New to me Kit Gun Problem

[cabezaverde]

At a show this past weekend, I was fortunate enough to pick up a Smith Model 34 in very nice condition at a very good price.

I am having one little problem I am hoping for some input on how to fix.

During my first serious range trip, I noticed the gun shoots left - that is the rear sight has to be cranked almost all the way to the right to get the proper windage setting.

One part of me says no big deal - but it bothers me to see that sight all the way over there. The gun's front sight is pinned, as is the barrel.

I love this little gun, it runs like a watch and is handier than heck. Also, great looks.

I know having a smith turn the barrel a little is one fix, but how is that done if the barrel is pinned? Any other ideas for fixes?

Also, I am wondering if my problem could be that the grips (factory) are so darn small.

Any thoughts or experience with these guns?

[theperfessor]

Are you a right handed shooter? If your wrist/forearm isn't straight behind the gun the recoil can flip the gun left or right and change the point of impact. Before spending a lot of money on gunsmithing I'd try to beg or borrow better grips and recheck my hold/hand placement.

[Rio Grande]

I wouldn't let it bother me. Easy to say, I know. But give it some time.
If it hits where you want with the sight way over - it still hits where you you want!
Just one of those little annoying things.

[PacMan]

I am right handed and have fought the left shooting my whole life. A pistol smith in San Antonio told me that i had a problem with my eye sight,forget what he called it, but i feel that is a grip wrist problem mostly.
Follow the professors advice.larger grips and two hands was my only salvation.

[Fishman]

Are you a right handed shooter? If your wrist/forearm isn't straight behind the gun the recoil can flip the gun left or right and change the point of impact. Before spending a lot of money on gunsmithing I'd try to beg or borrow better grips and recheck my hold/hand placement.

+1. I traded off a nice pistol before I learned this. Worth a try anyway.

[MT Gianni]

It is the way it is. If it bothers you I'll take it off your hands for what you have in it.

[9.3X62AL]

2 words.......Pachmayr Compacs, for S&W J-frame square butt. Those dinky factory stocks are an abomination.

[Bret4207]

I have an ancient set of Mustangs on my Kit Gun, about like cousin Al's Compacs. Weird thing for me with that gun is that I can shoot it better one handed than 2 handed. Some odd confluence of my (so called) eyesight and the sights on the guns allow me to see the sights much better a little further away.

You're gonna love that gun. Mine is among the very last I'd ever part with.

[Calamity Jake]

You can also widen the rear sight notch on the right side to move impact right this will allow you to move the sight body back to center a little.

[fecmech]

I think Al nailed it, with the stock grips it's pretty easy to push the gun left pulling the trigger. I haven't used the stock grips since I bought the gun new. I use the old S&W J frame target grips on mine.

[Chicken Thief]

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm153/Chickenthief/Skydning/Til%20andre/correction.jpg

[cabezaverde]

What type of ammo are you guys using in yours?

[FN in MT]

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h274/montanaguy375/pre34TWOinch.jpg

I'm a big Kit Gun fan...just got this circa 1953 2" gun a week ago.

I agree it's probably a grip issue. The S&W Targets "fecmec" posted would be my first recommendation. With Pach compac's #2.

Try some different ammo on paper as well. It's surprising how different brands of .22 ammo can be all over the place.

I would NOT file the rear sight blade.

FN in MT

[fecmech]

What type of ammo are you guys using in yours?

Most accurate out of mine were 1970 version of T-22's (had about 8K from Army Guard pistol team),CCI and Fiocchi std vel. CCI blazers are decent and CCI Stingers were pretty darn good. Mine is probably a 1.5-2" 25 yd gun, decent but it's no target pistol. They are nice little walk around the woods guns.

[fourarmed]

A good smith will remove the pin, turn the barrel the necessary amount, ream the hole - if necessary - and replace the pin. No big deal. I had it done to a M-63 that was noticeably off-center. Completely invisible.

[NVcurmudgeon]

2 words.......Pachmayr Compacs, for S&W J-frame square butt. Those dinky factory stocks are an abomination.

I am left handed and have the opposite problem. All fixed sight revolvers with scrawny factory stocks shoot to the right for me. Thanks to Brother 9.3, I have Pachmayr Compac grips on a Colt Police Positive Special and a Charter Undercover. Both shoot right down the middle now.

[Char-Gar]

I am almost afraid to mention this, least I hear shrieks of horror. In bygone days, It was not unusual to find Smith and Wesson or Colt DA sisguns that did not shoot where they looked either right or left.

The cylinder was removed and the frame placed over two bars of babbitt metal, one at the muzzle and the other on the grip. The place where the barrel entered the receiver was given a sharp rap with another babbitt. This would straighten out the barrel in the receiver threads, and move the POI where it should be.

Most often this was not done with the customer looking on!

[376Steyr]

I believe the original dinky S&W square butt grips are proof that aliens once visited Earth, as they fit no human hand. I have a set of Pachmayr Grippers on my kit gun, which are a little bulky but at least let me get a proper grip.

[shooting on a shoestring]

Just for reference, fire it using the other hand and see if the shots still go left. If they do, then start thinking its the gun, if they go straight or to the right, its you.

I shoot straight left handed, and push my shots to the left when shooting right handed. So I shoot lefthanded when I want to hit dead on, and hold to the right when I shoot right handed.

Give the other hand a try.

[9.3X62AL]

I am almost afraid to mention this, least I hear shrieks of horror. In bygone days, It was not unusual to find Smith and Wesson or Colt DA sisguns that did not shoot where they looked either right or left.

The cylinder was removed and the frame placed over two bars of babbitt metal, one at the muzzle and the other on the grip. The place where the barrel entered the receiver was given a sharp rap with another babbitt. This would straighten out the barrel in the receiver threads, and move the POI where it should be.

Most often this was not done with the customer looking on!

A similar system was used at the factory to adjust targeting on fixed-sight service revolvers. The idea was to have them place 158 grain RN where the sights looked at 25 yards. After decades of tweaking M&P and Model 10 revos, I imagine the techs got pretty good at getting them "babbetted in".

Grip integrity and grip consistency is key to accurate and repeatable revolver targeting.

[cabezaverde]

Update:

I picked up some larger grips for this - no relief.

[Wheeler]

Have you benched the gun? Single action vs. double action? Perhaps get someone else to shoot it and see if the problem persists? As it's a .22 have you tried different ammo through it? Not all .22 rimfire is creaed equal.

What you might want to try is starting a target at 5 yards, check for POA/POI and move the target further back and watch the groups. If you're trying with different ammo see which is most consistent with your POA.

Best Regards,
Wheeler

[cajun shooter]

Man, I wish I had never sold my kit gun.
Do three things before seeing any smith or making any cdhanges on the gun.
(1)First buy at least 5 types of 22lr ammo and bench fire each from a clean gun
(2)Have some who you know as a pistol competitor and winner shoot the gun
(3)If the gun has factory grips, install a set of Hogue or similar grip. Without seeing you or your hand size this is a shot in the dark. The small J frame guns have very small grips and may cause you to put too much finger through the housing and pull the gun left.