Re-jigging a Forsight

[Exmilcop]

I have an antique Mod.3 Navy in .44 Russian. I finally had a chance to shoot the thing using Fiocchi ammo and some handloads. It consistently shoots about 12" high and 6" left at 20 yds. Given the sights are fixed, it's my intent to fabricate a replacement foresight block. I plan to remove the pin and sight (keeping the original parts safely tucked away) and fabricate a replacement as shown. I'll bring it up about 3/16" and the actual blade will be only on the left of the block as shown. I may make it a touch higher as it's easier to remove material than add it. Any thoughts or insights would be most appreciated. Please note, a draftsman I'm not, and it's not to scale, but you get the picture.

 

[chief38]

Sounds like that should work! You might think about doing a dovetail on the front sight so it can be drifted if need be - that way it would be adjustable instead of having to make another if you go too far to one side. Of course yo might have to go beyond the width of the barrel (with your new home made sight) to do so, but unless you experiment first with the way you have suggested, it might still not be spot on. I'd also make it a bit too high (purposely) so you can slowly file off enough metal to zero it in.

I'd love to see the pics when you are done. Good luck with it!

I have to say....... it's a huge amount off according to tour numbers!!

 

[Exmilcop]

Sounds like that should work! You might think about doing a dovetail on the front sight can be drifted if need be - that wqay it would be adjustable instead of having to make another if you go too far to one side. I'd also make it a bit too high (purposely) so you can slowly file off enough metal to zero it in.

I'd love to see the pics when you are done. Good luck with it!

I have to say....... it's a huge amount off according to tour numbers!!

Great minds think alike. My intention is to see if my idea works first off. If not, I'll shave off the blade and mill a dovetail into the block which will allow me more latitude in what I finally end up with in terms of an adjustable blade.

 

[chief38]

I don't know what your machining ability and shop equipment is like, but if you have both you could even make the front sight adjustable sort of on the level of a S&W rear sight with a captured nut and a screw. Obviously the range of adjustment would be limited but of you really want to dial it in, it would be beneficial.

 

[2152hq]

When I have to make a new front sight blade and am not sure where the blade height and blade position (R or L) is supposed to be, I sometimes make one out of wood first.

I use maple as it's very dense, cuts and trims well.
A sharp rough cut file makes easy work of the wood w/o having to do alot of filing on the part. One stroke can remove more wood than you want if you care too.

I leave the 'blade' portion high enough to take care of any possible adjustments I may need to do.
So to with the blade width.



The whole idea of making a sight out of wood first is that you will be at a range. Trying to shoot and then file the front sight to shape to get the gun to shoot to POA.

If it was just a matter of elevation being off,. I'd just go ahead and add a taller steel blade. Filing the thin blade down at the range is not a real challenge even in single digit temps.

But when you have both the height and then trying to thin/file the blade (perhaps from both sides) while holding onto the pistol,,it's gets to be quite an operation. Even dragging a small vise along, it's not very convenient
A small slip and then you'll be fixing up the finish as well back at the shop.

The wooden mock-up sight trims easily, much more easily than a steel one.
That's the whole idea. It can be done quickly at the range. Then measurements taken off the assembly and a new one made of steel back at the shop and installed.

One trick to use when filing an oversize sight blade to POA at the range,,doesn't matter if it's the final steel version or the wooden one above...

Do windage first.
In doing this, don't try to file the entire width of the bulky front blade.
That's a lot of work and un-necessary.
File the sight blade on a slant so only the top edge is narrowed.
The top edge of the blade is your 6'oclock hold point. Whats underneath it doesn't matter at this time.
You will end up with what was known as a Barleycorn style sight,,a triangle shaped image as you look at it from the breech towards the muzzle.

Still need to move windage left or right a bit, file some more from the appropriate side of the blade keeping the slated angle in place. You will move the top 'flat' over one way or the other in doing so correcting the windage.

The elevation is still way off as you haven't touched the blade height.
Now start taking the height down to bring that to POA.
As you do trim the site down the top flat of the blade will get wider but it will still have the same center.
You can trim the sides as before at the angle established to thin the blade a bit for easier sighting as you lower the blade height.
When you're done you will have a flat top blade with slanted sides.

Leave it right there.
That's your correct height and windage placement.
Any further trimming up of the blade to square it up can be done in the comfort of your workshop with the gun and or sight securely in a vise.

You have the measurements, so you can also make additional front sight blades if you want. Post, Metallic Bead, ect.)

Nice Revolver!!

 

[nbedford]

As usual Julian Hatcher has the formula for figuring out sight adjustment. Textbook of pistols and revolvers. I have used it before.

 

[Hondo44]

Have you checked the muzzle crown before going to all that trouble.

If it's dinged up, cutting a new crown could mitigate the problem.

 

[Exmilcop]

Have you checked the muzzle crown before going to all that trouble.

As I'd mentioned in earlier posts, this pistol is in such wonderful shape that if I didn't know it was an antique I'd assume it is a reproduction. At some point in it's life it went through the hands of a crackerjack gunsmith. So, the crown is excellent with no damage of any kind. My one problem is how to drift out the tiny pin that holds the foresight blade in place. My thoughts are to take one of my very small drill bits, snap off the fluted portion and use the shank as the drift punch. Does anyone know if the pin drifts out right-to-left or vice versa, or if it even matters? As to the idea of a wooden foresight, thank you! I hadn't thought of that. I do have a large brass washer and I was debating about bending it to suit my needs and using that as sighting in template before I go to the trouble of fabricating a permanent steel one. I won't know how brittle the brass is until I start trying to bend, but I will definitely bear the wood in mind. I have some offcuts of Ipe which is as hard as a *****'s heart and fine grained so I may use that. Thank you all for your input.

 

[Hondo44]

If you don't mind buggering the pin, use your drill bit. But notice the pin is domed on the ends; this requires a punch with a proper concave domed tip if you want to maintain the "wonderful shape" of your revolver (pistols only chamber one round at a time and do not have cylinders).

The pin usually enters from right to left. But just study both entrances of the hole and the 'upset' metal around the hole will tell you which way the pin entered.

Also to prevent damage to the surface around the pin hole when driving pin in or out, tape on a piece of brass or copper sheet/shim stock with a hole in it the size of the pin to protect the barrel when the pin punch "bounces".

Good luck and have fun!