A possible project with my 27-3

[stevieboy]

I have a 27-3 4" made back in '88. There's nothing collectible about this gun, it's not pinned nor is it recessed. it is a very nice revolver and a gun that I shoot often. However, the sights on this gun have become the bane of my existence. It has a plastic red ramp insert and a white outline rear sight. In anything except low lighting, the glare bouncing off the front ramp makes it impossible for me to shoot the gun really accurately, I tend to shoot left with it, and the problem, paradoxically, is more acute at shorter distances (10 yards or less) than at longer distances, such as 25 yards. I've put up with this for a couple of years. I've tried cranking the rear sight over to the right, which sort of corrects the problem for me but then, I tend to shoot way to the right in low light situations.

I've thought of simply painting the front ramp black, an inelegant solution but one that might work. Or, having it replaced with a Patridge front sight. Lately, I've thought of doing something a bit more radical like replacing it with one of the sight packages that are offered by Cylinder and Slide.

So, my question is this: have any of you had any experience dealing with Cylinder and Slide? Have you purchased one of their sight packages? How's their service and workmanship?

 

[686ppp]

Had some work done on a 686 years ago. They were having some trouble with the newer extractor first one they had seen working with moon clips. After a couple phone calls with myself, s&w pc, and the moon clip maker an older cylinder was fitted. Customer service is great.

 

[signsrup]

I have thought about getting a 28 to chop to 3.5" and install a Weigand front sight. A Weigand base is versatile, easy to switch blades out, and any good gunsmith can install one.

 

[rbmac52]

While your 27-3 may not be collectible, it is a rather scarce variation with it's 4" barrel length. I believe the 4" Model 27-2/27-3 was catalogued for only a few years (three?) and so their numbers are small.

If I owned that gun and suffered the problems with it that you do, I would be in a dilemma as to what to do. While I don't like the idea of modifying a scarce revolver (even if it is a "shooter"), I want to be confident and proficient with every gun I own.

If this is the only gun with which you experience this problem, perhaps you could trade it off for something that better works for you, and retain the originality of your 27-3 4-inch. If you do decide to modify your gun, we would love to see the end result and hear how it worked out for you.

Bob

 

[scooter123]

I would look at the least invasive option first. Try taking some flat black model paint and paint that insert and see how it works. If glare is still an issue, Meprolight offers a tritium sight insert that presses into the dovetail for the red insert. That will not only profide a night capable front sight, the rear face of the insert is nearly vertical and should cut down on your glare issues.

 

[retired2006]

If your revolver has a pinned on front sight, change it over to a patridge front sight, that's what I did.
The sight blades are available from Brownells, and probably Midway as well. They are standard S&W parts, not aftermarket.

 

[stevieboy]

Yeah, it is a dilemma. I'm still mulling things over. I can shoot it accurately IF I shoot very slowly, carefully lining up the sights. But, the minute I relax I tend to shoot it well to the left of my imagined POA. My problem is that I'm a rightie but I'm left eye dominant and the glare coming off the red ramp causes me to "center" the front sight left of its actual center point. Interestingly, the problem disappears if I shoot left handed, then everything goes to point of aim. This is the only gun that I'm having this problem with, I own over a dozen Smith revolvers and none of the others have the red ramp sight. I shoot all of those quite accurately.

My wife was with me at the range today. She suggested a simple solution. "Just shoot it left handed." Maybe that's the best idea I've heard yet.

She shot it today. She's right handed, right eye dominant, and she was putting everything right down the middle.

 

[Nightowl]

As stated above, I would try the Patridge replacement first. Keep the original if you ever decide to let it go.

 

[amazingflapjack]

There is some info available about shooting with both eyes open. Some can do this and some can't. You may want to have your eyes checked to see if you need some "prism" added to your lenses. If you are middle aged or there abouts, the inflexability of your eyes retina to open and close adequately when attempting to focus on both the back and front of a guns' sites is hindered. I concentrate on viewing the rear site only with periferal vision. I also got my eye Doc to make me some glasses that focus properly for hand gun shooting. I just told her what I was needing to do, and she wrote the order, and they have solved the problem. They have enough prism, and focus out where I need it. Amazingflapjack