Model 27-2 with 3.5 inch barrel shooting low

[lpesenson]

Hi, I am new to this forum, though have been reading numerous helpful responses on a variety of topics. I recently acquired a 27-2 with a 3.5" barrel. I took it to the range and ran over fifty .38 SPL rounds (158 grain) through it. I noticed it was consistently shooting lower than POA by 2-3" at 7 yards. For reference I brought my model 19 with a 6" barrel. Using the same ammo model 19 was dead on. When I got home I used a laser bore sighter and it showed that the barrel was indeed pointing lower with the same sight picture. Anyone have any idea why it might have been adjusted to shoot so low?

 

[H Richard]

Have you adjusted the sight elevation up? Has the front sight been altered?

 

[Iggy]

Welcome to the forum. You sure picked a dandy.

Try magnum ammunition

 

[ralph7]

lpesenson;137346856]Hi, I am new to this forum, though have been reading numerous helpful responses on a variety of topics. I recently acquired a 27-2 with a 3.5" barrel. I took it to the range and ran over fifty .38 SPL rounds (158 grain) through it. I noticed it was consistently shooting lower than POA by 2-3" at 7 yards. For reference I brought my model 19 with a 6" barrel. Using the same ammo model 19 was dead on. When I got home I used a laser bore sighter and it showed that the barrel was indeed pointing lower with the same sight picture. Anyone have any idea why it might have been adjusted to shoot so low?

Some people are weird. I bought a used model 63-5 that had the rear sight adjusted way to one side and guess what, it shot to one side, too. I adjusted the sight back to the middle and it now shoots to point of aim.

 

[tlay]

Adjust the rear sight up. Also if you shoot magnum ammo. or heavier ammo. it will come up.

 

[moosedog]

Every gun shoots different and favors a certain load.
Ditto on trying the magnum ammo first.

 

[lpesenson]

That's what I was thinking that maybe it was sighted for magnum ammo, but I then, based on reading other threads, I figured the slower heavier bullet would stay in the barrel longer as the gun recoils, whereas the faster, and likely smaller, bullet on a magnum would come out much earlier in the rise of the barrel, and therefore shoot even lower. I will definitely try it and make an adjustment if needed.

 

[lpesenson]

I have not had time to go to the range to test it out, but I used a laser bore sighter to get the same alignment as another gun I have which shoots well. This required so much adjustment to the 27 that one can see light between the frame and the back of the rear sight assembly. Is that ok, or is that putting too much stress on the rear sight?

 

[forsyth793]

My .44 629 with light loads shoots 4" low at 25 Yards with the rear sight near the top of the adjustment. I am thinking that replacing the rear sight leaf with a taller one will help............

 

[lpesenson]

without taking the leaf out, how can I tell what size of leaf I have now?

 

[chief38]

Every time I shoot one of my friends adjustable sight guns they shoot differently for me then they do for them - I mean really different as in 3 - 4 inches off. Consistent yes, but to different POI. We all see differently through iron sights.

If you have run out of elevation adjustment you can change the rear sight blade to a larger one. Not a big deal.

 

[H Richard]

Ipesenson, to measure the rear sight blade,screw it all the way out to the left, (but not so far that you break the screw yet). That should expose enough of the blade you can measure with your dial caliper.

 

[lpesenson]

If you have run out of elevation adjustment you can change the rear sight blade to a larger one. Not a big deal.

I have not run out, but as the back of the rear sight assembly lifted off by a few mils, I was concerned about the strain in the assembly. Is my concern misplaced?

 

[jimmyj]

Hi:
Adjust the rear sight windage back to the middle of the frame and the elevation where there is just a silver of light showing between the frame and the bottom of the rear sight.
1. using 158 grain .357 magnum ammo--test fire from a sandbag rest.
2. if the weapon still prints low--check the muzzle crown.
3. ensure that there is not a lead build up at the muzzle.
4. have another shooter fire the weapon to ensure the problem is not you dropping the muzzle as you squeeze the trigger.
5. try different grips

 

[chipking]

The rear sight was specifically made to be adjusted and most do NOT rest on the frame. You will not hurt the sight. NEVER trust a laser it is at best a poor substitute for sighting your pistol in at the range. There is no mechanical means that is 100% accurate for sighting in. Shooting is the only way. Every gun and shooter are different and do different things when shooting. That is what you adjust the sights for to put YOUR bullet fired in YOUR gun with YOUR style of hold where YOU want it.
Chip King

 

[lpesenson]

thanks, I was certainly not going to use the laser for actual sighting, it was more as a rough approximation based on comparing to a 4 inch 586.
The difference in what the laser showed was exactly how much lower the bullets hit when I first tried shooting the 27. When I get back to the range will make it more precise.

 

[USBP SW]

Don't be afraid to adjust the sights, unless of course, the screw runs out of threads on the post and falls off. However, you should sight it in with the ammo you plan to use, slow with a heavy bullet shoots higher than fast with a light bullet, although the short barrel is sometimes less affected by the different weights (less barrel time). You could also have a known good shooter try it to see if you see the sights that much differently. You should also try it at longer ranges to see if the point of aim gets closer to the point of impact.

Good luck,
Steve

 

[lpesenson]

Went to the range and with 158 grain bullets got to where in single action grouping within an inch at 7 yards and within 2 inches double action. Need more practice at 10 yards

 

[lpesenson]

I do have another question (maybe it should be in a different thread). As I am fairly new to N-frames, I noticed that unlike my K and L frames, in double action mode it is easy to pull back the trigger, but not all the way back, and if at that point one lets the trigger go forward again, the big cylinder will have locked in the new position, but the hammer will come down gently and not really strike the primer, or may be very lightly. Out of about 150 rounds that I put through it, seems that this happened twice inadvertently, or at least it happened that there was virtually no strike and when returning to the same round it fired fine the second time. It's possible i let the trigger go prematurely, but could it be that occasionally this can happen even when pulling the trigger all the way back? What would that mean?

 

[lpesenson]

Started a new thread. Thanks to everyone for all your help.