Making A Front Sight For An 1860 Army Repro

[Glenfilthie]

I bought a Uberti 1860 Army repro last year and love it. I have a deadly accurate HK 45 USP that is a tack driver - and the soot burner will go head to head with it any day of the week. I am just pleased as punch about it!

The only gripe I have is that it hits very, very high. At 25 paces I would have to aim at your belt buckle to put one through your heart! I suppose that's good enough for gun fighting but I want to be able to target shoot and I have heard of guys using brass shims and such to raise the height of the front sight and lower the point of impact to reasonable specs.

Have any of you ever done it? How did you manage it? Pics would be sincerely appreciated too if anyone has them...

 

[ChrisPer]

Mine is a Navy Arms/Armi San Paulo 1860.

The foresight is set in a circular trough, like a Woodruff key. Punching down on the tail of the bead therefore rocks it in the trough, lifting out the front of the sight where a chisel can pick it the rest of the way out. Cut a piece of sheet brass with the same shape base, thick enough to be tight in the slot, and tap it in. Then cut and file to height, eg use jewellers saw to cut the profile. Mine attempted to be a bit like a Peacemaker foresight, and it is ugly and inappropriate.

 

[M. De Land]

Mine is kind of ugly as well but it works like gang busters. It is soft soldered in place.

Lower is 1860 Pietta. Mike D.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Yours is the most common problem with percussion revolvers. They copy the originals that were designed to make the ordnance guys happy back then an one of those whiz-bangs decided sights should be set at 75 yards...and I have no idea why! Through the decades it's been Kentucky windage or add a higher front sight. I've heard one or some of the companies have adjusted their sight set up in recent years but haven't actually shot one yet. AS you can see above, some of the guys have come up with interesting changes. Good luck.