rear and front sight, 1860 R/M Army

Razorback Joe · April 21, 2009, 11:18:55 AM

Hi Pards

I'm having problem with seeing the rear and front sight of the gun! My eyes eyes are failing me but I LOVE the pistolas. I want to shoot my pistolas as my main match gun

HELP Me Pards

Razorback Joe

Deadeye Dick · April 21, 2009, 11:56:57 AM

Razorback,
Lyman makes a small diopter shooters aid that has a suction cup that sticks to your glasses. It helps clear up the fuzzy sight picture. Not sure how it would work on CAS type shooting as you would need to look through the diopter hole at the sights and target. It is called a Lyman Hawkeye Shooter's aid and cost about $20. You could do the same thing with a piece of black electrician's tape that has a 1/16th inch hole punched in it and stuck to the appropriate place on your glasses.
I shoot with both eyes open and just look at the front sight and target. It doesn't seem to bother me that much. It does when I am using both front and rear sights while aiming at a specific spot. My 73 Winchester is equipped with a rear peep sight, thus eliminating the problem with the rifle.
I'm sure some of the other Pard's have your concern and will give you their resolutions and ideas.
Deadeye Dick

Fox Creek Kid · April 21, 2009, 02:16:32 PM

Well, do you wear bifocals? If you do then get progressive lenses. That will save your game.

Coffinmaker · April 21, 2009, 04:36:07 PM

Well ..................... The 1860 R-M has the rear sight cut into the top of the hammer. It is rather ................. miniscule. I couldn't see mine either.
Removed the hammer, clamped it up in a padded vice and used a small triangle file to open it up to the point I could see the front sight. Cold Blue the result. The file came from a set of small files from Lowes.

The front blade is actually silver. Tape the barrel around the blade and polish it. I used a Dremmel with their compound. Important to polish the BACK of the blade.

Then get some "single vision" shooting glasses that give you a depth of field (photography term) from your elbow to the ground. Then you can see the sights clearly with the targets a bit fuzzy. Fuzzy targets are "OK" as you want to see your sights sharply focused.

Then, load up some ammunition and HAVE AT IT!!

Conversion guns are FUN!!

Coffinmaker

Montana Slim · April 21, 2009, 09:23:25 PM

Like Coffinmaker, I've opened up and deepened the sight notches on all my Colt hammers....been doing that at least 20 30 years before I had difficulty reading fine print. Even helps them hit close to POI

FYI, I have had to use a small cutting disc on a Dremmel in some cases, just to get thru the case.

Regards,
Slim

Coffinmaker · April 23, 2009, 10:09:49 PM

Montana Slim,

I always ask my customers if they own a Dremmel. If they say "yes" I automatically add $50.00 to the bill

Coffinmaker

Fox Creek Kid · April 23, 2009, 10:41:57 PM

Gunsmithing Rule #1: if you own a Dremel lock it away.

Montana Slim · April 24, 2009, 09:59:57 PM

So...you guys have a sliver of a "vee" stone that approximates the notch?
You aren't gonna cut most of the newer revolvers case with a just a file.

I might need two sets of magnifiers to do the work and have been half-dead at times I've performed this with the dremel...but you'll not find any "boo-boos" on any of my irons

Someone said..."a man's got to know his limitations". I'm still workin' within mine

Regards,
Slim

Coffinmaker · April 25, 2009, 07:18:32 AM

Actually, yes, I use a small file. The case on the hammer is quite hard but also quite thin. It doesn't take long to get through the case into the sub-surface steel. I open the sight notch up so I can see the entire sight thru the rear sight. Good size "V" when I get done.
I need a good size "V" 'cause even with the open sight, I'm bind as a Bat. The single vision shooting glasses are a must. Makes a really huge difference.

Coffinmaker