I was reading a factory letter for a RM somewhere on this forum. Evidently purchaser's of RM's at the time could specify how they wanted their revolver sighted in by the factory. If I remember correcty this particular RM was sighted in at 75' using mid-range wadcutter ammo using a 6 o'clock hold. My question concerns a pre-war Heavy Duty. Were the HD's sighted in before leaving the factory? If they were than what ammo (bullet weight and velocity), distance and hold were typically used. Thanks in advance.


Keith

" Sighted in" usually refers to guns with adjustable sights. An HD , with the standard service sights, cannot really be sighted in in the correct use of the term. HDs, like other S&Ws. were test fired, and so marked with a punch dot, before they were sent to the vault, but that's not truly sighting in the revolver. Ed.

Opoefc- You're correct. I'll rephrase. My understanding is that with a fixed sighted revolver the sights are set up in such a way that point of impact would be achieved with a certain ammo at a given distance. I know this is true with the fixed sight Military and Police/Model 10. Is the same true for the Heavy Duty? Thanks.


Keith

It is NOT true with the M&P/Model 10. They may have had plans or intentions, and they surely included 158gr bullets at standard velocities, but intentions are not the same as the results of individual attention and correction. I have owned at least one Model 10 which proved this, and others who know more than I can explain to you some of the things that the factory would do to correct the situation if asked.

Sorry, I can't agree with this one. It doesn't pass the common sense test. S&W must have configured the fixed sights on the Military and Police revolver for point of impact probably (as you pointed out) with 158 gr. ammunition that was available at the time and at a fixed distance. It's very hard to believe that they would have no idea where point of impact would be particularly with a revolver that was widely used by the police. Now finding that data for the Heavy Duty and the Military and Police is another thing, which brings me back to my original question.

Huh? Say again....

Well, I wonder who came up the correct front sight blade height for different barrel lengths and such?

I do believe fix sighted revolvers and pistols are regulated to a standard factory loading of ammunitions common to the period....

I'd think 38-44 H-D's were regulated with that cartridge...The Hi-Speed one.


Su Amigo,
Dave

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

Of course they "configured." But plans and execution are two different things. Shoot a bunch of Model 10s and let us know what you find. I know what I've found.

So, truth be told, no two revolvers (or any other two guns of the same manufacture) are going to shoot to exactly the same point of impact. That being said, and as I understand it, individual guns were test fired with standard loads and shot for accuracy. I'm sure one of the factory guys from S&W who frequent this forum could give better, more accurate (pun intended) information on which loads for which revolvers. As Dave said, it makes sense that the HD would be regulated for the standard HD load of the time.

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Even older, even crankier....

What A10 said. Of course there was a factory expectation (the "plan") for point of impact with a load and the front sight height supplied on the gun. That all guns of the same model didn't attain (the "execution") that expectation or weren't 'adjusted' at the factory to attain that expectation is not the same issue. The OP is talking about the expectation or "plan".

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Jim
S&WCA #819

I would have thought that there was some process after the construction of the gun to coordinate the POI and the POA with the designated load.