• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

Any iron sight shooters? Need sight black?

pmclaine

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
  • Nov 6, 2011
    34,924
    69,274
    56
    MA
    In another thread some members and I were bantering back and forth regarding the superiority of iron sighted guns over anything some weak fool would use that depends on glass to make up for their lack of ability and desire for excellence.

    Our conversation turned to smoking sights and it rekindled my desire to get a Ray Vin Super Smoker - its a small carbide burner to smoke sights without dripping flaming balls of burning spoon/550 cord over you or rifle.



    Well Ray Vin no longer manufactures the smoker. He has taken a retirement he richly deserves after supporting shooters with great tools for a long time.

    A fine gentleman in Australia though has taken up manufacture of the Super Smoker.

    His website...


    I ordered Saturday morning.....the Smoker arrived yesterday! From Australia!

    My mail in ballot to Pennsylvania still has not been counted and I mailed that months ago.

    Picture of my new super smoker next to my old not so super smoker....

    1605183061429.png


    Bought my pea carbide off Ebay - should arrive soon doubt it will be as fast as FedEx from Australia.

    So for the master race iron sight shooters that dont need visual crutches this could be a great product for you. Cost me about $90 after conversion of AUSD and I bought a second set of repair Orings - the smoker comes with a spares pack included.


    PS - I am not associated with the seller in anyway. I just did a Google search saturday morning after dicking around in this thread...


    Thought the "real" riflemen might appreciate the gear.
     
    i always used twisted up masking tape, burns a little less melty than a spoon.....although that does look like a nice little piece of kit, might have to pick one up
     
    • Like
    Reactions: pmclaine
    When I was in basic, years ago, Drill Sergeant burned a styrofoam cup to blacken our sights. Stuck with me ever since.
    Seems like we always have styrofoam cups around
     
    #SightBlackTakesMeBack
    #OnceTheFrontSightGoesBlackYouDontGoBack
     
    I've got a lot to learn. I had to google why you would even want to do this.

    Nothing worse than sighting down range and you get sun on the front sight looking like a white red dot.

    A good deep flat black smudge makes a front sight post capture your eyeball and wont let it go.
     
    Yeah, I gathered that from the post on rimfirecentral that I saw. Honestly the last time I shot iron sights was out of a pellet gun or my old man's single shot .22 growing up so I wasn't concerned with front post reflection back then. Its interesting to see how innovative people can be.
     
    I carry one, doesnt seem to layer that well. Good enough in a pinch though.

    True, I’m not bringing one with me to the range just to use on my iron sights. Lol
    Should have that done before they get to the range
     
    • Like
    Reactions: pmclaine
    Still have my original Ray Vin smoker. I remember the first across the course match I shot using that instead of that cursed spray black. Never looked back.
    Doc
     
    Gonna bring the M1A to work tommorow, hoping my carbide arrives today.

    One thing that caught my eye in the instructions was "will melt".

    Makes sense being a delrin device.

    Soot up a sight or two than blow it out cool I guess to be on the safe side.
     
    If I had a registered m16 lower, I’d spring for anti-walk/rotation pins. For a regular lower, I wouldn’t sweat it.
     
    Spray sight black... The army supplied it for our SDM class. If you were careful and just misted it it worked okay. It was fast and it worked for what we were doing, NM shooting w/M4's, fixed stocks, and irons to 600m. Modified M14 slings, rappel glove and field jacket rounded out the gear. We made it work.

    I imagine another fast and easy way I haven't tried but figure would work well is to use a quality, soft carbon black pastel crayon. A cheap one will be too hard, the quality artist grade stuff is different, almost pure carbon. There are also pencils and vine charcoal.

    Literally a million things you can use besides a spray but hey, it was handy and it sure helped.
     
    Me and my bright white painted front sight (m1 garand) will just back slowly out of this convo...
     
    I’ve been using the RayVin smoker for almost 20 years now. Small and works like a champ.