Top Sight Bent / Everything is LEFT and DOWN?

[David L]

Hiya ---- Again...

The gun in question here is 1858 Remington Revolver RePo / by Pietta / New gun purchase.

Everything is going LEFT and down//*L* WHAT da….For the first 100 RB(round balls) I was just shooting cans/plastic bottles. Today I put up a target and everything I shoot is going LEFT and DOWN, yet I have no problem hitting cans at close range?

MY front sight was bent to the left, I DID not notice that when I first got it but the dam thing is in fact bent. Now, I bent it to the right with a cresent wrench and I think anymore “bend” in it will cause it to break, ya know, that LOOK that steel has just before it snaps? Should I just keep bending it or just replace it? I fear the next bend will destroy it, that top blade on the front of the barrel is the cridder in question here. IT kinda looks like a screwed - up U, just the tip top portion is screwed and bending it made it look kinda like an S ---- Hope that made sense…

IF replacement is recommended then please tell me how that’s done so I can do it myself, thanks loads!!!

BTW --- I cannot blame this on the seller as I honestly did not notice it until now. I just can't see where this happend, dosen't matter I own it now.


Again any input is welcome here, good or bad….

David L

That’s right -- Chicken today and feathers tomorrow!!

[David L]

Marsh,

Left it where it was? Ummmm, I was shooting at dead top center at the head, and grouped below the shoulder at midriff to heart high, that’s too much in my book to explain anything “natural”, the sight was bent, I wasn’t about to leave it like it was. I would have to hold the gun right and watch in horror as the bullet goes left…..

The only thing I do know about B&C revolvers is this: You aim true IT shoot true at 25 yards, what you are suggesting to me in my mind is ridiculous. I do thank-you very much for the thoughtful reply but I think I need advise on another solution. I do agree with taking some off the “heigth” of the sight but I was more or less interested in the BAD left of center. I will not do an adjustment on the “rear” part of this gun sight.

Everybody has their way of doing things but your soultion do not seem mechanically sound to me, different strokes for different folks. Thanks for the idea and I WILL let you know if I have to resort to this sort of tactic.

David L

[Flint]

You can get parts from VTIgun parts, they have both Uberti and Pietta parts, and the Uberti sight is a dovetail style, you'd have to have a gunsmith or machinist friend cut a dovetail for it.  The Pietta sight would install however it is, I've not had one out.  It's either threaded, pressed in or silver soldered, don't know which.

[David L]

OK Flint, I'll do some checking round and see how this thing is mounted onto the barrel. I said I would take this to a gunsmith IF that’s what it took but, I’d kinda like to do the work on it.
Lets see now, correct the front sight, smooth out the rugged internal action, play with the spring tension, smooth out the trigger pull for a smooth crisp release. Kinda like buying a used car you hafta work on just to get a ride out of it, SIR does this car come with a guarantee? Yup, you see that stop sigh at the end of the block, YES Sir I do. Well, after you pass that point your warranty expires…..(
I think I’ll go to the river (not to toss the gun in) and take a new long file and some assorted crude bending tools and see if I can get it to print on paper where I want it, this way I get to shoot it one last time before I take it to the hospital, at least this way that gunsmith WILL earn his money and fix-up my screw-up. By the time I get through with this gun IT will have cost more than the ole lady getting pregnant….Then again I could try for another kitchen pass and get a Uberti, but, my head hurts too much already….

==============================
Marsh, I guess IF one had a bad flinch then it could be even more to the left. Years ago my friend had a Dan Wesson 44 magnum long barrel and I had no problem keeping good groups with that. I'm right handed and have a lazy right eye, I keep both eyes open when I shoot ANY gun, I have to in order to print on paper. I haven’t shot a gun on a regular basis in about 10 years, not since we moved to Amarillo anyways. As I remember I tend to shoot right, I’ve never had groups go left on me, had them go right but never left. That’s what surprised me so much about this deal here.

I would really like to send this back and buy one of the Uberti’s that are on sale but that would be dirty-pool in my books. I honestly feel like it was shipped to me this way but I should have looked at it closer BEFORE shooting it. I haven’t dropped it and I transport it in a hard case so I don’t think I bent that sight. Anyways, I just don’t think its fair to the seller to do that to him. I’m just trying to put myself in his shoes. Hmmmmm, I sell a guy a brand new gun and after he has shot it over 100 times he brings it back to me a month later and says the front sight is bent, I would tell him to GO and take a flying leap. Sending it back is not an option to explore, I own this gun now.
==============================


It’s just hard to understand that a brand-new gun such as this requires SO much work. Looks like we have reached the end of the FUN part with this revolver. I was planning on shooting at least 2 to 3 times a week but I can’t take this thing and shoot it like it is now, maybe I’ll take a CHOP saw to it and just make an ash-tray, at least I could use it…*L*

Thanks for the suggestions

David L

[howdy doody]

Wow, hard to know what to say to you. Of course it would probably be best to see if it can be returned. If you got it from Cabelas they would probably exchange it easy enough. There is technique and part of it is actually shooting a rem with you finger stuck way in. I have noticed a few shooters do it that way, but I have never been able to and I get my knuckle rapped pretty good for only sticking my finger on the trigger a little ways. That would also allow you to shoot left and down too I think, but I don't have that trouble.
I sure hope you can get that thing going pard, because it should be very accurate. I wish my Ruger Old Armys were as accurate as my rems.

[Jeff Vicars]

David L. if you want to sell it, send PM.

[1860]

If your front sight is bent to the left then the gun should be shooting to the right.  Bending it to the right would only make it shoot more to the left.  Point of impact moves opposite of the direction you move the front sight.  Side to side adjustment of the fixed blade Remingtons is done by spinning the Bll., unless the sight is dovetailed in.

I'd do some serious bench shooting before I proceeded further, and probably have another shooter around to make sure it wasn't me.

1860

[David L]

1860

Now this is truly a mystery, I will set - up a bench tomorrow and go back out and see what I come up with. I have the action slicked up like I want it now, posted what I done to it and how.

I've already filed most of the bent part off this morning but, it was bent left. GeeZus, from what you say I'm all wet here and need to set-up a bench and measure off 25 yards on a flat level plane. Let me get this thing down and mounted to a bench with a fresh target and look at it yet again with "new eyes". I have no doubt your right on this which means I'm really a BAD shot....*LOL***  O'well, that's nothin we can't fix, if not then I just enjoy smelling BP.....there, I said it.....*smile*

Howdy Do

You know me, a disaster one day roses the next. I guess its like anything else, I'm gonna hafta work on this deal for a while until I get it just like I want it. I just want to do the work myself, ya know.....I cannot send this gun back, I should have found the defect before shooting it, in my mind when I shot that gun, it became mine.

Jeff,

Um.....Naw, I'm gonna work with it and if I can't do it myself OR I screw it up then I'll prolly still keep it for a conversation piece. Thanks tho....

Marsh,

I really thank you for trying to help and I did not mean to say your idea was ridiculous, you was just trying to help, I know that and if I seemed a bit cross then I did not mean to take it out on you. Thing is I have no adjustable rear sight, its on the top strap of the gun and I simply cannot do any alterations to that part, I think it would destroy the gun. I'm not a gunsmith so attempting anything like that was not an option.

David L

BACK to the drawing board - Benchrest in hand...

[1860]

David,

Haveing someone else shoot a gun that is ggiving you trouble or doing odd things is just good troubleshooting.  It doesn't mean you can't shoot good.  I have a particular shotgun that I can't use to save my life on wing targets, my budy on the other hand loves it.  It happens..

1860

[Slug-Gunner]

David,
1860 had it right.... you move the front sight IN THE SAME DIRECTION  as the "point-of-impact" to correct the sight alignment. To simplify it, you are moving the sights so that they align with the "point-of-impact" if the gun was held in the same original position. This is actually what you are doing when adjusting ANY TYPE OF SIGHTS.

General Rules for Iron-Sight Adjustment:

FRONT SIGHT:

1. Move the front sight IN THE SAME DIRECTION as the "point-of-impact" is in relation to "point-of-aim".

2. Move the front sight DOWN to RAISE THE STRIKE OF THE BULLET.

3. Move the front sight UP to LOWER THE STRIKE OF THE BULLET.

REAR SIGHT:

1. Move the rear sight IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION as the "point-of-impact" is in relation to "point-of-aim".

2. Move the rear sight UP to RAISE THE STRIKE OF THE BULLET.

3. Move the rear sight DOWN to LOWER THE STRIKE OF THE BULLET.

The general rule to remember is that YOU ARE ADJUSTING THE SIGHTS SO THAT THEY MOVE TO THE POINT-OF-IMPACT.
 :eek:    :wink:

[David L]

I did not get to go shooting Sunday - We went out there but got rained - out. We tried twice that day but both times it was just too wet, it rained and drizzled all day. I sure hated to see that dissapointed look on my sons face, he loves to shoot as much as I do.

I'm hoping I get to go this week, I have the bench and target holder already made. Now I just need some good weather.

My friend that went shooting with me years ago just dosen't have any interest in going anymore so I'm stuck on another shooter helping me with this. The 2 friends I do have in this town are not interested and one of them has a wife that just hates guns and motorcycles - Say, that sounds like she just hates ME.....*LOL*** *JK*...

We will let y'all know how this turns out - Thanks for everyones help -

David L

Praying for good weather!!

[David L]

My nightmare continues with this 1858 .44 cal. Pietta 8`` barrel, bought it new in the box.

Ok, I saw where Howdy Do said to file the front sight ONE lick at a time to raise the impact of the bullet, mine was shooting low low low. Took it to the river, set-up targets and started shooting. ONE lick at a time was not getting the job done fast enough for ME so I hit it about 10 times real hard with a file and it started to shoot high. I dam near ground it to the post before I knew what was happening. TOO short, hits TOO high - Stupid move man. I threw that file as far as I could at the river, still can’t find it, its gone --- somewhere. Anyways, I read on the internet where one guy knocked off his front post and glued another one on with JB Weld. I took my trusty chisle and knocked it off, hand made a front sight for it. That was the stupidEST thing I have ever done, outside of filing like a mad-man on that post sight. Well, didn’t work, the JB Weld was a BIG joke. Get this - I started to take a dremel tool to it but decided the gun had suffered enough. TOOK it to the hospital (gunsmith) and after HE was done laughing he said he would cut a dove - tail in it and fix me right up. Was $50.61 bucks for cutting the dove-tail and installing a new blade front sight. Looks good man, he just scarred-up my barrel a little but otherwise done a good job.

I “thought” the front sight was the culprit that was causing the bullet to hit left. NOT at all the problem, it still hits left about 6 to 8 inches. Fired it a couple of times and packed everything up and left. I do not want to sight it in with it shooting left. I got out a magnifying glass and started looking close at the gun ALL over under a bright light. The crown has a shiny spot on the right side (gun barrel pointed down range, right hand side), looks like it was left unfinished, or rather looks like someone started to put an new crown on it and just stopped short of completing the job. Its hard to see this without a bright light and glass.

Question is: Can I put a new crown on this gun with the right tools or is this a job for a scratchsmith, I mean a gunsmith? My last trip to the scratchsmith, I mean  gunsmith resulted in getting NEW scratches on my barrel and I do not want to take it back if I can help it. Any recommendations on a good gunsmith or tools to buy etc would be greatly appreciated, thanks loads….

Brand-new gun?
I cannot believe I actually paid money for this gun. I cannot hit anything with this piece of trash unless its under 10 - 15 feet from me. Forget about 25 yards, I have better luck throwing a hatchet at the target, I CAN throw a hatchet better than this gun can shoot, GeeZus. I have too much invested so far to just give-up on it, this gun fits my hand better than any I’ve ever owned I guess that’s why I’m willing to work this lemon into a good shooter. Now I’m beginning to wonder IF it will ever shoot right. I really wanted a pair of these 58 remmies in stainless but the quality of these guns is really LOW grade, at least the one I bought was. I can’t speak for the quality of anyone elses guns, all I know is mine has been a headache from day one. NO way you could hit a milk jug at 25 yards with this gun, NO WAY. Yeah, aim at the tree on the right to hit the milk jug on the far left…….Reminds me of that movie “The Unforgiven” with Clint Eastwood. The sheriff (Gene Hackman) bent that gun barrel in a U after he beat the crap out of English Bob, remember that one, maybe I’ll do the same thing to this barrel? I really doubt it would hurt the accuracy any, just might help it….*LOL***

A BIG thanks to all those that replied...

David L

Chicken today and feathers tomorrow…..

[crossbow]

Here is one possible cause of the problem,I encountered this in a colt 1851 made not by the two big Italian makers but some other guy who did not put his name on the gun,But I guess it can happen to any of them.It shot like yours off to the left and very poor groups there seemed to be nothing obvious wrong with the gun.Anyhow to cut this story short,one day while looking into the barrel I spotted the problem.It had deep rifling on one side of the barrel and shallow rifling on the other I guess the tool it was cut with was worn or damaged,the problem then is first the ball or bullet is tilted going up the bore and the second is that gas escapes on the deep rifling side.If you want to check yours here is one method of doing it,with a wooden hammer and dowel tap a ball in at the muzzle move the ball an inch or so at a time down the bore stop and shine a small torch in at the breech end if you see excessive light on one side of the ball you likely have this problem also shoot some balls into soft clay or such recover and examine them.good luck.

[David L]

Ya know Crossbow you could be right but I found my problem. My uncle told me to fix the crown and the forcing cone and ALL would be accuracy for mine to have. I believe him since no one seems to be able to tell me what is wrong with it.

I'll go with my uncles soultion as I think he knows what he is talking about. I had one fella tell me that these pistols have NO crown.......Yeah....Right......I found my poblem now I just have to implement the cure.....LEST I just take a hack-saw to the entire works....*LOL****...RIGHT.......That will fix it....*LOL***** ME THINKS someone is just FULL of IT.......

I WILL keep the forum informed, BUT NO HACK-SAW will be involved.....NO CROWN.....Right, I'll just cut it OFF...*LOL****

David L

[The Shrink]

David

You can recut the crown quite easily with a grinding ball in a egg-beater drill - Do Not use an electric or dremel!  Simply place the ball (one larger than the caliber, obviously) in the crown and lightly grind while moving the handle of the egg-beater in a small circle so you don't grind a shelf on the ball.  All this assumes that the barrel is in a vice, pointing up, don't ya know.

Incidentally, the forcing cone can be re-cut by hand reportedly quite easily to 11 degrees with a forcing cone cutter from Brownells.  I've never done this, but have read the description and it sounds easy.  (Yeah, we both know how reliable this is, but I'd still consider it myself with your problems and committment.)

I hope you've learned now to go slowly and gently when working with guns, and don't be in a hurry.  Being ADHD that's the hardest thing I've had to learn, and I've been fooling with them basically all my life!