Help! best way to file the front sight on Vaquero

[PacemParabellum]

hey all. ok did some shooting on paper with 125 grain 357 magnums and 158 grain 357 magnums. my new vaquero is hitting low..example aim for forehead and the bullets are striking where the bridge of the nose is. on average about 2 inches low at 7 yards, same at 15 yards. i can live with it but i would rather file the sight and have it hit exactly where im aiming. is there a best way to do this?

 

[rcmodel]

Best way is to buy a 12" fine cut file and cover the back 6" of it with a taped on plastic cover cut from a milk jug or something..

Then turn the gun upside down and slide the rear sight on the plastic while taking one swipe off the front sight.
This keeps the top of the front sight perfectly square with the top of the rear sight.

Test fire, and repeat as necessary.

When you get done, touch up the bluing with a Birchwood-Casey Presto Blue pin.

Or, you could just buy a small 6" fine cut file and gofer it free hand.

rc

 

[Certaindeaf]

Shoot it at 25 yards with the spectrum that you'll likely shoot and then make your decision. Bring the file to the range and go slow.

 

[Hammerdown77]

Man, that's clever rcmodel. Always wondered the best way to keep the cut square and parallel with the rear sight plane. Other than being a seasoned master with a hand file.

 

[45_auto]

Calculate how much you need to take off to get it to shoot to POA, then index the sight vertical in the mill and take off half of what you calculated.

Repeat until it hits where you want it to.

 

[SabbathWolf]

hey all. ok did some shooting on paper with 125 grain 357 magnums and 158 grain 357 magnums. my new vaquero is hitting low..example aim for forehead and the bullets are striking where the bridge of the nose is. on average about 2 inches low at 7 yards, same at 15 yards. i can live with it but i would rather file the sight and have it hit exactly where im aiming. is there a best way to do this?

Yep.
Buy a Blackhawk....

 

[LightningMan]

I did my Blued Vaquaro's this way; Use some white-out and paint the blade of the sight you see while aiming. Now once dry, scrape a small amount off starting from the top of course, then shoot the gun using the top of your white-out mark, as this is the new top of your sight. Keep removing white-out, shoot, and repete as needed to get your revolver to shoot at the desired distance. Once you have hit the mark, you will know exactly how much to file off. LM

 

[BCRider]

Yep, rcmodel is one bright lad. I don't know if you came up with that on your own or simply borrowed it but that's a great idea.

Once you get it trimmed to where it's shooting to POA than you'll want to profile the sight blade so it looks right. In this case inking the new flat with some felt pen is a good idea. Then profile up to but leave a 1/16 wide line of the felt marker ink to show that you didn't go too far and take off too much. Once the blade looks nice then clean away the last of the felt marker with some alchohal then go ahead and touch up the bluing.

 

[PacemParabellum]

Buy a blackhawk? Harr harr harr I live in NJ and need a permit for each handgun I buy THEN have to wait 31 days once I purchase a handgun before I can purchase another handgun. Oh and why does everyone assume its blued??? Its stainless haha.

 

[rcmodel]

I don't know if you came up with that on your own or simply borrowed it but that's a great idea.

Actually, I made me a front sight file at 5th. Inf AMU while building national match 1911's in 1968.
That was the first one I ever saw.

I took a big fine cut file and surface ground half the teeth off the back end of it, then polished the snot out of it.
I still use it.

But figuring not everyone has a surface grinder in the spare bedroom, I just dreamed up the slick plastic cover idea yesterday.

rc

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

Allow me to suggest you shoot a whole lot more ammo through it before you start filing on the sight. I have a whole bunch of fixed sight single action revolvers, Colts, Rugers, and a few others. My first Vaquero I faithfully went to the range and filed the sight down in the time honored tradition of shooting a group, then filing a little, then shooting another group, etc., until the group was where I wanted it to be.

To tell you the truth, I never bothered to file down another front sight. I have just left them all be. I pretty much know where they hit, I just allow for it when I shoot.

By the way, rcmodel's technique sounds pretty good to me. I usually balance the gun in my lap with the muzzle resting on the wooden rail while I file the sight. Long slow strokes the length of the barrel, not across. Use two hands on the file, to steady it. Yes, it takes some practice. Even if you use rcmodel's technique, I suggest you wrap the muzzle and part of the barrel with tape, to protect it in case you slip.

 

[BCRider]

But figuring not everyone has a surface grinder in the spare bedroom....

They don't? Seems like a perfectly good place for it to me. I guess you and I have different ideas on what is suitable for home furnishing....

Actually if you think about it with a slip of plastic for the rear sight to ride on the flat being filed at the front will be sloped slightly down towards the front of the sight blade. A rather ideal arrangement since there would not be any glare off the facet during subsequent shooting tests.

In fact I'd go so far as to suggest that the slip of plastic be a little on the thicker side such as an old storage container lid which is more like .035 thick just to produce a definite slope of this sort. Or even a slip cut from some old scrap of Arborite, Formica or other such counter top material.

 

[SabbathWolf]

Buy a blackhawk? Harr harr harr I live in NJ and need a permit for each handgun I buy THEN have to wait 31 days once I purchase a handgun before I can purchase another handgun. Oh and why does everyone assume its blued??? Its stainless haha.

I was just kidding.
Actually I think rcmodel has a pretty great idea for ya.
That's what I'd try first I think too.
As far as how much to take off at a time, Lightningman's idea is perfect as well.
Combine those two concepts and you'd be just fine I'll bet.

 

[Salmoneye]

Yep.
Buy a Blackhawk...

Someone had to say it...