Making a Custom Fiber-Optic Front Sight

All of my 1911s and my .22-LR conversion kits have a fiberoptic front sight. For regular daylight shooting, both indoors and out, the fiber rod collects light and displays it as a glowing dot, which I think is perfect for quick sight alignment. But when I went shopping recently for a replacement front sight for one of my conversion kits, I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted. So I decided to make my own. I started with an extra-wide sight blank from SDM Fabricating Inc.

I’ve used SDM’s sight blanks to fabri- This extra-wide sight is steel in the white and will require finishing when completed. Refer to the text for depth info. The 1/16-inch fiber-optic rod is then installed in these holes. cate many different types of front sights depending on the application. This particular sight blank is 1/8-inch wide, which provides plenty of metal for the 1/16-inch fiber rod. I leveled the sight in my machinist’s vise, making sure the bit didn’t touch the ends of the vise.

Then I took a 5/16-inch ball-end bit and milled out the center of the sight to a depth of 0.16 inch. This cut allows more light to enter the rod, and the U-shaped cut has no sharp corners, which helps to keep the sight from cracking. The height of the blade was 0.245 inch. After making the cut, 0.085 inch of metal was left. This is enough to provide plenty of strength for the sight installation and use. Next, I rotated the sight so the end was up in the vise.

I set-up my mill so a 1/16-inch square-end bit was centered between the edges of the sight, and 1/32 inch down from the top. Using the 1/16-inch bit, I plunged a hole in one end of the sight. I then turned the sight over and plunged another 1/16-inch hole in the other end. These holes are to hold the fiber optic rod. I carefully removed any burrs using a flat jeweler’s file, then cleaned the sight with acetone and cold-blued it. I purchased two packages of 1/16inch fiber-optic rod from Oakridge

A roll pin can still be used to install the sight if it is below the level of the rod. Hobbies and Toys (www.oakridge hobbies.com). One of the packages was green and one was red, which seem to be colors most shooters prefer. Each package contained 10 pieces of 1/16-inch rod, each 12 inches long. The fiber rods are made by Plastruct, Inc. (www. plastruct.com). This is enough fiber rod to make hundreds of sights. I cut apiece of the green fiber-optic rod 1/8 inch longer than the length of the sight.

I then installed it in the sight, leaving 1/16 inch exposed on each end. I took a match and "ballooned" each end so the rod would stay in the sight. These ballooned ends also provide a larger dot. Now the sight is ready to be installed. If I need to change the rod, I can simply cut it in the middle, remove the cut pieces by withdrawing them from either end of the sight, and then install anew rod.

Conclusions/Recommendations Depending on the make and model, a fiber-optic front sight can cost anywhere from about $25 to over $100. And this is despite that fact that most of these sights are pretty much the same; they’re all basically a square blade with one or two U-shaped cuts and apiece of fiber rod. A sight blank and the little piece of rod costs me a lot less than even the least expensive factory-made fiber-optic front sight, and I can get the exact profile and dovetail I want.

So the next time you have a customer who wants to upgrade to a fiber-optic sight, you might want to sell him a sight blank and do the fiber-optic part yourself. ■