SAAs: Fixed versus adjustable sights

[Bill in Oregon]

When I think about a sixgun I really hope to shoot accurately (as in to hunt with), I have a strong bias in favor of adjustable square notch rear and front post sights as on the Blackhawks vs. the groove and tapered blade on the Colts and their clones. But what's left of my mind tells me both styles of sixgun are intrinsically equally accurate. And if a fella is willing to square up that rear groove in the topstrap and file the front sight tip flatter and to agree with the load, there really shouldn't be any practical difference. Any thoughts on this from our august company here on Leverguns?

[hfcable]

i agree ....but i have several colt new frontier models with the adjustable sights and find that i prefer them for most uses !

anymore i am not so tempted by fixed sight revolvers

[Scott Tschirhart]

I prefer fixed sights though I recognize that sometimes they aren’t properly lined up.

When they are, they are quite rugged and consistent.

That being said, I shoot this gun better than I should and I intend to hunt with it this year.

[Walt]

Some naysayers actually claim that the New Frontier front sight resembles a sail. mebbe so, mebbe not.

I like mine.

7 1/2" .45 Colt
5 1/2" .44 spl.

[Walt]

That's a new one on me. I've never seen one before.

That's a beautiful and very versatile firearm.

Thanks for the picture and good luck on your anticipated hunt.

[Lastmohecken]

I prefer fixed sights though I recognize that sometimes they aren’t properly lined up.

When they are, they are quite rugged and consistent.

That being said, I shoot this gun better than I should and I intend to hunt with it this year.

That's very nice, Scott, I like it a lot.

[Lastmohecken]

I kind of like fixed sights if they hit where I want them to. I really don't like using Kentucky windage much. I was watching Brian Pearce on Youtube the other day and he had a pretty good method if getting a fixed sight gun to hit where he wanted it to. He just buys several guns of the same model, etc. and shoots them all and keeps the one that shoots best and sends the others down the road. That's pretty expensive, probably, but effective. I guess I have done the same thing, except, I just keep buying one gun and if it shoots good, I keep it, usually, unless I find something else I don't like about it, but the ones that don't measure up, go on down the road, or I fix them to my liking if possible.

But at least on adjustable sights, you can generally get your gun sighted in, without too much trouble. That's a pretty big positive.

[Bill in Oregon]

That's a mighty handsome Bisley all right, Scott. And Walt, your Colts are mighty swell, too, in spite of the front sight.
I am being picky but I just don't care that much for the big hump the sight ears make on the rear of the Blackhawk top strap. That hump says "This ain't a Colt" from a long ways off. I wish the Ruger flat-tops weren't so scarce and spendy.

[Lastmohecken]

This gun here, which I posted about on another thread, kept shooting high and left at first, and I kept cranking the sight down, until it's almost bottomed out new, and I noticed I was shoot left also, so I cranked the rear sight to the right, actually the sight setting was a little left to start with, and it's centered now. Finaly got it on target pretty good. So, now it's shooting pretty good. In this case, I am glad that it has adjustable sights. Especially with the dual cylinders, although both seem to hit the same, with the loads that I have tried earlier today. However, the slope is too flat on the front sight for a bright day in the sun. It's hard to see the top of the sight. It kind of fades out against natural backgrounds.

Ruger 45 colt Right Side.jpg

[Walt]

Scott, the front sight, the rear sight, the base pin locking screw and the lanyard ring all suggest that's a Hamilton Bowen gun. Is it?

[Lastmohecken]

Scott, the front sight, the rear sight, the base pin locking screw and the lanyard ring all suggest that's a Hamilton Bowen gun. Is it?

I blew the picture up, and it says Bowen Classic Corporation on the barrel. I have the economy version of that, which is just a plain old Ruger 44 mag Bisley, and one thing I think I want to do to it is add that lanyard ring.

[Griff]

Fixed sights on sixguns for me. I'm going to assume so, as I don't own any with adjustable sights... Although I have. About 1988 I traded a mdl 19 S&W in on a new mdl 65... Both were 4" bbls. The mdl 65 got a red insert into the front sight, but otherwise just like the factory shipped it. Surprisingly, my qualification scores never took a dip.

[Walt]

I have never compared Ruger single actions to Colts. They both stand on their own merits and both have my respect. I never thought of Rugers as being Colt clones.

A couple of my flat tops; the top two are .44 specials, the bottom one is a medium frame .41 mag. Until I put them together in a picture I didn't realize how much smaller the .41 is.

[Lastmohecken]

I have never compared Ruger single actions to Colts. They both stand on their own merits and both have my respect. I never thought of Rugers as being Colt clones.

A couple of my flat tops; the top two are .44 specials, the bottom one is a medium frame .41 mag. Until I put them together in a picture I didn't realize how much smaller the .41 is.

Walt,
I was at gun show this morning and seen a very lightly used Lipsey's 44 special flat top, with a 4-5/8" barrel. It seemed smaller to me, than the Ruger Blackhawk 45, that I just bought, which I guess the flat top is slightly smaller. The 44 special was pretty tempting but I can't buy them all.

[Walt]

You are correct. The flat tops that are not Bisleys use the pre-1973 grip frame, the XR-3 which is shorter and has a different profile than the later New Model Blackhawks. Also, the grip frames on the flat tops are all-steel rather than alloy.

[piller]

An accurate revolver will be accurate whether the sights are fixed or adjustable. I can shoot better with adjustable sights, but my skill is not the reason the gun does or doesn't shoot well. My skill is the reason why I shoot badly or well with any gun. Having shot few fixed sight revolvers, my skill with sighting down the groove in the topstrap is rather poor.

[Malamute]

That's a mighty handsome Bisley all right, Scott. And Walt, your Colts are mighty swell, too, in spite of the front sight.
I am being picky but I just don't care that much for the big hump the sight ears make on the rear of the Blackhawk top strap. That hump says "This ain't a Colt" from a long ways off. I wish the Ruger flat-tops weren't so scarce and spendy.

All it takes is a file and a bit of time to make a flat top out of a regular ruger. Ive done a couple. Actually, an angle head grinder makes pretty short work of it, with files and various grades of wet or dry paper to clean it up.

Ive never cared much for the large front sights on Rugers. some of the early flat top 357s were a bit lower and angles more steeply, which I liked a bit more, but the Colt flat top target fronts looked best to me for improved sights.

I flat topping them, I filed the sight groove lower in the frame to start, then lowered the rear all the way, then raised it a few clicks, then zeroed with a file on the front, leaving just a bit of lowering range left. I also filed the top of the rear sight lower and used steel bases. One on I had a front base similar to the flat top targets made, I like it.

I like the looks of the traditional fixed sights, bit when they dont shoot well windage wise they are pain in the behind. fortunately most of the time the elevation has been off, filing the front sight can correct it. the thinner old school sights, actually all sights, can be improved quite a lot of careful application of the right nail polish. Salon Perfect brand, Neon Pop line, Traffic Cone Orange, its a neon orange, the brightest ive seen. Used in a light coat over a heavy white base coat is on every one of my pistol and rifle front sights.

This poor gun was cold blued after several projects and used a lot. that was some time in the 90s.

IMG_5856 - Copy.JPG

[hfcable]

An accurate revolver will be accurate whether the sights are fixed or adjustable. I can shoot better with adjustable sights, but my skill is not the reason the gun does or doesn't shoot well. My skill is the reason why I shoot badly or well with any gun. Having shot few fixed sight revolvers, my skill with sighting down the groove in the topstrap is rather poor.

that is exactly what i think. i just do a lot better [ genrally ] with the adjustable sight guns.

[samsi]

Back around Y2K I had the sights on a stainless 44 mag Vaquero modified to imitate the sight picture of my Novak sighted 1911, rear sight milled out and a custom front. It was regulated for the medium load (240swc/10 Unique).

Easy to shoot well and it was my favorite hard-use big bore - probably still would be if I was still going out and doing hard use kinda things.

[Walt]

"This poor gun" is right, Malamute. Front sight, one piece grips, screw replacing hammer pivot pin, etc. I have to admit I have a "poor old gun" or two as well. When George Nonte's book, "Pistolsmithing" first came out, I had to try every "improvement" he mentioned on my Series 70 1911. It somehow survived it and remains a good shooter. Thanks for the picture.