Heavy duty fixed sights for S&W revolvers

Guns Magazine, August, 2009 by Clint Smith

I have been a long-standing proponent of large caliber handguns for personal defense. Based on design or maybe marketing, one flaw is these big guns are often equipped with or require frail adjustable sights to have projectiles strike properly downrange. That said it is also probable a fixed sight handgun is better or more durable in defense and carry roles. In the past, it seemed, the factories did a better job presetting the fixed sighting, yet, in all fairness, current fixed-sight guns have a large number of different loads, which can potentially cause a lot of downrange variables.

Should breaking off the adjustable rear sight leaf be an issue for you or if you simply want the handgun to be more durable, try replacing the adjustable rear sight with fixed rear sights as I did on my S&W 325s with great success. Two different options are available.

I have tested both and they work very well. Cylinder & Slide and D&L Sports both offer versions of a drop-in fixed sight fitting in the existing sight slot. The C&S version uses a single screw to anchor the sight while, as usual, Dave Lauck produces the King Kong 3-hole version to anchor screws to all three available threaded holes in the frame.

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Bluntly, my C&S fixed sight version dropped in and was right on the mark on my daily carry S&W 325 .45 ACP Thunder Ranch revolver using the CorBon DPX load I carry most often. The D&L sight needed a bit of adjustment when set on the revolver--a point Dave Lauck openly pointed out to me when he sent me the sight to test, so there was no surprise there.

Should you want to armor up the sometimes-fragile rear sight on your favorite Smith & Wesson, these two shops are the ones to address and solve your sight requirements.

CYLINDER & SLIDE

245 E. 4TH STREET

FREMONT, NE. 68025

(402) 721-4277, WWW.CYLINDER-SLIDE.COM

D&L SPORTS

P.O. BOX 651, GILLETTE, WY 82717

(307) 686-4008, WWW.DLSPORTS.COM