I just purchased a 686 no dash 6". The front sight blade is flat black in color and approx. .25 inches tall. With the rear sight bottomed out this revolver shoots about 8 inches low at 50 feet with factory 357 mag. fed. It shot even lower with my standard 38 spec. load. Great groups, but way too low. So what do you think? What was this sight intended for? I am thinking I need to have it removed and the standard stainless ramp with red insert installed.
What is the opinion of the group? Any other alternatives?
What should this cost?
Thanks in advance for your input
Mike

To raise the point of impact, you need to raise the rear sight.

The Model 686's with the extra-tall Patridge front blade were intended to allow a neck hold on the NRA B-27 target for PPC shooting. If you plan on using your gun for general shooting of stuff, where POA and POI should be the same, swapping out the front sight blade is probably a good idea. I have one like yours that I bought when the L frames were new. There isn't enough elevation adjustment in my rear sight to zero it at 25 yards.

This is a picture of a factory NIB 686 no-dash with a patridge front sight blade. A few of the 6" guns were made with these sights instead of a red ramp. Is this the way yours looks?

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Terry

TDC, yes, that is what mine looks like. I was figuring it for some specialized use. Now to find the regular SS ramp with red insert and get it installed. What do you think this might cost?
Thanks for the input.
Mike

I can't answer the current cost of a RR blade or its installation. The patridge sight pictured is obviously pinned so it would seem to be a very simple swap.

You may have to go to S&W for the Baughman type RR blade. I'd check with your local gunsmith for installation if you don't want to attempt it yourself....

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Terry

S&W 45 Colt,

As Cptdco said, you need to raise your rear sight elevation to get the bullet impact to raise higher. You probably will not need to change your front sight.

Rear sight movement = bullet movement

Front sight movement is opposite of bullet movement

John

Yes, raising the rear sight would be the answer, except that this front sight is .250 inches tall. The standard sight is .125 inches tall. At 50' there is not enougn movement in the rear sight to move poa to intersect poi. I tried.I measured the angle of a straight edge across the tops of the front and rear sights relative to the axis of the barrel and compared this angle with that of a similar S&W revolver set up to shoot to poa at 50'. The 686 was much steeper. I thought about dressing off .125 inches from the front sight and reblacking it, but to tell the truth I would rather have the SS ramp with the red insert.
Still wondering about cost and looking for input.
Thanks
Mike

Mike:
I hope my initial response didn't seem too terse.
As you might know, there is a formula for determining how much a sight has to be moved to shift PIO a specific distance. I can never remember it, but it's easily googled, and it might be part of the FAQs at the top of this section. Sorry I'm not any help with the cost. I've had a few things done at S&W over the years but not that. I have had to take some off the top of fixed sight single-action revolvers to drop the POI and used touch-up bluing and those efforts turned out fine. I understand you would prefer the ramp sight...if I had only one 6" 686 I would also. But I have a modest collection of no-dash L frames, and althought I have a 6" (with ramp sight) if I saw a 686 or 586 with the Patridge sight, I'd be tempted to add another.