Need advice on filing down rear sight on 1860 Army

[psyptak]

My Pietta 1860 Army is shooting about 4" high. I need to deepen the sight groove on the hammer. Does a file work best? I have a dremmel tool too but didn't want to cut too much. Thanks for any advice

 

[crockett]

Needle files- make a square and then a V.

 

[Dphar]

I would replace or raise the front sight.
Squeezing in a smooth jawed vise will raise and narrow the brass front sight. Then file to reshape.
Use care its likely not retained very well and could be pulled out if its staked in as many are.
Dan

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I generally prefer to replace the front blade with a taller and thicker one which gives a better sight picture. As for re-cutting the hammer notch sight, the hammers are usually case hardened and a file won't cut well until you get through the hardened skin. That will dull a file pretty quick. I use a cut-off wheel on the Dremel tool to start, then do final clean up with a file.

 

[Zonie]

Many of the hammers on reproduction pistols are hardened so if one intends to file on them they should expect the file to be ruined.
It also takes a LOT of filing on these hardened hammers to make any real progress.

 

[rickystl]

Hi Paul. Have to agree with others here. The taller front sight (and an 11 degree cut on the forcing cone if you're shooting round balls)does wonders for these C&B pistols. Shoot right where you point them.

 

[crockett]

I'm assuming you have sort of a V right now- regarding the sight groove on the hammer. The way I did it was to square this groove and then put a smaller V in the bottom of the flat of the just created square.
Do I like it? Well, it works but the appearance isn't that great. I also put on a slightly taller front sight.

 

[psyptak]

Thank you all for the great responses! Do u know where i can get a replacement front sight?

 

[Leatherbark]

I took a pair of pliers and pulled my front sight out of the barrel on my Pietta 60 Army and replaced it with a piece of brass. I filed me out a new taller blade out of a section of 1/8 inch brass and pressed it tightly back into the half moon slot that Pietta has in the barrel. Sort of looks like a Peacemaker front sight now. I squeezed the new sight in with the vice

Bob

 

[crockett]

I was at a show of western memoribilia and there was a Colt Army with a dovetailed front sight. I've heard other such dovetailed sights existed so that's what I did with mine- made it out of scrap metal.

 

[psyptak]

Ok, thanks guys-this is good info-I appreciate it