Front Sight Foolishness...

[Glenfilthie]

Hey guys - as most of you have - I am having problems with my 1860 Uberti hitting high.

I have seen the Youtube where the blackpowder geek grinds the hammer notch down and the rear 'sight'...but I am loathe to breach the colour case hardening or take a dremel to the hammer.

One of you fellas mentioned the idea of fabbing up a taller front sight out of brass. Has anyone actually done this? Got any pics? I heard that it was affixed to the gun with JB weld...any info muchly appreciated!

 

[crockett]

Well, one thing you could do is Elmer glue a little bit of wood on top of the front blade and blacken with a magic marker. You can gently sand it down while at the range and find out how much higher the front blade needs to be to get you on target. If it isn't too much, and it doesn't make the sight look odd- you could then have a local gun smith silver solder on a new, higher blade. A good gunsmith ought to be able to do this without hurting the blue finish in the area.

 

[pecos clay]

I did on my Walker. I used an old brass key. The old one pulled out easy with pliers, there was a crescent slot there and the new one slipped in with a little bit of filing. Takes a short while, simple and easy non-gunsmith thing.

The new tall sight brought impacts low so it was an easy matter to file down the top to bring the impact up into the target. I guess the actual height is about the same as on a "73 peacemaker. About 3/8's inch or so.

 

[Glenfilthie]

Any chance you could post a pic of your handy work PC?

 

[nilo52]

I'm with you, that guy's dremel method is way too scary for me :youcrazy: If you can, post a pic of your results please
nilo

 

[pecos clay]

Yes sir, just loaded a few. It's very, very easy to do this. Just grab that old sight with your pliers and simply pull it out.

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You'll find that the sight is simply a press fit. I made mine from an old key.

 

[Adui]

:hatsoff:
I gotta thank you. Ive been trying to figure out an easy and inexpensive replacement for the front sight on my CVA navy colt for years. Cant get parts for it any more, and I don't want to pay a smith an arm and a leg (can't afford to neither).

Now at worst I got to buy a key blank, but more than likely I have an old key laying around to use!
:bow:

 

[necchi]

Yeah, or the hobby shop for a piece of brass.

I have the same trouble with my Uberti `Navy, darn thing shoots high an that itty bitty little post thingy ain't a proper front sight for these olde eyes.

Good topic, Thanks Glenf

 

[Glenfilthie]

Well thanks for that PC.

So I went down to look at my 1860 - and that front sight is set into a channel that is milled into the barrel for it. It won't knock out with a drift sideways like other sights I've seen. How do you get the originals out? Are they soldered in?

 

[crockett]

Yep- the same system was used on the 1873 Peacemaker type Colts. On the peacemaker- I have bent the front sight over just a bit to get on target and it didn't pop off.
On the Navy- with the octagon barrel- you could go either way but the octagon barrel is very suitable for a shallow dovetail sight.
The hammer notch. I did square the V notch on one gun so the notch/blade sight picture would work better. I had put on a new blade front sight (Navy 51) versus the brass post. I have seen a couple of originals that had this modificsation so it would seem PC.

 

[SAJones]

Well, I do open up the notch on the hammer so I can see it (old eyes), but don't go much deeper than the existing V. Doesn't harm anything. I also replaced the front sight on a couple copy Colts: on the .36 Pocket Police with a bead, I used brass stock & filed s nub matching the hole in the barrel to make a blade front sight. Really helped & it's an accurate little gun. For a 3rd gen. Colt, I did what someone else already stated, only used brass stock again & filed to fit the concave slot. Left that sight high so I could fire it in, but found that the high sight was right on at 25 yards, so had to leave it high. I do contour the sides of the blade, plus put a touch of silver solder as a safe guard.

 

[bob308]

think of it this way if you put on a tall front sight and mess up fileing it down you just put on an other front sight. no harm no foul. you grind out too much on the hammer. then what? replace the hammer and start over? i go with the front sight myself.

 

[poordevil]

When I shoot my 1860 Uberiti I use the 210 gr conical and it shoots right to POA. Those guns were made to use the paper ctg with the conical and shoot great

 

[JAK]

Where does a person get a 210 gr conical mold for a 44.I bought my son a uberti Remington.I love shooting so much.I ordered a uberti 1860,but I wished I would have gotn a 1861.But any ways where does a person get a 210 conical mold at or a box of them.I would love to try them out.I just a 454 round ball mold for his Remington.I just hope the trigger pull is just as nice as my sons.Nice and smooth and light.

Thanks
JASON

 

[tv_racin_fan]

You could try one of these molds.
http://www.biglube.com/Default.aspx

This might be the one you want.
http://www.biglube.com/BulletMolds.aspx?ItemID=09d6fdda-c105-4c87-b269-68ebfdaba982

One way to find out is to try the bullet sampler then order the mold you like and the sampler is free.

 

[poordevil]

I use one of those brass Colt replica molds that throw a round ball and conical. It works real well and pretty cheap.

p

 

[ChrisPer]

The 1860 front sight is in a round-bottomed milled notch.If you punch one end down, the other will come up. I got the factory one out with a chisel, trying to pry it up and out, and it rotated like a round-bottom woodruff key.

My handmade high sight was tapped in and a bit of epoxy used for insurance. When I like the shape and height I will solder it.

 

The replicas are not case hardened so all you need to worry about is dabbing a little cold blue on it.

I've got a Uberti 3rd model Dragoon soon to be on its way home with a brass Skinner dovetail front sight installed. Along with installation of a Kirst gated .45Colt conversion (oh the blasphemy!). Will post pics upon its return.