July 11, 2026, 02:07 PM
jljonesRecommendations for installing red ramp in older Smith revolvers?
Anyone know of a quality gunsmith that will still mill and install red ramp front sights on K and N frame Smith and Wesson revolvers?
July 11, 2026, 04:20 PM
YooperSigsBrownells has a kit to do it. But...You have to file the slot into the sight blade by hand. Not a task I would want to do without some kind of experience!
July 11, 2026, 04:56 PM
pulicordsIt looks like SDM has discontinued sales of their gold bead front sights, but they are still advertising green and red inserts on S&W ramp front blades. Worth a try!
https://www.sdmfabricating.com/order.htmJuly 11, 2026, 07:19 PM
sigfreund.
I asked the AI Gemini about gunsmiths that offer the service you’re seeking, and got these as a response:
https://clarkcustomguns.comOffers the service in “existing” sights. I don’t know if that means the slot has to already be present, but at the modest price, probably.
https://www.lawweapons.org/ Law Weapons & Supply (Illinois); I didn’t check the services they offer, but they were mentioned in the search results.
https://tkcustom.comSame as the above regarding the actual services they offer.
July 11, 2026, 09:49 PM
David LeeMagnaPort still does this. The dovetail for the insert is not a critical cut for the insert. Also, they offer C More sights which are a quality colored sight.
July 11, 2026, 10:06 PM
jer830I had a friend, who is no longer with us, who did this at all the local gun shows here back in the late 80s early 90s. He was a retired Riverside County deputy. He used a Dremel to cut a notch in the front sight then filled the cutout with an epoxy mixture (the customer got to pick their color preference) in series, where he put a little in, dry it under a heat lamp and blow dryer and build it up. He filed the sides up with a file and if the gun was blued he applied cold blue.
Customers would drop off their guns and they would be ready in a couple hours depending on demand. I watched do a dozen of these over the years. He did a couple for me and they were as good as the ones I had from the factory.
July 11, 2026, 10:46 PM
9mmepiphanyquote:
Originally posted by jer830:
I had a friend, who is no longer with us, who did this at all the local gun shows here back in the late 80s early 90s. He was a retired Riverside County deputy. He used a Dremel to cut a notch in the front sight then filled the cutout with an epoxy mixture (the customer got to pick their color preference) in series, where he put a little in, dry it under a heat lamp and blow dryer and build it up. He filed the sides up with a file and if the gun was blued he applied cold blue.
Customers would drop off their guns and they would be ready in a couple hours depending on demand. I watched do a dozen of these over the years. He did a couple for me and they were as good as the ones I had from the factory.
This was a fairly common service offered at gunshows during the 70s and 80s.
It wasn't a high tech modification as they'd do it while you wandered the gun show. I seem to remember that Brownell's sold the epoxy kits.
The big difference between what they offered and OEM was that the gunshow versions weren't usually dovetailed into the front blade; so they were a bit less secure if you were shooting a high recoiling gun