the Black Spot
Member
Just venting some frustration. Why i Sam Hill cant someone carry a taller front sight for 1860's and dragoons? Such a pain trying to make one that will work.
Ok i am done.
Ok i am done.
Taller FRONT SIGHT! for cryin out loud...?
- Thread starter the Black Spot
- Start date
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Crawdad1
Member
I hear you loud and clear brother, loud and clear!!!
Willie Sutton
Member
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2013
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- 2,025
So send notes in triplicate to Brownells. Where there's a demand, there's profit to be had.
Willie
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Willie
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BCRider
Member
Better yet send notes to Italy and tell them that we don't want to shoot horse riders at 100 yards with these things. So can they please put on sights that are a hair too tall for 20 yards and let us trim them to suit. It's SOOOOO much easier to take metal off than put it back on after all.
I'm actually getting pretty good at making taller new sights. In addition to my two 1960's I've also done a buddy's '60 and made a press in pin style for an 1851 out of brass. But this is a skill I wish I didn't need to develop.
Oh well, it is what it is.
I'm actually getting pretty good at making taller new sights. In addition to my two 1960's I've also done a buddy's '60 and made a press in pin style for an 1851 out of brass. But this is a skill I wish I didn't need to develop.
Oh well, it is what it is.
jgh4445
Member
Maybe I need to get you to make me one BC. I had one that was doing OK until I had my 1860 tuned. Then the POI changed. The 60 was more accurate, but POA and POI had changed. I was gonna tweak the front sight a bit and danged if I didn't tweak it right out of the slot. Probably would have had to take it off anyway since it was about 6 inches high at 25 yds. How are you making yours and what material are you using?
BCRider
Member
Here's the thread where I bemoaned the same issue and finally decided to make my own. The posts detailing the work are about half way down.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=718779&highlight=made+front+sights+1860
My machine shop isn't set up yet so I went with using hand tools for the whole job. And really it wasn't that tough to do with a basic hacksaw and some files And if you have anything more than that you're gold.
The KEY is to use a dial or digital caliper and use it OFTEN! When going for a basic friction fit the old rule of "measure twice, cut once" most certainly applies.
For removing the bulk of the material a fine cut file works great. Once it's down to where you're ALMOST there I switch to polishing the sides with an oil stone until I achieve the nice tap in fit.
One trick to making this easier to gauge is to lightly chamfer the edges of the round woodruffe key like base so it self guides and wants to slip in. When you stone it down that last .001 for the right fit you should be able to push it in by hand just a little before it bites in too much. A very light chamfer from the stone will aid this.
The tapering of the upper blade is more for looks. But if you start too wide you can use the extra width for correcting the windage to some extent.
Note that you're doing ALL of this with handtools and working with about a dime worth of material. So jump in and try it even if you normally consider yourself a bit of a klutz at metal working. If you mess it up what's the risk? Another dime's worth of material and some of your time. I don't want to see anyone posting that it's too complicated. Failure IS an option in this case. A harmless learning option that raises your skill level in preparation for the next try.
For those that might be totally new to hand tools in general and files in particular remember that a file is like a really wide saw blade. And like any saw blade you want to lift off the pressure on the return pulling stroke and push down on the pushing cut stroke. It isn't a metal version of sandpaper.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=718779&highlight=made+front+sights+1860
My machine shop isn't set up yet so I went with using hand tools for the whole job. And really it wasn't that tough to do with a basic hacksaw and some files And if you have anything more than that you're gold.
The KEY is to use a dial or digital caliper and use it OFTEN! When going for a basic friction fit the old rule of "measure twice, cut once" most certainly applies.
For removing the bulk of the material a fine cut file works great. Once it's down to where you're ALMOST there I switch to polishing the sides with an oil stone until I achieve the nice tap in fit.
One trick to making this easier to gauge is to lightly chamfer the edges of the round woodruffe key like base so it self guides and wants to slip in. When you stone it down that last .001 for the right fit you should be able to push it in by hand just a little before it bites in too much. A very light chamfer from the stone will aid this.
The tapering of the upper blade is more for looks. But if you start too wide you can use the extra width for correcting the windage to some extent.
Note that you're doing ALL of this with handtools and working with about a dime worth of material. So jump in and try it even if you normally consider yourself a bit of a klutz at metal working. If you mess it up what's the risk? Another dime's worth of material and some of your time. I don't want to see anyone posting that it's too complicated. Failure IS an option in this case. A harmless learning option that raises your skill level in preparation for the next try.
For those that might be totally new to hand tools in general and files in particular remember that a file is like a really wide saw blade. And like any saw blade you want to lift off the pressure on the return pulling stroke and push down on the pushing cut stroke. It isn't a metal version of sandpaper.
BCRider
Member
Jgh, in reading through the old thread in that link I see your name coming up prominently. Clearly you haven't taken the bait yet and had a go at making your own blade. We're all afraid of trying something new. But in this case you're not risking anything but some time and a few penny's worth of steel. So stop procrastinating and jump to it! ! ! ! Coming out of it you'll have both a better shooting gun with a new front sight as well as some new skills and confidence with the tools.
Truthfully? The time you've spent typing the posts in that and this thread and ordering up blades that didn't work you could have made and tossed two rejects due to learning and produced a third useable front blade. And since that was back in August last year you'd have had almost a year of shooting already.
So stop being wary of your skills or afraid of failure. It's time to live up to the reputation us humans have for being TOOL USERS!
Black Spot, I take it from your post that you've tried to make one? Any hints other than what I've offered already that might help?
Truthfully? The time you've spent typing the posts in that and this thread and ordering up blades that didn't work you could have made and tossed two rejects due to learning and produced a third useable front blade. And since that was back in August last year you'd have had almost a year of shooting already.
So stop being wary of your skills or afraid of failure. It's time to live up to the reputation us humans have for being TOOL USERS!
Black Spot, I take it from your post that you've tried to make one? Any hints other than what I've offered already that might help?
jgh4445
Member
BC, another forum member Kitua, helped me to make the one I just "tweaked out" of the slot. As I said, I'd have to have pulled it anyway to make another higher one. I've thrown out three as a matter of fact, since I popped the other one out. I'm still working on getting the right fit.
OP
OP
the Black Spot
Member
You pretty much covered it. I made one from a piece off an old brass tomahawk head. Lotta file work and patience.
BCRider
Member
That's excellent jgh. Keep trying. The idea, if you're working with steel, is to get it close and then work it with he oil stone until it's the perfect fit. And with the chamfer it isn't as much of a "Go/No Go" situation. With the chamfer and maybe a slight bit of taper on the rounded portion you can work up to it with a little more control. Keep in mind that it can be up to as much as a thou over and still fit just fine. You WANT some interference.
If working with brass it'll clog the oil stone. Better in that case to work with 600 wetordry silicon dioxide sandpaper on a flat plate such as a piece of glass or a cast iron saw table.
If working with brass it'll clog the oil stone. Better in that case to work with 600 wetordry silicon dioxide sandpaper on a flat plate such as a piece of glass or a cast iron saw table.
MCgunner
Member
My Remmy shoots to proper elevation, but left. Kentucky windage.
My Pietta Remington shoots a bit left and quite low at 15 yds with a nice 30 grn 3F charge of Olde E/T7 and my 170 or 195 grn bullets. Glad I can take some metal off, though I'm not sure how I want to go about it Ithe reconstruction of the sight). /T| (minus downstroke for the T) or a ore traditional look with the rounded sight.
RPRNY
Member
Ha-ha! My Uberti NMA is also slightly high and LEFT at normal pistol ranges. Could it be twist?
Sheepdog1968
Member
How about skinner sights? They have some taller ones to choose from.
OP
OP
the Black Spot
Member
Skinner sight ?
jgh4445
Member
Looked up Skinners web site and emailed a guy named Andy. Asked him if he'd be interested in building a bunch of them. I'll let you guys know what he says if he replies. Good tip Sheepdog. Thanks.
jgh4445
Member
Got a reply today. He said he had never thought of it before. He also said that every once in a while he felt inspired. He'd like a picture of a Uberti front sight for the 1860. My camera isn't really up to it but I'll try if no one else has a picture of one. Is there anyone who can take such a picture and post it? I suppose it would have to be close up, show the top and especially the part that fits into the keyway.
Sheepdog1968
Member
Glad to hear my comment helped. I hope it works out.
jgh4445
Member
Still having a problem with pics. I need a pic of the sight on the end of an 1860 barrel and some of the sight itself if anyone has them.
Pulp
Member
This is a front sight I made with an Oklahoma quarter. Just cut it in half, then work the flat till it fits the curve of the slot on the barrel. I'm not a metal worker and don't have lathes and stuff like that, so it's not a perfect fit, but it works just fine for CAS.
BHP FAN
Member
nice job! And a period correct fix.
Pulp
Member
Thanks. Other than there were no Oklahoma quarters back then! But it could easily be done with an old silver quarter.
But it could easily be done with an old silver quarter.jgh4445
Member
Thabnks guys. Got some poor pics from my camera and some from the web. Sent the return email. Will let you know what Andy says. Also got another solution in the works.
Lightning12
Member
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2009
- Messages
- 39
Re the Skinner sight option
Regarding the possibility of Skinner (or anyone else) making a commercial front sight replacement
It might be worth mentioning that Pietta's sight has different dimensions than Uberti, and I would say there are just as many Piettas out there as Ubertis.
Chaz
Regarding the possibility of Skinner (or anyone else) making a commercial front sight replacement
It might be worth mentioning that Pietta's sight has different dimensions than Uberti, and I would say there are just as many Piettas out there as Ubertis.
Chaz
- Status
