Colt Commander front sight

RemoWilliams · September 16, 2012, 11:56 AM

My commander fires a little low, roughly 4-6 inches at 50 feet. I can compensate by changing my site picture, but I would rather put in a lower front sight.

Can the front site be replaced, and if so does it need to be done by a gunsmith?

Hunter Customs · September 16, 2012, 12:11 PM

The easiest thing to do would be to remove a few thousands off the top of your existing front sight.

However before you do that be advised that pistol sights should be regulated at 25 yards.

Here's a formula for regulating pistol sights.

Figure the difference in inches between your point of aim and point of impact, multiply this number times your sight radius, take this number and divide by 900, this will give you the amount of thousands of an inch the front sight will need corrected.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com

RickB · September 16, 2012, 12:26 PM

If it really is as much as 6" low at 50', you are going to have to remove a lot of sight to zero. Unless the sight is quite tall to begin with, you may have to remove enough that you'll see the top of the slide in the notch. I had to correct a .45 revolver that shot a foot low at 25yds, and luckily the front sight was about 3/8" tall, so I could remove a lot of it without messing-up the sight picture.

jglsprings · September 16, 2012, 02:19 PM

How does the gun shoot for other shooters? What ammo are you shooting? And does the POI change if you change shooter or ammo?

cheezhed · September 17, 2012, 12:20 AM

I might be wrong but on the Colt web sight I think that there is a taller rear sight that might be used to change point of aim might be worth a look.

michael t · September 17, 2012, 01:03 AM

I would bench shoot it and have may be 1 other person shoot it from bench also . I neve seen a Colt Commander if sights are factory shoot that way . use 230 gr ball

1911Tuner · September 17, 2012, 08:52 AM

If you bought the gun used, check to see if somebody long-linked the barrel to "increase the lockup" as is often mistakenly believed is the proper way to do it.
If that's the case, it forces the rear of the barrel farther up, and the muzzle down...causing it to print low.

rodfac · September 17, 2012, 10:38 PM

Hunter's right, but if you're doing your shooting at 50 ft you need to use "600" instead of "900" inches. If the gun is shooting low at 50 ft as you stated, removing metal from the top of the front sight will raise the point of impact, given the same sight picture and hold on the gun. You'll need to do considerable shooting with your favorite load, then regulate the front sight to get the impact point up where you want it.

To determine the amount that you need to lower the front sight, use the following formula...and bear in mind that all measurements are in inches. So for your 50 foot distance, you'd plug 50x12= 600 inches. Given the inter sight distance for a Colt Commander is 4.25", to get a 4" rise in impact point you'd need to file 0.028" off the front sight. For a 6" change, you'd need to file it down 0.042". In reality, it's file a little, shoot several groups, then file some more, shoot some more...til you get it right.

The formula is this for a 4" change. X/4 = 4.25/600, where x=the amount in inches for the sight reduction. Simple algebra gives you the answer of .028".

Hope this helps...I've done a lot of revolvers this way, did the math to see how much was really necessary, then went out and filed some, shot a lot, filed a bit more, then used cold blue to clean up the top of the sight. It's really easy.

Best Regards. Rod

September 16, 2012, 11:56 AM	#1
RemoWilliams Junior Member Join Date: June 24, 2012 Posts: 10	Colt Commander front sight My commander fires a little low, roughly 4-6 inches at 50 feet. I can compensate by changing my site picture, but I would rather put in a lower front sight. Can the front site be replaced, and if so does it need to be done by a gunsmith?

September 16, 2012, 02:19 PM	#4
jglsprings Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2009 Posts: 1,827	How does the gun shoot for other shooters? What ammo are you shooting? And does the POI change if you change shooter or ammo? __________________ Let's eat Grandma. Let's eat, Grandma. Commas save lives...

September 17, 2012, 01:03 AM	#6
michael t Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2004 Location: Out back Ky Posts: 4,044	I would bench shoot it and have may be 1 other person shoot it from bench also . I neve seen a Colt Commander if sights are factory shoot that way . use 230 gr ball __________________ Certified Armed Infidel Colt Defender ,Colt Mustang ,Dan Wesson CBOB, PPK/S, American Classic 1911,Bersa Thunder 380 http://bersachat.comHome of Bersa http://www.metroarms1911forum.com

September 17, 2012, 08:52 AM	#7
1911Tuner Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2004 Location: NC Piedmont/Foothills Posts: 666	re: If you bought the gun used, check to see if somebody long-linked the barrel to "increase the lockup" as is often mistakenly believed is the proper way to do it. If that's the case, it forces the rear of the barrel farther up, and the muzzle down...causing it to print low. __________________ If your front porch collapses and kills more than three dogs...You just might be a redneck

September 17, 2012, 10:38 PM	#8
rodfac Senior Member Join Date: January 22, 2005 Location: Kentucky Posts: 3,624	Hunter's right, but if you're doing your shooting at 50 ft you need to use "600" instead of "900" inches. If the gun is shooting low at 50 ft as you stated, removing metal from the top of the front sight will raise the point of impact, given the same sight picture and hold on the gun. You'll need to do considerable shooting with your favorite load, then regulate the front sight to get the impact point up where you want it. To determine the amount that you need to lower the front sight, use the following formula...and bear in mind that all measurements are in inches. So for your 50 foot distance, you'd plug 50x12= 600 inches. Given the inter sight distance for a Colt Commander is 4.25", to get a 4" rise in impact point you'd need to file 0.028" off the front sight. For a 6" change, you'd need to file it down 0.042". In reality, it's file a little, shoot several groups, then file some more, shoot some more...til you get it right. The formula is this for a 4" change. X/4 = 4.25/600, where x=the amount in inches for the sight reduction. Simple algebra gives you the answer of .028". Hope this helps...I've done a lot of revolvers this way, did the math to see how much was really necessary, then went out and filed some, shot a lot, filed a bit more, then used cold blue to clean up the top of the sight. It's really easy. Best Regards. Rod __________________ Cherish our flag, honor it, defend it in word and deed, or get the hell out. Our Bill of Rights has been paid for by heros in uniform and shall not be diluted by misguided governmental social experiments. We owe this to our children, anything less is cowardice. USAF FAC, 5th Spl Forces, Vietnam Vet '69-'73.

September 16, 2012, 12:11 PM	#2
Hunter Customs Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2005 Location: Osborn, Missouri Posts: 2,697	The easiest thing to do would be to remove a few thousands off the top of your existing front sight. However before you do that be advised that pistol sights should be regulated at 25 yards. Here's a formula for regulating pistol sights. Figure the difference in inches between your point of aim and point of impact, multiply this number times your sight radius, take this number and divide by 900, this will give you the amount of thousands of an inch the front sight will need corrected. Best Regards Bob Hunter www.huntercustoms.com

September 16, 2012, 12:26 PM	#3
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	If it really is as much as 6" low at 50', you are going to have to remove a lot of sight to zero. Unless the sight is quite tall to begin with, you may have to remove enough that you'll see the top of the slide in the notch. I had to correct a .45 revolver that shot a foot low at 25yds, and luckily the front sight was about 3/8" tall, so I could remove a lot of it without messing-up the sight picture.

September 17, 2012, 12:20 AM	#5
cheezhed Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2007 Posts: 302	I might be wrong but on the Colt web sight I think that there is a taller rear sight that might be used to change point of aim might be worth a look.