Sight paint on a 442?

tankermw · 03-06-2011, 08:19

Has anyone here used sight paint on their 442?. I have had mine for years & was never happy with how well I shot it. I know I have to "practice". I shoot my other pistols very well so it always frustrated me how inaccurate I was with my J frame. Yesterday I tried some of the wife's white nail polish on the tip of the front sight. HUGE improvement! I was curious if anyone here has used sight paint.

John Galt · 03-06-2011, 17:40

I bought a bottle of some cheap ($.99) orange nail polish about 3 years ago for my SP-101. It works great and should last a lifetime since I've only had to touch up my front sight one time.

G19aps · 03-06-2011, 18:37

I've used paint as well. Jig paint seems to work the best. A bottom layer of white and a top layer of whatever color you want. But my problem with the J frames is the front sight twitch and corresponding hit off to the right at the trigger break

Ajon412 · 03-06-2011, 20:22

I've used white Rust-O-Leum Appliance Epoxy touch up paint on my front sights with good results.....

tankermw · 03-07-2011, 18:11

Good to see that I'm not the only one who believes in the Field Expediant use of nail polish. I was shocked at how much better I shot.

***G33*** · 03-07-2011, 23:31

One bottle of bright orange.
Rest is clear for nails.

KentuckyPatriot · 03-08-2011, 07:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by G19aps

I've used paint as well. Jig paint seems to work the best. A bottom layer of white and a top layer of whatever color you want. But my problem with the J frames is the front sight twitch and corresponding hit off to the right at the trigger break

Agree on the nail polish/paint, etc. White undercoat is best if you are wanting red, orange, green, etc so that you will have the best luminosity possible.

As for the twitch...best thing to recommend is getting to a good gunsmith that knows revolvers. Have the action honed/stoned, a new Wolf spring kit and you should be good to go. My J-frames (642 and M&P 340) are now about 8lbs DA and smooth...hard to stage for a single-action type of shot.

Once this is done you will find that your shooting will dramatically improve with these handguns.

Chup · 03-08-2011, 19:15

I use white appliance touch up. After that dries I top it off with glow in the dark nail polish.

Dogguy · 03-09-2011, 09:25

I bought the Bright Sights kit from Midway. On the first attempt, the stuff peeled off the first time I cleaned the gun. After that, I made sure there was no oil on the front sight and applied two very thin coats and let it dry completely. That worked perfectly. I used the paint on several J-frames and an SP101 over a year ago and it's still there. Improves ability to see the front sights considerably.

50 Cent · 03-09-2011, 19:00

+1 to nail polish - pick your color - trust me the stuff comes in ANY color and is practically indestructible.

Four Knives · 06-08-2011, 20:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by G33

One bottle of bright orange.
Rest is clear for nails.

Plus one.

Testor's Flourescent Orange or Green from Wally World
Apply in thin coats, until you fill the ridges of the sight
After it's dried, apply two coats of clear nail polish

For me, the Testor's produced a better looking result than the colored nail polished I used to use...top coat of clear is for durability vs. solvents

**AgentM79** · 08-26-2011, 06:08

I've had great results with Bright Sights paint on my SW36. It's not a "-" gun, and has the old "narrow" front sight. I thoroughly prep the surface with the Bright Sights cleaner (smells like nail polish remover....), and then use the wooden handle from a cotton cleaning swab (dipped in the paint) to "roll" the sight ramp. Works perfectly if you do it right. If you don't like the results, quickly wipe off the Bright Sights paint, re-clean the surface, and try again. Mine has held up for several years with no degradation.

TedG · 08-26-2011, 07:52

I've been using nail polish for more than 40 years.... on my pistol sights.
The white base coat is the key.

fastbolt · 08-27-2011, 16:29

Sure, I've been using sight paint for some time, both bright orange/red and white, on both narrow & wide front ramps of revolvers.

Neither is anywhere nearly as easy to see - and as quick to align - as the XS front (night) sight & large rear U-notch setup which came on my M&P 340's, though.

Dogguy · 10-06-2011, 12:15

A follow-up on the Bright Sights. After using the stuff for over a year, I found the sights on any gun I carried needed occasional repainting. I picked up some Testors enamel (NOT acrylic) at a hobby store and tried it. It's much more durable than Bright Sights paint.

MtnBiker · 10-18-2011, 19:04

I probably shouldn't admit this, but I've used "whiteout" before as a sight paint.

It works well, but rubs off quickly. I'm not sure they even still make it with all the paperless offices these days.

DonGlock26 · 10-19-2011, 19:05

I use white model paint on my 442 sights. It works great.

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