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Input on painting a ghost ring front sight?

bigoutside
I have a 80% Colt SAA.

I got a buddy to grind off the front sight and TIG weld a ghost ring where the front sight used to be.

I want to paint the ring and most of the front pin white. And top it with a florescent orange dot at the top of the front pin.

Ok, I'm kidding about the Colt SAA. Its a total beater 9MM carbine. So cancel the paramedics.

The question is, what should I do to prep for paint? Its got a little bit of finish on it. Sand it to bare metal? Paint on top of the finish? I bought some oil based modeling paint that looks pretty robust.

I've never tried to do this before. And there is very little at stake in all honesty. But if anyone has experience... I'd sure appreciate some guidance.
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Comments

6 comments

Date Votes
  • He Dog
    This might solve your problem without prep:

    http://www.brightsights.com/index.shtml
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  • rufe-snow
    I use Neon Orange, Acrylic Paint, that I buy at the Walmart crafts department for $2.00 a bottle. All I do to prep is to clean the front sight with drugstore alcohol, applied with a que tip.
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  • bigoutside
    I looked at the bright sites product. Couldn't see anyone who had used it that had anything nice to say about it.

    Thats why I went to the Hobby store.

    I'll give it a whack with some gun blaster and follow with alcohol swab before I try the paint.

    Thanks guys. As always, good to get the experts to weigh in.
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  • allechalley
    Some have used nail polish in the past, can't speak to the durability, but they sure seem to have a lot of neon colors as well as white, red and black. Besides, it would give the other people in the store a subject(you) at coffee. midwayusa.com has either individual vials or the assortment of the bright sights paint
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  • Riomouse911
    I use automotive touch up paint to paint caliber descriptors on the outside of ammo cans so I know what's inside, and I've used it on BB gun sights in the past. That stuff is as durable as any other paint, and good old "Ford White" is pretty bright. Maybe a base coat of white and a dot of orange will do what you want.
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  • beantownshootah
    What Rufe said.

    Clean, then degrease using alcohol.

    Apply a base coat of white (if you have it), then 1-2 coats of the bright color of your choice. If you wanted to be super peachy keen, you could put a clear coat on top.

    Nail polish (enamel) works great. Model airplane enamel paint (eg "Testors" brand) works great. I'm sure the purpose-designed sight paint works great too, I'm just skeptical that it works any better than the $2 nail polish or model enamel.

    Alternatively, if you wanted to be ultra-cool you could find yourself some high-grade strontium aluminate watch lume-type paint and use that for a really excellent poor-man's night sight (then a clear coat. . .this stuff doesn't like moisture much).

    No matter what paint you choose, if you constantly bang up your front sight, it will eventually chip or wear off and then you'll have to re-apply. (And if this is the case, you might consider TIG-welding on a front sight protector!).
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