1860 Army Pietta front sight

Upacreek · December 28, 2013, 04:57 PM

I bought a 1860 Army Pietta sometime in the 80's and never fired it.
Several years ago I bought powder,ball,caps etc. and... didn't fire it.
My son went off to boot camp for the Marines a couple weeks ago, so before he left I told him we were firing the cap and ball Colt.

When it shot 5 inches high at 40ish feet I wasn't surprized. But 5 inches right? I took calipers to the hammer, which the notch didn't quite look centered to me. Indeed it was off...but to the left. Not what I expected.
I put the pistol directly under my overhead desk light and the line of light on top of the barrel intersects the right half of the front sight, not the center.
When I look down the barrel from the front the sight is not 90 degrees vertical, but is off to one side and the top of the sight leaning like a ship being blown over. I am new to this so looking for help. Isn't the front sight supposed to be dead on top and vertical or are 1860's different? Can I take a punch and move it vertical or will this just pop the sight off the barrel? THANKS.

Noz · December 28, 2013, 07:06 PM

Chances are very good that it will pop the front sight off. It sits in a rather shallow slot in the barrel.
Use a triangle file and move the notch in the hammer in the appropriate direction.

maillemaker · December 28, 2013, 08:17 PM

Here is my article on replacing the front sight of my Pietta 1860 Army:

http://www.4thla.com/articles/1860_sight/1860_sight.htm

Steve

Upacreek · January 2, 2014, 05:19 PM

I saw the article on the front sight replacement. Very good.

Can someone tell me If the front sight is supposed to be dead on top and vertical or are 1860's different?

bedbugbilly · January 2, 2014, 06:56 PM

The front sight should be dead center on the top - the same as any pistol.

That said . . . even modern cartridge handguns sometimes will not be "perfect". Chalk it off to quality control.

As already mentioned, you can work on the hammer notch or the front sight to get it shooting to POA. I have had a lot of different makes/models of C & B pistols over the years . . very few of them were good "aimers" when I got them. If you are going to replace the front sight and it is shooting high, you might consider adding a higher front sight so you can work with your loads and once you know where you are hitting (higher front sight should drop your hits), you can then file it down to bring the POI up. If I remember correctly, the '60 has a blade front sight of sorts. Unless you want to keep it as historically correct as possible, you might look around and consider a different front sight - by this I mean perhaps a wider blade, longer, etc. that you'd be comfortable with. With the open top design of the '60, you are pretty much limited to the hammer notch. I mainly shoot '51 Navies but they are the same with the exception that mine have post front sights. Even then, I've seen original Navies that had their front sights replaced with something that would give a better sight picture.

Even on the later Colt SAA and their clones - which had blade front sights - it was often necessary to 'bend" the blade in the appropriate direction to bring the POI to where it should be. I have even had to do that with a 22 SA clone that I picked up a couple of years ago.

Don't get discouraged . . you'll get it straightened out and don't forget that often times, a little "Kentucky windage" is sometimes required as well.

Upacreek · January 2, 2014, 07:24 PM

Thanks BedBugBilly. Mine is definitely off to the left of center. Like you said quality control. I believe it was made in 1980. I couldn't get #10 CCI caps to fit, they fell right off. The nipples were too small. Cabela's had a sale on stainless nipples. I bought those and #10 CCI fit great on those.
I went to our gun shop today, they didn't have a 1860 Army for me to look at an example of the front sight, but they did have a Pietta Navy in .44 with steel frame. The quality is much better than my 1860. Case hardening better. My Army has small pits in the frame. Color of my grips not near as nice either. So I've stripped my grips and restained. I think I'll try fitting a piece of brass to the right of the front sight since this ole piece ain't so pretty anyway and shoot the heck out of it. Thanks everyone.

Doc Hoy · January 2, 2014, 07:25 PM

1. Welcome to the forum.
2. Tell your son, "Thanks for his service."

Tnx,

Upacreek · January 2, 2014, 07:45 PM

Thanks Doc Hoy. We got a letter from him. He misses us, but he mostly misses his mom's cooking! Otherwise he seems to be doing fine. He is a shooting enthusiast for sure. He won our State 4H pistol contest last year with a bone stock Ruger MKII. No trigger job no fancy target grips. He also helped our county win 1st place rifle team last year and this with my dad's 1950's Marlin 81dl. He placed 4th on the team but if you know what a Marlin 81dl is, you know he was doing some shooting. Alot of those kids had $$$ rifles. He has been issued a M16A4 and he commented that the upper receiver to lower was loose... Hope he'll be able to shoot well with it. Right now they're just doing drills with it.
Thanks again.

ChrisTx · January 2, 2014, 11:14 PM

I'd contact Pietta. I had an issue with my 1860 and, although I had to ship it to Italy, they took care of it promptly, considering the overseas service. Needless to say, I'm impressed with their service.

Hawg · January 3, 2014, 06:14 AM

I think I'd take it to a good gunsmith and have a new sight installed.

Doc Hoy · January 3, 2014, 08:39 AM

for that revolver and then go buy another one.

Always a good idea to get another revolver.

tpelle · January 9, 2014, 07:32 PM

Make an "Avenging Angel" out of it! Don't need no stinking front sight!

woodnbow · January 10, 2014, 10:07 AM

Best of luck with your pistola...

"He misses us, but he mostly misses his mom's cooking!"

He's in good hands though, and you have very good reason to be proud of your son.

"He has been issued a M16A4 and he commented that the upper receiver to lower was loose... Hope he'll be able to shoot well with it."

Most of them are like that and it really doesn't affect accuracy all that much.

January 2, 2014, 06:56 PM	#5
bedbugbilly Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Posts: 3,287	The front sight should be dead center on the top - the same as any pistol. That said . . . even modern cartridge handguns sometimes will not be "perfect". Chalk it off to quality control. As already mentioned, you can work on the hammer notch or the front sight to get it shooting to POA. I have had a lot of different makes/models of C & B pistols over the years . . very few of them were good "aimers" when I got them. If you are going to replace the front sight and it is shooting high, you might consider adding a higher front sight so you can work with your loads and once you know where you are hitting (higher front sight should drop your hits), you can then file it down to bring the POI up. If I remember correctly, the '60 has a blade front sight of sorts. Unless you want to keep it as historically correct as possible, you might look around and consider a different front sight - by this I mean perhaps a wider blade, longer, etc. that you'd be comfortable with. With the open top design of the '60, you are pretty much limited to the hammer notch. I mainly shoot '51 Navies but they are the same with the exception that mine have post front sights. Even then, I've seen original Navies that had their front sights replaced with something that would give a better sight picture. Even on the later Colt SAA and their clones - which had blade front sights - it was often necessary to 'bend" the blade in the appropriate direction to bring the POI to where it should be. I have even had to do that with a 22 SA clone that I picked up a couple of years ago. Don't get discouraged . . you'll get it straightened out and don't forget that often times, a little "Kentucky windage" is sometimes required as well. __________________ If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

January 2, 2014, 07:25 PM	#7
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Naples, Fl Posts: 5,440	Can't believe no one said this yet…. 1. Welcome to the forum. 2. Tell your son, "Thanks for his service." Tnx, __________________ Seek truth. Relax. Take a breath.

January 2, 2014, 07:45 PM	#8
Upacreek Junior Member Join Date: December 28, 2013 Posts: 4	Thanks Doc Hoy Thanks Doc Hoy. We got a letter from him. He misses us, but he mostly misses his mom's cooking! Otherwise he seems to be doing fine. He is a shooting enthusiast for sure. He won our State 4H pistol contest last year with a bone stock Ruger MKII. No trigger job no fancy target grips. He also helped our county win 1st place rifle team last year and this with my dad's 1950's Marlin 81dl. He placed 4th on the team but if you know what a Marlin 81dl is, you know he was doing some shooting. Alot of those kids had $$$ rifles. He has been issued a M16A4 and he commented that the upper receiver to lower was loose... Hope he'll be able to shoot well with it. Right now they're just doing drills with it. Thanks again.

January 3, 2014, 08:39 AM	#11
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Naples, Fl Posts: 5,440	use some Kentucky windage.... for that revolver and then go buy another one. Always a good idea to get another revolver. __________________ Seek truth. Relax. Take a breath.

December 28, 2013, 04:57 PM	#1
Upacreek Junior Member Join Date: December 28, 2013 Posts: 4	1860 Army Pietta front sight I bought a 1860 Army Pietta sometime in the 80's and never fired it. Several years ago I bought powder,ball,caps etc. and... didn't fire it. My son went off to boot camp for the Marines a couple weeks ago, so before he left I told him we were firing the cap and ball Colt. When it shot 5 inches high at 40ish feet I wasn't surprized. But 5 inches right? I took calipers to the hammer, which the notch didn't quite look centered to me. Indeed it was off...but to the left. Not what I expected. I put the pistol directly under my overhead desk light and the line of light on top of the barrel intersects the right half of the front sight, not the center. When I look down the barrel from the front the sight is not 90 degrees vertical, but is off to one side and the top of the sight leaning like a ship being blown over. I am new to this so looking for help. Isn't the front sight supposed to be dead on top and vertical or are 1860's different? Can I take a punch and move it vertical or will this just pop the sight off the barrel? THANKS.

December 28, 2013, 07:06 PM	#2
Noz Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2009 Posts: 643	Chances are very good that it will pop the front sight off. It sits in a rather shallow slot in the barrel. Use a triangle file and move the notch in the hammer in the appropriate direction.

December 28, 2013, 08:17 PM	#3
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	Here is my article on replacing the front sight of my Pietta 1860 Army: http://www.4thla.com/articles/1860_sight/1860_sight.htm Steve

January 2, 2014, 05:19 PM	#4
Upacreek Junior Member Join Date: December 28, 2013 Posts: 4	I saw the article on the front sight replacement. Very good. Can someone tell me If the front sight is supposed to be dead on top and vertical or are 1860's different?

January 2, 2014, 07:24 PM	#6
Upacreek Junior Member Join Date: December 28, 2013 Posts: 4	Thanks BedBugBilly. Mine is definitely off to the left of center. Like you said quality control. I believe it was made in 1980. I couldn't get #10 CCI caps to fit, they fell right off. The nipples were too small. Cabela's had a sale on stainless nipples. I bought those and #10 CCI fit great on those. I went to our gun shop today, they didn't have a 1860 Army for me to look at an example of the front sight, but they did have a Pietta Navy in .44 with steel frame. The quality is much better than my 1860. Case hardening better. My Army has small pits in the frame. Color of my grips not near as nice either. So I've stripped my grips and restained. I think I'll try fitting a piece of brass to the right of the front sight since this ole piece ain't so pretty anyway and shoot the heck out of it. Thanks everyone.

January 2, 2014, 11:14 PM	#9
ChrisTx Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2006 Posts: 147	I'd contact Pietta. I had an issue with my 1860 and, although I had to ship it to Italy, they took care of it promptly, considering the overseas service. Needless to say, I'm impressed with their service.

January 3, 2014, 06:14 AM	#10
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	I think I'd take it to a good gunsmith and have a new sight installed.

January 9, 2014, 07:32 PM	#12
tpelle Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2009 Posts: 120	Make an "Avenging Angel" out of it! Don't need no stinking front sight!

January 10, 2014, 10:07 AM	#13
woodnbow Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2012 Posts: 190	Best of luck with your pistola... "He misses us, but he mostly misses his mom's cooking!" He's in good hands though, and you have very good reason to be proud of your son. "He has been issued a M16A4 and he commented that the upper receiver to lower was loose... Hope he'll be able to shoot well with it." Most of them are like that and it really doesn't affect accuracy all that much.