Hey Guys
Just bought a 27-2 8 3/8" blued 357 this last spring, and just got around to sighting it in the other day..The gun is in almost perfect shape w/ just a slight turn line ...
I started out benching it at 25 yards and would work out to 50 later... My groups were pretty tight and about 8" low so I started backing off the screw to raise rear sight... I ended up raising it all the way up just to get my groups at about 6" low....
So now the problem is thats it !!! Cant go any higher!!!
If I unscrew it any farther its just loose...WTH !!!
Ive got all kinds of older smiths,Colts, and this is the first time I've ran into this problem...
What can I do to zero my 27 in?? ,,because I was planning on using this revolver to try and shoot my first coyote w/ handgun..
I like my zero's really high in the first place and was planning on it being at zero at about 100yrds..but I'm a long way aways from that..Any thoughts ????? Thanks Seth....

stepsez19,

What load are you shooting in the Model 27-2? Have you tried a heavier bullet? A lighter bullet load could the causing the revolver to b e shooting low.

I started out w/ Remington 110 gr HTP..
And then I went to Barnes VOR-TEX 140 gr. All 357...

I only shot about 4 of the Barnes , as they were really low to..

Try some 158 grain ammunition, another option is to swap in a higher rear sight blade.

^^^^^^^^

What slickracer said is the answer to your problem. Measure your present sight blade and order a taller one. They aren't hard to change and maybe the previous owner had changed the stock rear sight blade with a new one for some reason.

I've got a stock 8 3/8" Model 29 that I tried to work up a 180 grain load for. I couldn't zero at 25 yards because POI was too low for the adjustment available in the rear sight. I just returned to my tried and true 240 grain loads. In retrospect the 240 grain load is a better choice.

I'd bet the OP would have no problem zeroing his revolver with 158 grain magnum loads.

I was kinda hoping to stick w/ lower gr bullets for flater trajectory as this was going to be my coyote revolver..
I wonder if there are any other model 27 users that have had this problem..
I will look into the higher blade thing....

So at what distance do you anticipate shooting coyotes?
Since the lighter bullets are printing low at 25 yards, try 50 or 75 yards and see what you have.
If you're shooting point-of-aim more or less at 50 yards, personally I would just adjust my point of aim at closer distances. A skill that's necessary for handgun hunting with open sights, anyway.

Also, 158-gr ammo will be very effective at typical handgun range, but you already know that, I'm sure. And your 8 3/8 inch barrel will make the most of whatever load you end up choosing.

Sounds to me like you need a taller blade in that rear sight. Smith offers several heights and the tallest (might be .146" but I'm not sure from memory) should help a lot.

PS: The other choice is filing down the front sight but you might not want to go that route.

Dave

__________________
RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

You will get much better groups and striking power past 50 yards with 170 or 180 gr. jacketed hollow points. The Hornady XTP and Sierras seem to be some of the best for accuracy.

I might be wrong, but in my experience, a taller front sight will cause the POI to be even lower. I had the same problem with my wife's Remington R11 and Remington sent a shorter sight and solved the problem, JMHO. Good luck.

With iron sights you adjust the rear sight in the direction that you want your group to go; raise the rear if you want to raise the POI.

You move your front sight toward the current group to sight in; shooting low you must install a shorter blade, shooting high you install a higher blade. With a shorter front sight you will raise the muzzle.

Think about it.

I just went and compared the rear blade on the model 27 to all of my other smiths 686,586,57,657,29,and etc.
The 27s rear blade is shorter than all the others !!!!
Im going to order a new rear blade....!!!!!!

Thanks guys for the info!! Ill update you when it arrives and I Bench it again..

Well hear we are almost a year later ..Ordered the 160 rear blade for the 27 and am now shooting about 4 inches low at 25 yards w/ the Barnes 357 mag 140gr ......So the 160 blade only raised me about 2 inches..
I need a blade thats about .190 or better..
I don't know where ill find anything like that..
I called S&W and they said the only other option is to send it to them..
I don't want to really do that..

I think you may be going in the wrong direction. A .357 was originally designed to shoot the 158 gr bullet. The 110 gr was a failed attempt by Super Vel to use the higher velocity to improve stopping power. Only the original Air Marshals adopted the round, thinking it wouldn't penetrate aircraft fuselages.

Think about this. The .357 was originally designed to use light 148gr to
hot 170gr lead bullets. The 110 is basically 2/3's the weight of a standard bullet and the twist of a .357 doesn't work well with a light
bullet at ranges beyond 50 yards.

I have ALWAYS had good luck with full power Magnum loads out to 150 yards+ with the .357 and found them to be quite flat shooting also!

Smith makes a .196 rear blade. Wonder whey the S&W rep didn't suggest that?

However, I am wondering why your groups are so far off your point of aim. It could be that there is something wrong with the gun, and it needs a trip back to Smith to fix. Perhaps, the former owner changed the front sight too.

Another issue is how you are shooting it. You said you are bench resting, so I wonder if you are resting the butt on the bench. That will cause it to shoot differently, as well as resting the barrel on a solid or firm surface.

You may be an expert shot and already know all this, so you can eliminate a part of the problem. But, I would not expect you would have to go to a .196 rear blade to shoot 140 grain bullets at magnum velocities.

__________________
Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

I have a 1953 vintage 3 1/2" Pre 27 and the Sierra 140 gr. bullet is one of my favorites, and my load of 18.5 gr of 296 will shoot to point of aim at 25 yards.

__________________
H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244