Bending fixed sights

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GunsAreGood

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Well I recently picked up a Heritage .22lr/.22mag. I took it out to the range to see how it shoots. It shoots to the left pretty bad. I was looking around on Heritages website and there recommendations are to bend the front sight slightly to the left. I was a little hesitant to do this as I did not want to tear my front sight off and have more problems than the gun shooting to the left. The rear sight is a U-Notch so I cannot shave the rear sights. I took it to the range and decided I would give bending the front sight a shot. After a couple of light bending attempts I was seeing no improvement. I bent the front sight with some force and it felt like it broke off but I think the teeth on the pliers just slipped off the sight because It was not loose at all. My question is has anyone bent the front sight on a fixed sight revolver to sight it in and what are the chances of me breaking it off. I have just been making my point of aim at the right edge of the black and have been shooting very well with that method so should I just leave it alone or try to bend it. Any input would be very much appreciated.
 
Shoot it a little more and play around with your grip.

I did really well with the DA S&W revolvers from the get go. But the cowboy style "plowshare" grips have given me a terrible time learning to come to grips with them and shoot them accurately. I've managed to shoot from well to the left to well to the right all just two cylinders of loads apart. I'm getting better and things are tightening up but it's still not time to go and enter any long range bullseye shooting with them yet. It really does take some extra time to get the feel for shooting the plowshare grip shape.

And this applies to both my .38Spl cowboy guns as well as the old Hi Standard Double 9 that shares the plowshare grip design.
 
The pliers slipped off the front sight??!! aaaaarrrrrgggghhhhhhh!!!
You turn the barrel. 'Smith time!!
Another way. Have a machinist mill out the u notch. Make it wider on one side. Not deeper. Better get it right the first time. Right or left??
 
I was hitting low and left with my fix sighted .45 until I noticed I was anticipating noise and squeezing not just the trigger finger but tightening up the other three fingers as well. I practiced to hold firm, to move only the trigger finger, and to not clench in anticipation of blast or recoil and got a nice target with 5 out of ten in the ten ring at 25 yards, without adjusting the sights.
 
I bent the front sight on my Heritage by placing it on the gun range table with the barrel on a board which was covered by a towel. I than lightly tapped the front sight with a tack hammer. A little drift goes a long way so go slow, bench and check.

Mike
 
Traditionally fixed sight single actions are regulated by turning the barrel for windage adjustments. Since Heritage does not use traditional threading, but something they call "microthreading", held in place with adhesive, bending the front sight is the only way. That is, short of installing a new front sight.
 
For those of you who think it is my grip or I am flinching let me tell you I was shooting off a rest and shot about a hundred rounds to make sure. Thank you for your advice anyways.

I bent the front sight on my Heritage by placing it on the gun range table with the barrel on a board which was covered by a towel. I than lightly tapped the front sight with a tack hammer. A little drift goes a long way so go slow, bench and check.
Click to expand...

Thank you Duble Naught Spy. So how did it work out for you. Is it shooting straight now.

Phydeaux642 Thank you for making me more apprehensive than I was before. :( I am just messing with you. Thanks for the heads up. :D I was just thinking about if anyone has broken off there front sight and posted it.
 
I always thought you widened the notch on the rear, and filed the front for elevation. I wouldn't bend anything on my guns.
 
Having a slightly bent front sight isn't very noticeable and its common practice with fixed sight Heritage revolvers. It was shooting four inches to the right at twenty yards and with a slight tap of the hammer I'm proud to say it hits center now.

BTW, gunslingerforums.com is site for Heritage owners.

Mike
 
So, fixed sights (like on a traditional SA sixgun) are regulated by turning the barrel ?

What happens to the ejector assembly when you do that?
Isn't this fixed to the barrel by a screw at one end & fitted into a hole in the frame at the other ?

Can you turn the barrel without affecting this ?
 
Can you turn the barrel without affecting this ?
Click to expand...
Yes, although you obviously would want to remove the ejector housing to turn the barrel. You usually don't have to turn one enough to affect ejector alignment. You sure as hell don't want go filing on the frame of an expensive USFA or Colt SAA!!!
 
As stated, you are confined on a single action revolver to the size of the ejector hole.

EB1, you do widen the notch. If you are correcting horizontal POI, you take off the side that will correct your POA.
 
I guess I just don't understand why you would want to sight with slanted sights. Puzzles me. I would just use Kentucky Windage to aim before I go sighting through a crooked sight.

If I wanted to be absolute precise I would buy a gun with adjustable sights, or do what I was taught. Notch it, and shave it.
 
Well thank you fellas for the responses. Eb1 I too do not want a gun with a slanted sight but a little goes a long way and it is not very noticeable, even when you are the one shooting. I have bent it a little and it is shooting left still. I have been shooting very well on paper by adjusting my point of aim a set distance to the right. The heritage will only be used for range use so I am seriously thinking about just leaving it how it is. I might decide to bend it in the future but I am going to take my time on this one.

I was told you cannot turn the barrel on a heritage Rough Rider do to how they attach there barrel. I have the information somewhere and I cannot find it right now but it has to do with some kind of adhesive I believe. Anyways thank you all for your responses and input on the matter. It is very much appreciated.
 
One other thing I think you could do is to file the side of the front site on one side. Making it thinner. This could help you center the site more to one side of the notch. Just a thought, but I could be wrong. I have been before, and don't think it will be my last. LOL.
 
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