S&W J Frame Sights

[Guest supergus]

Re: the fixed sights on my wife's Model 642, it shoots about an 1.5" high at 7 yards. Can I carefully file the rear sight down a hair at a time or should I bring it to a 'smith? I know they have a new adjustable sight for the J Frame but it ain't in the budget right now.

[Im Neero]

I think filing down the rear sight would raise the point of impact. If anything, file down the front sight.

[BryanP]

I think you have that backwards Neero.

[The Rabbi]

No, I think Neero is right. If I recall (and I could be easily wrong here) the rear sight moves the opposite direction from where you want the bullet and the front sight the same direction. Filing the front sight will mean raising the muzzle, raising POI.

Personally, since the 642 is hardly a target weapon, I would leave the darn thing alone and just aim higher.

[Guest Len]

I would leave the sights alone as Rabbi suggests. The sight radius on a J-frame is hardly enough to make any sights particularly accurate.

Filing the rear sight down will make the gun point lower as you have to raise up the rear of the gun (thus lowering the muzzle) to get perfect sight alignment. But, on a J-frame it's not going to mean much anyway. Do a little point shooting practice -much cheaper.

[Guest Phantom6]

Re: the fixed sights on my wife's Model 642, it shoots about an 1.5" high at 7 yards. Can I carefully file the rear sight down a hair at a time or should I bring it to a 'smith? I know they have a new adjustable sight for the J Frame but it ain't in the budget right now.

Take it to a gunsmith and have him put a laser bore sight on it and see what happens. Then, either let him work on it (that'll cost you $) or send it back to Smith along with the results of the bore sighting exercise and tell them you want it fixed. They'll do it for free since it is a manufacturing defect. That will only cost you time.

BTW, for future reference, if you wish to adjust your sights, move the rear sight in the direction that you wish the point of impact to move on the target, i.e. if you are impacting high and to the right, move your rear sights down and to the left to move your group into the desired impact area. I would not suggest doing this on your own with fixed sight firearms however.

[enfield]

I wouldn't touch the sights. It's close enough for a defensive pistol.

[Guest tjbert47]

I wouldn't touch the sights. It's close enough for a defensive pistol.

Correct. If anything adjust your POA for target shooting. Taking a file to a gun will destroy it's value.

Tom in TN

[Guest TN.Frank]

File down the front sight will bring the point of impact up, lower front=higher point of impact, taller front= lower point of impact. Just the oppisit of the rear sight which is raise the rear to raise the point of impact, lower the rear to lower the point of impact.

One thing you might try is a slightly lighter bullet, that'll make the gun shoot a bit lower.

[BryanP]

I plead sleepiness for my lack of spatial recognition. When I try to picture it in my head I still go that way though. On my rifle if I want to raise the point of impact I slide the rear sight forward, making it taller. If I want to lower the point of impact I move it back and down. Or am I still thinking backwards this morning?

Honestly, for a J Frame I'd just slap a set of Crimson Trace grips on it and not worry about it. In an airweight like that, if you can consistently hit the same point, even 1.5" high, you're a better man than I.

Edited February 18, 2008 by BryanP

[Guest supergus]

Thanks for the replies. At 7 yards I still can get a 1"-1.5" group, albeit a little high. I think I'll leave it alone. Now about my wife's aim...

[TGO David]

Even 7yds is probably further than you'll ever "need" to shoot a J-frame. These are up close and dirty weapons. Nothing elegant about them.

[Guest TN.Frank]

And then you've got Bob Munden shooting ballons at 200 yrds with a 38Spl snub.LOL.