Has anyone here installed a taller front sight on a Uberti 1860 Army? I just acquired one and it is shooting high at 25 yards. I'd like to install a taller sight to correct it to point of aim at that distance. I have found several places that say how to put a taller sight on a Pietta but none for a Uberti. Does the Uberti have the same method of mounting the sight as a Pietta?
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Uberti 1860 Army front sight
- Thread starter Riggerjon
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8 BORE
50 Cal.
File a deeper notch in the hammer. That would be easier than a taller front sight
I am not sure I could get it deep enough to get 10 inches at 25 yards. I am going to file it to correct windage.
8 BORE
50 Cal.
Never seen or had a Uberti be that far out at 25 yards.
Might not be quite that far. At 7 yards it is hitting the top of the black on a NRA bullseye target with a 6 o'clock hold.
Ubertis are famous for having a cylinder arbor that is too short allowing the wedge to pull the barrel too far back thus tiping it upward. This could be a part of your problem and should be checked and corrected first if needed. Hold your revolver sideways up to a light and look very carefully at the gap between the cylinder and the rear of the barrel. If the gap is smaller at the top of the barrel than at the bottom then the barrel is pointing upward somewhat. It may be difficult to see the taper in the gap but you could also measure it with a feeler gauge. Correcting this won't eliminate the problem but will reduce it, very likely you'll still need a taller front sight. I don't have a Uberti army so I can't say how the sight is held in place. I perfer to install a taller sight rather than file on the hammer. If you dovetail in a front sight then you can adjust for windage easily. You can cut a deeper notch but then you have to file the hammer down to where the top of the front sight is even with the top of the hammer notch when the gun is zeroed in (25 yards in your case).
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Hawkeye2 is correct. Fix the short arbor problem first then check again for how high it is shooting. The front sight on an 1860 Army fits into a semicircular longitudinal cut in the barrel. It can be tapped out using a punch at the base of the sight. Make a new taller one same thickness s old one and tap it into place.
Rat
50 Cal.
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Sure don't understand the mechanics of how the barrel can tip upwards from moving back on the arbor...? That makes no sense to me. If the arbor is straight, and the hole in the barrel lug is straight, how can it tip up? Curious minds want to know. If it does have the semicircular cut for the front sight, an old silver dime will make a nice new sight, but you may have to solder it in place. Old pennies work well too.
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The barrel pivots around its lower portion where it contacts the frame (where the 2 locating pins are). That contact can't be drawn up any tighter so the wedge brings the top of the barrel back. There is enough clearance between the arbor and the hole in the barrel to allow that to happen. If hit hard enough a wedge could even force the arbor upward some since it is screwed into the frame and there is clearance (play) in those threads too. When I was a fitter in a steel fabrication shop you wouldn't believe the things I could coax into place with a wedge and a 4 or larger pound hammer.
I checked it and mine looks fine. I could get a .0025 feeler gauge to fit between the barrel and cylinder but a .003 wouldn't so the way I figure it has be out less than .0005 if at all. I am taking out to the range again tomorrow to see how far off it is at 25 yards and will try my hand at making a new sight to correct the difference.
drobs
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All my C&B revolvers are Pietta's.
I believe the Uberti 1858 NMA has a dovetailed front sight. Not sure about Uberti 1860's.
Do you see a dovetail cut into the barrel of the 1860 Uberti front sight?
If there is one, a replacement sight would be lots easier to replace as you only need to modify the replacement sight vs cutting a dovetail into a Pietta barrel.
I believe the Uberti 1858 NMA has a dovetailed front sight. Not sure about Uberti 1860's.
Do you see a dovetail cut into the barrel of the 1860 Uberti front sight?
If there is one, a replacement sight would be lots easier to replace as you only need to modify the replacement sight vs cutting a dovetail into a Pietta barrel.
There is no dovetail on the Uberti.
8 Bore was right. I shot it again yesterday and it was 4 1/2 to 5 inches high at 25 yards not 10 inches. I shot 3 different powder charges ranging from 22 to 30 and the results were pretty close to the same other than the higher charge shifting things a tad further to the right.
There is very little tension on the wedge. It is a snug fit but I can remove it by hand without too much trouble.
8 Bore was right. I shot it again yesterday and it was 4 1/2 to 5 inches high at 25 yards not 10 inches. I shot 3 different powder charges ranging from 22 to 30 and the results were pretty close to the same other than the higher charge shifting things a tad further to the right.
There is very little tension on the wedge. It is a snug fit but I can remove it by hand without too much trouble.
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Riggerjon, Every Uberti revolver has the short arbor ... NO EXCEPTIONS! They are a surperiour revolver in every other way BUT, that short arbor HAS to be fixed before any repeatability can be achieved.
You also will need the taller front sight to bring poa to poi.
Somebody mentioned that you can bend or loosen the arbor if the wedge is hammered in too tight before fixing the short arbor ... absolutely correct. What happens is you will force the barrel assembly back too far on the arbor while the bottom of the barrel assembly hits and stops while the top continues rearward till it completely closes the cylinder gap , which is bending the arbor up , as the wedge has a powerful energy when tapped not too hard as a result of the very slight taper on it.
Very nice revolver. Congrats. Have fun with your new revolver
You also will need the taller front sight to bring poa to poi.
Somebody mentioned that you can bend or loosen the arbor if the wedge is hammered in too tight before fixing the short arbor ... absolutely correct. What happens is you will force the barrel assembly back too far on the arbor while the bottom of the barrel assembly hits and stops while the top continues rearward till it completely closes the cylinder gap , which is bending the arbor up , as the wedge has a powerful energy when tapped not too hard as a result of the very slight taper on it.
Very nice revolver. Congrats. Have fun with your new revolver
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If I remember correctly my Pietta had a cotter key type half moon mill cut in the barrel. I heated it up and worked it loose with a punch if memory serves me correctly. Made a larger blade and soldered it back in. It holds six o'clock on a bulls eye target at 25 yards with a full charge of 3f and round ball.
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If I remember correctly my Pietta had a cotter key type half moon mill cut in the barrel. I heated it up and worked it loose with a punch if memory serves me correctly. Made a larger blade and soldered it back in. It holds six o'clock on a bulls eye target at 25 yards with a full charge of 3f and round ball.
shortstart
36 Cal.
Or, the arbor will pull completely out of the frame. Did that back when I was dumber than I am now.
I shimmed the arbor to adjust the length and knocked the front sight out with a couple light hits on a brass punch and am in the process of fitting a new sight out of 1/8th inch thick brass. I hope to try it out this weekend.
Got it on. Now I just need to take it to the range and see where its hitting and make final adjustments.
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There you go,nice looking job! If I had it to do over I would cut a dovetail up front and fit a new blade to it. This gives one windage adjustment as well. I filed my front sight to hit center of bull with a six o'clock hold at 25 yards using a full load of 3F.
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