"51 Navy

[Dirty Dan Dawkins]

I posted this in STORM, maybe I can get some help here. I am looking to replace my bead site. It bends as the heat builds up, throwing me off left. I have heard I can put a dovetail on it. Any particular info on ordering one and which size/style? Also, is there a grip you would recommend to replace the ones I have. It is a Pietta and flairs out at the bottom. I'd like something a little flatter/straighter. Any ideas?

[Chance]

It bends as the heat builds up,

How fast are you shooting there, DD?   

As for the grips why not just shave off what you need to make them comfortable then re-varnish?

[Dirty Dan Dawkins]

That is only an assumption about the heat. Maybe it is getting bent in the holster. On the grips, I heard rumor another model grip would work. In the meantime, I may try my woodworking skills.....which is poor.

[Chance]

DD if that sight is getting bent in the holster maybe it's a bit on the long side. Is it sweated on to the barrel or screwed in? Perhaps you could take it down a little and deepen the rear sight notch to compensate.

Chance

[Dirty Dan Dawkins]

My sight is screwed in. I have deepened the rear notch, but do have plenty more to spare, just need a new file. That case hardened hammer ate up my file. Also, in STORM, Smokin_Gun gave a great tip on fixing this problem under the topic "'51 font sight" that I had posted. This is a great solution showing what I find to be great ingenuity and is pretty straight forward.
As far as my speed of shooting you asked of earlier.... I am loading 50 grains of smokeless and fanning my gun  .... just kidding. I shoot no faster than anyone else, slower if anything. I just had noticed heat on the barrel after shooting and that, combined with the inherent softness of brass jumped to that conclusion.

[Colt Fanning]

I didn't like the post and needed to set the sight to the left to correct a poa problem that was beyond the correction that could be made at the hammer.  I drilled a hole in a piece of brass to clear the post and silver soldered it to the post and to a lesser extent to the barrel.  I then filed it into a blade sight shaped like one found on an original M51.

[Dirty Dan Dawkins]

Great idea! I like it! 

[Paladin UK]

Fer CF........

I drilled a hole in a piece of brass to clear the post and silver soldered it to the post and to a lesser extent to the barrel.  I then filed it into a blade sight shaped like one found on an original M51.

Could ya explain that a bit more as I dont quite unnerstand

Paladin (Whats kinda confooozed!! ) UK

[Frenchie]

Could ya explain that a bit more as I dont quite unnerstand

Now there's a neat idea, if my alleged mind is seeing it rightly. Take a small chunk of brass, say about 1/2" long by 1/4" wide by 1/8" thick... whoops, sorry, Paladin, for you that would be about 12.7mm by 6.3mm by 3mm, or thereabouts... hell, make it the size of a PEZ candy... and drill a hole slightly larger than the front sight in the center... or centre... of one long, narrow side. Place the hole over the front sight so it's positioned lengthwise along the barrel and silver solder it to the sight and barrel. Shape it with some files and reduce the height (heighth?) at the range to adjust the elevation. Do I got it, Colt?

[Mason Stillwell]

I had 3
of my 51's dove tailed and a great sight put in by Saber River Gunsmithing. Glenn does GREAT work. Now I can hit point of aim.

Mason

[Jubal Starbuck]

   I have used this approach on several occasions and had  good luck with it.  Remove your present bead, order a Remington front sight from your favorite  parts supplier, cut a dovetail to fit it and install.  Take it out and shoot it and adjust for windage and elevation. Touch it up with a little cold blue and you're good to go.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I think a small dovetail sight is the way to go for '51s and their derivatives, like Richard Masons.  Got 'em in all of mine.

[Paladin UK]

I gotta tell ya`ll...
I have already dovetailed a few of my pistolas, as they Always shoot off to the left for me, it was just that on this occasion I wanted to try and keep the  51 looking more original!!



My Spiller, chopped and dovetailed

My ASM Cattleman antiqued and dovetailed


Oh yeah.
Fer Frenchi......

Paladin, for you that would be about 12.7mm by 6.3mm by 3mm,

FWIW .......   I`m 56 `n grew up using ins, yds and miles and I STILL use em!! I jest cant get my head around milly meeters

Paladin (what lurvs the Holy Black  ) UK

[Be-A-triss Bandit]

Most ironic!

[44caliberkid]

Here's a link to an old post I answered, picture of a front sight I made from a pre-64, silver dime.
http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,8469.0.html

[Paladin UK]

Fer 44caliberkid .......



Now that the sort of thing that makes a gun......YOURS!!!!

Well impressed!!

Ya got me kinda thinking... `n  old silver sixpence mebbie

Paladin (whats gonna play this weekend ) UK

[Chance]

FWIW .......   I`m 56 `n grew up using ins, yds and miles and I STILL use em!! I jest cant get my head around milly meeters

Paladin (what lurvs the Holy Black  ) UK

Some of us just plain DON'T WANT to be European!! Inches is OK by me.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

We call it IMPERIAL measure!

[Be-A-triss Bandit]

Imperial quarts are bigger than American quarts.  So are Imperial .44 bullets bigger than my American .44 bullets?   And if Metric is so good, why did Napolean can it when he was takin' over the world?  Even they didn't make it official again for another 18 years.  This is like crimping, ain't it?