Dove tail rear sight on 1911

[Nickel City Dude]

I looked at the rule book and did a search here but could not find a definitive answer.  Is a 1911 with a dove tailed rear sight only allowed in the modern category or is it also acceptable for Traditional?

[Garrison Joe]

I don't know what you are referring to with "dove tail rear sight" in your question.   Almost all sights on 1911s are attached to the slide with dove tails.   A few older guns have front sights attached by staking.

Fixed sight blade is what is required for Traditional pistol, not a screw-adjustable modern rear sight.  Two commercial replacement fixed sights are called out by the rule book by name - the Harrison Design 03 and the 10-8 National Match.   Existing mil spec fixed blade sights as found on WW I and WW II issue guns, the current Colt Government, the "straight blade" Remington R1 (now discontinued, I believe), Springfield MilSpec (but not the new Garrison model) are legal examples.  There are several others.

The fixed sights which do not fit in the mil spec dovetail and which extend the sight blade back to the very rear edge of the slide are not legal.   Contrasting dots or other aiming devices (bars, triangles, glowing widgets) on the sight are not allowed, but can be recolored to match rest of sight.

These are in the rules under Traditional Pistol Modifications:

Quote

Only non-adjustable “military style” simple blade rear and front sights allowed. The 10-8 National Match and the Harrison Design 003 are approved rear sights.

and

Sights may be the color of the slide or any combination of the slide color, including, but not limited to, blue, black, or natural stainless (natural colored) steel. The back of a colored front sight may be polished to natural steel color.

Harrison: https://shop.harrisoncustom.com/hd-003-retro-rear-sight

10-8:  https://www.10-8performance.com/1911-nm-rear-sight/

 

Many sight designs are allowed for a Modern category gun.  See the rules for a complete definition.

good luck, GJ

Edited May 28, 2022 by Garrison Joe

[Nickel City Dude]

GJ

Thanks for the reply.  I am new to 1911 guns and was not sure about the gun that I have as it has a dove tail for the rear sight and is drift adjustable.  The rule book mentions dove tailed front sights but nothing about a dove tail rear sight.  Thanks for clearing that up for me.

NCD

[Garrison Joe]

Drift adjusted rear sight is allowed in Traditional (or Modern).  Screw-driven adjustment mechanisms are what makes an Adjustable Sight.   Adjustable Sight is not allowed on a Traditional gun, only on a Modern. 

Rules don't talk about the "dove tail" mounting design of the rear sight because ALL mechanical rear sights on 1911's are secured to the gun with some sort of dovetail.

It's not the dovetail that is important, either front or rear.  It's the adjustment capability which is important.   Drift adjustable sights are "earlier" design (WW I and II) whereas the adjustable sight on 1911s became available in the 1960s as a target sight, and about 1980s as a combat sight.

 

Tell us what model you have/have looked at and someone for sure will be able to pin down it's allowed category, or tell you what would have to be removed/replaced to make it fit a category.

good luck, GJ

Edited May 28, 2022 by Garrison Joe

[Nickel City Dude]

From what you have posted it sounds like my 1911 would be good for either category.  BTW it is a Rock Island 1911.   Thanks for the help.

[Abe E.S. Corpus]

At one time 1911 fixed sights that were more visible than the tiny sights found on military type pistols were referred to as “hardball sights”.  I still use that term for rear sights that do not extend back from the dovetail (as with the old MMC sights or a Novak style rear sight).

Is that still an accepted definition?

[Blackfoot]

Not a common term in my neck of the woods.  

Blackfoot