Sighting in fixed sighted revolvers

[Four Fingers of Death]

I have 2 x NM vaqueros, 1 x OM Vaquero, 3 X Colt Clones, 1 x Genuine Colt (Police Positive) and 2 x 32 Single six Vaqueros on the way. I would like to get them all shooting to point of aim. I figure by the time I got three or four done I would have paid enough to buy a set of tools to do the job myself.

No doubt I will be buying more Single actions (I will get a pair of Genuine Colt hoglegs one day) and I am on the lookout for a good Model 10 S&W.

I have bought stuff off Brownells before and they are great to deal with. Midway are not interested in our business so I'll give them a miss.

What tools do I need?

I can see a need for this at the club for other shooters as well.

[rusty marlin]

I've sighted in more than I care to count, these are the tools I use.

A set of calipers, dial, vernier or digital, matters not.
An 8" mill file, fine cut.
A ruler.
A target of known distance. My targets have a thick black cross in the center so that I can measure horizontal and vertical distance from POI to POA.
A decent bench vice with leather padded jaws so that the barrel doesn't get dinged while the front sight is filed down.

You will find the vast majority of Rugers will shoot low and a touch left.
By the time the group is adjusted up, the left will pretty much take care of itself. as the sights are generally canted slightly right. (as the sight gets shorter its c'line will move left)

Should you find one that shoots high, you'll need to add material to the top of the sight. generally this means welding it up, or cutting it down farther and dovtailing and soldering in a peice of brass or silver higher than needed so it can be filed in to regulation.

If the windage is off by an un-acceptable amount you can:
a) twist the barrel, for that you will need a barrel vice, a frame wrench, a BIG bench vice and bench to put it on and possably a lathe depending on if the front sight needs to go left (good, barrel is tightened) or right (bad, barrel is loosened).
b) file or mill out one side of the rear sight by twice the a mount of adjutment required.
c) file half off the side of the front sight and half out of the rear sight.

There's more to milling the sight, but if you're not going that route there's no sence typing it all.

[KCSO]

First off on the Rugers, do NOT try and bend the sight blade! Theyy will break off at the solder line. You will need a barrel vise and a wrench for the frame window. I make my wrenches from oak wood. You just need something that fits the window fairly well and that you can turn. I once knew a fellow that used a chunk of baseball bar squared off on the end. The barrel vise can be just an aluminum sleevve that is a close fit on the barrel. I make mine with a boring bar on the lathe and slit with a saw. Clamp this in the vise and you should be good to go, very rarely do I need to rosin a pistol barrel. If I have to loosen the barrel anyy to bring the sight in I always take the barrel out after witness marking it and run the shank in a rolling milll so it sets up tight just short of the mark. I don't ever want the barrel to move after i set it.

Here is another option. I used a Williams shorty ramp and soldered it with Hi Force 44. This allows you to drift in a different load with no problem. A 1/8" shorty and a 290 to 340 sight will be right for most revolvers. Use the W sight and it will look just fine even if the bead is off to one side or the other.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Thanks for the help, I'm sorry. I posted this and lost it, been flat out with work. My contract comes up in a few weeks, maybe I'll be able to retire properly and start doing the important things. I've had six SAs and they all shot low left. My first one, an old Vaquero, shot a foot low and 6" to the left! Making the wrench out of hardwood is a good idea. I have some good old aussie hardwood downstairs, its bulletproof, but works nicely.

The replacement front sight is a good idea, but unfortunately, these guns are all used for cowboy action, so I'll have to run with the originals.

Thanks again, Mick.

[EMC45]

I do like that sight KCSO!

[Echo]

4FM, do the guns shoot low and left for other shooters? Or just you?

Anytime I see a group low and left I automatically think 'Controlled Jerk'. I've known folks to shoot decent scores (w/adj site guns) that had a uniform jerk. When I shot their guns I put the rounds high and right.

Don't mean to impugn your marksmanship. Just had to ask.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I have benchrested the guns mentioned and the point of impact was near enough the same, shot that way right from the start. Also got my mate to load the gun for me one day at the range and told him to chamber the odd empty shell throughtout the day to ensure I was doing it right. One of the guns minetioned (the 44mag Vaq) shot a bit higher with him, but further to the left.