I'm finding it harder and harder to pickup my front sight. Probably because I'm getting older,lol. I saw something the other day which I've never seen before. Gold bead front sights. Does anyone have any experience with these? What is the difference between that and say the XR or XD sights? Which would be better for an old guy like me? Is either one better than the other for either night or daytime use?
Posts: 5806 | Location: Chicago | Registered: August 18, 2010
I had one in a 5 inch 629 once. It was good back then, but I think modern night sights and fiber optics are better. I really like the setup on Tac Ops models, night sight on the rear and orange fiber up front.
Believe it or not, the old guys (Like Elmer Keith) used to set gold lines across a black front sight, usually adjusted for 50, 100 and 150 yards. When shooting you just picked the line you wanted for your estimated range.
Posts: 17291 | Location: Lexington, KY | Registered: October 15, 2006
Gold bead sights have been around a long time, and they work great. For a handgun sight, the trijicon HD's are a lot more visible in any lighting, and against any background.
I have 4 sets of these on my glock pistols and really like them, I don't have great eye site and they really helped. I almost always front sight focus now it just draws your eye right to it. I highly recommend them front gold rear u shape rear sight.
Originally posted by XLT: I have 4 sets of these on my glock pistols and really like them, I don't have great eye site and they really helped. I almost always front sight focus now it just draws your eye right to it. I highly recommend them front gold rear u shape rear sight.
These same sights came with my Vickers Glock 17. I like these sights a lot and consider them about even with my usual fiber optic front/black rear set up for range guns. I like Ameriglo I-Dots or Trijicon HD for carry guns but for range guns that don't get shot in the dark, the gold bead front works great for me. I'd probably have more gold bead front sights on my guns but I can usually find a Dawson Precision sight set with a fiber optic front cheaper and I don't find that the gold bead is actually better for my eyes.
Gold beads have been around a long time but there are much better options nowadays, especially for those with older eyes (I know because my eyes are older eyes). Fiber optic sights, night sights and even white dots are better choices than the gold bead. For range use, nothing beats a red dot optic.
"In God We Trust"
Posts: 1992 | Location: Central USA - Cornfields & Cows | Registered: May 19, 2005
Originally posted by prairieviper: Gold beads have been around a long time but there are much better options nowadays, especially for those with older eyes
I have had Don Williams put gold beads on black Heinie front sights for two 1911's he built up for me. It's the same gold bead (same mfg) as those found on some S&W revolvers. I used these guns for the games only, and never at night, but I can say that, in the AZ sun, there is nothing that picks up better than a gold bead front. I have also used fiber optics and the combined sight such as a TFO, and also regular tritiums. The gold bead is the quickest pickup, at least in the conditions here in AZ, and especially for these older eyes. I refuse to go the route of any kind of red dot on a pistol. I prefer a straight iron sight setup, and the gold bead front with a plain black rear is the best in our sun.
Posts: 10887 | Location: South Congress AZ | Registered: May 27, 2006
Originally posted by justjoe: I have a gold bead front sight on my Wilson Combat Professional, 4" barrel. It's great in all lighting, as someone said above, except total darkness.
This right here (without getting into a debate on philosophy of use) is what compels me to consider the gold bead even over tritium or fiber optic....I've just heard too many people singing the praises of a gold bead front sight. In total darkness a person should be utilizing a light source of some kind to identify a target/threat anyway, so I'm not seeing a downside to the gold bead...
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Posts: 1251 | Location: Oregon | Registered: March 18, 2014
Gold beads are not good in no light or bright light, like an Arizona sunny day. Good for range work, but I would not use them for my self defense firearm.
In low light they are not very good aiming into it, but work well if the low light is behind you.
As mentioned there are better options for a defensive firearm, XS Big Dot, Trig HD's.
Originally posted by prairieviper: Gold beads have been around a long time but there are much better options nowadays, especially for those with older eyes (I know because my eyes are older eyes). Fiber optic sights, night sights and even white dots are better choices than the gold bead. For range use, nothing beats a red dot optic.
Totally agree. I have all variety of sights, including gold beads on my 1911's. For old eyes like ours, and even better I assume for younger eyes, I find the fibreoptics and the big dots to be superior. Most fibreoptic sights are ugly, the exception being the ones that the tube is only open to light on the top and ends. Novak makes one like that which was standard on the Colt CCG 1911's. TruGlo also makes the TFX line, which combines tritium and fibreoptic and yet looks like a conventional front sight when viewed from the side . I have them on an S&W Shield and they work great . Probably should start putting them on 1911's.
Posts: 2560 | Location: Central Virginia | Registered: July 20, 2015
I have gold bead front sights on my S&W Model 629 and 625 revolvers and used to have one on my Custom Shop Sig P245. I replaced the Sig sight (made by Novak) with Trijicon HDs and use those on nearly every semi-auto pistol that I own. They're great for SD carry!
"I'm not fluent in the language of violence, but I know enough to get around in places where it's spoken."
Posts: 10279 | Location: The Free State of Arizona | Registered: June 13, 2007
I only had one pistol with a gold bead sight and was amazed at how easy it was to sight in a target compared to other sights I had. I have one pistol with a fiber optic front sight and like it,but it is still not as easy to find compared to the gold dot. The next sight I buy will have the night sight with the big white ring around it, as that helps me immensely or I may go with another gold dot.
