ROA front sight advice

[pmercer]

On my ROA which is a stainless 5" .45, the sights are fixed. When I shoot it at 25 yrds it shoots low. I've thought about filing the front sight down so it's on target. Has anyone done this? Has anyone else found their ROA shoots low?

Thanks

Paul

[Sergeant Possum]

Like the original Colt Single Action Army, the Ruger Old Army front sight was deliberately made a bit too tall so that it could be "adjusted" with a file. I took a clamp-on vise with me to the range so that I could hold the gun steady whilst filing, and after every 3-shot group, I filed a bit off the top of the front sight, until I got it to shoot at point-of-aim at 25 yards.
Of course before I did that, I worked up a proper load so that the gun was shooting the tightest possible group. For my gun, a Uberti 1858 .36 calibre Navy, I use 19 grains of FFFg Swiss BP, with a .375 round ball and a wonder wad.

[tim56]

Hi Paul. I have the short barreled stainless one with fixed sights and mine shot about 5" low at 25 yds with round ball but pretty much point of aim with bullets. After trying different loads and powders etc i filed a tiny bit of the front blade untill it came up to point of aim and settled on using round ball. I recon i took off about 2 mm in 1/2 mm increments. If i feel like shooting bullets i just aim at the bottom of the black.
Hope this helps, Tim

[harricook]

On my ROA which is a stainless 5" .45, the sights are fixed. When I shoot it at 25 yrds it shoots low. I've thought about filing the front sight down so it's on target. Has anyone done this? Has anyone else found their ROA shoots low?

Thanks

Paul

Hi Paul

Is this the pretty ROA you had with you on Melville that day ?

What loads are you running (or have you tried) & what size ball/bullet ?

Where is your point of aim now & does it shoot low both 'freehand' & if you rest/support it ?


Cheers

Roy

[Wobbly 2]

I know a couple of lads at my club who shoot the 5" fixed sight ROA.

One of them was shooting low, he now shoots his using 32grns BP, he has shown me this load listed in an American load book (I will ask him which book when I see him)

Seem a really large amount, but it works for him.

[John Bedford]

Had the same problem with my (Pietta) Remmy - shooting low. Front sight now about one third original size and gun shoote to point of aim at 25yds. Quick qay is to use a Dremel, but go slowly!

[steve medlock]

Curiously mine shot high with the rear sight as low as it would go. I made a taller front sight for mine.

[tim56]

Dont you just love the ROA. So versatile, shoot small loads with a filler or stoke it up with a full cylinder of Swiss. Round ball or a bullet. Fixed or target sights and even a choice of barrel length and finish. Shame they stopped making them. Tim

[pmercer]

Wow, lots of advice. I've not looked into different loads to increase accuracy. I should do that before filing anything.
I fill er up with black powder at the mo. I can't remember if it's 28 or 32g I use. I'll have to check the spout. I use 358 ball at the mo. I'll have to try bullets as well I think.

Roy, it was indeed this gun I had with me.

I'll keep people posted, but be warned I don't get to the range as often as I'd like at the moment.

[acmsarh]

Midway UK sell replacement front blades for the ROA even adjustable ones prices from £3 to £7.

http://www.midwayuk.com/apps/ebrowse...0+***+9142+***

[acmsarh]

deleted duplicate post

[pmercer]

Unfortunately, my version has a fixed front sight :-(

thankyou though.

[acmsarh]

The sight blades from Midway are to replace the fixed front sight on the roa , The sight blade is not fixed it is pressed in to a round bottom slot .

[steve medlock]

Don't worry about another foresight blade (although Midway do list both types), just carefully file the one you have. You can work out roughly how much needs to come off by simple trigonometry, but either way don't take too much off. I would think that most people would want a sight picture with the sights at the bottom of the black rather than exact point of aim.

Steve.