sight issue with a snubby

[roval]

1-2 months ago I bought a charter arms undercover 2 inch 38 special. it always shot low about 6 inches at 10 yards. I had used 130 gr bullets and then 148 wc and 158 swc. all low. the sight appears like an integral part of the barrel. will charter arms do anything about it? I haven't called charter arms yet. I like shooting steel at 25 yards and it's difficult to consistently figure out the holdover using the normal sight picture. I used the formula for sight adjustment and based on the guesstimate(hard to align the caliper)and painted the sight at that level(almost just the lower third of the sight only). seems to work at 25 yards well enough if I trust the paint and not unconsciously revert to a normal sight picture. problem is the "excess sight height" covers the target a bit. assuming charter arms will not do anything about it(it was meant for close quarters) and assuming you want to keep the gun for now, would you file down the sight(at least it will be accurate- and it was). how bad would it affect the trade in value?
it was supposed to have been for my wife but predictably I like shooting it more.

 

[weblance]

I recently bought a Charter Pathfinder, 2" Fixed sights. It shot terribly low, and extraction of the spent shells was difficult. I emailed Charter, and expressed my displeasure. They immediately emailed me a pre-paid return shipping label. I sent my Pathfinder to them. After a month went by, I called and talked to Dee, and she said that my revolver had just shipped. When it returned, the front sight was lowered considerably, and the cylinder chambers had been polished to fix the extraction issue. They also replaced the firing pin (not sure why). They sent me a test target with 10 rounds fired at 30 feet. It had a nice grouping. They also bead blasted the front sight where they had removed material, so now it looks like nothing was ever done. If you look closely, you will see how much they took off my front sight. I dont know why, but the fixed sight models come with way too much height in the front sight. They also paid return shipping. My Pathfinder is perfect now, and shoots easily to Point of Aim. I would contact Charter and tell them whats going on. They will fix you up.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

It's a simple fix if you feel confident doing it. I have to "sight in" most of my SA revolvers to shoot POA, it's common practice. If not you can send it back like suggested above, they will fix it for you. Granted, it should have been done before it left the factory but mistakes do happen.

 

[hartcreek]

How can a manufacturer set up a short barreled revolver with fixed sites to hit POA when there are so many types of ammo available?

 

[RealGun]

I had this complaint and learned not to cock my head back to get prescription focus on the front sight. If you are head down hard on the sights, that is more likely how the gun is sighted for POA/POI, and the grouping will rise maybe 4 inches or more. The difference is parallax. Hold the sight picture very steady and move your chin up and down, and you'll see what I mean. This is just a guess at what's happening, although I believe much more evident on a longer barrel and sight radius.

I have shooting glasses with the bifocal top and bottom on my dominant eye lense.

 

[MartinS]

Use another front sight alignment. Get the top of the front sight up out of the notch and if you don't like covering the target get it up far enough to use a six o'clock hold. Easier and quicker to find the front sight in a hurry.

 

[Robert101]

I hear people saying their guns are shooting low many times. I've experienced this as well. I have to agree that more times than not, in my experience, it requires an adjustment in sight picture and hold. I prefer making slight adjustments in lieu of having the front sight removed to the extent shown on the pictures of the Charter handgun. That front sight is almost gone. At least it will not catch on your holster.

 

[JRH6856]

Most 4" fixed sight revolvers are sighted for a standardized load (for .38 spcl it is usually 158gr LRN) at 25 yards. Most people do not buy 2" revolvers for target shooting at this distance, they buy them for self defense. Self defense distance is generally 10 yards or less. A gun sighted for 10 yards will shoot lower at longer distances.

I dont know why, but the fixed sight models come with way too much height in the front sight.

Maybe because if it needs adjusting to your favorite load, it is easier to remove the excess than to add it on?

 

[rondog]

Just my opinion, but snubnose .38's are meant to be belly guns for defense, not target pistols. To try and use one for any kind of target shooting other than human silhouettes at <10ft., I would expect to have difficulties. Like trying to drag race with a Chevy Volt.

FWIW - I have a S&W Model 49, .38 snubbie. The only target shooting I use it for is rapid-fire dumping 5 rounds into a torso target at close range. Standing and moving. That's what it's for.

 

[RealGun]

That might be right, but I feel better when I hit what I was aiming at.

 

[thriller]

I agree, file the sight or send it back and wait. I have a 2" Rossi 462 in 357 and I can break clay birds at 15 yds no problem. Hold dead center. No reason a snubby should not shoot well.

 

[roval]

My sight as corrected would have been almost as short as the one in the pic. I'll try calling them. I know they're for self defense distances but I just like shooting them longer. With a silhouette (b27?) At 10 yards I know if I aim at the number 9 I'll have hits in the red or 10 area but since the groups are not as nice as the one's I get with my 6inch gp100 I'd rather get the satisfying ping of steel. closest I could set it up is 25yards.

 

[RealGun]

deleted

 

[RainDodger]

Guys who say you can't shoot a 2" barrel well at any kind of range past 10 yards don't know....

Back in the dark ages, I was a federal agent and we were required to carry an American-made revolver at that time - a few years before they converted to Sig 9mms. We received extensive training - all of it double-action shooting, and all at silhouettes. Our quarterly firearms qualifications included drawing and firing from a barricade at 25 yards.

With proper training and practice, hitting center mass at 25 yards with a 2" snubby was routine. My backup revolver was a S&W Model 60 (similar sights to yours) and our issued rounds were 110 grain JHP, +P+ rounds. Not real pleasant to shoot, but relatively effective at the time (1980s) for the weapon we were required to carry.

You CAN shoot at 25 yards, and you can have fun doing it! What you do with your sights is personal choice - file them or adjust your picture. For me it would depend on whether you settle on one load to shoot all the time. If you do that you might want to file the sights, but I would think hard about that. I generally just learn where a given gun's point of impact is and adjust accordingly.

 

[MIL-DOT]

The OP is complaining about a non-problem. These pistols ( I carry a S&W Airweight myself) are made for personal defense at very short distances, and 6" low at 30 feet isn't even close to being a concern. A foot and a half to the left? Yeah, THAT'S a concern.
Now that you know where it hits, you simply compensate for it (and even then, it still doesn't much matter.)

 

[David E]

That people may buy them for up-close conflicts, but the GUN is caoabld of so much more.

Hitting a silhouette at 100 yds, for example, just for the fun of it....and thereby winning a bet or two from the guys that can't shoot 'em

 

[JRH6856]

the GUN is caoabld of so much more.

Looks like you've been using my keyboard. (I'm still getting used to the layout on my new notebook)

 

[Drail]

The front sight on a snub is one reason that files were invented. Most fixed sights can be made very fast and accurate if you file them just right. And pick a good moderate load and practice with it.