Windage adjustment Rossi 92

[359caliber]

I recently acquired a Rossi 92 20" blued .357. Today, I was sighting it in and had to move up to 25 yards to get on paper. Currently, I am shooting 6" left of aim but otherwise got consistent groups. I did not move the target farther out but do want to get the gun shooting to point of aim at 50 yards. There is a silhouette competition in July that I hope to participate in.

Being brand new to shooting, I'm a bit hesitant to tap that front site over to the right a bit without checking with someone more experienced.

My current plan is to place the barrel in a vice, just snug and protected with cloth. Then, I'll tap the site to the right just a tiny bit using a small hammer and brass punch. Carefully avoiding contacting the barrel itself and marking wax beside the site in order to see that it's moved. Then, I'll shoot again to see if I am closer.

Does this sound reasonable?

My concerns with doing this include "loosening" the front site/post. What's to keep the post in place once I've moved it? Also, I've acquired everything I need to cast and reload except for primers and powder. Is it worth moving the front post now and risk having to do it again once I've produced some consistent reloads?

I have no intent of installing after-market sights until I have reached my limitation with the gun as it is currently set up.

[warboar_21]

Welcome to the site.

I recently also bought a Rossi 92 only in 45 Colt. It was shooting low to the left by about 4" I drifted the rear sight to the right a bit and was able to get it on target. If you are going to drift your front sight you will need to drift it towards the bullet impact (left).

[runfiverun]

move the sights.
once you have something else worked up the next adjustment will be minimal and probably vertically.
if it's that much i'd probably move both sights a little unless i could clearly see one out of center.

[OverMax]

The way you intend to proceed is correct. But if you find you cannot get enough adjustment from the rear site. Then there is a need to move the front a little bit as well. Sometimes in adjusting. Moving the rear site w~ay over off center is not good. Best to move the front over a tad first and then move the rear a tad too.

[Dan Cash]

Your proposed method is correct BUT move front sight toward the bullet strike; move the rear sight away from the strike and toward the desired point of impact. You can move the sight enough to zero the rifle with out loosening the sights in their dovetail slots.

[pietro]

.

The usual procedure would be to make a windage adjustment via drifting the rear sight first - as the amount of movement is less noticable than when the front's moved.

Before moving the sight, apply a small piece of masking tape across the barrel either just ahead or behind the sight & mark the present position on the tape with a pencil, so that the amount the sight is moved can be readily seen.
Baby steps, then shooting, are indicated - FWIW, I often drift sights at a range, while sighting-in.

When adjusting rear sights - move the rear sight in the same direction you wish to move the boolit impact.

When adjusting front sights - move the front sight opposite the direction you wish to move the boolit impact.



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[budman46]

you might just want to look at this thread:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ght-on-Puma-92

[359caliber]

Thanks everyone for the replies, good information that I will definitely use. It will be another week before I can shoot again and work on the windage.

I was not aware the rear sight can and should be drifted. Looking at it makes me nervous as I am not sure exactly how to approach moving it. Being unfamiliar with the rear sight, it appears attached to the barrel in two places. The owner's manual does not address procedure for moving the rear sight.

I actually had read the thread on the tang sight, as it came up with the search feature. Not sure I want to purchase another sight system until I exhaust the stock set's potential (or my own potential, whichever limitation comes first).

[359caliber]

Weather will likely not allow another session this weekend. Did a bit of poking around and found a source that mentions the rear sight as being drift adjustable. Makes me feel a bit better about giving it a shot. http://www.realguns.com/articles/423.htm

If anyone is familiar with procedure for drifting the rear sight, I would appreciate any advice. I am thinking I would tap the front of the rear sight and then the rear of it. Moving it little by little and trying to keep it parallel to the barrel.

[CLAYPOOL]

How "Thick" are the clothes you are wearing while shooting..It doesn't take much to move impack

[359caliber]

Well... weather allowed me to get out and put some rounds downrange today. Sighted in a Ruger Blackhawk at 25 yards with absolutely no problem, took about 9 rounds to shoot the Blackhawk perfectly off a rest.

After 60 rounds, I am still not on paper with my Rossi M92. I had two other men with me who are both more experienced than I. Each successfully deer hunt with iron sight, stock Marlin 336. We referenced the owner's manual for the Rossi and gradually drifted sights, shooting 3 round groups at a paper target laser measured 25 yards distant. We were shooting off of a lead rifle shooting rest.

I finally got tired of moving the front sight and tapped directly on the "buckhorn" to move the rear sight. It was to no avail. Will be calling the manufacturer tomorrow and venting frustration. It is amazing to me that I am more accurate to point of aim with a 12ga slug (bead sight) than I am with a Rossi M92 .357 20" round barrel. Very disappointed. I would loved to have put more rounds through the Rossi, it fed perfectly. It's just not much fun having to drastically compensate aiming in order to have the bullet impact the target. I am very upset about the difficulty I am having in sighting in this gun!

[larryp]

Tap on the very front of the rear sight, not the " buckhorn". That flat part is the part that's actually dovetailed into the barrel. The rest just rests on top under spring tension.

[BCRider]

On my own Rossi I found that the rifle was quite well made in all respects other than the rear sight. It came looking like the new apprentice shaped it with a worn out file. It also shot strongly to one side just like your rifle.

Turns out that the rear sight was quite severley twisted along the springy part between the dovetail key and the buckhorn rear portion. Sitting the rifle upside down on the front bead and on a parallel bar at the dovetail key and then shifting it back to the buckhorn blade showed that the rifle twisted in its stance to a noticable degree as I shifted the bar along to the buckhorn point.

To correct this I drifted out the rear sight's dovetail key with a brass punch and got all caveman on it by mounting the dovetail key portion in my bench vise using aluminium pads. I then used a padded jaw adjustable wrench at the buckhorn blade to twist the spring length back to flat and straight.

This twisting moved the rear sight notch over a considerable amount and resulted in the sights being mounted very centrally in the dovetail notches and the rifle shooting nicely to center for windage.

You may want to check your own rear sight and ensure that things are truly straight and true in all aspects. I'm sure my example wasn't the only one to slip past and make its way up to our neck o' the woods.

[359caliber]

Tap on the very front of the rear sight, not the " buckhorn". That flat part is the part that's actually dovetailed into the barrel. The rest just rests on top under spring tension.

Okay, keeping this in mind I started at 15 yards, moved to 25,and then 50 yards. I was shooting 3" with three rounds and repeated this twice within 14 rounds fired total.

Thank you for the advice. My gun now can be shot with confidence. When I go back out next, I will look to get the gun right on at 75 yards.

Holy cow, it took a lot of adjustment to get this thing shooting straight. The rear sight is visibly tapped to the right and the front sight is moved quite visibly left. But... I'm on target!

[larryp]

Glad I could help!

[BCRider]

359, if it took that much to get it set correctly I would not rule out the rear sight spring being twisted as mine was. When you have some time re-read how I checked mine out and try to visualize and understand how I saw that it was twisted. Then check your own rear sight with the same sort of checks. Or come up with your own way to do the same thing. It made a heck of a difference.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I don't know if this applies to your particular rifle, but if the foresight is attached to a figure 8 type barrel band, be careful that the magazine hasn't been bumped and twisted out of plumb causing the foresight to be rotated a tad. This is usually obvious when you sight, but maybe not so obvious if just a bit out. My 357 Rossi is like this and I have had no troubles with it, but my 1866 Uberti had this happen once.

[ammohead]

I recently bought a "El Jefe" Rossi model 92 in 45 Colt. I too found that I had to move the rear sight farther to the right than any other iron sight rifle I have ever owned. The elevation ramp is barely on the flat of the octagon bbl! I read BCrider's comments and the rear sight could be twisted or bent but I can't see how straightening it would change point of impact with the sight in the center of the bbl. Sight alignment is sight alignment bent or not. I looked at a marbles tang sight but they are a bit pricey for me. I guess I will drift the front to the left and share the difference. A bit disappointed though.

[herbswizard]

If anyone's still reading this thread, I'd like advice on my two problems.
Last year I changed the ramp rearsight on my octagon barrel Rossi .357
I put in a ghost ring but wasn't happy with it so went back to the factory sight.
Trouble is now it's loose and moves with every shot. What do you think of drilling and tapping it for a grubscrew?
Other problem is the front sight itself that shoots to the right by 8" at 50 yards. I tried drifting it but it just won't budge at all.
Would it be OK to use a blowtorch to try and loosen it?
I also want to get a taller one as the gun shoots rather low.
It's difficult finding suppliers willing to ship to England so any help much appreciated.
Many thanks.

[JSnover]

Drilling and tapping is one way to solve the problem but the older I get, the less I like working with small parts, small holes, small taps…
What you could do is peen or stake the dovetail. Mount the rifle in a padded vise and remove the sight. With a small hammer and a sharp punch, make several small 'dimples' in the flat bottom of the dovetail cut on the barrel. This will raise a bit of metal and cause a tighter fit. You can do the same thing to the bottom of the sight itself although it might be difficult to hold it securely without mangling it.
If it tightens enough and you're satisfied that it's sighted in, you might try to work in some adhesive (thread locker, nail polish, etc) under it so the gap underneath isn't able to collect moisture and rust, or loosen up on its own.