Colt 1860 front sight replacement

[AbitNutz]

I have a Colt 1860 Army black powder revolver. Those of you who have one will understand when I say "the front sight is too low". The sight is a brass blade that sits only 1/10th of an inch above the barrel. Conversely, this causes the point of aim to be somewhere around Pluto. I have seen a few videos on YouTube about how easy it is to make and replace the sight but that ain't for me.
I have a new brass blade coming from Uberti that's off a Colt 1872 Open Top revolver. It's the same profile but sits up twice as high, about 0.20 above the barrel. I think this may be a workable solution. However, I can't find anyone to install it.

Is anyone here familiar with this type of thing or know someone who is? Apparently, it's a press-fit into a slot cut in the barrel. It's not silver soldered. At least others have said it's not.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I'm familiar with the "shoots high" problem, having a couple of 1860s myself, and having read complaints for years. But, I can not say if it is a press fit or soldered. Many 1873 replicas are soldered. If you wish to do the replacement job yourself, then you can find out pretty easily by putting the barrel in a padded vise, grasping the sight with a pair of parallel jaw pliers, and bending side to side. If not soldered, it should come out fairly easily. If it doesn't it's likely soldered and you will have to heat the area of the sight slot with a torch to melt the solder.

I have seen some of these converted to use a shotgun bead sight which can be screwed up or down in a threaded hole. Perhaps not too authentic, but some BP revolvers did have bead front sights rather than blades, and shotgun beads offer a number of options such as being made of brass, ivory, colored, light gathering.

DG

[Nobade]

I recently replaced the front sight on my Pietta 1860. It was staked in place, no solder. I grabbed it with the mill vise and it was easy to pull out. I made a new one out of brass sheet, and soldered it in place with plain old soft solder. Then took it to the range and filed it until it was hitting where I wanted. Without solder or epoxy you are going to have a hard time getting a replacement sight to stay put without making noticeable damage to the top of the barrel.

[derek45]

I Dremel'd the hammer/rear sight down instead.


. . .but here's a video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RIgpYUKMUQ

[elk hunter]

On a replica why not cut a dovetail for a new sight? Some original Colt 1852 Navy revolvers had a dovetailed blade type front sight. The blade front sight is much better than the pin type.

[AbitNutz]

I thought about cutting the "V" deeper and I may do that yet but the front sight is still only 1/10th of an inch high. It's just too small to comfortably see.

[AbitNutz]

On a replica why not cut a dovetail for a new sight? Some original Colt 1852 Navy revolvers had a dovetailed blade type front sight. The blade front sight is much better than the pin type.

The dovetail looks great on an octagon barrel but on a round one? Not so much.

[warren5421]

I have a pair of 1860's used in SASS that I had a dovetails cut and sights installed. Sights are filled to match the barrel. They also have 51 Navy grips which make a lot of people think they are 61 Navies.

[AbitNutz]

I have a pair of 1860's used in SASS that I had a dovetails cut and sights installed. Sights are filled to match the barrel. They also have 51 Navy grips which make a lot of people think they are 61 Navies.

Why the 1851 Navy grips? What's the difference between them?

[45 Dragoon]

Hey AbitNutz!
The Navy grips are smaller than the Army grips, they're what they used for the Peacemaker.
As far as the front sight, I believe you can use a punch and drift it forward or rearward, the slot is a semi circle. The new one can be drifted in.

Mike

[AbitNutz]

What is the deal with the 1860 Army front sight? I've contacted 3 gunsmiths who come highly recommended and all of them have said they don't mess with front sights. Are they that problematic? It would seem so. It looks like I'm just going to have to live with it.

[Nobade]

Sounds like they're being slack. Try John Taylor on this forum, I bet he would take it on.

[AbitNutz]

Sounds like they're being slack. Try John Taylor on this forum, I bet he would take it on.

I wish someone would. The gun is stainless and the sight I have to replace it is from an 1872 Open Top is brass and has the same profile just taller. I was assuming that if necessary it could be silver soldered. Since the sight is brass and the barrel stainless, any discoloration could be polished out. Maybe not. This is not my thing so I'm just thinking out loud.

[derek45]

I thought about cutting the "V" deeper and I may do that yet but the front sight is still only 1/10th of an inch high. It's just too small to comfortably see.

mine shoots point of aim now, after lowering the rear sight.

Pietta 1860



I recently got an Uberti 1851 London, and expected to do the same, but it shoots point of aim, even with it's tiny front sight.

[AbitNutz]

mine shoots point of aim now, after lowering the rear sight.

Pietta 1860



I recently got an Uberti 1851 London, and expected to do the same, but it shoots point of aim, even with it's tiny front sight.

As I may have said, the issue is that not only is the sight too short, it's too small to see. Lowering the rear notch won't make the front sight any easier to see. It's only 1/10th of an in high off the barrel.

[RG1911]

If I understand the OP and if appearance is less important than hitting to point of aim, you might try what I did years ago to a replica 1858. I simply formed some JB Weld, which is gray, on the front sight and filed it down until it hit where it was aimed. It did the job and showed no signs of loosening through many range and cleaning sessions. I'm sorry I sold that pistol.

Cheers,
Richard

[Hickok]

I always used an old brass key to make a 1860 Colt Army front sight. Dremel tool, file, and fine grit wet sandpaper to polish. Tap out the front sight from the front or back. They are "half-moon" shape on the bottom, and rock out of the sight notch on the barrel.

When you get your sight made, (Taller so you can file it down to zero), lightly peen the bottom of the sight, this will make it tight fit the slot in the barrel. Tap it back in with piece of hard wood, or make a hard plastic punch from a tooth brush handle.

If it is loose, simply peen the bottom of the sight until you get a tight fit.

I have done several of cap and ball Colts 1860's this way. The 1851 .36 is a different.

[Jackrabbit1957]

The fun part is to get that small sight out. Once it's out there should be a half moon type cut that the sight was in. Find a washer that fits the slot very tightly, cut it so you have about a third left, this will be the new sight blade. File it to shape, tap it into the slot with some red Locktite and it's a done deal, you can take a small pin punch and go alongthe edge of the slot and displace a tiny bit of metal to tighten the sight even more. By the way, is it a Pietta or Uberti? Uberti should have the arbor fixed if it hasn't been done already.