31 July 01

>From a trainer and colleague in Michigan:

"A student showed up yesterday with a Ruger revolver in 357Mg. The front sight was an after-market, bright orange blade and made of nylon. It sat on a base that was anchored into the barrel with an allen screw. I asked this student how sturdy the whole thing was. He indicated confidently that he, ‘had never had a problem with it.'

We started shooting, and his nylon front sight lasted exactly twenty minutes! I'm not sure if it came off during firing or during drawing and reholstering. In any event, he suddenly noticed that it was gone.

The base stayed in place, but the sight itself (which had been glued to the base) was history. We never found it. Older and wiser, he had to borrow a gun in order to complete the course."

Lesson: DON'T GLUE, SCREW, OR PIN THINGS TO ANY PISTOL UPON WHICH YOUR LIFE MIGHT DEPEND. It will predictably break off at the worst possible moment!

/John