1860 Army Tooning: Front Sight Repkacement

[Guy La Pourqe]

Well fellas - I’m just happier than a pig in the mud! My cast round ball flies like a champ, my paper cartridges shoot like a house on fire, and the secret lube recipe I got from the black powder geeks works like a charm and stays where it’s put even in hot weather. I got lucky with my Uberti repro… it has a better trigger than my race grade 1911 target gun, and groups almost as well.

The only beef I have with it is that front sight. I need to replace it as Mike did at Duelist’s Den. Have any of you guys tried it? How tall should the sight blade be? Any issues you ran across that Mike may have missed?

Any info or pointers are sincerely appreciated!

Cheers,

La Pourque

[sharps4590]

I'm ignorant of Mike and the Duelists Den. Is there a link?

All my experience with front sights is that they need filed in to POA after installation. Calculations can be made and a few thousandths added to be safe but, ultimately the firearm will have to be shot in.

[marlin39a]

https://mikebeliveau.com/

[Gtek]

The way I was happiest with result was not the shortest path but rewarding. Pulled sight and micrometer base, milled brass to that width/length dimension. Made rectangle about 1/4" taller then duplicating arc on bottom and tap in. Off to range with arsenal of files and a booming we went. If L-R is off (with THE load) this can be addressed with filing offset to chase if not drastic. Once elevation achieved slow and thoughtful light filing to finish width and design with your own thought of detail.

[sharps4590]

I didn't read all of Mike's articles but of those I read I didn't see where he'd opened up the notch in the hammer. I did that on my third 1860 and have since done it to all my percussion revolvers. Sight picture is vastly improved and group size shrank quite a bit and, if the windage isn't off too far some correction can be made by which direction the notch is widened. I use a needle file and it's easiest if the revolver is disassembled and the hammer clamped in a vise with lead lined jaws. It takes a little while but I think it's worth it....obviously, or I wouldn't have done the same on 4 other revolvers!

Gtek, I'm also ignorant of "pulling the sight." How you go about that? In years past I had my gunsmith make taller front sights and install them, then I'd shoot them in. The last two revolvers I bought didn't need new front sights, thankfully.

[Gtek]

Barrel in soft jaws in vise, aluminum strips on sides of sight, vise grips on hard and one good wack.

[sharps4590]

Thank you sir!

[Mk42gunner]

The only time I replaced sights on a Colt style cap and ball revolver, it was one of the 5½" .36 cal "Sheriff's Model" that I also reshaped the hammer into more of a Bisley/ #5 shape. On it I used a set of 1911 Match high profile sights (we had drawers full of them and zero match grade 1911A1's) I did file the dovetail for the rear sight, but I filed the base of the front sight flat then soldered it to the barrel.

It has been close to thirty years ago, but I think I just made the sight line parallel to the bore. There may have been a bit of filing the sight for elevation, but I don't remember having to do much if any.

I do remember the little gun had comparable accuracy with the combat grade commercial 9mm, .40S&W, and .45 acp auto loaders my buddy and I were shooting at the time, i.e. fist sized groups at twenty five yards.

Soldering the sight on was less nerve racking than filing a dovetail and still having to solder a base for the sight.

Robert

[Hellgate]

If your replacement sight is not a snug enough fit I recommend you use J B Weld or epoxy to hold it solidly. Soldering might affect the bluing.

[rigger]

I made one out of a piece of 1/8 inch thick brass that I bought at a hardware store. I made it tall and filed it down as I shot it to get a 25 yard zero. I used some Devcon epoxy I had to keep it in place. It's been on for 2 years now with no problem. The sight is .180 to the top of the barrel. I did file the notch in the hammer wider and offset a little to get windage right.



286174

[Guy La Pourqe]

Thank you Rigger!!!

I will make mine a tad taller to err on the plus side, and work down from there. The range is a ways away, and filing/shooting at the range would be a pain... so I want to get it as close to 'right' as possible from my shop downstairs.

[rigger]

I am pretty sure 1/8 was just a tad too wide so you will have to thin it down some. I just worked it down with a piece of emery cloth. Brass is pretty soft so it wasn't too much of a chore. Yours may be OK. Hard to say till you try it. Good luck.

[Gtek]

With a real micrometer measure base of the one pulled, add about .002" and just light chamfer on bottom edges might be a way to go also.

[bedbugbilly]

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=replacingg+front+sight+1860+army+video&docid=608022766279732975&mid=BBCDE5C44ADA3EAD69E4BBCDE5C44ADA3EAD69E4&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

[Hickok]

For front sight blades, old brass keys, or even a silver colored key from your discarded door keys work nicely. File them smooth, cut and shape,...if they need to be wider to fit the slot, simply peen them down a little.

i have also taken nickels (5 cent piece) and done the same. A good nickel sight blade never tarnishes.

[Woodnbow]

Well fellas - I’m just happier than a pig in the mud! My cast round ball flies like a champ, my paper cartridges shoot like a house on fire, and the secret lube recipe I got from the black powder geeks works like a charm and stays where it’s put even in hot weather. I got lucky with my Uberti repro… it has a better trigger than my race grade 1911 target gun, and groups almost as well.

The only beef I have with it is that front sight. I need to replace it as Mike did at Duelist’s Den. Have any of you guys tried it? How tall should the sight blade be? Any issues you ran across that Mike may have missed?

Any info or pointers are sincerely appreciated!

Cheers,

La Pourque

If your pistol is an Uberti you can buy a replacement sight from VTIGunparts. You want the sight for the 1871 Open Top cartridge revolver. It fits the same way as the original but it is taller.
If it’s not snug enough you can solder it with Solder-It paste. It can be soldered with a butane lighter or heat gun.