pietta 1851 shooting high

olskool · June 30, 2016, 03:30:13 PM

i have a pietta 1851 5in barrel in 44 that shoots a foot high at 20yds. is there anyone who makes a taller front sight? or do i have to remove the original one and make my own? how did they install it? did they just drill and tap a pin in? thanks.....

Johnson Barr · June 30, 2016, 04:07:16 PM

Reduce your powder charge to 12 grs. 3Fg plus enough filler to have the ball seat just below the cylinder face. This will lower your point of impact.

Pettifogger · June 30, 2016, 05:13:27 PM

Quote from: olskool on June 30, 2016, 03:30:13 PM
i have a pietta 1851 5in barrel in 44 that shoots a foot high at 20yds. is there anyone who makes a taller front sight? or do i have to remove the original one and make my own? how did they install it? did they just drill and tap a pin in? thanks.....

All 51s shoot high. They were originally designed to be zeroed at 75 years so the front sight is very low. No one makes a taller front sight. You have to make your own. Most are simply pressed or crimped in place. Just take a pair of vice grips and pull it out. You can make a new one out of brass rod and use loctite or solder to hold it in. Or, you can have someone mill a dovetail and install a blade front sight. Better sight picture and it allows you to adjust for windage.

olskool · June 30, 2016, 06:18:50 PM

that's interesting about seating the ball different, i will try it. if that don't work i will make a front sight. thanks to all for the info!

Bibbyman · June 30, 2016, 06:52:47 PM

Learn to aim low. I did pretty good cowboy action shooting by aiming at Eval Roy's "nads".

I have thougt about taking a brass bead like they sale in the craft section of hobby store and JB Welding it on top of the existing bead.

Jubal Starbuck · July 01, 2016, 04:22:02 AM

I filed a dovetail in my barrel after removing the old bead and installed a Remington style New Model Army front sight that Dixie Gun Works sells. Now it shoots where it looks and I'm very pleased with it. I think the sight runs abut $5.

Gabriel Law · July 18, 2016, 08:08:20 PM

On all of my Uberti revolvers, including a 1875 in 45 Colt, I have made new front sights to zero them. My two new Pietta 51's shoot to the sights at 20 yards. I use as much powder as the cylinder will swallow leaving room for the ball.

Abilene · July 18, 2016, 08:47:21 PM

Uberti went to a taller front brass sight on the '51 conversions a few years back. I keep meaning to get some for my conversions, but keep forgetting. I'm used to the short ones though, and don't miss much so no biggie. I'm not sure if they put the taller ones on the percussion guns as well. And I don't know if that taller Uberti sight would fit on the Pietta, but that might be a possibility.