Front Sights for Cap & Ball Revolvers

[rickystl]

Does anyone know who makes "taller" authentic-looking sights for Colt-style percussion revolvers? This would be better for off-hand 15-25 yard shooting.

 

rick, I don't know of anyone marketing taller front sights but years ago I had the same problem (most everyone does) with my revolvers. A local gunsmith in Jefferson City made up some blade front sights out of flat brass stock for me and installed them. I don't recall the exact cost but it was $20.00 or less. He left them fairly tall and I filed them in on my range. Sure made a difference. I would think in the St. Louis area there is someone who would do the same thing.

If you haven't already you can widen the notch in the hammer nose and that helps too.

Vic

 

Meanwhile, this stuff gets quiet pricey! My gunsmith charges $95.00 for just a dovetail. I paid $45.00 to put a Lyman globe front-sight with the european dovetail (male) into the european dovetail on the barrel (female). -Both were .380".

I don't know if it is worth to spend around $150.00 for a elaborate front sight on a $175.00 cap and ball revolver (I bought my Uberti 1851 steel frame in 2003 from MidwayUSA).

 

[jdixon]

Ricky:
Another option sometimes is to lower the rear sight. You didn't mention what you were shooting. This process on a Colt is fairly simple. You take the hammer out, put it into a vice and begin whittling it down with a file until you get your POA where you want it. An excellent post complete with pictures went around last winter on just this procedure. It can be found on the P-cap forum (unless it got moved to this one)under the title "Uberti Colt Walker Questions". I have done this with a Colt Walker and it is shooting fantastic. I even went so far as to purchase a second hammer and carved it out to shoot conicals with. The 180 gr conicals were shooting high with the round ball sight so I bought another hammer from DGW (about $18.00) and made a rear sight specific for them.

 

[SAJones]

Had to make my own. Took some sheet brass of correct width, sawed & filed out a sight w/ a bottom projection of the diameter of the hole from the original cone sight. Drilled out the original brass cone sight base; smaller drill than sight base, picked out residual brass. Put on new sight w/ silver solder & a bit of heating, it stayed on fine.

I also square out the notch on the hammer on my Colt copies using an emory wheel on my rotary too. Makes it a lot easier for these old eyes.

 

[rickystl]

WOW! Thanks for the help everyone. I also heard that Ken Howell (of conversion fame) had ready-made dove-tail taller front sights already set for 25-yards. But no one seems able to contact him any more. You would think with all the existing and new revolvers on the market someone (like Ted Cash) would come out with one. ???

 

[crockett]

I square notched my rear sights on a colt hammer. I agree- leads to much more accurate shooting. You can also put in a wide notch and then "notch the notch" if you really have to lower the rear sight.

 

[hawkeye2]

The "bead" style front sights are screwed into the barrel and can be removed with a pair of pliers. I had a Craftsman metric tap & die set that had that thread size in it but it was stolen so can't tell you what it was now. I used to take a 1/8" brazing rod and grind a little taper on the end to get it started in the die. Turn the die around and thread it on backwards till you reach the point where the threads stop. The die will work backwards on the soft brass and this gives you a sharp sholder where the sight meets the barrel. Cut the threaded area to length and install with a drop of Locktite or epoxy and cut the new front sight to about 1/2" above the barrel. Go to the range equipped with a felt tip marker, side cutters and a file. Blacken the TOP part of the new sight and use the bottom of the blackended area as the top of the new sight. Adjust your elevation by lowering the black mark till you are shooting a little low then cut off the excess with the side cutters and continue sighting in by filing the sight down carefully. Windage can be adjusted by bending the sight with a hammer and punch (a little) and by filing one side of the font sight. I realize this sounds a little crude but the finished front sight looks good and works very well. Check Brownell's for front sights if you wish a dovetailed sight. Most sights use a standard dovetail and any gunsmith should have the correct cutter for this dovetail. It is only a matter of a few minutes to set up and machine the dovetail and install the sight. I have never paid more than $10 for this and I think $20 should be max.