight mounted at a slightly backwards-leaning angle (as opposed to strictly vertical) helps reduce glare from light behind the shooter as well, as does the practice of striating the rear of the rear sight blade, (same as the front ramp should the pistol have one.)

Another glare reducing design is to have the visible edges of the sight picture (i.e. the front sight profile, and the notch and upper surfaces of the rear sight) be beveled edges (rather than square cut edges) as this tends to reduce reflections from the angled cuts.

The best sight-blackener is soot from a carbide lamp (basically carbide + water creates acetylene); close second is soot from a wax candle flame, followed by any of the other commercially available aerosol or brush on paints. Blackening sights makes a big difference, but can be viewed as a PITA as well. I generally forego it now that I've stopped competing.

 

[K22]

Yes, undercut. Very common on target guns but out of favor on defensive guns because of the snagging issue.

Having the rear sight mounted at a slightly backwards-leaning angle (as opposed to strictly vertical) helps reduce glare from light behind the shooter as well, as does the practice of striating the rear of the rear sight blade, (same as the front ramp should the pistol have one.)

Another glare reducing design is to have the visible edges of the sight picture (i.e. the front sight profile, and the notch and upper surfaces of the rear sight) be beveled edges (rather than square cut edges) as this tends to reduce reflections from the angled cuts.

The best sight-blackener is soot from a carbide lamp (basically carbide + water creates acetylene); close second is soot from a wax candle flame, followed by any of the other commercially available aerosol or brush on paints. Blackening sights makes a big difference, but can be viewed as a PITA as well. I generally forego it now that I've stopped competing.

When I competed, I used the carbide system.

These days, I use a candle flame. Just make sure the front sight is all steel, no plastic inserts.

 

[divingin]

These days, I use a candle flame. Just make sure the front sight is all steel, no plastic inserts.

I could see that happening, right down the line from people launching their in-barrel bore sighters and such (that's happened several times.)