....I was being a fool and lost my front sight on my 1851 colt replica...

[mustang_steve]

This wouldn't be a problem, except my replica happens to have a threaded front sight bead.

The "Maker" is Excam of Hialeah FL (now defunct and was really an importer, not a maker)...there's no manufacturer stamps that I recognize anywhere. There is a C.O.M. stamp under the barrel, but I'm not sure what that means nor found much about it online. It's a 1977 production year if that matters any.

My issue is I'd like to get a replacment screw-in front sight bead if possible since that's what the revolver came with.

Any help in this endeavor would be greatly appreciated, even if it's just knowing who made this revolver for Excam.

Just in case it helps, here's an old picture of it so you can see the general design if that's of any help.

[/IMG]

 

[junkman_01]

Take it to a gunsmith that works on shotguns. I'm sure he will have a bead that will screw in and could be shaped with little effort.

 

[mustang_steve]

Junkman, thanks for the idea. For the past while I have been beating the hell out of my couch to find it (yeah....)...well, all that did was lead to a new discovery. Thar be spiders down there...

Seriously.

On the bright side, I found a screw that fits in there perfectly, so I can present that to the gunsmith and see what can be done. Good thing too, I love this pistol...the lightest trigger I've ever felt on a firearm (it has to be 1-1.5lbs, but I've never had it measured), and I never have to worry if t's me or the gun, it's me.

I may just go to the range with the chrome screw in for laughs tomorrow

 

[sltm1]

Euroarms supplies screw in sites (barleycorn style like your's you lost), for the Rogers & Spencer. Might not fit but it's only $1.80 so it'd be worth the risk

 

[mustang_steve]

Well I found out that COM is the maker...It's the mark of a Giovanni Contrini, who made firearms up between 1945-1980. Production was in Gardone VT, Italy...same region as Uberti and Beretta. Can't find anything else of note though, or if google had it, I couldn't read it...my Italian is no bueno.

(COM : Contrini Officine Meccaniche di Contrini Giovanni, Gardone VT)

 

[junkman_01]

Contrini Officine Meccaniche di Contrini Giovanni=Contrini machine shops of Contrini Giovanni. In Italy, Family names are written before given names.

 

[Jim K]

FWIW, the originals weren't screwed in. The worker dropped a short piece of brass wire into the hole and used an arbor press with a conical shaped die to swage the brass in and shape it at the same time.

Jim

 

[J-Bar]

check VTI Gun Parts:

http://www.vtigunparts.com/store/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=66&cat=Pietta+1851+Navy

$3.00 ain't much of a risk...

That's a beautiful gun, by the way, even without a front bead.

 

[mustang_steve]

Thanks J-Bar. This is one of my prized guns. Yet another family hand-me-down, but one with a really neat history. I'll leavfe the stories for another day though.

 

[Chawbaccer]

I lost one of mine at one time, that revolver sports a piece of metric screw soldered in for the front sight.

 

[mustang_steve]

This one was screwd in for some reason, no solder. Stupid me was disassembling it on the couch while cleaning it up, realized the bead was loose...and I had to remove it to see if I could loctite it in or something (again, on the couch..why do I do crap like this?)...and yep, dropped it. Fell between the cushion and armrest...into the dark recesses of the couch....and even after ripping the bottom cloth out of the couch, it's still nowhere to be found...I'm sure some spider probably took off with it.

 

[MICHAEL T]

After you get your new sight installed . The old one will appear Its just the way these things happen

 

[StrawHat]

You can also dovetail a small sight in place. This will allow you to make windage adjustments more easily.

 

[Hellgate]

A reshaped matched thread screw-in sight would be most certain. I have used flat headed brass wood screws (#4X3/4) that I shortened, shaped and epoxied upside down onto the barrels when I either lost the sight or needed a taller one.