Author Topic: 1860 shoots high  (Read 1529 times)

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Offline brpc

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1860 shoots high
« on: May 08, 2010, 09:06:43 AM »
My new Uberti 1860 colt shoots almost 12 in high at 25 yards.  Any advice on filing the rear sight on the hammer.

Offline jlchucker

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Re: 1860 shoots high
« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2010, 10:29:28 AM »
I had this same problem with a 2nd Dragoon model.  I had my gunsmith make up and put on a higher front sight.  These are not very complicated, can be made out of a thick piece of brass, and if you put one on that's a bit too high, it's easy to file it to shoot to your satisfaction.  Screw up that hammer with the sight notch in it, though, and you're kind of stuck.  Besides, if you go grinding and filing on that, you'll likely go right through the color casehardening. 

Offline Cowpox

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Re: 1860 shoots high
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2010, 10:38:05 AM »
I regulate the back sight on Colt style revolvers by wrapping the revolver in several shop rags, then clamp it loosely in the bench vice.

Then, I firmly brace my wrist on the jaws of the vice, and use a Dremel tool with a cut-off wheel to cut straight down in the center of the "V" notch. (a very thin file would work too)

Easy does it, and load a chamber and try a shot after each small increment of added depth.

When you get the impact down where you want it, carefully widen the first cut to the perferred width.  However, before widening the cut, shoot the revolver enough to determine if it is hitting to one side of the line of sight, and if it does, widen your initial cut in the opposite direction to move the impact to point of aim.

For instance, after making the first narrow cut to a depth that brings the impact is down to point of aim, but hitting to the right of point of aim, widen the cut on the left side.   The impact will then move to the left, and line up with the point of aim.

As long as care is taken to keep the wheel from grabbing and kicking out of the cut (keep your hands well braced on something solid), the alteration of the notch is hardly noticeable.

I rode with him,---------I got no complaints. ---------Cowpox

Offline Flint

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Re: 1860 shoots high
« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2010, 10:50:41 AM »
Best not mess with the hammer, unless you have a few spares in hand.  I installed new front sights in a few 1860 and 1861 Ubertis, it needs to be about 1/4 inch tall for the 1860 and 5/16 tall for the Navy.

This is made of brass, silver soldered in as a blank, then reshaped to be similar to the SAA with a sharper rear corner.  Tapered the sides to narrow the profile as seen through the rear sight notch.  This installation is on a Colt Signature Series 1860.



Flint, SASS 976, NRA Life

Offline BobJ

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Re: 1860 shoots high
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2010, 04:09:18 AM »
I shot my Uberti 1860 Colt Army yesterday to evaluate altering the rear sight notch. Altering the notch works, but I would prefer to have a new front sight myself. Personal preference on my part, I cant argue with the success of others with more experience than me.

I cleaned up my hammer notch some time ago with a slim triangle file, it really opened and improved my sight picture. But, holding the front sight level with the top of the vee doesn't change the point of impact any, I just have a better sight picture.

I tried holding the top of the front sight in the bottom of the vee, and amazingly, it shot about to point of aim. I had trouble with windage because with a vee notch I couldn't center the front sight consistently (a square notch would solve this), but most importantly, I couldn't hold the same amount of front sight visible in the notch to achieve totally consistent elevation.

I will continue to shoot and experiment with my sight picture before I alter my gun, but dang, Flint's front sight looks good!

Offline jlchucker

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Re: 1860 shoots high
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2010, 07:46:51 AM »
Yes indeed.  Flint's front sight does look good!  It looks like he's left enough meat there to file to exactly the elevation you want.  Although you can't tell from the picture, I'll bet he left enough thickness so that he could file a bit from either side to adjust for windage, as well. With a front sight, up and down or sideways takes very little stock removal for adjustment.

Offline stewswanson

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Re: 1860 shoots high
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2010, 08:33:06 AM »
Lots of good ideas regarding the front sight. In order to find out just how high the front sight should be I used a piece of
shrink tubing over the existing front sight. Make it about an 1/8 inch higher and trim it down little by little.
Stew

Offline FourBee

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Re: 1860 shoots high
« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2010, 05:20:48 PM »
My new Uberti 1860 colt shoots almost 12 in high at 25 yards.  Any advice on filing the rear sight on the hammer.

That's cause it is a carry over from the olden days when they were sighted in for - (some say 50 yards, and some say 75 yards).  8)
Enjoy your rights to keep and bear arms.

Offline Oldwolf

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Re: 1860 shoots high
« Reply #8 on: May 12, 2010, 09:37:05 AM »
My new Uberti 1860 colt shoots almost 12 in high at 25 yards.  Any advice on filing the rear sight on the hammer.

That's cause it is a carry over from the olden days when they were sighted in for - (some say 50 yards, and some say 75 yards).  8)

This is quite true. I'm glad you mentioned this fact.

Offline StrawHat

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Re: 1860 shoots high
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2010, 07:07:33 AM »
Another option, for those of us who don't solder as well as Flint, is to dovetail a front sight in place.  I've done this on quite a few C&B revovlers.  I file the sight down to match the POI I want and drift it for the same effect.  When all is correct, I peen the base down over the barrel to lock in the windage.  SOme just file the excess away.  I don't have a photo but will make one and post it soon.
"Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result"  Winston Churchill

"A law without a punishment is merely advice."  anonymous