adjustable sights

[NHSHOOTER]

I just picked up a Taurus PT92 and would like to install a adjustable rear sight, any suggestions on a sight to look for and is this something I can change myself or would I need to take it to a gunsmith?

[WIL TERRY]

How close to it's sights does your pistol shoot ? I had a PT99 with the factory adjustable sights. I ended up getting a PT92 slide, installing it on my pistol and it shot dead on the sights with darn near everything. There are NO sights better than fixed sights IF they're fixed in the right place !! AND getting them there is NO big deal atall.
This PT99/92 pistol has 9900 rounds through without a single malfuntion with either slide, although I've not shot it in a loooooong time as we speak.
And so it goes...

[Walt Sherrill]

Adjustable sights are a bit like the things folks add to cars to "personalize" the car -- they're most often there for "looks" not function.

Generally speaking, once you find a round you like (a weight bullet, etc.) you'll never change -- and even if you do, you won't change your sight settings.

Believe it or not, adjustable sights are generally not needed. If you need to adjust the sights to hit higher or lower, you're better served by getting a different rear sight from the gun maker (which they'll often send you very cheaply) than to install adjustables. Adjusting windage (left or right) is as easy as a brass punch and small hammer.

[RickB]

http://www.lpasights.com/en/products...category_id=29

[SIGSHR]

Is obtaining a second slide and installing the adjustables on that an option ? Fixed sights for 'service" and adjustable for "target" really do double your pleasure.

[NHSHOOTER]

I am rethinking the whole adjustable sight option, I had only shot the pistol about 5 rounds and did real poorly but I was not at the range and just shooting at a cardboard box at about 50 ft. Took said pistol to the range on Sat and at a measured 50 and taking my time I was hitting pretty well, all in all I think I will take all your advice and stick with the sights that are on there and just practice, practice, practice. Thanks for all your help, as always "TFL" is the way to go.

[rt11002003]

If I can get the gun I want with adjustable sights; that's what I get. Once I get range adjusted and round selected, I never seem to change adjustments.

I learned "old school" with non-adjustable (fixed) sights. For elevation, draw a fine or a coarser bead. Fine bead for "down"; coarse bead for "up". For windage, change sight picture right, or left.

None of my guns with fixed sights need anymore than the methods mentioned. Lucky me.

[Skeets]

RT 1100,your post on learning to shoot"fixed sights".Brought back many fond memories and still true today! Thanks,

[publius]

NHshooter, you need to put many more rounds through that gun before you start talking about changing sights. I would put at least a box through it before you even adjust the current sights. I also usually try several types of ammo to see if I can get one of them to work before I start replacing sights. You still won't have to replace anything if you just have a windage problem, a brass drift and small hammer will take care of that. You are down to very few situations where you HAVE to replace sights. Good luck and have fun (I personally don't like sighting in because I don't like breaking out the file and drift, either.)

[T. O'Heir]

Fixed sights are adjustable. Just not as easily.
You should be able to install adjustable sights yourself. If the sight's dovetail is not oversized. However, as it sounds like its shooting where you want anyway, follow Rule Number One. If it works, don't fix it.

[dgludwig]

Though I seem to be in the minority here, I prefer to have adjustable sights on any handgun I have, with the obvious exceptions that include pistols that need to be drawn from "deep cover" locations, i.e., from the pocket or other places of concealment, when an adjustable sight might impede a draw by snagging a retrieval when time is of essence. I like to be able to adjust my sights to accommodate different bullet weights and/or powder loadings in terms of meshing point of aim (poa) with point of impact (poi). And my personal experiences with handguns having adjustable sights (as recounted in numerous previous posts) suggests that the supposed fragility of adjustable sights has been greatly exaggerated.

[Walt Sherrill]

Originally Posted by dgludwig

I like to be able to adjust my sights to accommodate different bullet weights and/or powder loadings in terms of meshing point of aim (poa) with point of impact (poi).

If you roll your own and do try a lot of different bullet weights and powders, that makes sense. So my comments probably don't apply to YOU.

The vast majority of the guns I've owned with adjustable sights, once I get settled in and find a bullet weight or ammo brand that the gun likes, the sight almost never gets adjusted. (This is true even when I change bullet weights, from time to time. That said, most of my shooting is at 50' or less... In my case, an adjustable sight is extra money for something that I don't use.

[hatchettjack]

I've never grasped why someone wouldn't want adjustable sights!

[Walt Sherrill]

I've never grasped why someone wouldn't want adjustable sights!

Because UNLESS your really varying what you shoot lot -- powder and bullet weight -- you don't need to do much adjusting of elevation. Then, too, many adjustable sights can be fragile and some are downright ugly.

There are ones that aren't fragile and also look OK...

[Dabull]

I bought my first gun (a Taurus PT99) and my wife's first gun (a Russian commercial Makarov) with adjustable sights thinking I could dial them in if they shot anywhere but point of aim. Since then I have worked on my sight picture and trigger control and find most factory fixed sights are pretty much right on, and if they aren't, it's probably me. Other than target pistols (my Ruger .22), I don't really think they are useful and prefer to buy fixed sight models.

[44 AMP]

If you don't have adjustable sighs, you have essentially two choices, either find/make ammo that shoots to the sights, or alter (often permanently) the gun.

And also remember that while we do focus on it heavily here, there IS more to the world of pistol shooting than duty guns and defensive shooting.

I vastly prefer adjustable sights on any and everything I can get them on. Often they provide a better sight picture than the fixed versions.

I'm ok with fixed sights if that's all there is, but even drift adjustable for windage is better.

The "fragile" comes from the late 19th and early 20th century sights, and really does not apply to what is used today. If you don't use the back sight to drive nails with, it usually doesn't have issues.

[Theohazard]

Originally Posted by hatchettjack

I've never grasped why someone wouldn't want adjustable sights!

I don't want adjustable sights on any defensive handgun, especially one I carry. There's always the chance that they can be knocked out of whack, whereas fixed sights are much more durable.

Originally Posted by 44 AMP

And also remember that while we do focus on it heavily here, there IS more to the world of pistol shooting than duty guns and defensive shooting.

For sure, and so I'll emphasize that I'm only referring to my defensive handguns here.

Originally Posted by 44 AMP

I vastly prefer adjustable sights on any and everything I can get them on. Often they provide a better sight picture than the fixed versions.

I much prefer the sight picture of fixed handgun sights like the Trijicon HDs. But that's only for defensive handguns; I would rather have adjustable target sights for a non-defensive handgun.

Originally Posted by 44 AMP

The "fragile" comes from the late 19th and early 20th century sights, and really does not apply to what is used today. If you don't use the back sight to drive nails with, it usually doesn't have issues.

I used to carry a 1911 with adjustable sights. During one range session I started off doing rapid fire holster drills at very short range. Then I moved the target out to 25 yards and all of a sudden I was shooting 3 feet high; I even managed to shoot the target off its PVC hanger. It was pretty embarrassing.

It turned out that the detent for my rear sight elevation had fallen out and the rear sight had adjusted itself during my close-range rapid fire, but the target was close enough that I didn't notice it, and I just attributed it to me.

My defensive handguns get beat around sometimes, and my carry guns often get knocked against things when they're in my holster. For that reason, I will only use fixed sights on any defensive handgun I own.

[745SW]

Having adjustable sights on a recoiling slide can give more issues than having loose tools on a motorcycle. The vibration of motorcycle will evenually turn the tools into almost a powder.

[JDBerg]

...There are NO sights better than fixed sights IF they're fixed in the right place !! AND getting them there is NO big deal atall.

For your gun, I'd agree with the above statement. I have a 9mm STI Trojan 1911 that already had adjustables so I wouldn't change them out. I haven't had to touch those sight since I've had that gun, but it sees a steady diet of 147 gr. loads anyway. But I would say that most full size 9mm service pistols work fine with fixed sights.

[DaleA]

Had a medium frame .357 magnum revolver with adjustable sights. The rear sight blade would occasionally snag on stuff.

One day at the range, raised the gun to fire it and hey!, NO REAR SIGHT!

That's not going to happen with an LCR (or many other fixed sight guns).

[zincwarrior]

Is this what you are looking for?
http://www.brownells.com/handgun-par...12-155632.aspx

if you are competent do yourself, else just pay a local smith $25 or so. Its no big deal.

Most of my pistols have adjustable sights.

[dgludwig]

QUOTE: I don't want adjustable sights on any defensive handgun, especially one I carry. There's always the chance that they can be knocked out of whack, whereas fixed sights are much more durable.

Though I suppose there are situations when an adjustable sight is more apt to get "knocked out of whack" than a fixed sight would, in real life such an event is unlikely to have any impact on surviving a self defense encounter. Before my agency switched to autos from revolvers, I carried a Smith K-frame revolver equipped with the fine Smith & Wesson adjustable sight for many years. Over the years I was involved in more than a couple of rolling on the ground struggles with miscreants when my gun took a lot of scuffs and physical abuse and the rear adjustable sight survived intact.

However, one incident which involved a parolee resisting arrest did result in part of the rear sight blade of my revolver getting sheared off while he was being taken into custody. But, had I had to use the gun the only sight picture required would have been the front sight. My point being that most self defense scenarios occur at such close ranges that the proper sight alignment we employ for target shooting has no relevancy whatsoever in winning the day.

[Bob Wright]

Adjustable sights aren't needed?

Here on the left is the first group fired from my new Ruger Blackhawk Flat Top, while the target on the right shows after sight adjustment:



This was at fifteen yards, the margin would be greater if at fifty or one hundred yards.

Bob Wright

[Skans]

Having adjustable sights on a recoiling slide can give more issues than having loose tools on a motorcycle. The vibration of motorcycle will evenually turn the tools into almost a powder.

Stop riding Harleys and this won't happen; oh, and you won't need to carry tools either!!! Get a Vmax or Rocket III for a smoother, faster, trouble free ride. Pin a British flag onto your leather jacket over the Harley patch, and this will help you win friends and influence people among your Harley friends too.

Oh, and for those of you who think bumps and bangs will damage an adjustable sight; think OLD SCHOOL - Buy a S&W 659 (or the like) with the dog-ear steel sight protector - it doesn't get any more rock solid than a 659!

[Walt Sherrill]

Originally Posted by Bob Wright

Here on the left is the first group fired from my new Ruger Blackhawk Flat Top, while the target on the right shows after sight adjustment:

We may just have a terminology problem.

In the photo, it looks as though you shifted the rear sight to the right to shift the point of impact to the right. Many revolvers have FIXED (no dovetails allowing movement) rear sights; THE SIGHTS are sometimes part of the frame. It looks as though yours are adjustable.,

Darn few semi-autos -- this IS The Semi-Automatic Forum -- have fixed rear sights. The only semi-autos I've owned that had rear sights that couldn't be shifted within a dovetail were some of the very small polymer guns like the LCP or the Kel-tec P3AT and guns of a similar ilk -- which aren't really intended for distant shots.

Most sights on semi-autos are dovetailed front and rear and give the shooter considerable flexibility: the front or the rear can be moved, or easily replaced. But those sights in dovetails aren't called "adjustable" sights (although they are, in the broadest sense, somewhat adjustable) -- because they can be adjusted for elevation. They can be replaced.

I would bet that most of the folks responding here that said adjustables aren't needed were saying/making that distinction when saying adjsutables aren't needed.