Jun 2007
Blog Stuff: Technical problems
This has been a bad week for
me, internet-wise. The mail servers at the company that hosts
grantcunningham.com have been experiencing slowdowns and failures,
and my own internet connection (comcast.com) has been on-again,
off-again all week. I'm typing this on Thursday evening, about
11:00pm Pacific time, and the connection just came back on. It has
been off all day, except for a few hours this morning.
So, if you've emailed me and haven't gotten a reply, that's why. I just downloaded a whole pile of emails, and I'll try to get through them in the next couple of days.
Thanks for your patience!
-=[ Grant ]=-
So, if you've emailed me and haven't gotten a reply, that's why. I just downloaded a whole pile of emails, and I'll try to get through them in the next couple of days.
Thanks for your patience!
-=[ Grant ]=-
|
FRIDAY SURPRISE: A mystery worthy of Dr. House
So you're on your way home
from a hard day's work in Cameroon. You pass through a small
village, where everyone is dead. No external evidence of foul play,
and it appears that they died very quickly - in the midst of their
daily activities.
The deaths aren't limited to people. Animals for miles around died in their tracks, and just like the humans show no signs of foul play. The toll would eventually be 1,800 people and double that number of animals, all killed at the same time.
Investigators were baffled. Eventually, though, they did find the answer - and it was one worthy of a television show. It turns out that the mysterious killer had more in common with a bottle of soda than with a psychopath.
Find out what the mysterious killer was.
-=[ Grant ]=-
The deaths aren't limited to people. Animals for miles around died in their tracks, and just like the humans show no signs of foul play. The toll would eventually be 1,800 people and double that number of animals, all killed at the same time.
Investigators were baffled. Eventually, though, they did find the answer - and it was one worthy of a television show. It turns out that the mysterious killer had more in common with a bottle of soda than with a psychopath.
Find out what the mysterious killer was.
-=[ Grant ]=-
Brownells grows even larger
An email I received
yesterday revealed that Brownells
(purveyors of
all things pertaining to gunsmithing and gun accessories) has
purchased Sinclair
International, the manufacturer/retailer
of top-end reloading gear.
For years I've wondered why Brownells hadn't gotten into the reloading equipment business. They carry darned near everything else related to shooting, but there was a significant gap in their product line. The folks over at Midway, who have the reloading business covered completely, added gunsmithing tools to their line a number of years ago. I'd always thought that to be a "shot across the bow" of Brownells, and expected some sort of response. This would appear to be it!
The acquisition of Sinclair will fill the holes in their product selection very nicely, and serve to solidify their position in the marketplace. It will be interesting to see what new products show up as a result of the combination of these two great companies.
-=[ Grant ]=-
For years I've wondered why Brownells hadn't gotten into the reloading equipment business. They carry darned near everything else related to shooting, but there was a significant gap in their product line. The folks over at Midway, who have the reloading business covered completely, added gunsmithing tools to their line a number of years ago. I'd always thought that to be a "shot across the bow" of Brownells, and expected some sort of response. This would appear to be it!
The acquisition of Sinclair will fill the holes in their product selection very nicely, and serve to solidify their position in the marketplace. It will be interesting to see what new products show up as a result of the combination of these two great companies.
-=[ Grant ]=-
It's only what I deserve.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007 Filed in:
Blog stuff, Completely
irrelevant
Apparently Monday's post,
featuring the "b-word", was enough to put me over the top!
This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:
-=[ Grant ]=-
This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:
- gun (15x)
- shoot (6x)
- bitch (2x)
- hurt (1x)
-=[ Grant ]=-
So that's the explanation
Monday, June 25, 2007 Filed in:
Current
Events, Political Action
SayUncle alerts us to a new Connecticut law
requiring law
abiding gun owners to report firearms thefts immediately or face
the consequences.
He says one insightful thing:
He says one insightful thing:
Punishing the otherwise law-abiding is easy. After all, they don’t shoot back. And going after people who do shoot back is hard.
Yep, that would explain
it.
-=[
Grant]=-
Where'd I go wrong?
Monday, June 25, 2007 Filed in:
Blog stuff
So, let's see if I've got
this right: a blog called the "Revolver Liberation Alliance", whose
sole purpose is to talk about guns (and the occasional rebellious
squirrel), only rates a PG-13? What gives? Most other gun blogs get
at least an "R", and good ol' TamaraK rates a well-deserved
NC-17.
This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:
I even took a look at the rating for Michael Bane's blog. Michael - clean cut, smilin' Mike, the Ward Cleaver of gun bloggers - got an "R"! A frickin' "R"!
As near as I can tell, he got his rating because he had one occurrence of the word "bitch". I don't know if I need to use the word bitch in context, but here's to hoping my rating goes up a point!
(Hey, at least I'm not trying to raise my rating the way SayUncle is trying to raise his...)
-=[ Grant ]=-
This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:
- gun (11x)
- shoot (3x)
- hell (1x)
I even took a look at the rating for Michael Bane's blog. Michael - clean cut, smilin' Mike, the Ward Cleaver of gun bloggers - got an "R"! A frickin' "R"!
As near as I can tell, he got his rating because he had one occurrence of the word "bitch". I don't know if I need to use the word bitch in context, but here's to hoping my rating goes up a point!
(Hey, at least I'm not trying to raise my rating the way SayUncle is trying to raise his...)
-=[ Grant ]=-
Notice anything different??
Friday, June 22, 2007 Filed in:
What's
New!, Blog stuff
Sorry, but there's no Friday
Surprise this week...the surprise, instead, is the site remodel!
(Hey, I remodeled my kitchen - why not my website??)
I've never been totally happy with the layout of either this blog or the website; they just didn't look like what I'd envisioned. This new layout is much closer to what I wanted, and introduces some new features as well.
You'll notice that the main site is now better organized, more logically laid out, and easier to navigate. (I hope that you'll think it's better looking, too!)
The Blog, aside from having the new layout, now has many more categories (on the left) so you can read more of what you're interested in. The date archives have returned as well, in case you're a chronological kind of reader.
Have a look around the redesigned grantcunningham.com. If you find something that doesn't work, or doesn't seem to display properly, please email me so that the problem can be fixed!
-=[ Grant ]=-
I've never been totally happy with the layout of either this blog or the website; they just didn't look like what I'd envisioned. This new layout is much closer to what I wanted, and introduces some new features as well.
You'll notice that the main site is now better organized, more logically laid out, and easier to navigate. (I hope that you'll think it's better looking, too!)
The Blog, aside from having the new layout, now has many more categories (on the left) so you can read more of what you're interested in. The date archives have returned as well, in case you're a chronological kind of reader.
Have a look around the redesigned grantcunningham.com. If you find something that doesn't work, or doesn't seem to display properly, please email me so that the problem can be fixed!
-=[ Grant ]=-
Just to set the record straight
One of my
favorite blogs is Marko's "The Munchkin
Wrangler." Marko is
yet another prolific and intelligent blogger from Tennessee whose
interests include firearms and Second Amendment rights.
He wrote an interesting piece a while back, titled "Why the Gun is Civilization." While one could (and some do) argue that his premise is not fully developed, I found it thought provoking. It's worth reading, if only to get you thinking more abstractly.
It seems that I'm not the only person who liked that little essay, as it has apparently been turning up in various guises and attributed to someone else. This is my little contribution to helping the cause: if you see his writing under someone else's moniker, or even unattributed, do your part and let people know who wrote it.
It's a karma thing.
-=[ Grant ]=-
He wrote an interesting piece a while back, titled "Why the Gun is Civilization." While one could (and some do) argue that his premise is not fully developed, I found it thought provoking. It's worth reading, if only to get you thinking more abstractly.
It seems that I'm not the only person who liked that little essay, as it has apparently been turning up in various guises and attributed to someone else. This is my little contribution to helping the cause: if you see his writing under someone else's moniker, or even unattributed, do your part and let people know who wrote it.
It's a karma thing.
-=[ Grant ]=-
Light on blogging today
Monday, June 18, 2007 Filed in:
Blog stuff
It's not that
I don't want to blog today, but a combination of fatigue and a full
calendar conspire against me.
Last night - late last night - I finished a major task: a remodel of our kitchen. I've been at this nearly every evening and weekend for a month, and last night I drove the final nail. The only things left are paint (my wife's task) and a new floor covering. This morning, I decided on a bit of well-earned extra sleep!
Sadly, the workday beckons...
-=[ Grant ]=-
Last night - late last night - I finished a major task: a remodel of our kitchen. I've been at this nearly every evening and weekend for a month, and last night I drove the final nail. The only things left are paint (my wife's task) and a new floor covering. This morning, I decided on a bit of well-earned extra sleep!
Sadly, the workday beckons...
-=[ Grant ]=-
FRIDAY SURPRISE: Turkey carving this ain't!
When I was a
kid, I was fascinated by the idea of carving (or whittlin', as we
called it.) My dad occasionally whittled a whistle, my uncle did a
spoon now and again, but the object that fascinated me the most was
a short wooden chain that my grandfather had hanging on his
wall.
The idea that one could gouge out a series of links, with no breaks, from a single piece of wood seemed incomprehensible to my young mind. It seemed almost like magic!
Today, of course, I understand how its done, but now marvel at the patience necessary to complete such a task. The little chain that captivated me pales, however, in comparison to this:
That item was carved from a single pencil! There's more to see over at The New Shelton Wet/Dry blog. Check it out!
-=[ Grant ]=-
The idea that one could gouge out a series of links, with no breaks, from a single piece of wood seemed incomprehensible to my young mind. It seemed almost like magic!
Today, of course, I understand how its done, but now marvel at the patience necessary to complete such a task. The little chain that captivated me pales, however, in comparison to this:
That item was carved from a single pencil! There's more to see over at The New Shelton Wet/Dry blog. Check it out!
-=[ Grant ]=-
Michael Bane update
Wednesday, June 13, 2007 Filed in:
Other
resources, Shooting
industry
My
earlier post today indicated that Michael Bane's podcast cannot be
subscribed. Thanks to a regular reader, I learned that one can, in
fact, subscribe to the wonderful Michael Bane podcast by going to
the DownrangeTV
website, where you'll see a
button to subscribe to the podcast.
(He still needs to put that link on his blog, though...how 'bout it, Michael?)
-=[ Grant ]=-
(He still needs to put that link on his blog, though...how 'bout it, Michael?)
-=[ Grant ]=-
A few snippets of my mind
Wednesday, June 13, 2007 Filed in:
General gun
stuff, Gunsmithing, Completely
irrelevant, Techniques &
Training
For the 3rd time in 3 months, I'm
working on a 9mm revolver. It is the 3rd Ruger SP101 in a row that
has CrimsonTrace LaserGrips installed. Finally, it has the 3"
barrel.
All these "3"s are starting to become unnerving...I feel a bit like Rod Serling.
---
Michael Bane has a podcast at the top of his blog page these days, and it's pretty darned good. I'm hoping one of these days he'll see fit to make it available as a subscription through iTunes (or one of the other podcast sites) like every other podcast! (Hey, Michael, that's a hint! I listen to podcasts as I work, and having one that's not in the same place as the others interrupts my workflow!)
Seriously, though, it's a great listen. Check it out.
--
Funny how training manifests itself. We're remodeling the kitchen, and I'm making good use of my Bostitch nail gun. I've noticed that I keep my trigger finger straight along the side of the head when I'm not actually nailing, just as one should with a firearm. I guess that safety training really has been ingrained!
--
Speaking of safety: handling guns all day long, as I do, always has a certain amount of danger for accidents. That's why I don't allow any live ammunition in my shop, period. If you do any dry fire practice, follow that same rule: no live ammunition anywhere in the room where you're practicing, no exceptions!
--
-=[ Grant ]=-
All these "3"s are starting to become unnerving...I feel a bit like Rod Serling.
---
Michael Bane has a podcast at the top of his blog page these days, and it's pretty darned good. I'm hoping one of these days he'll see fit to make it available as a subscription through iTunes (or one of the other podcast sites) like every other podcast! (Hey, Michael, that's a hint! I listen to podcasts as I work, and having one that's not in the same place as the others interrupts my workflow!)
Seriously, though, it's a great listen. Check it out.
--
Funny how training manifests itself. We're remodeling the kitchen, and I'm making good use of my Bostitch nail gun. I've noticed that I keep my trigger finger straight along the side of the head when I'm not actually nailing, just as one should with a firearm. I guess that safety training really has been ingrained!
--
Speaking of safety: handling guns all day long, as I do, always has a certain amount of danger for accidents. That's why I don't allow any live ammunition in my shop, period. If you do any dry fire practice, follow that same rule: no live ammunition anywhere in the room where you're practicing, no exceptions!
--
-=[ Grant ]=-
Are ammo prices keeping you from learning?
Lately I've been hearing from
people who've decided against attending training courses because of
the cost of ammunition. If I may, I think that this is a
shortsighted attitude!
Yes, ammo prices are the highest they've ever been. Yes, the number of rounds necessary to complete a decent shooting class is a significantly higher expense than it used to be. It's still worth it, and it's a bargain that you should take advantage of.
If you plan to carry a handgun, or if you keep a shotgun for home defense, training - proper training - may make the difference between a successful outcome and a tragedy. Isn't that worth the few extra dollars that the necessary ammunition is going to cost? I sure think it is!
By the time you add up travel, lodging, registration fees, meals, and incidentals, that little extra the ammo costs really isn't a big deal. Spend the money - it's important to you, and to your loved ones, that you not miss that class!
-=[ Grant ]=-
Yes, ammo prices are the highest they've ever been. Yes, the number of rounds necessary to complete a decent shooting class is a significantly higher expense than it used to be. It's still worth it, and it's a bargain that you should take advantage of.
If you plan to carry a handgun, or if you keep a shotgun for home defense, training - proper training - may make the difference between a successful outcome and a tragedy. Isn't that worth the few extra dollars that the necessary ammunition is going to cost? I sure think it is!
By the time you add up travel, lodging, registration fees, meals, and incidentals, that little extra the ammo costs really isn't a big deal. Spend the money - it's important to you, and to your loved ones, that you not miss that class!
-=[ Grant ]=-
FRIDAY SURPRISE: Clothes may not make the man...
Friday, June 08, 2007 Filed in:
Friday
Surprise!, Things I like
...but they can sure be his
undoing if they aren't right!
It's taken me years to assimilate this fully, and I still backslide occasionally, but the old saw "quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten" is so true!
Nowhere is this more evident than in the fine garments from Filson. Filson is an old-line outdoor clothing maker located just up the road in Seattle. (Yeah, it's a long road up there, but you get the point.) Filson has been making top-drawer clothing since the days of the Yukon gold rush, and many of their current designs actually hail from that era. "Tried and true" has never been more appropriate!
Filson became known for two materials: "mackinaw wool" and "tin cloth." These are incredibly rugged, durable fabrics that have no synthetic equivalents. A "tin cloth" coat will literally last generations, and I have a "mackinaw wool" coat in my (small) collection that is at least 40 years old and still in perfect condition despite having been worn in some very rough conditions.
Styling? What styling? The traditional Filson garments are functional above all, and whatever style they have derives solely from their function. The result is a look that has come to be known as "northwest casual", and to my eyes looks as good as it works.
This tremendous gear is made right here in the good ol' US of A. Needless to say, quality of this level is not cheap. It is, however, worth every penny when you're out in the cold and wet, and traipsing through vegetation that would shred even the best that Columbia or The North Face has to offer. After all that, you can hand it down to your children, who will get the same service out of it!
It's worth noting that Filson was purchased by an investment group a few years back, who promptly introduced a line of imported garments. Some of us watched with horror, convinced that our beloved Filson was going the way of another once-quality maker from this area - Pendleton - in transferring production overseas. Thankfully Filson's new owners didn't succumb, and kept those items traditionally made in Seattle right where they'd always been. They added new items made overseas, but at the same time introduced new items made in the US as well! While I'd prefer seeing everything made here, kudos to Filson for striking what is probably a pragmatic balance.
Just look for "Made in the USA" in the product description - Filson still proudly declares those items that are!
Filson is going to be featured on John Ratzenberger's "Made In America" show next Tuesday, June 12, on The Travel Channel. You can be sure I'll be watching!
-=[ Grant ]=-
It's taken me years to assimilate this fully, and I still backslide occasionally, but the old saw "quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten" is so true!
Nowhere is this more evident than in the fine garments from Filson. Filson is an old-line outdoor clothing maker located just up the road in Seattle. (Yeah, it's a long road up there, but you get the point.) Filson has been making top-drawer clothing since the days of the Yukon gold rush, and many of their current designs actually hail from that era. "Tried and true" has never been more appropriate!
Filson became known for two materials: "mackinaw wool" and "tin cloth." These are incredibly rugged, durable fabrics that have no synthetic equivalents. A "tin cloth" coat will literally last generations, and I have a "mackinaw wool" coat in my (small) collection that is at least 40 years old and still in perfect condition despite having been worn in some very rough conditions.
Styling? What styling? The traditional Filson garments are functional above all, and whatever style they have derives solely from their function. The result is a look that has come to be known as "northwest casual", and to my eyes looks as good as it works.
This tremendous gear is made right here in the good ol' US of A. Needless to say, quality of this level is not cheap. It is, however, worth every penny when you're out in the cold and wet, and traipsing through vegetation that would shred even the best that Columbia or The North Face has to offer. After all that, you can hand it down to your children, who will get the same service out of it!
It's worth noting that Filson was purchased by an investment group a few years back, who promptly introduced a line of imported garments. Some of us watched with horror, convinced that our beloved Filson was going the way of another once-quality maker from this area - Pendleton - in transferring production overseas. Thankfully Filson's new owners didn't succumb, and kept those items traditionally made in Seattle right where they'd always been. They added new items made overseas, but at the same time introduced new items made in the US as well! While I'd prefer seeing everything made here, kudos to Filson for striking what is probably a pragmatic balance.
Just look for "Made in the USA" in the product description - Filson still proudly declares those items that are!
Filson is going to be featured on John Ratzenberger's "Made In America" show next Tuesday, June 12, on The Travel Channel. You can be sure I'll be watching!
-=[ Grant ]=-
What causes stacking?
Wednesday, June 06, 2007 Filed in:
Revolvers, Gunsmithing
Stacking is defined as an increase
in trigger pull weight toward the end of the trigger's rearward
travel. Some people like it, some don't, and different guns have
varying amounts of it. What causes it?
Some people come up with odd explanations. I recently got an email asking about stacking; the writer had read "on the internet" that stacking was caused by the type of spring - coil or leaf - used in the action. It's a simplistic answer, and it's not terribly accurate.
An "L" frame S&W uses a leaf spring, and has little to no stacking; a Colt uses a leaf spring, and has lots of stack. A Dan Wesson uses a coil spring and it's trigger stacks horribly, where a Ruger GP-100 uses a coil spring and stacks very little.
The cause of stacking isn't the spring itself; the biggest determinant is the geometry of the double-action mechanism. In general, guns using a design where the hammer strut does double duty as the double action sear (Colt and Dan Wesson) will display lots of stacking, while those that use a separate strut and sear arrangement (S&W, Ruger) will display less.
(Some nomenclature: a sear is any pair of surfaces from which the hammer is released; a strut is the pivoting piece on the hammer, which the trigger pushes on in order to start the hammer moving backward. In some guns, the trigger pushes on the strut, and at some point the sears come into contact and the strut leaves contact with the trigger; after some additional hammer movement, the sears slip out of engagement and allow the hammer to fall. The other design is where the strut actually pushes the hammer all the way back, at which point it slips off of the trigger and releases the hammer.)
This isn't a guarantee, though, because there are still a number of angles between surfaces and pivots that can introduce stacking into the mechanism. It is possible to design either system to have the characteristics of the other, though in practice it doesn't happen all that often.
That's how it all stacks up! (Sorry, couldn't resist the pun.)
-=[ Grant ]=-
Some people come up with odd explanations. I recently got an email asking about stacking; the writer had read "on the internet" that stacking was caused by the type of spring - coil or leaf - used in the action. It's a simplistic answer, and it's not terribly accurate.
An "L" frame S&W uses a leaf spring, and has little to no stacking; a Colt uses a leaf spring, and has lots of stack. A Dan Wesson uses a coil spring and it's trigger stacks horribly, where a Ruger GP-100 uses a coil spring and stacks very little.
The cause of stacking isn't the spring itself; the biggest determinant is the geometry of the double-action mechanism. In general, guns using a design where the hammer strut does double duty as the double action sear (Colt and Dan Wesson) will display lots of stacking, while those that use a separate strut and sear arrangement (S&W, Ruger) will display less.
(Some nomenclature: a sear is any pair of surfaces from which the hammer is released; a strut is the pivoting piece on the hammer, which the trigger pushes on in order to start the hammer moving backward. In some guns, the trigger pushes on the strut, and at some point the sears come into contact and the strut leaves contact with the trigger; after some additional hammer movement, the sears slip out of engagement and allow the hammer to fall. The other design is where the strut actually pushes the hammer all the way back, at which point it slips off of the trigger and releases the hammer.)
This isn't a guarantee, though, because there are still a number of angles between surfaces and pivots that can introduce stacking into the mechanism. It is possible to design either system to have the characteristics of the other, though in practice it doesn't happen all that often.
That's how it all stacks up! (Sorry, couldn't resist the pun.)
-=[ Grant ]=-
Sight options
Much as it pains me to admit this,
my eyesight is degrading with distressing rapidity. No, it's
nothing out of the ordinary, nor is it anything serious - it's just
that I'm getting older!
I'm close enough to the big "five-oh" to count the years left on one hand (with fingers left over), and the closer it gets the further out I need to hold the restaurant menu. Oh, yes, my prescription is current - but after wearing bifocals for the better part of the last decade, I'm now told I need trifocals. The indignity!
Sound familiar? It should, given the number of questions I field about sight options. Consistently, the two most common queries concern fiber optic front sights, and the "Big Dot" from XS Sight Systems (or whatever they're calling themselves this week.)
I have some personal experience with the fiber optic inserts, and frankly I'm not terribly impressed. Aside from their fragility (the encased ones are somewhat better in that regard), they don't really help the sight visibility all that much. Yes, their neon glow does attract the eye, but if your eyesight is like mine the resulting sight picture isn't all that crisp. The bright fiber tends to "bloom" - that is, it looks larger than it really is and develops a fuzzy corona. This makes precise shot alignment more difficult; it's very much like when someone turns on the bedroom lights in the middle of the night, and your eyes struggle to adjust to the situation - everything seems to be "flared." Squinting helps, but wasn't that what you were trying to avoid in the first place?
The "Big Dot" sights are another matter. The Big Dot is just what its name says: a very large, round front sight. The idea is to make the sight so big that even Mr. Magoo couldn't miss it. While I've never owned a set personally, I've test fired guns that carried them, and I've found the sights are so large that they just can't be shot all that accurately. Their sight picture (particularly with the companion "express" v-notch rear sights) is just too coarse for good shot placement.
I'm not alone in my opinion of the Big Dot; I've installed several of them on client's guns, and they have all elected to switch back to the original sights. If that isn't enough of a non-endorsement, I've watched one of the best handgun shooters I know - a police officer who has been a state IPSC and PPC champ - struggle to keep in the A-zone at 15 yards with the things, when at that distance he usually shoots single, ragged holes. Most people who aren't as good as he is do far worse. As you might guess, he doesn't like them either.
What works for those of us who are pushing 50 (or dragging it, as the case may be)? Well, for quite some time I've been told to simply use a wide rear sight notch - one big enough to have roughly one-third to one-half a sight-width of light on either side of the front sight. (I must admit that a very good friend has been preaching the widened rear sight for the past several years. Frankly, though he is one of the best instructors I've ever met and a phenomenal shot, I thought he was nuts. As the front sight got harder and harder to see, however, I grudgingly made room for the idea that he might be right.)
Recently one of my clients asked that I widen the rear notch on his sight to give "lots of light on either side." I did so, making the space on each side of the front sight appear to be roughly 1/3 of blade width. Surprisingly, it was definitely easier to shoot the resulting gun. It focused sharper and much cleaner, and the sights aligned a lot faster. It was a definite increase in shootability compared to my own guns.
Of course, now I need to find time to do the same to all of my sights....
-=[ Grant ]=-
I'm close enough to the big "five-oh" to count the years left on one hand (with fingers left over), and the closer it gets the further out I need to hold the restaurant menu. Oh, yes, my prescription is current - but after wearing bifocals for the better part of the last decade, I'm now told I need trifocals. The indignity!
Sound familiar? It should, given the number of questions I field about sight options. Consistently, the two most common queries concern fiber optic front sights, and the "Big Dot" from XS Sight Systems (or whatever they're calling themselves this week.)
I have some personal experience with the fiber optic inserts, and frankly I'm not terribly impressed. Aside from their fragility (the encased ones are somewhat better in that regard), they don't really help the sight visibility all that much. Yes, their neon glow does attract the eye, but if your eyesight is like mine the resulting sight picture isn't all that crisp. The bright fiber tends to "bloom" - that is, it looks larger than it really is and develops a fuzzy corona. This makes precise shot alignment more difficult; it's very much like when someone turns on the bedroom lights in the middle of the night, and your eyes struggle to adjust to the situation - everything seems to be "flared." Squinting helps, but wasn't that what you were trying to avoid in the first place?
The "Big Dot" sights are another matter. The Big Dot is just what its name says: a very large, round front sight. The idea is to make the sight so big that even Mr. Magoo couldn't miss it. While I've never owned a set personally, I've test fired guns that carried them, and I've found the sights are so large that they just can't be shot all that accurately. Their sight picture (particularly with the companion "express" v-notch rear sights) is just too coarse for good shot placement.
I'm not alone in my opinion of the Big Dot; I've installed several of them on client's guns, and they have all elected to switch back to the original sights. If that isn't enough of a non-endorsement, I've watched one of the best handgun shooters I know - a police officer who has been a state IPSC and PPC champ - struggle to keep in the A-zone at 15 yards with the things, when at that distance he usually shoots single, ragged holes. Most people who aren't as good as he is do far worse. As you might guess, he doesn't like them either.
What works for those of us who are pushing 50 (or dragging it, as the case may be)? Well, for quite some time I've been told to simply use a wide rear sight notch - one big enough to have roughly one-third to one-half a sight-width of light on either side of the front sight. (I must admit that a very good friend has been preaching the widened rear sight for the past several years. Frankly, though he is one of the best instructors I've ever met and a phenomenal shot, I thought he was nuts. As the front sight got harder and harder to see, however, I grudgingly made room for the idea that he might be right.)
Recently one of my clients asked that I widen the rear notch on his sight to give "lots of light on either side." I did so, making the space on each side of the front sight appear to be roughly 1/3 of blade width. Surprisingly, it was definitely easier to shoot the resulting gun. It focused sharper and much cleaner, and the sights aligned a lot faster. It was a definite increase in shootability compared to my own guns.
Of course, now I need to find time to do the same to all of my sights....
-=[ Grant ]=-
FRIDAY SURPRISE: I told you, but you wouldn't listen!
I've been trying my level best to
alert the world about the threat posed by militant
squirrels. They've been testing
us,
attacking
sporadically in an attempt to
weaken
our defenses. Now the unthinkable has happened
- they've acquired advanced weaponry!
Once their internal power struggles have been settled, we're in for a long, hard fight!
-=[ Grant ]=-
Once their internal power struggles have been settled, we're in for a long, hard fight!
-=[ Grant ]=-