Sighting in an 1860 Army

[Razor]

After 4 or 5 sessions of blasting and just having fun with my 1860 Pietta, I shot for group/accuracy..

At 25 ft It prints about 4 inches high and 2 inches left of POA...
About a 3 inch group/pattern

I want to bring the POI right about 2 inches and down 2 inches..

To bring it right 2 inches, I move the rear sight to the RIGHT.. correct ?

To bring the POI down, I need a taller front sight, OR, bring the rear sight UP ??
(and, if that's the case, I'll just hold lower)

Are my thought processes on the right track ???

Thanks

Razor
:castmine:

[freedom475]

You are correct.

Rear sight=move SAME direction you want to move boolit

Front sight=move the OPPOSITE direction you want to move boolit.

Aren't cap&balls fun!

[floodgate]

Razor:

The problem is that the originals - both Colt and Remington - were sighted for 50 yds., as an army and cavalry arm (the Colts being frequently fitted with a detchable butt-stock). The Remington replicas have been made for the last several years with a taller front sight than the originals (looks odd, to my eyes, having owned several originals), but the 1860 Colt replicas still use the low front sight, and most - if not all - are cut for the stocks. If you get a stock for yours, be SURE NEVER to get your off hand ahead of the cylinder.

floodgate

[Razor]

Aren't cap&balls fun!
:mrgreen: Oh Yeah !! :Fire:


floodgate..

I thought that I had heard that the orignals, and clones, were sighted high.
Good to hear confirmation though.
I was kinda thinkin' it might be cool to get a shoulder stock..:-D
No worries aboud getting my off hand in the way !!
I dun that once with a SBH .44 mag. about 30 years ago..:roll:
I was pickin' powder granules outta my forearm for a coupla days..
Once was enough !!!

Razor
:castmine:

[GabbyM]

To bring the POI down, I need a taller front sight, OR, bring the rear sight UP ??

Are my thought processes on the right track ???

Thanks

Razor
:castmine:

To bring POI down you lower the rear sight. Think of the tang rifle sight where you raise the sight up the lader for long range.

you could file your hamer notch sight right and deeper. If it were me I'd work on the windage and let the elevation fall where it may. as you go right with the V notch you'll be going deeper to maintain the V shape.

My Euroarms 1860 has the hammer notch sight slightly off center. Came that way from Italy 38 years ago. Windage is dead on though.

[Razor]

Thanks Gabby..
That tang sight analogy really helped...
I think you're right... I pretty much had decided to worry about the windage and adjust my hold for the elevation..
O'course, knowing me, later I'll probably try to tweak it some 'til I 'fix' too much and have to order a new hammer..

Thanks

Razor

[freedom475]

If you go filing on your hammer be careful to not remove too much metal. That metal serves as a guard to keep caps from flying apart and blinding you.

[StrawHat]

One way to deal with the sighting in problems associated with C&B revolvers is to install an oversized dovetailed front sight.

Once in place, you can sight in and work with files to adjust the elevation and a drift to work on windage. Once all is set as you like it bend the dovetail base over to match the contour of the barrel and lock the sight in place.

Wish I could claim this idea but I got it from an original I shot as a youth.

I have done it to most of my 1860s at some point but none of my current copies have it installed or I would post a picture.

[northmn]

Most C&B revolvers shoot high. They were combat arms meant to be aimed at the midsection and shot at various ranges. I ended up resoldering a higher front sight on my 1860 Army to make it more competitive. Problem is it can mess up the bluing sligthly. I used a heavier piece of brass that fit in the sight base and filing both the sides and top to get it sighted in. The original sight is soldered in. Use the low melt 450 degree silver solders. It is now more or less point of aim at 25 yards. You are lucky to have one only 4 inches high. I have seen a lot of them about a foot high at 25 yards.

Northmn

[Ricochet]

My Walker's about a foot high at 7 yards!

[Razor]

Thanks for the advice and pointers fellas..
Something to mull over..decide on..
I'm thinking maybe of going with the "soldering a new brass blade" thing..and/or filing on the hammer notch.
It has the lesser potential for me screwing it up..:roll:
The dovetailed front sight sounds like a real good one, but, oh boy, could I screw that one up..:rolleyes:
As for 4" high... that's at 25 FEET....not 25 yards..:groner:
Gonna have to do the 25 yard thing today...It probably will be 12" high..

Razor
:castmine:

[GabbyM]

You can always super glue a match stick to the front sight. [smilie=1:

[Razor]

Like this ??
Might as well, duct tape don't work too good...
Muzzle flash seemed a tad brighter too...

[mooman76]

I think you were suppose to use a match stick that had already been lit![smilie=1:

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Time to deepen that hammer notch once you work out your 25 yard load. It just might be that 18 grains 2f will put you right on. BvT

[John F.]

Also, you might want to experiment with ball size as you work up your 25 yard load. I've seen 1860's that would group very well (2"- 3" or so) at 25 yards for 6 shots with one size ball (for example, 0.454") but much worse with a different size -- even LARGER ball that should, in theory, fit the rifling better as the excess lead is shaved off by the cylinder when seating. They can be quite accurate, but sighting them in can sure be a pain...

hope this helps,
John

[northmn]

The original Colt 1860 armys were designed for 454 ball. Remember the prewar 73 Colt 45's had a 454 barrel. Lot of that was taken from the C & B days. You can try filing the rear sight but I really don't think you may have enough to go with. The light loads may work for target but it is also kind of fun to be able to shoot full house loads like the things were designed for.

Northmn

[Doug Bowser]

This is why I bought a Uberti Remmie in .44. The front sight is really high and the front sight is dovetailed. That feature alone makes it worth the extra money it costs over the price of a Pietta.