Can you adjust fixed sights

If POA with the ammo you like is just 2" to the right at 45', but it shoots 1" groups, I'd just make a slight adjustment to the sight picture. Line the blade up in the rear sight notch with a little more gap on the right of the blade and less gap on the left. I'd try that first. If it works, problem solved.

Last edited by BC38; at AM. It was intended to help beginners tighten their offhand group and to diagnose why a shooter was throwing flyers out of their regular pattern. After a competitor's group or cluster got consistent enough to establish the point of impact POI the competitor adjusted his or her sights. I do not believe it is useful for moving a 1" group to a different POI. If the barrel is not properly indexed if it's shooting to the right it will be overclocked , you could have a gunsmith with the proper equipment remove and retighten to the proper location.

The front sight will need to be moved to the right. I tend to side with the others who have advised to leave it be. Striking the barrel with a babbitt bar is not for the faint-hearted Last edited by armorer; at AM.

There is a good gunsmith in Blossom not a long way from you that could do what Armorer suggests. His name is Mike. Call the hardware store or stop by. They sell reloading supplies anyway and they can give you directions.

Originally Posted by robertrwalsh. Either way, I would NOT smack my own gun with a heavy piece of lead, regardless of what the Factory does or does not do. There are too many down sides - the loosening of the barrel or stripping of threads would be primary concerns.

I have adjusted fixed sight guns in the past by widening the rear sight track a little and this has been a tried and true method if changing ammo has failed. Most of my fixed sight guns are pretty much right on but occasionally one needs a bit of help.

Obviously there will be a little refinishing needed after the adjustment but if the gun needs to be spot-on, then it is justified. It also depends on the gun in question. For instance if a 2" Chief's Special shoots within 2 inches of dead center at 50 feet, I would not personally bother since I deem 2" at 50 feet to be more than accurate enough for a CCW.

I doubt I will ever need to take a 50 foot shot with that kind of gun. If it were off by 3 inches at 10 feet - now that would be a problem I'd have to address!

I have weakened. I can not read it another time. While the factory whacks revolvers to adjust windage and they trained armorers employed by large police departments to whack department revolvers, they do not whack the barrel! Also, it is far better to get a feel for how hard to whack by whacking inexpensive Model 10s that the owner is not going to cry over after a few are ruined.

Last edited by k22fan; at AM. I like fixed sight sevolvers, if the original load for which it was regulated does not impact at POA and other loads do not, the I will try different grips.

If that doesn't work then I use some Kentucky. A lot of factors affect POI. I would NOT assume that you are somehow in error, nor would I assume that the factory made the gun shoot to POA for some hypothetical standard and correct shooter. First, read Big Cholla in post My own inclination would be to try a heavier bullet, or a one-handed hold if you are already using two , or both. That's because it has. First, find out the facts about what it takes to make your revolver shoot to POA.

Then decide whether it fits, or could be made to fit, what you intend to use the revolver for. Then, and only then, you might be ready to decide whether you need to alter the revolver. Any firearm shot 'from a rest' can have it's group placement or grouping abilitys affected by that rest. Where the gun contacts he rest, what the rest is made of, how the gun is held, how the recoil is resisted during the shot all effect the shot placement on target. That the OP's revolver is an accurate shooter with that particular load is demonstrated by the groups being shot from that particular set up.

But take away the 'rest', stand and shoot either one or two handed with different stances, grips etc and the group placement may change on target. The ability of the gun to shoot small groups is still there, but the variables introduced in real world shooting can change the point of impact. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. The size of the group will then depend on the shooters abilitys,,the guns inherent accuracy is already proven. The gun shot a bit off.

The master gunsmith made the "necessary adjustment" by whacking it a few times with a lead cylinder called a babbit. He got the gun to shoot to the sights but I do not recommend that you try this at home.

In effect, he bent the frame slightly. It is a gun that is covered by the lifetime warranty. Send it back to the factory for repair or adjustment. By no means should you: Cut, Mill, File, or hit that gun to adjust the sight alignment. Gentlemen, Here is an update for your information. Today, after almost 3 weeks, I received it back with notations that adjustments had been made and it had been range tested.

So I did my own range testing. At 45 feet the bullets impact exactly where the pistol is aimed. I could not be more pleased. I don't know what all the techs did, but it worked. Terms of Service.

All times are GMT The time now is PM. User Name. Remember Me? Thread Tools. Rafter-S Member. Adjusting a fixed sights gun Gentlemen, I have a current Model 21 with 4" barrel fixed sights.

It shoots 2" to the right at 45 feet. What can be done to adjust it where it shoots dead center? Is there a "correct" way do this? Do not make vertical up-down adjustments until you have the revolver hitting on the centerline horizontally left-right adjustments.

Adjusting the horizontal is done by turning the barrel fractionally in or out of the frame. When you turn the barrel slightly tighter into the frame, you will move the bullet strike to the right. When you slightly unscrew the barrel, you will be moving the bullet strike to the left. Before you start, examine the top of the barrel where it joins the frame. You need to record exactly how the two fit together before you make any adjustment. If the barrel is a smooth round cylinder, take a permanent marking pen and draw a straight line from the barrel to frame.

With a barrel that has a rib or grooves on the top, make a drawing of just where the rib or lines match up with the frame. Take the cylinder out of the frame. Clamp the barrel vertically in a padded vise, or in barrel blocks in the vise. Secure a frame wrench firmly around the frame. Depending on which adjustment you need, right or left, use a wrench to tighten or loosen the barrel slightly.

The amount you will adjust the barrel is extremely small. Take the revolver to the range and test fire it. Your group will be moved by the adjustment you have made. Use the difference between the unadjusted and adjusted groups to determine how much additional adjustment may be needed, or what fraction of the correction you need to undo. For example, your bullets had been striking 6 inches to the right, and you loosened the barrel.

Now the bullets are only 2 inches to the right. Setting up a simple proportion will help you calculate the adjustment with any set of numbers. Except when you change barrels, you will rarely have to adjust the horizontal impact. Filing the front sight for vertical adjustment is common only on single-action Colt or Colt clone revolvers. On these, the barrel is often made with the front sight too tall.

You file it to the correct height after adjusting horizontal impact. To make horizontal adjustments on most pistols, you move the rear sight. Use a brass or copper punch and a hammer, or an adjustment fixture. To move the bullet impact to the right, move the rear sight to the right.

Move the sight to the left to move the bullet to the left. If your shot is below needs to be higher your target using both sights facing directly at your target, the rear sight should be moved higher or your front sight should be moved lower. If your shot is left from your target using both sights facing directly at your target, the rear sight should be moved right or the front sight should be moved left.

If your shot is right from your target using both sights facing directly at your target, the rear sight should be moved left or front sight should be moved right.

Always remember: Rear same, front opposite that you want POI to move. Many target sights have click adjustments, where a detent in the adjustment screws allows the sight to move the line of sight a certain angular distance with each click.

This distance is usually specified in minutes of arc, which translate to approximately 1 inch at yards. On a firearm with 1 minute clicks, then, it would take 1 click to move 1 inch at yards, 2 clicks to move 1 inch at 50 yards, 4 clicks to move 1 inch at 25 yards.

If click adjustments are not available, or the click interval is not known, then the distance to lengthen or shorten the sight for a given point of aim adjustment is:.

D1 is the distance between point of aim and point of impact.