Had not thought about making one, but since you brought it up, would you go to your local jeweler and tell him what size you want and carat and let him make one and you install?

 

I am planning to do it myself. My friend’s family has a jewelry shop. The gold will be easy enough to come by. His dad was the jeweler and recently passed. He would have been a treasure trove.

 

Maybe you ought to make some for other peeps!

 

I will post the results. I really want to try gold. It did surprise me the amount of luster that could come off a beveled, domed, brass bead done with 6,000 grit sand paper. I did one in 3/16” but I believe 1/8” is better for all round use for my eyes.

 

The gold line front sights have my interest. Pics are posted in other threads where they are flush, serrated, but I'd go for a polished convex configuration, the gold line being slightly proud of the sight blade.

 

I'm not a jeweler or precision machinist. However we are a long time user of gold bead front sights. Our experience has proven, to us at least, that the top of the gold bead should be even with the top of the front sight blade. If the bead is below that level, at speed the shots tend to go high as one's focus is on the bead and not on the top of the sight blade, which is usually how one zeros the sights. Does that make sense? See the link below for clarification.

We are following this with great interest.

Those Wonderful Gold Beads: The Real Story and Some Tips - TheGunMag - The Official Gun Magazine of the Second Amendment Foundation

The gold bead front sight is more than just an aid for older eyes or for use on dark targets.

www.thegunmag.com

 

...the top of the gold bead should be even with the top of the front sight blade. If the bead is below that level, at speed the shots tend to go high as one's focus is on the bead and not on the top of the sight blade, which is usually how one zeros the sights. Does that make sense?

Makes perfect sense to me.

 

I’ve never fabricated my own, but prefer a domed gold bead front sight.

 

Not optimal, imo. Lots of blade above the bead... The lack of convexity, even less appealing

Novak Designs Inc. - Search Results

 

I have a Novak gold dot sight and it is fine. The front next sight I got from them is white outline tritium and I like it better.
Low profile adjustable rear Novaks on both.

 

I started to mod a standard front sight to add a gold bead. I bought a pair of gold bead stud ear rings. 1/8” polished Gold ball. Unfortunately the balls were hollow and in manipulating them to install, they collapsed. I ended up buying beads from Scott Mulkerin http://www.sdmfabricating.com/
They are flat faced. In the build attempt the ball shape was much brighter until failure. If I was making them I would definitely use a domed shape bead.
Joe

 

The earrings idea is something I'm not surprised to find here. Dang, y'all got those wheels turning, nonstop.

 

Been using flat faced gold bead front sight on all my Novak guns for over 20 yrs. My default choice.

 

It seems like you are reinventing the wheel. Someone must make a gold bead you'd love

 

John Harrison has created several domed gold bead front sights for my 1911s. I’m also a fan of Chuck Rogers White Ball front sight.

 

For sure the bead needs to be solid gold and not hollow. Been looking and the closest I have found are gold studs for body piercings. They, the balls, come threaded and then a separate bar needs to be modified to use the system as a front sight bead. Haven’t pulled the trigger yet on the idea. No pun intended…
Joe

 

I have found that a domed oval, set at an angle such that the oval appears round (viewed on a horizontal sight plane) works best for me. In that I have a fair amount of time in this 1911, I am going to try it. If all else fails, I may call an old dentist friend for some advice. Should be able to braze the dome to a steel Novak cut blank from Harrison.

My eyes have changed over the years. More reflected light seems to help. I want it to glow like the sun if at all possible.

 

I have found that a domed oval, set at an angle such that the oval appears round (viewed on a horizontal sight plane) works best for me. In that I have a fair amount of time in this 1911, I am going to try it. If all else fails, I may call an old dentist friend for some advice. Should be able to braze the dome to a steel Novak cut blank from Harrison.

My eyes have changed over the years. More reflected light seems to help. I want it to glow like the sun if at all possible.

I think you're onto something.

Brass is fine as well. But try to get the top of the bead as high as possible.

After you make a prototype. Try to get someone like Dawson to make sight blanks, and boom, you're a sight company.

 

History: A full round bead is a McGivern gold bead, a (nearly) flat bead is a Call gold bead. At least when ordered on a Smith and Wesson back in the day.

 

I'm just as happy with brass as gold - takes ten seconds of polishing time to time. But I definitely like either in the domed shape, seem to catch a bit more indirect light for my 64 year old eyes. The flat-faced sloped beads do OK, but I think they rewuire light falling on their face, or at least so seems to me.

 

Fermin Garza's Sight for a Ruger Single Six. Fermin threads his beads into the blade and the top of the bed is even with the top of the blade. Bead is brass not gold.

 

My buddy just drilled the small hole in his front sight, and placed a gold bead from Hobby Lobby in it with some epoxy, I thought it would be hokey, until I saw it, and he really did a nice job.
I should have known better, as he's a little meticulous.
Joe

 

SDM Tactical has 14K gold beads for sale.
Gold bead dimensions: Head .120" diameter Shank .081" diameter x .160" long

Gold Bead and Tactical Target (sdmfabricating.com)

Their website doesn't seem secure though. I would call them and order by phone if you want to buy one.

 

Well, I got back on the SDM website (sdmfabricating.com) and decided to order one of their gold beads. The order process took me to PayPal, which is very secure.

I ordered the gold bead on April 10th and received it today, April 14th. Very fast and the bead is exactly as advertised. I am very satisfied with the transaction and recommend SDM to others on this forum.

 

Pics!

 

That one does look nice

 

Picture as requested.

 

Professional!
That's what was needed Bill!
Good info!