OT - Correct way to adjust front pistol sight blade?

BenT · Post by **BenT** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 6:05 pm

Ruger single was new and shot to much to the right . So I sent it to Ruger and you can see where they used something to tilt the front blade to compensate, because of some fine marks left on the blade. Of coarse it shoots a little to the left now. Is there a special tool to do this procedure ? I would like to get it dialed in a little better.

Any info on this would be great . Thanks.

Dastook · Post by **Dastook** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 6:35 pm

The proper way to do this is to turn the barrel. I suggest this be done by a good gunsmith as bore throat might need to be readjusted for the cylinder gap.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 6:41 pm

Dastook wrote:The proper way to do this is to turn the barrel. I suggest this be done by a good gunsmith as bore throat might need to be readjusted for the cylinder gap.

You have the best answer, but if he just wants to put it back a hair, I would not hesitate to pad the front sight and take it back over a hair, a Red Curly Hair, with some grips...... Something else to think of is that if Ruger used a mechanical handgrip to test shoot, it might be that your grip is a little off from perfect.....

Ben_Rumson · Post by **Ben_Rumson** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 6:58 pm

Be sure you are firing it out of direct sunlight from the side..glare on the blade can make it shoot toward the sunlight .. nothing to worry about if the sun is at your back tho... You can also thin the blade a tad if you don't have to move POI much..Thin the side of the blade on the side that it shoots to... On a pistol with say an eight inch sight radius..& shooting at 25yds you would only have to take off about 9 thousandths of an inch to shift POI an inch.. good luck..

BenT · Post by **BenT** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:04 pm

I'm using a gun rest on a cloudy day. I'm verifying it's the gun not me. Used the same set up before I sent it in and after. I don't think they index the barrel . I'm pretty sure they tweaked the front blade by all the marks on it.

PPpastordon · Post by **PPpastordon** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:07 pm

Single actions have had "small" sight adjustments made by bending the blade. For a small adjustment, the barrel can be held in a padded vice and the blade "tapped" with a small, smooth faced, brass hammer. Ain't hard, so don't hit it too hard!
Grace and peace.

Scott64A · Post by **Scott64A** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:09 pm

Hmm which direction do you tap it to again?

In the direction it's shooting, right?

Nate Kiowa Jones · Post by **Nate Kiowa Jones** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:36 pm

I'm not keen on adjusting them by bending the front sight but if you are going to do that here's how to do it with some control. You will need a decent vise with some hard pads. Aluminum angle will work. Now clamp the sight in the padded vise and use the grip to gently push or pull as needed.

Now as to the direction. The top of the front sight never changes it's relationship with the rear sight. You change the front sight to move the barrel up, down, left or right. In other words, lets say the gun is shooting too high. You want to push the barrel down to correct and to do that you make a taller front sight. Same thing if it's shooting to the left or right. Bend the sight so it pushs the barrel where you want it to hit. In this case you want it to shoot more to the left so you want to bend the sight to the right so it pushs the barrel to the left.

BenT · Post by **BenT** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:22 am

I didn't think about doing that way Steve. That seems to be the way to regulate it the best. I just need to pick a bullet weight and load before I think about getting the sights tuned in. I found H110 to be more consistant than Unique. Probably because it meters better.

Thanks everyone.

Driftwood Johnson · Post by **Driftwood Johnson** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 6:52 pm

Howdy

Nate Kiowa Jones is one of the best cowboy gunsmiths in the country. Notice he said he is not keen on bending front sights. Your front sight is silver soldered on. If it has already been bent once, the joint has already been stressed once. Try to bend it again and you will probably snap it off. The correct answer was given earlier, the best way to adjust the sights on a single action revolver is to turn the barrel slightly in the frame. This needs to be done very carefully. Brownells sells a vice for holding the frame when turning the barrel. Another way to do it is to place a piece of hardwood through the frame to increase torque. This is tricky because you can spring the frame doing it this way, the special vice is better.

When adjusting the front sight, always move it away from the direction you want the shot to go. Just the opposite of the rear sight, move the rear sight in the direction you want the shot to go.

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 2:18 pm

I'd just file it a little. Less risk of damage, and no effect on cylinder gap.

TomF · Post by **TomF** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 3:06 pm

Depending on the distance left or right, one could file the inside of the rear sight. This allows the front sight to line up to the center of a wider rear sight. Remember whether you file the front or the rear, a little goes a long way!

I like adjustable sights!!

TomF