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S&W Revolvers: 1961 to 1980 3-Screw PINNED Barrel SWING-OUT Cylinder Hand Ejectors WITH Model Numbers


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Old 08-20-2011, 05:05 PM
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Default Snubby "sight picture".



.38, sure you've seen a million of them!

I know I will invoke the wrath of S & W purists. The front sight of my snub nose .38 is high and blocks the view of the target; I can't see what I want to hit.

I want to take my pistol over to the bench grinder and grind off about a quarter inch (approx.) of front sight, so that I can line up the front with the rear and have a "good sight picture". I think: functionality over appearance, get it so it is accurate! On the other side of the coin: "what the hell...grinding off material on a perfectly good gun"? You can never put it back and I might ruin the resale value, even though I don't plan on selling.

Any other ideas? I am just a plinker, but I like to be "dead on".

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Old 08-20-2011, 05:22 PM
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OBVIOUSLY, if you are contemplating this mod that in 60+ years of shooting, I have never heard of someone needing to do, your sight picture is in need of correction, and NOT your revolver. Get with an NRA Certified instructor who can help you with your technique BEFORE YOU RUIN THAT WEAPON.....(some KNOWLEDGEABLE pistoleros have filed SA front sights to achieve a common POA/POI with a CORRECT sight picture. That is NOT YOUR ISSUE ) BTW--welcome to the Forum.....
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Old 08-20-2011, 05:28 PM
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I know I will invoke the wrath of S & W purists.
Hmmm...maybe

Quote:
Get with an NRA Certified instructor who can help you with your technique BEFORE YOU RUIN THAT WEAPON.....
Yep!
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Old 08-20-2011, 06:03 PM
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I'm not sure what your sight picture looks like to you. Does the gun shoot high? Are you shooting at 10 yards, 25 yards? Do 158 grain slugs shoot to a different POI than 130 grain?

There are a lot of variables in POA/POI and you may have to change one thing about your sight picture at a time until you hit where you want. I agree you may want a known good shooter to try your gun before any grinding takes place!

Short barrel revolvers take much time and practice to master especially shooting D/A. But the effort is well worth it and will improve your shooting skills immensely with all types of handguns.

Don't give up and start grinding just yet, seek out those you trust and take a class with that specific snub-gun. Good luck and enjoy!!
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Old 08-20-2011, 06:43 PM
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First, you have to look at the difference between sight picture and sight alignment.

Basically, with sight picture, you're looking "through" the sights at the target, lining everything up, and picking what you would like as a preferred point of impact. And, making sure that the front sight is "properly positioned" in relation to the rear sight.

From there, you concentrate on sight alignment, which is merely shifting the focus of your eye to the front sight, making sure that it is crystal clear and still lined up. The human eye can not focus on all 3 things. You will not see that defined point on the target. The rear sight and target will be out of focus. That's the way it works and you have to trust it.
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Old 08-20-2011, 07:02 PM
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A lot of Smiths hit on top of the front sight with 158 gr loads. That is the bread and butter bullet weight for the 38 Special. If you are shooting fast, light bullets they will print lower. When you say the gun is hitting low enough you can't see what you want to shoot, how low is it hitting at 7 yards? Does it hit low for everyone?

I would be reluctant to grind the front sight. Try loading three rounds and two empties and make sure you are executing perfectly every shot. You may be hitting low because of the way you are handling the gun.
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Old 08-20-2011, 08:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Ilike9mm View Post


.38, sure you've seen a million of them!

I know I will invoke the wrath of S & W purists. The front sight of my snub nose .38 is high and blocks the view of the target; I can't see what I want to hit.

I want to take my pistol over to the bench grinder and grind off about a quarter inch of front sight, so that I can line up the front with the rear and have a "good sight picture". I think: functionality over appearance, get it so it is accurate! On the other side of the coin: "what the hell...grinding off material on a perfectly good gun"? You can never put it back and I might ruin the resale value, even though I don't plan on selling.

Any other ideas? I am just a plinker, but I like to be "dead on".
First, the basic sight picture for any gun with open sights is with the front sight centered in the rear notch, and the top of the front sight even with the rear sight. Any S&W revolver will shoot within a few inches of where the sights are aligned when proper ammunition is used. In the case of your Model 60 that would be 158 gr. bullets.

Second, 1/4"?? Look closely, the front sight isn't even 1/4" high!

Let me tell you what I read into your post, based on what you have said. You have never fired a revolver, or probably any handgun, in your life. You, like many non-shooters, assume the barrel should point directly at the target, and you see that when held this way the front sight appears to be too high. This situation is perfectly normal and is done by design.

Before firing a handgun must be aligned with the barrel pointed to a position well below the intended point-of-impact. This is because the gun begins to recoil the instant the charge fires and the bullet begins to move. The gun will "climb" in recoil until, at the time the bullet actually leaves the muzzle, the barrel is actually pointed at the target or slightly above. Those nasty "physics" things, momentum and all.

Go shoot the gun, aligning the sights as noted above, and see where the bullet hits. Since you haven't shot a revolver before I will bet the point of impact will be low as you have not developed trigger control yet and will probably "jerk" the trigger.
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Old 08-20-2011, 08:20 PM
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"The front sight of my snub nose .38 is high and blocks the view of the target"

This sounds like you are placing the front sight very high in relation to the rear sight notch. The top of the front sight of any revolver or pistol should not be extending higher than the top of the rear sight ears.
Have you recently got interested in handguns? If so, that would explain your statement.

I would also urge you to take an NRA course in basic safety and marksmanship.
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Old 08-20-2011, 09:12 PM
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"Equal height, equal light"

I don't remember who told me that mantra, but it follows what everyone else is saying. Equal height means that the top of the rear sight notch should be even with the top of the front sight. Equal light means that the front sight should be centered in the rear sight notch.

I've included a link that may help graphically.

Proper Sight Picture And Target Mistakes!

Chubbs
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Old 08-20-2011, 09:26 PM
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If you ground off 1/4" off the front sight you will have no front sight left. The highest point of a J frame front sight is maybe a little less, or just about 1/4" high.

When you take a little bit of steel off of a front sight you are talking about 1/64" or 1/32" not a quarter inch!

Which brings to mind if you do take a little bit of steel off of a front sight you wouldn't use a bench grinder! You would use a fine file.

At least you asked some questions before you acted. Everyone had to learn at the beginning, and nobody knows everything. Asking questions is the smart thing to do.

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Old 08-20-2011, 09:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chubbs103 View Post
"Equal height, equal light"

I don't remember who told me that mantra, but it follows what everyone else is saying. Equal height means that the top of the rear sight notch should be even with the top of the front sight. Equal light means that the front sight should be centered in the rear sight notch.

I've included a link that may help graphically.

Proper Sight Picture And Target Mistakes!

Chubbs
Chubbs, I VEHEMENTLY DISAGREE. As a handgun shooter for over 50 yrs, a Bullseye League competitor for over 30 years (shooting an average of 293-295 for the last 10 years), and an NRA Certified Instructor for over 30 years, I MUST declare that the proper Bullseye Pistol sight placement for an iron sighted handgun is the "6 O'CLOCK HOLD". NO HIGH LEVEL COMPETITOR THAT I KNOW OF, has ever sighted a handgun as illustrated in your link. The error chart IS VALID, however.......
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Old 08-20-2011, 10:38 PM
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one eye joe;I MUST declare that the proper Bullseye Pistol sight placement for an iron sighted handgun is the "6 O'CLOCK HOLD". NO HIGH LEVEL COMPETITOR THAT I KNOW OF, has ever sighted a handgun as illustrated in your link. The error chart IS VALID, however.......

Joe, you are correct about a 6 o' clock hold in bullseye shooting when using a bullseye pistol set up. As you know we set our sights to do precisely that. While the illustration is incorrect for shooting bullseye (competition) with a gun that has the sights adjusted for that type shooting, combat sights are very often set at "center hold" which the illustration linked to by Chubbs shows.

That model 60s sights are most likely set for a center hold from the factory. (My model 36 is,) With that type sight set up, one would shoot at a bullseye target with the sight alignment / sight picture shown. This is how I must shoot at a bullseye target with my guns that have fixed sights set in a center hold configuration.

Like you, all my bullseye guns have adjustable sights, and are set for a six 0' clock hold.

BTW, I see you are a fellow Rhode Islander! Where do you shoot? From your post, I bet we have shot together at some point. I have been a member of the Providence Revolver Club (16 years), and The Pine tree Gun Club (4 years). Used to do a lot of bullseye shooting with PRC.

Almost forgot to address the OP! Do not grind anything off that gun!!! Set a paper plate target out about 21 feet. Have an experienced shooter who knows about sight alignment and sight picture (and trigger control, breath control, and follow through) shoot the target using a center hold, (or 6 0' clock hold) in single action mode using 158 grain bullets. You will soon see if the POA and POI differ. I would guess that if done correctly, the gun will shoot POA. If not, adjust your sight picture accordingly, but do not grind the front sight off that gun!!!


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Old 08-21-2011, 12:51 AM
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Ilike9mm:

Your photo looks like your Model 60 may have some orange paint on the bottom of the rear face of your front sight blade, the part you will be looking at when you shoot. I bet this paint is confusing you to some degree.

The paint (if that is what I am seeing) wasn't put there by the factory. Some previous owner probably painted the front sight. It is a commonly done thing to make the front sight easier to see when in a hurry.

I would clean the paint off completely. If you like it, buy some model airplane paint or fingernail polish of the color you like and cover the whole serrated portion of the rear of the sight blade.

Like others have posted, the proper sight picture for your gun will have your front sight blade centered in the rear sight notch, with the top edges of both even with each other. If you ground off the front sight, your gun will shoot pretty high at most distances.
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Old 08-22-2011, 01:11 AM
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If plinking was the name of the game, I'd look for a model 63 or 617. Those models have adjustable sights and the ammo is cheap. IMHO, The model 60 was designed to perforate the center of 24" x 72" targets at ranges of 7 yards or less, and the fixed sights work great in that application.
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Old 08-22-2011, 04:59 PM
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Thanks for the advice. I feel as though I did not express myself in a clear fashion. How about this: I can't hit **** with that dam tall front sight in my way. How the **** do you guys master these things? What if there was a bug in this guys nostril and I wanted to help him out?
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Old 08-22-2011, 05:10 PM
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If I read you correctly, you have the groove in the back lined up with the red line in front and pointed at his nose. The rounds are hitting him in the forehead.
Line up the top of the front sight (not the redline) with the groove in the back (Raise the back of the gun) and you'll hit that booger-picker clean in the schnoozola.
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Old 08-22-2011, 05:15 PM
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Old 08-22-2011, 05:42 PM
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The experienced shooters here have amply hashed the proposition that the front sight "blocks" the target. On the positive side, may I suggest that maybe a third of your range time be used working on your front sight issues and the remainder be used in MUZZEL SIGHTING the shots from your snubbie. If you ever have to use that snubbie for defensive purposes, the LAST thing on your mind will be aquiring the sight picture. Get a human size silhouette target and "aim" using the front of your snub as the sight. You might surprise yourself at how many center mass hits you make! Practice makes perfect and could save your life.
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Old 08-22-2011, 05:52 PM
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Originally Posted by Ilike9mm View Post


Thanks for the advice. I feel as though I did not express myself in a clear fashion. How about this: I can't hit **** with that dam tall front sight in my way. How the **** do you guys master these things? What if there was a bug in this guys nostril and I wanted to help him out?
You expressed yourself fine and we all understood you fine.
You just don't know how to line up the sights.

Take a good look at the picture dubhelix posted.
THAT is the way you line up ANY firearm sights.
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Old 08-22-2011, 06:04 PM
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You’ve gotten good advice from the other guys. I used to be responsible for conducting the NYPD Police Firearms Instructors School while assigned to the Firearms and Tactics Unit. Your primary aiming point is your front sight. The top of the front sight should be neither higher nor lower then the wings of the rear sight. At combat range(5’ to 15’), as a practical matter, all you need do is focus on the front sight and get anything from a “flash sight picture” to just focus on the front sight in order to hit your target (assuming, a big “assume,” that you control your trigger during firing).

Please don’t grind down your front sight. You won’t be happy if you do so.


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Old 08-22-2011, 06:23 PM
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Are you by any chance only shooting at 300 yd targets? That's about the only reason you might want to grind down the front site.
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Old 08-22-2011, 06:50 PM
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YES! How did you do that? A different type revolver?
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Old 08-22-2011, 07:39 PM
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YES! How did you do that? A different type revolver?
I think you are missing the point...

Your rounds are impacting high because you have the top edge of the front sight way above the top edge of the rear sight. The proper sight picture is to have both the top edge of the front sight and the top edge of the rear sight level with each other as depicted in the above photo.

I other words, ignore the orange insert on your front sight.
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Old 08-22-2011, 07:50 PM
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Well, yes, actually it is a different revolver, but it shouldn't matter. That photo is a 3" Model 65, because that's what I carried today. I'm not sure if you are joking or not, but I will humor you anyway. In my experience, almost all pistol's sight pictures look pretty similar. Here's a bunch. In each, the front sight blade would be directly on top of the Point Of Aim. Point of Impact will be somewhere within that general area, too, depending on range, ammo, and skill.
Model 60

Model 640

Model 64

Model 66

Glock 19

1911

Note: when taking the photos, I noticed that "in real life" the front sight seems larger/fills more of the rear sight notch than in the photos. I don't know why that is. Weird.
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Old 08-23-2011, 01:40 AM
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Quote:
Ilike9mm;YES! How did you do that? A different type revolver?
I do believe our legs have been sufficiently been pulled gentlemen!

But, just in case .....


Ilike9mm, why not just remove the paint from the front sight, and work on sight alignment as shown in the pictures? Or, paint the entire front site ramp orange so you won't be confused as to where the top of it is!

Lower the muzzle end of the barrel so that none of the front sight rises above the top of the rear sight as seen in the pictures above. Do you really not understand what everyone has been telling you?


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Old 08-23-2011, 02:09 AM
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Yall's put that there front thang in betwixed them there back thangs and a makin sure they's is level and the front thang is dead nuts middle of them back thangs yall's pull the trigger and yall hit what yall's aim fer.
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Old 08-23-2011, 02:27 AM
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Yall's put that there front thang in betwixed them there back thangs and a makin sure they's is level and the front thang is dead nuts middle of them back thangs yall's pull the trigger and yall hit what yall's aim fer.
I believe that is the exact verbiage used by my grand-dad when he taught me how to shoot, with the helpful addition of "pay attention twere yer poinin that dang thing,boy!"
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Old 08-23-2011, 06:44 AM
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I do believe our legs have been sufficiently been pulled gentlemen!
My thoughts as well...
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Old 08-23-2011, 05:16 PM
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Ilike9mm---these boys are bending double to give you quality-accurate and the best info--like the undersheriff in our pistol club(40 years ago)said---boys--concentrate on your sights---I like .44mag--357--and 22

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Old 08-24-2011, 01:43 AM
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Listen to what they are telling you, I had the same problem with my Model 36 with fixed sites until an instructor showed me the correct way to line up the front and back sites like was done here in this post. I agree the best thing you could do is get rid of the ORANGE PAINT on the front sites, that would mess me up too. You will see a Big difference.

Thanks Dubhelix, what a great reference to go off of with your pictures.

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Old 08-24-2011, 05:43 PM
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Yall's put that there front thang in betwixed them there back thangs and a makin sure they's is level and the front thang is dead nuts middle of them back thangs yall's pull the trigger and yall hit what yall's aim fer.
Really, NOT KIDDING here. I have been shooting most of my life (older than 55), most of the time (duh) you line up the front thingy between the back thang...bang. No problem.

I am new to the .38 Snubnose. I just don't get the front sight being too tall! Line em up, shoots low. I put the orange paint on the sight to give me an indication of elevation. It is not bullet drop, target at 15 feet. I want to hit a gonad on a gnat (they make em big here in NorCa), and can't do it; because I can't see through the front sight. Aim high, I still can't see what I want to hit.

Thanks for all the advice.
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  #32  
Old 08-24-2011, 06:13 PM
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Would you please show us a picture of the front sight, viewed from the side?

Thanks.
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Old 08-24-2011, 06:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Ilike9mm View Post
Really, NOT KIDDING here. I have been shooting most of my life (older than 55), most of the time (duh) you line up the front thingy between the back thang...bang. No problem.

I am new to the .38 Snubnose. I just don't get the front sight being too tall! Line em up, shoots low. I put the orange paint on the sight to give me an indication of elevation. It is not bullet drop, target at 15 feet. I want to hit a gonad on a gnat (they make em big here in NorCa), and can't do it; because I can't see through the front sight. Aim high, I still can't see what I want to hit.

Thanks for all the advice.
I cannot believe that this discussion is still continuing. Dude, you are JUST NOT COMPREHENDING the many excellent responses to your original post. Many of them are accompanied by EXCELLENT pictures. THE FRONT SIGHT IS NOT TOO TALL ! ! ! You are aligning the sights incorrectly. If you have been lining up sights like this for years--you couldn't have hit SQUAT except by accident..........
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Old 08-24-2011, 06:57 PM
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Again thanks to all. I feel that I am just not communicating my thoughts in the appropriate manner. Or, there is some great misunderstanding here. I am new to a Snubby, the front sight is a little too tall to get the alignment that I am used to: as on the hundreds of handguns I've fired.
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Old 08-24-2011, 08:22 PM
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You are unwilling/unable to comprehend what numerous posters have told you. I suggest that you grind the front sight clean off the barrel, and be done with it. (you WON'T BE HAPPY until you do) Make sure you post a range report after you're done......
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Old 08-24-2011, 10:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Ilike9mm View Post
I am new to the .38 Snubnose. I just don't get the front sight being too tall! Line em up, shoots low.
Thanks for all the advice.
I am going to attempt to keep this moving in a positive direction for you here. I have a question: are you shooting low and left as well?

There is a strong tendency to push the muzzle down and to the left when you first start shooting a DA snub. I strongly urge you to see where it shoots with someone familiar with this type of revolver.

Bullets lighter than 158gr can often print low as well. I am curious what type ammo you are using.

Chubbs
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Old 08-25-2011, 02:10 AM
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[QUOTE=Ilike9mm;136089140]

Despite an unorthodox sight picture, your photo displays adequate combat accuracy. Aim for Center of Mass ( middle of torso ). Paint the whole front sight bright orange, and realize that your modified model 60 weapons system is designed for emergency self defense. See Col. Charles Askins methodology:

"A hard-kicking gun can be controlled in only one way: it must he gripped with a powerful hand pressure. Practice a grip on the belly gun that will crush granite. Such a heavy hand will bring the weapon under control and keep it there. Practice on man targets and do not fire at them more than 30 feet. Do not fire single shots, trigger off bursts of 2 or 3. Extend the arm full length in the beginning and simply look over the barrel. Later on commence to break the elbow and hold the gun below eye level. Shots come faster. Accuracy is just as good from this lower position it is just a matter of practice." -Col. C. Askins


If you remain convinced that your pistol is defective, I would be willing to purchase it from you for $350, which is a fair price for a defective model 60.
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Old 08-25-2011, 06:14 AM
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Originally Posted by Ilike9mm View Post
Really, NOT KIDDING here. I have been shooting most of my life (older than 55), most of the time (duh) you line up the front thingy between the back thang...bang. No problem.

I am new to the .38 Snubnose. I just don't get the front sight being too tall! Line em up, shoots low. I put the orange paint on the sight to give me an indication of elevation. It is not bullet drop, target at 15 feet. I want to hit a gonad on a gnat (they make em big here in NorCa), and can't do it; because I can't see through the front sight. Aim high, I still can't see what I want to hit.

Thanks for all the advice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ilike9mm View Post
Again thanks to all. I feel that I am just not communicating my thoughts in the appropriate manner. Or, there is some great misunderstanding here. I am new to a Snubby, the front sight is a little too tall to get the alignment that I am used to: as on the hundreds of handguns I've fired.
Well, I, for one, believe you. Where most of us got off track was that you seemed to be showing us a target where you were shooting high with your altered sight picture. If that is true, then you need a bit more orange so you don't raise your muzzle quite so high. Once you get the gun sighted in, you simply file off enough of the front sight to get down to the orange. WARNING: Aside from the usual warning about going slow on metal removal, you should know that the proper sight height will vary with bullet weight, and sometimes even with different cartridges with the same bullet weight. It will also vary with the grips on the revolver, and with YOUR grip on the revolver. If you are getting small groups and you are sure that you have settled on what ammo and grips and grip you are going to use, you are probably ready for sight alteration.

Fellow board members: S&W DOES make such errors at times. When they brought out the 342PD with a pinned-in red-insert front sight, both mine and the one bought by the town PD's firearms instructor shot low, even with 158gr ammo. Just about the whole insert had to be held above the rear sight.
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  #39  
Old 08-25-2011, 03:59 PM
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Did you start with a snub? I used to say not-nice things about snubs when I couldn't shoot them correctly. I went to 6" and 4" revolvers, got to where I could hit a pattern. Then got a 3". And theeeeen got a snub.
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Old 08-25-2011, 04:00 PM
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OK, this thread has developed into palpable frustration for everyone including the OP.

I am going to be bold and high-jack it. I am throwing etiquette to the wind. Here it goes:

I know this guy (we'll call him Ilike9mm). He's an experienced shooter, but he is not familiar with DA snubs. He recently bought a model 60 and it is shooting X inches low at XX yards (feel free to give me the numbers Ilike9mm). He was using 1XX gr ammo.

I know the places to start are shooter technique and ammo selection. Beyond that what are his options?

He has tried altering his sight picture in order to compensate and bring the POI up, but he is unhappy with this solution.

After he has someone else shoot the gun, would you recommend sending it back to S&W? If he wants to make this a primary carry piece, maybe this would be the perfect time to recommend a 'smith put on something like an XS Bigdot and make sure that POA=POI.

Worst case, if he determines the problem can't be corrected through proper technique or ammo selection and he doesn't want to spend anymore money on the problem, would you recommend filing the front sight?

If anyone has done this, can they offer advice?

As much as I have wanted this thread to die...

...I feel better now.

Chubbs
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  #41  
Old 08-25-2011, 04:15 PM
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Holy cow. This is making my head hurt. OP, if you're lining up your sights by putting the orange painted area of YOUR sights between the rear sights, then yes, you will shoot high. Very high.

If you line your sights up like dubhelix has kindly illustrated with half a dozen different weapons, then you'll have much more accurate results.

This ain't rocket science.
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  #42  
Old 08-25-2011, 04:53 PM
ImprovedModel56Fan ImprovedModel56Fan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chubbs103 View Post
Worst case, if he determines the problem can't be corrected through proper technique or ammo selection and he doesn't want to spend anymore money on the problem, would you recommend filing the front sight?

If anyone has done this, can they offer advice?
Yes.

I have done this, and I offer advice above.

H&D, how about ASKING the OP whether the gun shoots high with the orange aligned with the rear sights? My 342PD, and that of my LEO instructor friend, shot right on with sights so aligned. The OP should use the paint to get the sights aligned with his ammo, his grips and his grip, be SURE that that is what he wants to use, and then file the sight down close to the paint. Finishing touches should be interspersed with test firing.
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  #43  
Old 10-11-2013, 11:51 AM
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Originally Posted by Alk8944 View Post
Before firing a handgun must be aligned with the barrel pointed to a position well below the intended point-of-impact. This is because the gun begins to recoil the instant the charge fires and the bullet begins to move. The gun will "climb" in recoil until, at the time the bullet actually leaves the muzzle, the barrel is actually pointed at the target or slightly above.
Not only can I confirm this but I have a relative story to share.
I purchased a 629 with 4" barrel, bought a couple hundred rounds of 180gr target loads for it at Dick's and went to sight it in.
Even with the adjustable rear sight all the way up, the screw looking like it's about to fall out, the gun was shooting low.
The front post also looked way to tall (not lined up with barrel). So I called Smith and pitched a fit about them putting the wrong post on the gun and they sent me a new one which I had installed. The gun shot perfect.
Then I tried some bear loads (bought the gun for backpacking) and the gun shot high. I put the rear sight all the way down and it's still shooting high.
$%$%^#$%
Doing some more shooting and checking revealed that at a mere 30' there was a 4" difference in POI between the 180gr target load and a 325gr cast load. It still irks me that the rear sight is not adjustable enough to cover all weights of ammo but c'est la vie.
Currently I'm shooting tight groups with it at 75' but they're still 3" high with my hand loads at that distance.

I might also be wrong but I think pistols don't experience this effect so dramatically because most have barrels that move straight back with the slide for the first little bit.
If I were you, I'd figure out what ammo I want to carry in that gun (I recommend Speer short barrel) and only then modify the sights as needed to suit that ammo.

Last edited by yeti127; 10-11-2013 at 11:54 AM.
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  #44  
Old 10-11-2013, 02:22 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by What the View Post
you may want a known good shooter to try your gun before any grinding takes place!

Short barrel revolvers take much time and practice to master especially shooting D/A. But the effort is well worth it and will improve your shooting skills immensely with all types of handguns.
Solid advice. How proficient are you with a medium frame DA revolver? When I was instructing, I always had my students start out with perfecting their DA skills on a medium frame revolver before transitioning over to small frame revolvers or to semi-autos. Good DA skills translate well to any other gun.
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Old 10-11-2013, 02:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Model520Fan View Post
WARNING: Aside from the usual warning about going slow on metal removal, you should know that the proper sight height will vary with bullet weight, and sometimes even with different cartridges with the same bullet weight. It will also vary with the grips on the revolver, and with YOUR grip on the revolver.
I have a 640 and a 642. I have standardized on shooting Buffalo's 125 grain standard pressure jacketed hollow point. Both guns shoot low consistently. The solution seems to be machining the front sight lower.

BUT I am ever so reluctant to do so. I am a licensed aircraft mechanic and have been working on metal parts for decades so I am always nervous about cutting metal, you can never add it back to the part. I have had to throw parts in the junk bin several times because I wanted to remove "just" 0.001" more material. Trust me, you can never remove just .001". And resale value drops dramatically if you have removed metal.

I am exploring other ways to adjust the guns so the POI is the same as POA. Maybe a red insert bar at the appropriate place on the front sight would be the answer.

Or maybe, because I tend to be obsessive about pursuing solutions to perceived problems, I should just learn how to hold a little higher and not start grinding on a perfectly good firearm. What a concept!
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  #46  
Old 10-11-2013, 10:03 PM
george_lehr george_lehr is offline
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I just saw this thread tonight and feel bad that Ilike9mm had to endure so much abuse. I have several fixed sight S&W revolvers and the Model 36 is the only one that I have trouble with. I posted about it here and as yet have not done anything to correct the situation, but cutting the front sight down seems like the only choice if you want to use the sights.

Model 36 Front Sight Height Issue

George
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  #47  
Old 10-14-2013, 01:43 PM
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IMHO this is one 2 year old thread that didn't need to be brought back to life.
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Old 10-14-2013, 05:48 PM
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I know it's a dead thread, but I just gotta say I disagree with Col. Askins statement in part. I generally agree with everything in his statement, except the part about not shooting at anything over 30 feet. I think practice should include various distances past 30 feet. I think shooting at distance helps one become much better handgun shooter. And, anything that helps me become a better shooter, I'm just plain ol' for doing it. Well, that's my 2 cents worth.
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Old 10-15-2013, 11:09 AM
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IMHO this is one 2 year old thread that didn't need to be brought back to life.
my view exactly. the mods ought to lock this one up tight.
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Old 10-15-2013, 06:23 PM
ImprovedModel56Fan ImprovedModel56Fan is offline
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my view exactly. the mods ought to lock this one up tight.
Why? (filler)
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