Quaestion on filing front sight - windage

[cabezaverde]

I have a fixed sight snubby 38 that needs adjustment. Since I can't do anything with the rear sight, I am planning to file the side of the front sight for adjustment.

My question is which side of the sight do I file to move the impact which way?

[largom]

MOVING the front sight to the right will bring your shot placement to the left. Filing the side of the sight will have very little effect if any at all on your shot placement. You are not moving the sight, only making it smaller.
Larry

[Trey45]

If you file the left side of the front sight, it will adjust your point of aim, point of impact to the left as well. This is assuming when you aim you have the front sight centered in the rear notch. It would be the same if the front sight was dovetailed and you drift the sight to the right, it adjust the POA/POI to the left. Since your front sight cannot be drifted, by removing metal from the left side you are essentially moving that sight plane to the right.

[anachronism]

Have a gunsmith dovetail the barrel, and put a windage adjustable front sight on it. It shouldn't cost too much.

[cabezaverde]

Here is the rest of the story:

This gun (Rossi Model 88 .38 snubby) was given to me brand new. The first time I shot it, it was low and left. Upon further inspection, the bore is off center in the barrel.

I had a shop send it back to Rossi a number of years ago, and they said it was in spec for a bellygun and they did not warranty the Interarms imported ones anymore.

Today, I find that e-gunparts carrys new barrels for $40 and change.

The barrel is pinned like the older SW model 60's. Is changing out the barrel something I want to try? Remember, it is useless as is and was free.

[Willbird]

Smith and wesson style frames are easily bent. I bent a K frame one removing the barrel like George Nonte shows using a hickory hammer handle. The proper way is to use contour fitted blocks to hold the front of the frame in a vise. This is really a bob best done by a guy who has made most of his mistakes already ;-).

How far low and to the left does it shoot ??

Skeetter Skelton told a story about some border patrol fixed sight pistols that he got on target by bending the front sight blade. he said he met an officer years later who told him about a pistol he was issued that shot to point of aim but that also had a bent front sight blade.

Bill

[captaint]

Cabe - Here's one thing you can remember easily and it really simplifies sight adjustments for scopes or iron. The gun shoots where it shoots. You can only change where you (and the sight package) are looking. Just adjust so that you are looking where the shots are going. For me at least, that always simplifies the adjustments. Mike

[cabezaverde]

Smith and wesson style frames are easily bent. I bent a K frame one removing the barrel like George Nonte shows using a hickory hammer handle. The proper way is to use contour fitted blocks to hold the front of the frame in a vise. This is really a bob best done by a guy who has made most of his mistakes already ;-).

How far low and to the left does it shoot ??

Skeetter Skelton told a story about some border patrol fixed sight pistols that he got on target by bending the front sight blade. he said he met an officer years later who told him about a pistol he was issued that shot to point of aim but that also had a bent front sight blade.

Bill

Bill,

I can work with the low - it's the left that is killing me. I need to reshoot it - but it seems like maybe 4" left from 20 feet or so.

[randyrat]

I don't mean to insult you by any means. For all i know you could be a very good pistol shooter.
Most pistols, gripped slightly wrong will shoot to the left. Possibly too much trigger finger...Too much left hand grip(too tight) Give it a try and see if it changes your impact before you change your sight. Short barrel pistols are very persnickity with grip and trigger finger placement. Again i'm just poking in the dark trying to help.

[cabezaverde]

I don't mean to insult you by any means. For all i know you could be a very good pistol shooter.
Most pistols, gripped slightly wrong will shoot to the left. Possibly too much trigger finger...Too much left hand grip(too tight) Give it a try and see if it changes your impact before you change your sight. Short barrel pistols are very persnickity with grip and trigger finger placement. Again i'm just poking in the dark trying to help.

I appreciate it your input Randy - no offense taken.

I have a number of other pistols and another snubby I am happy with.

Again, you can look at the muzzle and see the bore is at a visible angle.

[Hurricane]

The low can be cured by using a lighter boolit. Decreasing the weight on a bullet from a handgun will cause a higher boolit impact. The left might be changed if you used a different powder charge. A little more recoil might shift the gun over to the right. Give it a try, it can't hurt anything and gives you another reason to go shooting.

[Hurricane]

Sorry, I got that wrong. Try a heavier bullet. A heavier bullet will strike higher because it is slower and is in the barrel longer while it is recoiling.

[cabezaverde]

Sorry, I got that wrong. Try a heavier bullet. A heavier bullet will strike higher because it is slower and is in the barrel longer while it is recoiling.

Remember

Lighter = lower
Heavier = higher

[Gar]

cabezaverde, I've got the same gun and it shoot the same as yours, low 2" and to the left 4" at 30 feet.
I just quit using the site and point shoot the thing. It's a boot gun and I don't expect to be shooting it at more than 10 to 20' anyway.
If you find a fix, please post it.

Cheers, Gar

[cabezaverde]

cabezaverde, I've got the same gun and it shoot the same as yours, low 2" and to the left 4" at 30 feet.
I just quit using the site and point shoot the thing. It's a boot gun and I don't expect to be shooting it at more than 10 to 20' anyway.
If you find a fix, please post it.

Cheers, Gar

Gar,

Does your bore look centered in relation to the barrel?

[HeavyMetal]

I wouldn't hesitate to swap a barrel.

Provided I could find a good replacement barrel! I've always been happy with the parts I've gotten off e parts but I've never asked them to screen a barrel for me either.

If they can get you a good one swap it!

I know snubbie's can be more accurate then most expect and honestly expecting any gun to shoot to point of aim is not unreasonable. However the experience you had with Rossi is more the norm than it should be!

Some care should be used to remove the barrel from the frame and wood blocks are easy to make if you worry about bending a frame.

[Cap'n Morgan]

I would loosen the barrel slightly. This will move the POI to the right. Use lock-tite if necessary.

[Throwback]

!!!!!!!!!!!

Some, but not all, gunsmiths can change POI with a smack on the side of the barrel from a babbit bar. Smith did this on a model 10 for me years ago and it works. I tried it myself on an adjustable sighted Ruger Single Six about three years ago. I had the rear sight adjusted full left windage and impacts were only just on the target, plus the rear sight just looked weird. The babbit bar helped but I still wasn't quite there. I shaved the left side of the front sight and the right inside of the rear notch (slightly). The result was more light on either side of the front sight in use, which I like. (I widen the rear sights on many of my rifles and pistols) And I was able to shoot to the sights with the rear on center windage.

You may or may not be able to get all the adjustment you need by shaving that sight but it may be worth the effort. You can also shave the top of the front sight and move your POI up.

[Gar]

cabezaverde, I'm out of town until Wednesday. I'll check as soon as I get home and let you know.

Gar

[Willbird]

I had a rossi 32 S&W long now that I think about it, and it shot 3" to 4" to the left at 25 yards. it was a clone of a S&W J frame I think, 4" or so bbl. The chambers were so rough you had to smack the ejector rod with something to eject the empties. That is one gun I do not regret selling :-)

Bill

[ghh3rd]

File a flat spot on the left side of each boolit -- shoot only when the wind is blowing from your right side. The turbulence caused by this condition will bring POI exactly to POA [smilie=1:

[cabezaverde]

File a flat spot on the left side of each boolit -- shoot only when the wind is blowing from your right side. The turbulence caused by this condition will bring POI exactly to POA [smilie=1:

Should the flat spot be on the left side when I load it, or when it exits the barrel?

[jdgabbard]

I can't speak for the older stuff, but to give Rossi due credit their owned by Taurus. And I've owned several snubs and full size wheel guns from them. I've been completely happy with everyone of them. Sorry to hear about your misfortune with that particular gun. It must be pretty old.

[cabezaverde]

JD,

I hope I mentioned earlier that this was an Interarms Rossi, made well before the current owner, who is Taurus.

So, I am not knocking the current Rossi guns, or Taurus. It would be nice if Taurus honored the company (Rossi) name warranty, but they don't and that is their business decision.

[Gar]

cabezaverde, just got home and I checked the Rossi. When I first look at the barrel from the front, the bore looked off centered slightly (low and to the right). But I hit it the calipers and it isn’t off at all.
BTW, my is also an Interarms.

Gar

[cabezaverde]

Update:

I took it out and shot it tonight, the first time in years.

With a 158 RNFP at 10 yards, it was about right for elevation, and about 2-3" left.

Those darn all stainless sights are sure hard to see.