Ruger Lipseys 5", 5 shot 44 Special half lug sight problems

I bought one of these new Lipsey 44 specials last week. When the revolver arrived I was very excited to get out and shoot it. As I had read an article by Arizona's Ed Head that enthused me. I loaded up some ammo with a load he recommended and off to the range. To my surprise, at first I couldn't find the point of impact at 25 yards. I was shooting way over the target. A lower hold point put me on paper but with the rear sight lowered all the way down but I was 18" high. Accuracy was ok and I was able to adjust the windage, but not the elevation. Anyone run into this, or talk with Ruger or Lipseys about a resolution? Load was 7.5 grains of Unique, with a 240 grain Lyman lead bullet. It also has come to my attention, that others are having the same problem as me.

Thanks

Jerry

I have only put 20 rounds through mine, but half of those were the same load you are using - 240 SWC over 7.5 grains of Unique. At 7 yards, impact was vertically in the center of the target using the sight picture recommended in the manual. That is, the paper plate I was shooting at was "resting" on the top of the front sight aligned with the top of the notch in the rear sight. Groups were slightly left but very tight (for me) shooting offhand in a cold wind. I have not tried adjusting sights yet. I'll post again after I get more rounds through it and I'll check rear sight travel. At the moment, I'm really happy with mine. Fit, finish, and function seem first rate out of the box, a most welcome improvement over the last few Ruger revolvers I've purchased that had to go back for various defects. The walnut grip on mine even has some burl figure in it.

Jon: Does yours have the gold bead front sight, set in a dovetail? Just trying to figure out what's up here.

Jerry

This must be a GP-100? I picked up a Talo GP-100 which has the brass bead front sight, 3" barrel. and it easily shoots to POA without the rear sight being bottomed out. I also am shooting the Skeeter load (7.5g Unique under 240g SWC). Sight picture is normal with the top of the front sight level with the top of the rear sight. Oh, forgot to add, I was shooting targets at 25Y to 70Y my first day out. It was shooting high too, and needed quite a few clicks to finally get it where it needed to be. But it was not 18" high!

Whatever the case, your front sight is way to short if shooting 18" high at 25Ys with the rear sight bottomed out. Needs to be replaced.

Fit, finish, and function seem first rate out of the box

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Mine too. Just the heavy SA trigger pull has to be dealt with. With a 10# spring, the trigger is breaking right at 5# . I like between 2 and 3.

I had to bottom out the rear sight on mine to get it anywhere close at 7-10 yards. It's still not right, but I'm shooting Champion's steel full size IPSC targets and center of mass will work. I was shooting 240 SWC over 5.5 gr. TrailBoss. I'd like to replace the gold bead with a red ramp if Ruger makes one that will fit. Bob!!

Mine does have a gold bead front sight mounted in a dovetail.

I have both 3" and a 5".
No problem with the sights on the 3". It regulated to point of aim just fine.
The 5" is another story. With the same load you guys are using 7.5gr Unique and a 240gr SWC, the best I can get is 3" high at 15 yds.
With 8gr Power Pistol and a 240gr SWC, I was able to get it down to 2" high.
I have a small cylinder set at 30 yds. Aiming at the bottom, I'm still over the top and it's only 18" tall.
I was going to replace my rear sight with a V notch but the bottom of the V is shallower than the factory sight.
I guess a call to customer service is in order.

Do yours have blue or stainless extractors?

Well I finally got around to calling Ruger this morning and spoke with Anthony in reference to the shooting high problem with our 44's. He advised that there was no other factory sight option available and suggested that I seek some aftermarket assistance. He advised that Ruger zero's these 44's with Black Hills cowboy ammo @ 15 yards. I think most of us are shooting more than cowboy loads. I just loaded 500 rounds with new Starline cases and three different bullets and loads. Since I've only shot 100 rounds through mine, I'm going to do some more testing when and if the weather cooperates. If anyone gets a different answer from Ruger, please advise. Anthony did offer to check my revolver if I'd send it back with the free shipping included and a quick turnaround. I told him that I'd shoot it some more before returning it to the factory. Bob!!

Note to Ruger. There is plenty of upward adjustment in your rear sights. Please stop with the too short front sights. You do this with far too many of your guns. :roll:

Yeah, I wish they'd alway put a tall front sight on all their guns. We can always file it down to get it where we want it to be for the load we want to shoot. Seems like a simple solution. 15Y seems a bit close too for testing!

I got these oversize front sights from Hamilton Bowen for the Redhawk interchangeable front sight, and they are the same insert as the GP-100. They are in the white and oversize, simply file to any configuration you want, and fit them to the rib and any height you need. They are taller than anyone could ever need as they come raw. They were very reasonably priced.



I would make sure of my POI of a rest and offhand and size them accordingly so I had adjustment up and down for light hot loads and heavy light loads. But when done you would have the perfect front sight.

rangerbob said:

Well I finally got around to calling Ruger this morning and spoke with Anthony in reference to the shooting high problem with our 44's. He advised that there was no other factory sight option available and suggested that I seek some aftermarket assistance. He advised that Ruger zero's these 44's with Black Hills cowboy ammo @ 15 yards. I think most of us are shooting more than cowboy loads. I just loaded 500 rounds with new Starline cases and three different bullets and loads. Since I've only shot 100 rounds through mine, I'm going to do some more testing when and if the weather cooperates. If anyone gets a different answer from Ruger, please advise. Anthony did offer to check my revolver if I'd send it back with the free shipping included and a quick turnaround. I told him that I'd shoot it some more before returning it to the factory. Bob!!

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Ruger asked me to send my gun back and wanted to send me a shipping label.
I declined.

Wassup SRB!

FergusonTO35 said:

Wassup SRB!

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Nice to see a friendly face in the crowd.
Still trying to get this GP100 sight issue sorted out.

Mine shoots any 250 gr load I have tried at least 4" High at 25 yards. Out of the box it was well over a foot high and off the target. It seems really accurate but the lack of a proper front sight height isn't good.

Jared said:

Mine shoots any 250 gr load I have tried at least 4" High at 25 yards. Out of the box it was well over a foot high and off the target. It seems really accurate but the lack of a proper front sight height isn't good.

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I replaced the rear sight on mine with a V notch and deepened the V quite a bit.

Here's a bullet mold that will help the too short front sight Rugers: http://singleactions.proboards.com/thread/22300/mihec-swchp-cavity-brass-mold

Why you need this bullet mold.


There are a whole slew of reasons I asked BobK to draw this bullet. We discussed both a 640 version and scaling down the 429215 that I hold dear to my heart as it is one of my very favorite 44 caliber cast slugs. This is what BobK came up with and I couldn't be happier. Some applications off the top of my head are as follows. I hope you guys would chime in and let us know how you intend to fit this particular cast slug into your sixgunning.

First, there are a whole bunch of 44's both Special and Magnum that have a "too short" front sight. This one will bring those sixguns home. Bob did mention that there was a possibility that the other side of that coin was that some 44's might not sight in with this one for the front sight being too tall.

Second, How many of you guys have a Charter Arms Bulldog? Or a Smith and Wesson 329? Standard weight (240s) slugs have a pretty good bite in those guns don't they? Here is a "low recoiling" option. Or, if you do like I do and use your 329 as a 44 Special, this slug gives me the opportunity to go back to the 44 Magnum case so as not to build up a carbon ring forward of my 44 Special cases in my 44 Magnum Chambers. This will also work for the all steel lightweight custom sixguns we have seen as well.

Third, SPEED! One day, just to see what it would do, using 2400, I worked my FA97 44 Special running a 180 grain JHP up to 1400 fps with no apparent signs of pressure. Now, Bob Baker did ask me to back off that load a bit and I did, but the Flattop Ruger 44 Special is a pretty stout little sixgun. I have one with a 7 1/2" barrel and I bet it will make 1400 pretty handily. I'm pretty sure you would exercise good judgement when loading this little rocket for your own FA97 44 Special.

Fourth, FLAT! This is no long range bullet. Pushed hard however, to practical sixgun ranges, I bet it will get there and right now and go splat. Jackrabbits, Skunks, Coyotes beware. Not a big game bullet this. Whole nother application.

Fifth, Easy Shooting. Do you have a older more sedate 44? Are you getting to where you don't want to put up with mega recoil? This one should get your short range paper puncher out of retirement and back in the saddle without excess wear and tear when loaded for the Gallery.

Sixth, Anti-Personnel. Skeeter decided his 44 Special was easier for repeat shots on felons than his 44 Magnum. This one should close the gap a bit in the big Magnum case.

A lighter bullet should help a little.

I'm probably beginning to be regarded as a Ruger basher, but... it sure seems to me that a manufacturer should be able to ship a gun with sights set up so the purchaser doesn't have to 'seek aftermarket assistance,' just to be able to get the gun to shoot onto the paper.