How do I measure my front sight height?
Using calipers, measure from the top of pistol slide to the top of the sight.
Which front sight width do I need?
Most action shooters go with a .100” to .105” wide front sight.
What rear sight notch width do I need?
We recommend notch width based on eyesight.
- Great to Good – .115” to .125” notch width
- Average – .135” to .145” notch width
- Poor – .155” notch width.
Remember, the more visible light in the notch, the easier it is to see front and rear sight separation.
What is the difference between a ramped and patridge sight?
A ramped sight will have the face of the sight lay away from you. This ramp makes it easier to draw from a tight holster, especially leather ones. Ramped sights can potentially be brighter since light is easily allowed to hit the face of the sight. Most combat style sights will feature a ramped style front.
A patridge sight will have the face of the sight sit exactly vertical or lean slightly towards the shooter. This will allow less light to hit the face of the sight, naturally blacking it out making it more crisp and defined. These types of sights are especially favored in shooting games, where accuracy is needed for longer distances. Patridge style sights are not as popular for combat, duty, or defense applications, where tight holsters are the norm.
Is sight installation something I can do myself?
Yes! We include tools and written instructions with all our sights. For visual learners, we also have step-by-step installation video instructions available on our 'Video Archive' page.
How do I tell the difference between an LPA and a BoMar cut rear sight?
You can tell the difference based on the location of the elevation screw. On the LPA rear sight, it screws into the dovetail of the sight. On the BoMar rear sight, it screws into the slide; the slide must be tapped 6-48 to accept the elevation screw.
How much of a difference will it make if the height is 0.010" too tall or too short?
It will approximately make a 1" difference in point of impact at 20 yards. A taller rear sight raises the point of impact and a taller front sight lowers the point of impact.
What height sights do I need to co-witness my red dot sight?
To get the proper height, you need to mount the red dot sight onto your slide. Once mounted, measure the height at the rear of the red dot sight.
Add 0.100" to the height obtained below for the ideal rear sight height. All measurements need to be taken with calipers:
The front sight height necessary varies with pistol models. For instance, a 5" 1911 style pistol usually has a height differece of 0.145" between the rear and front sight. In this example, the rear sight might be 0.325" tall and the front sigt would be 0.180" tall. Therefore, you must measure the current rear and front sight blade heights on your pistol with a caliper, from the top of the slide to the top of the blade not including the dovetail. Apply this difference to the co-witness rear sight height determinded above for the ideal new front sight height.
What suppressor height sights do I need for my suppressor?
To get the proper height, you need to install the suppressor. Using calipers, measure from the top of the suppressor to the top of the slide. Add 0.100" to this measurement for the correct front sight height.
Determine the offset between your current front and rear sights as explained above and add to or subtract that from the front suppressor sight height to calculate the correct new rear sight height.