The Colt Open Top Hammer Sight

While its not pretty, I believe its more than tall enough.

Smokerr said:

While its not pretty, I believe its more than tall enough.

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You can radius off the front end , put a 45 degree angle on the top back that will make it look better , not snag holster leather sustain elevation and gather light .

Smokerr said:

While its not pretty, I believe its more than tall enough.

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That’s how I described my first girlfriend.

My wife was both a looker (goddess) and taller than me. Never bothered me though she seemed to think it should. Of course it annoyed her tall guys usually had short SO.

Right now I am just going to shoot it and see where it hits using both the BP cylinder and the unmentionable 45 LC cylinder.

Not anywhere neat as the dovetail nor as adjustable for wind age but I can carve the front sight a bit and the rear to move it one way or the other. I get that down and I will pretty it up.

I am curious how others got solder to take. It sticks to the brass fine but not the pistol barrel. I did a solder form fit and then super glued it in. Solid.

Smokerr said:

My wife was both a looker (goddess) and taller than me. Never bothered me though she seemed to think it should. Of course it annoyed her tall guys usually had short SO.

Right now I am just going to shoot it and see where it hits using both the BP cylinder and the unmentionable 45 LC cylinder.

Not anywhere neat as the dovetail nor as adjustable for wind age but I can carve the front sight a bit and the rear to move it one way or the other. I get that down and I will pretty it up.

I am curious how others got solder to take. It sticks to the brass fine but not the pistol barrel. I did a solder form fit and then super glued it in. Solid.

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It has to be chemically clean and a good flux used. The next element is heat enough as the barrel steel is a much slower conductor than a brass sight plus it is a much larger heat sink. Most folks are afraid of over heating barrel steel or ruining the blue but soft solder will flow long before either are harmed. The heat should be applied from underside of the barrel until the solder in the sight mortice liquefies and flows.
A simple hand held propane torch will do the job and never get barrel steel hot enough to ruin a decent blue job or change the barrel steel character. Barrel steel is normalized at 1200 degrees F. and a regular hand held propane torch cannot approach that much heat before the solder will flow.
Also lead /tin solder will flow long before any interior barrel scaling will occur but all bore oil should be removed before soldering or it will cook on.

I should have chemically cleaned the pocket. I had my silver bearing solder melt and the good flux that goes with it. But I had tried electrical solder as well as non silver bearing so very sure I had odd chemistry crud in the slot.

Definitely was careful about too much heat but the temp aspect I was not aware of (or at least in context of a barrel).

Still the sight is solid so good to go for now anyway. Hope to get out tomorrow and see where it hits. I am not so much looking for spot on elevation wise as a few inches as the unmentionable cylinder and the BP cylinder are quite a bit different in POI.

springfield art said:

I like a 6 O'clock generally. I seem to recall that that's what was called for when sighting-in in Army basic, way back! I like it to this day with pistol & rifle but would adjust depending upon what/when/why shooting.

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Yeah, I can't think of a situation that covering part of the target with the sight is of any advantage.

I shot it Friday. Just what I wanted. With the unmentionable cylinders its still 4 inches high, windage pretty good. With Ball and powder its right on to a bit low. My super glue failed, did not like the snap of the unmentionable cylinder rounds.

I taped it back on and kept shooting! Solder job next.

For what its worth, my gun a .320 above the barrel is right for the height. I don't care if its spot on as the various loads hit differently. Just as lone as its not 10 or 15 inches high.

Smokerr said:

My wife was both a looker (goddess) and taller than me. Never bothered me though she seemed to think it should. Of course it annoyed her tall guys usually had short SO.

Right now I am just going to shoot it and see where it hits using both the BP cylinder and the unmentionable 45 LC cylinder.

Not anywhere neat as the dovetail nor as adjustable for wind age but I can carve the front sight a bit and the rear to move it one way or the other. I get that down and I will pretty it up.

I am curious how others got solder to take. It sticks to the brass fine but not the pistol barrel. I did a solder form fit and then super glued it in. Solid.

Click to expand...

Silver solder will probably be necessary.

CyrusP said:

Thanks for those pics. They do help. I too am going to raise the front sight as my gun shoots a foot high at about 10 yards. She’s otherwise a peach so I want to wring the best out of her.

PS I’m thinking a nicely made and carefully installed dovetail front sight might be the ticket. Not authentic but I can keep it simple and traditional looking hopefully.

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Build up the front sighr with metal set epoxy. File to shape and blend in with the original steel sight. Color the epoxied extension with the model car paint color of your choice.
I did this to one of my guns several years ago and it is holding up just fine.
Be sure you remove any and all traces of oil on the front sight, and rough it up a little with sandpaper before applying the epoxy.

I opened up the rear sight notch on all my Colt reproductions, depth and width. Two were especially accurate, an ASM 1862 Pocket Police and a 3rd Gen. Colt 1960. For those two I pulled the tiny brass cone front sight and replaced them with brass blade sights, silver soldered on. Both have been carried in holsters and both front sights are still tight. The tall sights look funny, but hey, they work.
On a side note, Midway had a sale on "engraved" Pietta 1851s, and on a whim I bought one. Opened up the rear sight as usual, and lo and behold, at 25 yards with 15 grains of 3F, it hit to point of aim. Total surprise! 25 grains put it about 4" higher.

Silver solder will probably be necessary.

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I had Silver Bearing solder and went with that. Solid so far.

At a guess if you wanted to average the POI with both BP and unmentionable, we would be talking .350-380 and you would be a couple inches high or a couple inches low. Its working and I can keep it on the paper fine so just sticking (pun) with what I did